serious back pain and adrenalin

[lindylouisa]

hi I have a serious spinal problem,icluding a protuding disc,degenerative joint disease in the spine facet joints,sciatic nerve damage causes serious pain and leg numbness in right leg.Alot of days I struggle to walk,yet I compete in a local car club event,where you have to walk the 1/4 mile course first for safety.Why can I do this with no pain and compete.Afterwards the pain returns worse than it was for a while.Before the event I get butterflies in my tummy and sweats and this stays throughout the day.The event is a competitive high speed test .Did wonder if its adrenalin that stops the pain or my brain decides to block the pain!!

[J T Junig, MD PhD]

That is an interesting thought--   the endorphin system is activated through similar pathways as the system that activates the adrenal cortex to release 'adrenaline'.  In fact, the pro-molecule for endorphine, pro-opiomelanocortin, contains ACTH, which is released as endorphins are manufactured.  The ACTH is also called 'adrenocorticotrophic hormone'-- and acts at the adrenal gland.

It is hard to imagine, though, that endorphins would have the power to eliminate your pain to such a degree.  There may be some benefit, but nerve compression from disk herniation is worse with some postures and activities than others.  It could just be that walking is less a problem for you than some other position, so that walking the course is less of a problem than, say, driving.

[lindylouisa]

First time user.Think I have put this in the wrong place !! any answers on this page welcome.