Hello, my mother has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma 2 months ago. She has yet to begin full treatment, but is on steroids and will start pamidronate (Aredia) next week.
My question is how common it is to have difficulty walking due to spinal fractures? My mom has two fractures in the lower spine and can only walk with a walker short distances.
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Re: Difficulty walking with spinal fractures
Hello Ula,
I had a similar problem to your mother's, with several spinal compression fractures at the time of diagnosis. They were very painful, and I was frightened that I might become permanently disabled. However, with the help of the bisphosphonates and myeloma treatment (Velcade plus dexamethasone, plus a stem cell transplant), this situation was improved. It took quite a long time, but I did heal up. I still get pain across the low back , and 'hobble around' sometimes, but for the most part I am OK!
So I hope that the same would be true for your mother. She should seek out the best available medical advice about the fractures, for it seems that there are differing severities of those.
I had a similar problem to your mother's, with several spinal compression fractures at the time of diagnosis. They were very painful, and I was frightened that I might become permanently disabled. However, with the help of the bisphosphonates and myeloma treatment (Velcade plus dexamethasone, plus a stem cell transplant), this situation was improved. It took quite a long time, but I did heal up. I still get pain across the low back , and 'hobble around' sometimes, but for the most part I am OK!
So I hope that the same would be true for your mother. She should seek out the best available medical advice about the fractures, for it seems that there are differing severities of those.
Last edited by Nancy Shamanna on Tue May 16, 2017 3:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Nancy Shamanna - Name: Nancy Shamanna
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self and others too
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2009
Re: Difficulty walking with spinal fractures
It's very common to have difficulty walking with spinal fractures in the lower spine. When we do any activity, there is movement in the spine. So, something like walking usually involves rotation of the pelvis, which causes some rotation of the lower segments of the spine. If there are fractures, there there is constant movement in those segments, with each step causing severe pain.
Is your mother going to be getting any other treatment besides the steroids and the Aredia? The steroids will work to decrease the inflammation around the fractures, and the Aredia will strengthen the bones. But she should be getting an anti-myeloma drug to treat the myeloma so that the bones will heal.
Nancy in Phila
Is your mother going to be getting any other treatment besides the steroids and the Aredia? The steroids will work to decrease the inflammation around the fractures, and the Aredia will strengthen the bones. But she should be getting an anti-myeloma drug to treat the myeloma so that the bones will heal.
Nancy in Phila
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NStewart - Name: Nancy Stewart
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 3/08
- Age at diagnosis: 60
Re: Difficulty walking with spinal fractures
Hi,
Sorry to hear about your mother and the pain she is going through. I initially presented with 3 fractures, also T7, 9, 10. After 3 years, they did a spinal fusion from T5 to L2, and it worked wonderfully!
Fast forward to today, and I now have multiple compression fractures up and down my spine. My C6 vertebrae was totally eaten away, and I had to wear a stiff collar for 1/2 year to support my head. It has grown back (the vertebrae, not my head!), but still gives constant pain. Also, my L2 (3 and 4) that anchored the fusion has compressed with subsequent danger of the whole fusion failing.
It makes it hard to just stand up without my back muscles tightening and creating pain, let alone walking.
However, just yesterday I was in Vancouver and they gave me a spinal block (epidural), which may last up to 3-4 months, and today I can walk and stand, minimally without that pain! Yah!
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this lasts a long time.
Sorry to hear about your mother and the pain she is going through. I initially presented with 3 fractures, also T7, 9, 10. After 3 years, they did a spinal fusion from T5 to L2, and it worked wonderfully!
Fast forward to today, and I now have multiple compression fractures up and down my spine. My C6 vertebrae was totally eaten away, and I had to wear a stiff collar for 1/2 year to support my head. It has grown back (the vertebrae, not my head!), but still gives constant pain. Also, my L2 (3 and 4) that anchored the fusion has compressed with subsequent danger of the whole fusion failing.
It makes it hard to just stand up without my back muscles tightening and creating pain, let alone walking.
However, just yesterday I was in Vancouver and they gave me a spinal block (epidural), which may last up to 3-4 months, and today I can walk and stand, minimally without that pain! Yah!
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this lasts a long time.
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GaryH - Name: GaryH
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Nov./97
- Age at diagnosis: 44
Re: Difficulty walking with spinal fractures
For those of you who got compression fractures at diagnosis, it's going to be tough for awhile, so here are a few things to try that have helped me when I was in the early stages of myeloma (I had stage 3, two years ago):
(Also, search the Meyloma Beacon forum for discussions about “pain” “pain management” “compression fractures” “kyphoplasty” "bone pain" (use those keywords in your searches).
/Bob D
(Also, search the Meyloma Beacon forum for discussions about “pain” “pain management” “compression fractures” “kyphoplasty” "bone pain" (use those keywords in your searches).
- Get kyphoplasty done ASAP on spine to avoid future compression pain (could be with her for the rest of her life if not addressed early)
- Try having her walk with crutches to get the weight off her spine,
- Have her wear a flexible lumber brace or corset brace around her waist to offer more support to her spine when standing / walking
- Avoid stairs or walk up/down stairs side ways
- Spend as much time in zero gravity (recliner, hot tub or bath tub or warm pool)
- Shuffle your feet when walking and land softly on the ball of the foot not the heal
- Avoid activity that causes shock or quick movement to the spine
- Pad your shoes with foam (buy larger shoe size if necessary).
- Walk on soft surface like grass and not concrete walkways
- Learn to avoid certain movements that cause pain or move very slowly
- To absorb shock when driving, use a memory foam pillow as a back support and sit on coccyx cushion. Put pillows on both sides of her in the car seat and one for the head (a neck cushion might be better)
- Don't twist the back until the fractures heal. Could be several months or more to heal bone
- Don't sit up to get out of the bed
- Roll sideways off the bed,
- Rent a mechanical hospital bed
- Foam bedding seems to be better than a mattress
- Ask your doctor if you spread out the steroids over the week (like two 4 mg dex pills every other day)
- Opiate pain killers can make some people sick, if she gets sick from oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine etc.. try something like 50 mg of tramadol (Ultram) or 10 mg of cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril)
- Try to find distractions or fun things to do so you get your off the pain for awhile
- Expect that the pain may increase as day progress, but usually subsides when you lie down or sleep at night
- Walk as much as possible, slowly increasing your distance if you can. rest often.
- Try to stay relaxed. muscle tension is a big and long lasting problem for people with myeloma.
- Do muscle relaxation techniques every day after walks.
/Bob D
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Bob_D - Name: Bob_D
- Who do you know with myeloma?: me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: March 2015
- Age at diagnosis: 59
Re: Difficulty walking with spinal fractures
Another member mentioned kyphoplasty (or vertebroplasty). I second any suggestion of getting a consult with a neurosurgeon (or orthopaedic surgeon who has completed a spine-surgery fellowship).
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Little Monkey - Name: Little Monkey
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Father-stage 1 multiple myeloma
- When were you/they diagnosed?: March/April of 2015
Re: Difficulty walking with spinal fractures
Hi Ula,
When I was first diagnosed, I had spinal compression fractures that had reduced my height by six inches (15 cm). I walked around initially with a walker for a while and then progressed to two canes for many months to support myself. The bone pain only really began subsiding after my induction treatment flatlined at a partial response (PR) and I was switched to Revlimid, which gave me a "near complete response" (nCR) and began apparent healing of the fractures and lesions. Some many months after the Revlimid switch, I realized that I was once again taller than my wife and had regrown two of those lost inches.
Bisphosphonates were precluded because of my lack of kidney function. I'm certain it was the Revlimid and lots of time that healed the fractures. Luckily I have a high pain threshold, as I had to quit taking opioids soon after leaving the hospital because they caused gastrointestinal problems.
One problem with those lost inches is that my spinal curvature is now all wrong and my back muscles would tire quickly after walking short distances. At the end of short walks without assistance, I would be slumped over and in muscle pain. I found that stretching out in bed for 15-30 minutes could rest and straighten my back. Then I discovered that if I backed up to a table or counter in public places and leaned back, I could rest those muscles enough to straighten up for a while. The lots of exercise from years of short unassisted walks has strengthened them.
When I was first diagnosed, I had spinal compression fractures that had reduced my height by six inches (15 cm). I walked around initially with a walker for a while and then progressed to two canes for many months to support myself. The bone pain only really began subsiding after my induction treatment flatlined at a partial response (PR) and I was switched to Revlimid, which gave me a "near complete response" (nCR) and began apparent healing of the fractures and lesions. Some many months after the Revlimid switch, I realized that I was once again taller than my wife and had regrown two of those lost inches.
Bisphosphonates were precluded because of my lack of kidney function. I'm certain it was the Revlimid and lots of time that healed the fractures. Luckily I have a high pain threshold, as I had to quit taking opioids soon after leaving the hospital because they caused gastrointestinal problems.
One problem with those lost inches is that my spinal curvature is now all wrong and my back muscles would tire quickly after walking short distances. At the end of short walks without assistance, I would be slumped over and in muscle pain. I found that stretching out in bed for 15-30 minutes could rest and straighten my back. Then I discovered that if I backed up to a table or counter in public places and leaned back, I could rest those muscles enough to straighten up for a while. The lots of exercise from years of short unassisted walks has strengthened them.
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David Langston - Name: David Langston
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Jan 2010 & diagnosis from 2000 SPEP
- Age at diagnosis: 59
Re: Difficulty walking with spinal fractures
Thank you everyone for your input.
My mom has been slowly getting better since starting CyBorD induction therapy (cyclophosphamide, Velcade, and dexamethasone) as well as the bisphosphonates. The doctor said to wait and see how she feels in two months before deciding on kyphoplasty. She has lost quite a bit of height and is usually hunched over when she stands, but only time will tell how much of it will heal. I am happy that she is getting a bit of her independence back by being able to get up by herself using her walker. Here's hoping she will get even stronger. I will update if there are any major changes.
My mom has been slowly getting better since starting CyBorD induction therapy (cyclophosphamide, Velcade, and dexamethasone) as well as the bisphosphonates. The doctor said to wait and see how she feels in two months before deciding on kyphoplasty. She has lost quite a bit of height and is usually hunched over when she stands, but only time will tell how much of it will heal. I am happy that she is getting a bit of her independence back by being able to get up by herself using her walker. Here's hoping she will get even stronger. I will update if there are any major changes.
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dchrzano - Name: Ula
- When were you/they diagnosed?: March 2017
- Age at diagnosis: 58
Re: Difficulty walking with spinal fractures
GaryH wrote:
Hi Gary,
Can you tell me more about your spinal block? My dad's pain management doctor mentioned it in passing. Is it injecting a steroid right into the spinal canal?
Who injects it? An orthopaedic surgeon?
just yesterday I was in Vancouver and they gave me a spinal block (epidural), which may last up to 3-4 months, and today I can walk and stand, minimally without that pain! Yah!
Hi Gary,
Can you tell me more about your spinal block? My dad's pain management doctor mentioned it in passing. Is it injecting a steroid right into the spinal canal?
Who injects it? An orthopaedic surgeon?
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Little Monkey - Name: Little Monkey
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Father-stage 1 multiple myeloma
- When were you/they diagnosed?: March/April of 2015
Re: Difficulty walking with spinal fractures
My husband gets spinal injections in Vancouver every 4 to 6 months. They inject cortisone into his spine. This is done by a radiologist. He has found this to be a life saver and greatly diminishes his pain.
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