[Maria]

I think I'm the opposite of what Dale is talking about as I've chosen pain management and continuing to function at the maximum that I can while on pain meds. I have my personal situation that leads me to this decision as well as just being a big old scaredy cat re failed surgery and other factors.

I plateaued (sp?) for years on pain meds until I was challenged to do more and be more than I was used to being... it was an awesome feeling to be bubbly, alive and enjoying life again.

I believe if one is more active and not in more pain, that's progress. My pain has always been what limited me. Even in terms of just pain management and plateauing I would have to say the ability to go beyond what I would normally be doing and have less or the same amount of pain is progress.

I think in terms of the musculoskeletal system and bodily organs in their response to increased activity.. even the mind is no longer at a plateau in my opinion if one is more active and actually doing *better* as evidenced by activity levels, decreased limitations and even the same amount of pain (but I would have to think it's less overall).

I'm at a mental plateau and need to move on.. the body does what it does and I go along with how I feel. Feel better, act better, move better. Feel worse, act worse, move less.

How is my body reacting to this overall...consequences of movement vs. non movement.

I'm not sure I've reached an overall plateau yet. I think that part of my body is doing much better for the wear and tear and part is not. It is very difficult for me to submit to surgery when I see myself being upright most of the day (have to avoid much sitting tho) and functional. I call this progress because of the years I spent in bed so much of the time.

My last episode that rendered me on bedrest with horrible low back spasms where I literally screamed with each movement as my low back was jolted, even with tiniest of movement was relieved with a few days rest and a shot of Toradol....

Toradol injections have become my new friend and adjunct to my drug treatment plan. Am I screwing my spine up further? Yeah, probably there's more degeneration but what about the rest of my body when I am functional??? What about my musculoskeletal system, what about my bones and the importance of being weight bearing on a fairly regular basis..

Functioning better overall with the same amount or less pain, I consider that progress.... if anything does that for me even a pain management regime I consider that progress for as long as it is. Plateau.. I reached one, I surpassed it and while I may be at one now.. I don't know which way I'll go.. backwards or forwards..

Plateauing is normal I think, sometimes I think we do not notice the progress we are making because we become mentally adjusted to a certain way of functioning or level... sometimes we're all wrapped around where we stand ...