My Spinal Cord Injury are at levels C-3 through C7

Background -- its been 9yrs since injury I am an ambulatory
Quad yes I'm walking not well but walking. My question is
I'm now have severe cramping throughout my body at times
I can see the cramp moving on a particular part of body
i.e. arm, leg stuff like that. Is this normal and my muscle
Relaxers aren't working or if they do work I'm asleep.
What about these cramps they are incredibly painful.
Is this a life long situation?

C3-C7 are in your neck. Why are you having trouble walking?

Do you do any kind of exercise, following a regular program of exercise or yoga or tai chi? Have you been going for physical therapy?

How old are you? Where do you live? If you are near a big city and/or university medical center, you should take advantage of exercise equipment that does the work for your limbs, keeping them moving. You should move as much as you can. Swimming especially. Your muscles will atrophy and you need to stop that as much as possible. Isn't a doctor or PT telling you all about this, and giving you suggestions? You should tell them about the cramping, so that they can suggest more than just relaxer drugs. A good nutritionist could help, or a PT who knows about lactic acid buildup in the muscles, and so on. Sports medicine people know a lot about lactic acid build up, and it isn't as simple as taking potassium and calcium, because all the minerals and vitamins have some effect on the others, and calcium can go to the wrong parts of the body if you aren't active enough.
Drink plenty of fluids too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

C3-C7 are in your neck. Why are you having trouble walking?

Do you do any kind of exercise, following a regular program of exercise or yoga or tai chi? Have you been going for physical therapy?

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Thank You Wonder girl for your response. Yes I do exersice as much as
Possible and do stretching. I also get codison shots in my lower back every 10 weeks. I do't drive for now. But Physical thearapy is all used up. The reason
I'm having trouble walking is because I have a "Spinal Cord Injury" At levels
C3 threw C7 and partial T1. I'm lucky to be walking and to be alive. I've had 3
Major surguries two for 9 hours and the last one 12 hours. I have been partially
Paralized since 2002 I had my onset Dec. 31 2002 and became paralized from the shoulders down since Jan 18, 03

C =cervix = your neck. Do you mean L = lumbar = low back? T1 is high up just below your neck.

You would have a stiff neck and couldn't turn your head, but with cervical injuries, you should be walking just fine.

Wonder girl thank you. But it is obvious to me that you do not understand the ramifications of cervical injuries. In most cases an injury as high as C3 is a death sentence. I am told that almost everyone with the injury I have, does not survive. In 2004 (my last surgery) they told me only 5% live. Of those who live, almost all are on a ventilator, like Christopher Reeves (who, by the way ended up dying from bedsores that went systemic).
In my case, the vertebrae completely collapsed, leaving many small bone fragments in my spinal canal. Had one piece actually pierced my spinal cord, I would have been dead. Gratefully I was able to have 2 emergency surgeries a week apart. The first two cleaned up the fragments and began the fusion process. The third surgery, the doctors said it was to keep me alive, not to walk. I am blessed to be alive and doubly blessed to have any movement below my chest at all.
Now, may I reiterate my question about the severely cramping muscles throughout my body? I've been given by my doctors a muscle relaxor for my cramps and pain killers for my constant severe pain. If there is anyone out there who truly understands spinal cord injuries and their unique issues, I would greatly appreciate your insight.
Thank you.

Please do not invite off-site communication. I removed that part of your post to save you from an infraction.

I worked in PT for two years and am well aware of how the spine works and even have my own issues with disc deterioration. Now that you have described things more clearly, I bow to your knowledge of what is going on in your body.

Again, a regular exercise program of some kind is your best bet. A friend went through a pain management program for his spinal injury and greatly benefited from the program. Have you done that yet?

Have you ever sought out acupressure or acupuncture therapy? Shiatsu?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by joypulv

How old are you? Where do you live? If you are near a big city and/or university medical center, you should take advantage of exercise equipment that does the work for your limbs, keeping them moving. You should move as much as you can. Swimming especially. Your muscles will atrophy and you need to stop that as much as possible. Isn't a doctor or PT telling you all about this, and giving you suggestions? You should tell them about the cramping, so that they can suggest more than just relaxer drugs. A good nutritionist could help, or a PT who knows about lactic acid buildup in the muscles, and so on. Sports medicine people know a lot about lactic acid build up, and it isn't as simple as taking potassium and calcium, because all the minerals and vitamins have some effect on the others, and calcium can go to the wrong parts of the body if you aren't active enough.
Drink plenty of fluids too.

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Joypulv,
Thank you for your helpful and appropriate knowledge to my condition. I appreciate it.
I'm 51 years old and have had physical and occupational therapy many times over the 9 years since the onset of my injury. I am on medicare and medicade. At this time I am allowed only a handful of visits per year or so. That's the only time I am able to use the appropriate equipment. Otherwise, I can not afford gyms (which don't have the correct equipment anyway). Diet? I do the best I can on SSI and foodstamps which doesn't cover super healthy stuff. I have difficulty swallowing but am doing better with drinking more water (I'm actually starting to like it.) I forgot to mention I have a bad allergy to any soy products or products containing any soy which causes my throat to swell. (That's most things on the shelf today.)
If you have additional helpful ideas and/ or would like to discuss this more with me I would be happy to [discuss this].

You don't need fancy gym equipment to do yoga or tai chi. You can learn each of those at a Y or park district or at a church program for very low cost or for free. You can even learn some basics via the Internet.

I do wish you well and again warn you about offsite communication suggestions.

The exercise equipment I refer to is specifically for the paralyzed. You strap yourself in and press a button and they move your limbs for you as though you were a doing strenuous work out. I saw them at I believe Yale New Haven Hospital. You might want to look around at a university medical center in your state for the latest options, which might be free, or you could get into a study.
As for diet and supplements for cramps, just Google 'muscles lactic acid' and such words. You will find different theories so study carefully, and don't read the ones trying to sell you something, and there's no reason to spend a lot of money. The 3 basic minerals you need are potassium, magnesium, and calcium, as well as all the vitamins, but don't overload on any of them. And you don't know if you are lacking them in your diet, or if the nerve injury is causing the pain from atrophy and lactic acid buildup and the nerve injuries themselves. A foodstamp diet is PLENTY for a good diet, as long as you don't eat out! Not one coffee or burger. I eat very well on about the same amount (I think it's $220? That foodstamps gives people on SSI disability. Correct me if I'm wrong.)
Talk to the nearest Y about swimming and tell them your financial situation. It may not be free but will be greatly discounted and worth it. See if there are any local charities that subsidize programs for people with disabilities.
I didn't know Chris Reeve died from bedsore complications!

[I]Thank you for all that great info. Yes my legs are atrophying I think they have
Either stopped or slowed down a lot. Food stamps 160.00 I just went into my clinic
This week my Dr. ordered a full blood work up and stool samples which I am having
Tough time getting. Using stool softeners not working yet. It either rains or it shines
With thosethings. Cut methedone down to under 30 miligrams wasn't on a lot anyway
But hasincreased pain by 5 fold. Come to think of it never had cramps until lowered
My meds.Hmmm? Well will notify both Dr's about that one. My pain Dr. still thinks its
Part of thebeing a quad. I don't know. I use to do a lot of research on having a spinal
Cord injuryjust got discouraged. Not many people I can relate to. Think about it how
Many people does anyone reading this know that has a C3- C7 fusion all cadaver
Bones replace my ones. At the levels and amount of disks involved no one that I
Know or have I found or has any of the Dr's that have seen me over these past nine
Years ever seen another human being have the severity of my injury and aren't on a
Ventolatore nada zipo nothing. I'm serious about this. In 2008 I wanted to get a suport
Group of people that have some use of extremities who have the same injury. I'm not
Being over dramatic here either. I found people in chairs of different levels, found
People on ventolaters but they hadn't recovered like I did. They were where I could
Have been or still could be or anyone could be we are all just a hit away from being
Paralized. I am not kidding when I say I am humbled by those in chairs or on ventolaters
I am so thankful & grateful.
As far as trying to get into a research I have yet to find one in my area the Portland
Oregon whech Oregon & Washington stopped excepting eachothers patience just
A week after I was injured in 03. So my area that I can find someone to my knowledge
Is restricted to the state of Washington
Thank you again for the useful information I will use what I can of
It and put away the rest.