Pain has returned

[sincerely, kristyn.?]

My sister sustained a lower back injury and has been off work for 10 weeks. She returned last week and was really positive about returning to work, now she comes home every day in great discomfort. She was not expecting to feel pain because the 10 weekd she was off work she actually felt OK, although she did take pain relief everyday. Now she is frequently depressed and needs loads of reasurrance to go into work every day. She had a panic attack today because she said the work was making her back pain much worse. My sister was never depressed before but she is having to take additional painkillers which is also making her feel depressed. I am trying to encourage her to return to the doctor, but she keeps saying that the doctor dosn`t realise that she is on her feet all day. She also has alot of bending in her job which is also contributing to the pain. I don`t know what other advice I can give her. HELP

 

[UrbanPhotos]

Hi,

the first thing she needs to do is: forget about the doctor and go and see an osteopath - who will find and treat the *cause* of the pain and not just treat the symptom with drugs.

Also she needs to let the person help her by making them aware of her lifestyle (bending and constantly on her feet), this will allow whoever she sees to make suggestions about bending and recomend streches and excersises that will help strengthen the area. The most important thing for het to do is make sure that when she bends..... she must keep her back staight and bend he knees to lower herself. it may also be worth taking a glucosamin supplement (i think Holland and Barett have a half price sale at the moment). If you are in East London or nearby, I know of an absolutly superb Osteopath......

Lastly, what is her name - and I will send her some reiki.


Love and Light to you and your Sister.
Saffron Light

 

[Mama Outlaw]

She is frightened to tell her employer that bending and being on her feet all day is causing her to feel worn out with a feeling as though she has a lack of strength in her lower back. This is her job, she works in a nursing home therfore dressing people is part of her job. And ofcourse walking around the home all day is also part of the work. She is on the waiting list to see an osteopath. I am just concerned that she is quite depressed and worrying about her employer dosn`t help. They are not supportive employers. For example, when she returned to work she told her boss that when she first took the back pain she felt as though she was being parlaysed. Her boss replied by saying, well your not paralysed. How do you answer someone like that.

 

[AmandaS]

This is starting to sound very familar..... my mother slipped a disc whill she was lifting a lady out of a bath in a rest home, when she was 27 (now 52). Because it was her job... she had to carry on or leave the job. She was on around 12 co-proxamol every day for 10 yrs, and still has problems. She left shortly after damaging her back and went into a different line of work.

Your sisters employer doesn't want someone who can't do the work. I can see both sides, point of view.

You sister needs to get out of that environment - it is only going to get worse - if she stays.

She REALLY neads to take care when bending, as I said before. And she could do with going to pilates and strenghtening the muscles that keep the discs in place ie core strength training. You see what happens is the injury weakens the muscles so it is more likley to happen again... then you a so careful with that part of your back (dont do anything, for fear of pain) that they become even weaker and it is a downward spiral... Urge you sister to get involved in some supervised excersise - Yoga is good too.

You mentioned that she is waiting to see an osteopath.... is this NHS? if so, she could be waiting ages. If anyone of you can afford it, I would urge your sister to get seen by a very good private osteopath. OK it might cost £150 or so for the nessecary appointments, but on the other hand she could still have problems 25yrs later like my mother - who went the NHS route.

If you nedd help tracking a good osteopath in her area, I can probably help you out.

And don't forget the proper way to 'bend'. And as i'm sure she is doing - sit wherever she can (as this will take the pressure off the discs) eg. get a high stool to wash up, iron, make the evening sandwiches etc etc!

I notice from another of your threads that your Sister is pregnant..... This could well be the source of the pain. The old injury has become aggrivated by the spine being slowley out of shape. This may settle after a short time. BUt it may not. She needs to see that osteopath ASAP. And tell them the whole story.....

And yes it is perfectly safe to give Reki from the first day to the birth itself - Reiki can do no harm (except on un-set broken bones of course!), and Reiki babies are so very special. Good luck. And never spare the Reiki with your sister.

Love and Light
Saffron

 

[ddljmdku]

Your poor sister!

Is it a private nursing home? The NHS are usually very careful about staff lifting etc, almost to the ridiculous. They have a duty of care to you as well as their patients. You will find that there are many courses on offer with regard to "safe" lifting and manouvering techniques, including the use of hoists.

I have found that most NHS staff just refuse to lift - or say they are just not allowed to (my daughter is 12 and wheelchair bound. I have to lift her everywhere, including up and down stairs until last year when we got a stairlift)

I hope your sister manages to get her employers to realise the importance of protecting their staff's backs, or you will all be off work!!

Karen x