Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
- Messages
- 12,665
- Location
- Sevenoaks, UK
In my day job, since the age of 16 I've regularly carried a 25kg weight in each hand often over a fair distance then lifted them up onto something. No manual handling warnings or training when I started! That and shifting 6m I beams by hand etc I'm sure caused my back issues.
Doing karate I found extending my left leg and I'd get shooting pains up my left leg. This developed into sciatica and what felt like someone running a Stanley from ankle to hip.
The lads at karate suggested more than once I try the chiropractor. I was very resistive thinking it quack medicine. Off work with my back, unable to sleep, living on Ibuprofen which weren't working, doing the sock dance every morning and I gave in and tried the chiropractor. I reckon I got a good one because he fixed me. SWMBO reckons I went in with my body curved like an S and came out straight backed and walking. I would advise they can be quite physical with you. The way he put it was some trauma put my back out. My body prevents me from putting it back as the pain of doing so stops me. That's where he comes in!
The big problem was although he "fixed" me, I went straight back to my old ways of lifting and shifting. My back would start to play up and I'd go back for another session and spend a couple of hundred.
Carrying on with my old ways and I had a slipped disc happen twice. A&E, naproxen, tramadol, constipation and continence issues, MRI with it. I'd really try and avoid all that if you can!
Took me a while to figure and break the cycle.
I only carry one 25kg weight at a time now. Better still get someone else to lift it! I no longer use the chiropractor. The key for me is to walk. Nothing more than that. If my back begins to play up I walk then "things" get tighter and the pain goes away. However being otherwise active but not walking and the pain comes back. Walking is cheap too!
I'm 100% convinced that as human animals we're designed for lots of walking on a daily basis, hunter gatherer style. Walking realigns everything and gently tightens your core etc. Ref your core then a flabby gut/weak stomach muscles is akin to your corset needing tightening! Once of those cheap sit up frames helps as opposed to doing traditional sit ups.
Doing karate I found extending my left leg and I'd get shooting pains up my left leg. This developed into sciatica and what felt like someone running a Stanley from ankle to hip.
The lads at karate suggested more than once I try the chiropractor. I was very resistive thinking it quack medicine. Off work with my back, unable to sleep, living on Ibuprofen which weren't working, doing the sock dance every morning and I gave in and tried the chiropractor. I reckon I got a good one because he fixed me. SWMBO reckons I went in with my body curved like an S and came out straight backed and walking. I would advise they can be quite physical with you. The way he put it was some trauma put my back out. My body prevents me from putting it back as the pain of doing so stops me. That's where he comes in!
The big problem was although he "fixed" me, I went straight back to my old ways of lifting and shifting. My back would start to play up and I'd go back for another session and spend a couple of hundred.
Carrying on with my old ways and I had a slipped disc happen twice. A&E, naproxen, tramadol, constipation and continence issues, MRI with it. I'd really try and avoid all that if you can!
Took me a while to figure and break the cycle.
I only carry one 25kg weight at a time now. Better still get someone else to lift it! I no longer use the chiropractor. The key for me is to walk. Nothing more than that. If my back begins to play up I walk then "things" get tighter and the pain goes away. However being otherwise active but not walking and the pain comes back. Walking is cheap too!
I'm 100% convinced that as human animals we're designed for lots of walking on a daily basis, hunter gatherer style. Walking realigns everything and gently tightens your core etc. Ref your core then a flabby gut/weak stomach muscles is akin to your corset needing tightening! Once of those cheap sit up frames helps as opposed to doing traditional sit ups.
