About My Back or Neck Pain Syndrome
I have a disc that is slightly compressed, and on top of that, I have a slight leg length discrepancy, and temporal mandibular joint problems, so the combination of these issues means that I have ongoing pain in the neck, shoulders, jaw, and shoulder blade area quite regularly. I've had a diagnosis of mild fibromylagia as well, as I test positive for pain at most of the fibromyalgia trigger points.
Problems Caused by My Syndrome
One thing that's been difficult for me is that my job involves quite a bit of sitting at the computer. That seems to aggravate the neck and back pain, and causes stiffness. I also find that I wake with some stiffness in the neck and back. The pain also makes it nearly impossible for me to wear shoes with heels -- I've resigned myself to flats, or if I want something with a bit of height, I need sturdy wedges.
Lessons Learned
- Gentle, regular exercise is essential. I have less stiffness and pain if I regularly get exercise like yoga or Pilates. Rigorous exercise -- like spinning or step aerobics -- makes it worse for me. Stretching also seems to help tremendously.
- Some sessions with an Alexander technique expert helped me learn body position tactics, for example, the best way to sit at my desk, get in a car, & stand at the sink (my practitioner said to use a small stool, and put one foot on the stool, which really helps with back pain!)
- Stress and fatigue definitely make the pain worse, so I do my best to rest and relax.
