# Crumbling Spine **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 9, 2026, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158 "2026-04-09T23:02:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/21 "2026-04-10T04:46:57Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > has anyone at the pain clinic talked to you about an Intrathecal pain pump? This is what i was going to ask about. They can maximize the relief/side effects ratio of opioids. That sounds horrible. Best wishes. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/22 "2026-04-10T11:20:05Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > > > has anyone at the pain clinic talked to you about an Intrathecal pain pump.? > > This is what i was going to ask about. They can maximize the relief/side effects ratio of opioids. > > That sounds horrible. Best wishes. I suspect I have to go through all of the non medication treatment attempts with this pain clinic before getting any meds. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/23 "2026-04-10T16:21:21Z")
@Ellecram you’ll have to see neurosurgeon/neurologist specialty for this device. (Or, at least I did) It’s not the same as the after surgery pain button. Remember it uses a miniscule amount of a drug. The medicine part is not the biggest deal. Getting the test lead and being off all oral or injectable opioids during the testing is key. They have to find just where to place it for optimal results. I was on the max dose of injectable opioids, (next step was coma) 3 times a week. I was either in horrible pain or zombie like. My in-between days I was hungover and grumpy. This device has really changed my existence. Look into it. I don’t know how your pain is or if it’s possible it helps that kind of pain. But do ask. Please, for me? 😊 I worry so. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/24 "2026-04-10T16:23:10Z")
I’m so sorry. I’ve occasionally had pain that’s lasted a few weeks or months and it really wore on me. I can’t imagine having your level of pain your entire life 😥 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/25 "2026-04-10T16:29:42Z")
It is criminal they’re having this much pain AND feeling embarrassed or made to feel like a prescription opioid seeker. Unconscionable. The Pain management area in medicine is getting better. At least the pain clinics are trying. And new things are happening. If I, in lowly Arkansas can find help anyone should be able to. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/26 "2026-04-10T16:54:41Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > It is criminal they’re having this much pain AND feeling embarrassed or made to feel like a prescription opioid seeker. > Unconscionable. > > The Pain management area in medicine is getting better. At least the pain clinics are trying. > And new things are happening. > > If I, in lowly Arkansas can find help anyone should be able to. Of course I will make attempts but the fight is gone from me at this point. It’s all I can do to get through what the day brings. I am going to try to order some different herbs online to see if anything helps. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/27 "2026-04-10T17:09:04Z")
Oh, sweetie… I tend to get mother-y and wanna be so helpful and ease you somehow. It hurts my heart. Ok, this is the bossy part: you’re well past the herbal-gonna-help stage, it seems like to me. Have you tried any topicals? (Rubs, creams?) Oh, and your not allowed to just give up. I insist on this. I’ve scratched and grabbed at every minute of my life. It seems like you have as well. It’s hard to just stop and slip into death when we have worked so hard to live for so, so many days. This the hopeful part: there’s is possibly help out there. You might have to pull something up inside yourself to find it. Or enlist a friend or loved to help you. But do something. I’m pulling for you. P.S. 1st step: get a referral from your PCP for a neurologist. Make an appointment. One step at a time. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/28 "2026-04-10T17:36:52Z")
I’m so sorry you’re at this level of pain. Back pain has sidelined me for months now. I’m waiting for an appointment to have the neurostimulator implanted. This is the device that reactivates the multifidus muscle to stabilize the spine. I can let you know when I find out more and would be happy to be your guinea pig. As to severe, chronic, continuous pain, I’ve been there, though with eyes more than back, and it is mentally and emotionally exhausting as well as physically draining. Trying to live or even just to think over the pain is like treading water in rough seas. I now look at chronic pain as a health issue in and of itself, as it causes a host of problems for the rest of the body. Thank God for pain specialists, who see pain in an entirely different way than other docs. I looked up the intrathecal device, and it is used for spine pain, so I hope that’s an option for you. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/29 "2026-04-10T17:39:35Z")
> [@Ellecram](#): > > I had been on opioid pain medications from the 1990s through 2023 when my doctor retired. New doctor put me on prednisone which was actually fine for a couple years. I just noticed this bit. Nonstop pred for several years??? As an asthmatic, I love the stuff. It’s cheap. It works fast. It’s effective. And it will totally F\*&K you up. The osteoporosis from the pred is not going to help your other issues. Not to mention the blood sugar issues, cataracts etc. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/30 "2026-04-10T18:24:52Z")
Oh, @nelliebly we’ll be Borg implant sisters now. Maybe this is how we achieve world domination? Resistance is Futile (I get to be Seven of Nine) ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/31 "2026-04-10T18:30:05Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > > [@Ellecram](#): > > > > I had been on opioid pain medications from the 1990s through 2023 when my doctor retired. New doctor put me on prednisone which was actually fine for a couple years. > > I just noticed this bit. > > Nonstop pred for several years??? > > As an asthmatic, I love the stuff. It’s cheap. It works fast. It’s effective. And it will totally F\*&K you up. > > The osteoporosis from the pred is not going to help your other issues. Not to mention the blood sugar issues, cataracts etc. It was only intermittent prednisone every 3 or 4 months for 15 days. I’ve been on annual Reclast Infusions and take calcium for osteoporosis. My go to rescue meds are ibuprofen which is ripping my stomach to shreds. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/32 "2026-04-10T18:31:09Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Oh, sweetie… > > I tend to get mother-y and wanna be so helpful and ease you somehow. It hurts my heart. > > Ok, this is the bossy part: you’re well past the herbal-gonna-help stage, it seems like to me. > Have you tried any topicals? (Rubs, creams?) > > Oh, and your not allowed to just give up. > I insist on this. I’ve scratched and grabbed at every minute of my life. It seems like you have as well. It’s hard to just stop and slip into death when we have worked so hard to live for so, so many days. > > This the hopeful part: there’s is possibly help out there. You might have to pull something up inside yourself to find it. Or enlist a friend or loved to help you. > But do something. > > I’m pulling for you. > > P.S. 1st step: get a referral from your PCP for a neurologist. Make an appointment. > One step at a time. Thank you for pulling for me and giving me suggestions. It’s greatly appreciated. I will do what I can. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/33 "2026-04-10T18:34:42Z")
> [@Ellecram](#): > > It was only intermittent prednisone every 3 or 4 months for 15 days. Phew!! You scared me. I’ve been on it for that long at a single time, someetimes multiple times in a year though fortunately that was rare. Cataracts, osteo etc. were problems to be dealt with later, if I survived long enough. Without the pred, that survival was more questionable. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/34 "2026-04-10T18:46:09Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > I’m so sorry you’re at this level of pain. Back pain has sidelined me for months now. I’m waiting for an appointment to have the neurostimulator implanted. This is the device that reactivates the multifidus muscle to stabilize the spine. I can let you know when I find out more and would be happy to be your guinea pig. > > As to severe, chronic, continuous pain, I’ve been there, though with eyes more than back, and it is mentally and emotionally exhausting as well as physically draining. Trying to live or even just to think over the pain is like treading water in rough seas. I now look at chronic pain as a health issue in and of itself, as it causes a host of problems for the rest of the body. Thank God for pain specialists, who see pain in an entirely different way than other docs. > > I looked up the intrathecal device, and it is used for spine pain, so I hope that’s an option for you. Sorry to hear this! There is nothing like relentless pain that screws with every moment of your existence. I hope your stimulator works out - please let me know. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2026, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/35 "2026-04-11T19:19:56Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Maybe this is how we achieve world domination? Would that make us dominatrices? > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > (I get to be Seven of Nine) Deal. And I’l be…Worf? ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/36 "2026-04-12T19:00:13Z")
I am so sorry you are dealing with that level of pain. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/37 "2026-04-12T19:12:16Z")
@Patx2 its certainly a struggle but I’m holding on for now. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/38 "2026-04-13T01:15:52Z")
Wishing you comfort and relief! ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/39 "2026-04-13T03:50:34Z")
> [@Patx2](#): > > Wishing you comfort and relief! Thank you! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158/40 "2026-04-13T17:54:13Z")
Ellecram, I just got a phone call from the ortho clinic. The manufacturer of the device, Reactiv8, now requires potential users to undergo a psych evaluation before getting the implant. This concerns me for two reasons: first, it’s another delay, probably a lengthy one, and second, how difficult is this that you have to be cleared by a shrink first? The delay is because I have to wait for the behavioral health place to call to schedule that appointment, which I assume will be more than a week or two out, then the results have to go to the ortho clinic, and after they’re processed, I’ll get a call to schedule. I’m now figuring it’ll be June before I get the surgery. The psych eval is a new requirement, they tell me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crumbling-spine/1029158.md?page=3)