Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis----a kind of arthritis.
I know there are other internet sites devoted to this affliction, but I feel like I know some of you and can trust your judgement.
You’re not my Dr, I have a Dr, and have a second appointment soon with a back specialist. I just wanted to get that out of the way.
Four different health professionals have told me that my condition is real but not life threatening. Basically, I need to come to better terms with the information my back is sending me. I’m thinking of trying a hypnotist. But how does one find them?
I believe the three doctors and one physician’s assistant who all say this is normal aging. My brain is interpreting those back signals as, “THIS IS SOMETHING TERRIBLY WRONG THAT NEED’S ADDRESSING RIGHT NOW!”
So have any of you had success with hypnotism? If I could perceive these sensations as background noise to ignore, it seems that would be productive. Hypnotism? Acupuncture? What works for you?
Here is my brief history. I’ve been complaining about minor back pain for 2 years. My PCP always poo-pooed me -----not even an X-ray. I went to the ER. The ER Dr ordered an X-ray and said I have minor spinal deformities and recommended physical therapy. The physical therapy lasted 2.5 months and worked amazingly. I quit doing the PT exercises and the pain came back. I began the PT regiment (on my own) and the exercises worked again.
In March, while visiting my sister in Philadelphia, I fell in that freak ice storm. I broke my wrist. I was unable to do the back PT exercises. Three weeks later the back pain roared again. It was a month of wrist PT before I could do my back PT exercises again. I’ve been doing the back PT (on my own) for two months and the muscles feel strong again. But I’m not sure why I have so much pain. Is it a red herring? Is the DISH progressing? Have I lost proper form in the PT exercises? I DO have a DR appointment. Maybe some other sufferers can share a path to functionality.