MY Recent Experiment In Diagnostics

Zaphoon · 10-19-2009, 11:22 AM

As many of you know, I doubt my ddx of PLS on occassion. This morning, the doubting mood once again struck and I was motivated into looking into alternate, more friendly diseases, disorders and syndromes.

One of the things that can cause upper motor neuron disturbances is spinal cord compression (spondylosis I think its called). Well, I just happen to have a device that decompresses the spine, thanks to my lovely wife. Some years back, she purchased a "Back Revolution" device that puts your torso in an inverted position to decompress the spine and thus instantly cure you of any compression problems.

Convinced that this may be my malady, I set about to prove to myself that all I needed to do to make my twitching, babinski and slight hoffman signs go away was to hang upside down on this gizmo for a few minutes.

Shucks! It didn't work. Everythings still there. Back to the drawing board...

Zaphoon

crystalkk · 10-19-2009, 11:28 AM

Kim,

You are crazy... but, i am happy to see you have such a great sense of humor.....

Zaphoon · 10-19-2009, 11:37 AM

Crystal,

I think I may need to add more weight whilest hanging upside-down. I'm going to try and tie a few dumbells around my neck for extra downward force while inverted. I'll report any positive findings. If you don't hear from me again, well, you can probably guess what happened (a possible flaw in my calculations perhaps...)

thelma313 · 10-19-2009, 12:22 PM

PZ PLEASE do not tie any dumbells around your neck and then hang upside down!!!!! I hope you're joking, you crazy nut!
Play safe now and be good.
Rosella

crystalkk · 10-19-2009, 12:48 PM

Kim,

let me know if it works... maybe i'll give it a try. LOL

olly · 10-19-2009, 02:15 PM

kim.........what are you like

make sure theres someone there for a likely emergency,maybe with a video camera so you can send the footage to "you've been framed". or over there is it "americans do the funniest things"
please please play safe pz,i would hate to see you seriously hurt yourself..............i love the bones of you

BarryG · 10-19-2009, 04:22 PM

You know that scene in Braveheart where William Wallace is being stretched for a confession or whatever it was that they wanted him to say? Maybe something like that would help, you just need some rope, pulleys and horses and you're all set.

It might also help to have some big guys wearing hoods around for moral support and then you can say "FREEDOM FROM TWITCHES!!!!". Let us know how it goes.

halfin · 10-19-2009, 05:20 PM

That's too bad it didn't work, but seriously, you should try it for a few minutes a day for a week or two and see if it helps. As it happens, I have a spondylolisthesis and it does not exactly mean compression of the spine. It means that one vertebra has slipped forward relative to another. And this can then put pressure on the spine, so the idea is the same. Mine is L5-S1 which is in the lower back, and is congenital due to a slightly deformed vertebra. My wife actually asked our neuro last week if I should undergo spinal fusion so that when I am completely paralyzed and she is lugging me around, she won't worry about straining my back. My little cupcake is always thinking ahead, so charming. But the doctor looked at my MRI and said it is only a "grade 1" spondy, not worth worrying about. Now I have in fact strained my back pretty bad occasionally over the years, but it may not be related to this particular problem. So hopefully it will be OK.

Anyway, if I had one of those back stretchers, I'd give it a try. I used to hang from a bar regularly to relax and stretch my back, but my hands are too weak now, I can't hold my weight any more. Maybe I should see if I could find a used inversion machine around here, give it a try.

peter57 · 10-19-2009, 06:30 PM

Kim,
We in Aus are "Down Under" people. Does this mean if your treatment works i should come up to the US or Canada or even good old England and visit Olly to "get upright"

I can tell you though having spent all my life down under it hasnt cured me, yet.

cheers,
and dont fall off and hit your head, you might shake those humor comments loose and then we would all be the poorer (no more anty twitch cream)

Peter

olly · 10-20-2009, 12:27 PM

hey pz,are you still with us .......intact

peter,you and everyone else are always welcome to drop by if you ever come to the uk

.
personally i have always wanted go down under,visit the barrier reef as i love tropical fish. used to keep and breed them,tropical frogs as well.

Zaphoon · 10-20-2009, 01:51 PM

Caroline,

I'm still here; so is the rowing machine and the inversion machine. I'm trying to figure out a way to put them together for the most benefit. I can't figure out if I want to row upside while hanging or hang upside down while rowing.

PZ

GlenBrittle · 10-20-2009, 04:36 PM

Dude, Just hang out beside the rowing machine !