Back injury returning to work

[Heartman]

Greetings all,

I'm a critical care RN and have been since '81. Last June my chronic low back pain developed into incredible back pain with siatic pain on the R.

This resulted in surgery to remove the disc between L4-5 and installing hardware @ L-5/S-1 for stabilization.

The good news is that the pain is completly gone. The bad news is that I now walk with a limp, have urinary retension requiring self cath 4 x/day and bow incontinence now controlled with strict bowel program.

I am now cleared to go back to work 24 hrs/week and lifting only 20 lbs. I will not be able to lift patients.

My question is has anyone else on this board had to go back to work under similar cercumstances? Did you go into administration or case review or what.

Any ideas are welcome.

Thanks, Walt

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Well, I had a diskectomy and laminectomy 5 years ago that fixed up the sciatic problem. However, I now have a spondylolisthesis that caused problems with urinary retention. I am unable to stand for more than a few minutes without developing muscle spasms in my right hip and eventually low back pain. The hip spasms are worse than the back pain.

I decided to go to a chiropractor. I was very suspicious at first. However, the one I've gone to sat and explained why I was having the bladder problem and the hip spasms. He has me put a lift in one shoe because my hips were not even (one leg slightly shorter than the other) and it was pulling my spine out of alignment. He said over time the changes it caused would be permanent if it wasn't corrected. Funny, the short leg is on the side I had the laminectomy! He has helped identify which muscles in my hip were spasming and shown me several stretches to overcome the spasms. I am now very much more aware of what kinds of positions I get into that will cause my nerve root to be compressed and cause all this havoc.

The chiropractor also referred me to an exercise specialist who I have been seeing over the last year. She has given me exercises to strengthen the back muscles. A year later I am good to go. . .well, I still get the spasms, but I know what to do to reverse them. My low back pain is almost insignificant these days. I used to take Motrin like candy until it permanently damaged my kidneys and then switched to Ultram. I very seldom use the Ultram anymore. I also take 25mg of Topamax which helps with the muscle spasms.

To get back to the bladder problem. The last two times I was in the urologists office I was cathed for residual and had like 10cc, if that. The chiropractor wants to take credit for that. The urinary retention, however, has gone away. Luckily, I never had any bowel problems from this.