Go to the top of this page while you are logged in. Click on my account. In the top right corner you will see the word edit. Click on edit. Scroll down until you find the space for your signature. Put your info in that box and it will show at the bottom of your posts. Sorry I do not have the vibration problem but hopefully someone that does will stop by and shed light on it for you.

Howdy!!!

I have issues in my back, but not diagnosed yet as I am *trying* to get my darn neck under control! Lol!!! At any rate, what you are describing, I have had. Basically your degenerated disks are feeling the vibration "transmit" in those bad (weakened) disks! I can feel it a bit in my back, but more so for me, my neck. I haven't been in a train in a long time, but I was sitting at Red Lobster with my hubby in those "cushioned booth like seats" and a person "plopped" down next to me - zing that bloody well hurt! The hubby gets on a bumpy road or hits a pot hole, zing again! I can't handle being a passenger in a car for more than 30-45 minutes - even if smooth, I might be getting "general" vibration there, but I think for me it is from the position I sit in. When I drive now, I sit almost straight up! I lost a lot of the range of motion with my last surgery, so I pivot to clear lanes to turn - actually feels pretty good when I do that!!

In basics what is happening is the areas are under load and sensitive, and the vibrations (for me more so the bumps and such) transmit to your injured areas. There isn't much you can do except try and avoid those situations that irritate your back. I wish I had better information for you. Will it get better with surgery? A big *maybe* - no guarantees on surgery unfortunately. Good luck with your vehicle travels! Take care, and a Hearty Welcome Aboard the Site!!

Brenda

i too am severely degenerated at the same levels (along with herniations) and feel every bump in the road in a car/bus/ect...
...at times even a 6 pound cat jumping on the bed will hurt.
...and mri's are awful for me!

but it is all part of being a spiney...try talking to your surgeon about a brace to wear during long car rides as i find that seems to help me.
(in trial brace for a possible 4 level fusion)
other than that, the better the shock system on the vehicle....the less you will "feel".
-best of luck-

dawn

I had surgery on C5-6 C6-7 In march 2009. Also had surgery on L5 S1 on July 23, 2009. I had problems with riding also before the surgeries and I still have the same problem after 4 months from the L5 S1 surgery. I can't ride for more than about 45 min. to 1 hour. We went on a trip to Florida the last week of October, it was 200 miles from my home, it took us all day, due to having to stop so much so that I could walk to reduce the pain. My doctor took me off of my brace after only 1 month, have thought about wearing it when I go somewhere, but did not know if it would hinder or help.

I will be seeing my doctor on December 1st. and That is one of the first questions: How much longer will all this last? I really have a LOT of questions for him about the level of pain.

slowpoke60

I have the fancy brace my neuro got me. It has the removable shell. Better than the old turtle ones. I have to wear it in the car, It helps with back soreness from fatigue since it forces you to sit correctly. Does it help over bumps. No. My wife hit a speed bump the other day not even thinking. We were in the truck and it had not weight in the back. So they just bounce. Boy did I let out a yell.

If you haven't had surgery and have bad discs. Especially lower quadrant. Like S1-L5 or L5-L4. Yeah they are compressed and have little room to offer you help. They are shock absorbers. Once they are severely DDD or worn. They just compress and stop helping. Then nerves and muscles end up acting as shock absorbers, which they shouldn't be. Worse becomes bone on bone.

Ultimately you need to keep your trips short. Preferably not ride in cars with very stiff/harsh suspensions. Bigger cars with cushier seats. Also try angle the seat back a bit further. The closer to perfectly prone you are. The worse you will feel it.

Graham

Here is another idea. I almost tried this before surgery but never got round to it. If your lower discs are compressed then this might help. It keeps your tail bone suspended.

http://www.healthyback.com/products/kinetic-diversified/car-cush/543

You can find these types of cushions in a number of places. I just happen to have one of these stores close by so I happen to use their website. Shop around. I'm sure you can probably find better prices.

Graham

I have the same problem regarding riding a car or people jumping around me. Sometimes it hurts just having my kids run past me, because like you I feel the floor shaking eventhrough the couch. I am also hypersensitive to touch in my lower back at the end of the day, after work or cooking or anykind of strain. The doctors don't know why it is, but I do know my problem areas are L4-L5 and L5-s1 with facets. I have a continuous pressure pain that increases with any kind of activity on my feet. The more the pressure the less I can walk. If I don't stop and lay down for a while after the pressure gets too high I feel it in my whole body and my face and eyes gets all red, and I feel feverish, plus I just can't walk anymore. Nobody seems to be able to explain this. Has anyone got the same symptoms out there and do u have a diagnosis for it?

I used to be in so much pain when I had my herniated disc and had to travel an hour to go to my Primary Dr. many times to get my pain meds increased to help block the pain from vibrations and potholes etc in the road. I've found Cymbalta as well as MS Contin has helped where I can tolerate the drive and subway rides now. Good luck and hope a brace may help you. Take care. Charry

Perhaps we are now super sensitive to external vibration and I know I have my own external perimeter that with any vibration resonates though my spine, more effective than a bus timetable, I can feel the bus arriving and have been know to stand up to reduce the effect.

Small buses are also a problem and I bought a bigger car on the basis that it would feel the bumps and vibration less, as mentioned it is Ok on short distance and anything longer and my legs do not work. I always look for separate seating to reduce the chance of others moving and even escalators can be a problem. Some travel opportunities become an inquisition as to how we are going and the mode of transport we are using, you have to laugh in my sister’s 4x4 we had to stop all the time, it had the comfort of a tractor and those grimaces on my face reflective of just how painful this process was…..

If it vibrates shakes or bumps .. stay away ….. which is the smoothest car !!!

Just smile and have fun…

John.

Hi there,

From the replies you've gotten, seems like many of us hate riding and anything that moves our back and neck when we aren't expecting it. I'm right in the pileup. I wear my neck brace but I'm still so sore all throughout my upperback and shoulders afterwards. I can't do any trips back to back. We are contemplating a trip nearer to Christmas that's a good 5 hours one way and I'm already dreading the pain. My car has heated seats and that's a godsend.

I still have some low back pain but nothing like before my last surgery Dec. 08. Getting hardware put in to stablize my L3-L5 has made all the difference with my back pain. I still hate bumps and twisting and hurt pretty bad if I bend over trying to clean house or pick up things around the house. Luckily it lets off after a day or two.

I wanted to suggest wearing a tens unit when you are doing things that hurt the most too. A brace will help definitely cause it's holding you together and giving you stabilization. My PT said we all should be wearing a tens unit like it's a necessity item and turn it out for 20 mins. at a time once an hour. I haven't followed her suggestion just because I get the wiring all jumbled up and you feel like a doof if any of the tens unit can be seen. But I should just wear it and get over it and try it out too. LOL.

Honestly and straightforward, nothing will help degenerative disease pain. Our discs are bad thruout the spine, some worse than others, but once the cushion between the bones is gone or thin, movement at all is going to hurt us. I sometimes feel like it's a death sentence myself. But I can say that my low back fusion with hardware has helped so much with the sharp knifing pain with movement. I'm down to the achey, stiff pain down there. Now if I could get my neck to feel the same, I'd be better for awhile longer. Good luck and I feel your pain!