Back woes.

[julianthegypsy]

Some good advice thanks,

The issues seam to be when I become seditory this time of year I spend a lot of time in the truck or driving machinery, which seams to stiffen it and then the slightest movements makes it go.

Although i am not opposed to painkillers my body is and they tend to give me sickness feelings so I avoid unless the pains almost impossible.

I always try and keep moving once it goes, walking I find generally helps but was actually in too much pain this morning to do more than a few steps, Ohh and I couldn't do my shoelaces up

When mine went, it felt like I'd left a bunch of keys in my back pocket that were digging into my butt. Until the day I swung out of bed, bent down to pick up some clothes and got a bolt of lightning down my leg. That was when I called the doctor. It was the above mentioned prolapsed disc. Go to the doctor or get him to come to you and get it scanned. It's potentially dangerous if it's that and is left untreated.

 

[keithski122]

My doc also advised me to get the book treat your own back by robin mckenzie, basically stretching exercises but can be bought for a few quid on ebay.Mainly from what I remember its stretching your back in the opposite way it should go so lying on the floor face down and pushing your upper body upwards.

 

[m_c]

The key to solving back pain, is identifying what the underlying problem is.
Dull achy pains/spasms are usually muscular, whereas sharp jabby pains/sciatica you should really see a GP or physio. GPs will generally advice painkillers and keep moving, along with a physio referral if the problem is bad enough, unless there is something obviously wrong, in which case they may skip the physio and go straight for a hospital referral.

Only problem with going to your GP, is you'll be stuck on a waiting list regardless, unless things are very bad. It's worth finding a decent local Physio, as in a single session they should be able to assess you, advice on what is likely causing your problem, and what to do to alleviate it.

Personally, I get lower back pain due to tight hips/upper leg muscles due to cycling, which then causes my lower back muscles to over compensate and spasm if I don't make a point of rolling around the floor stretching regularly.
This is the best video I've seen for reducing lower back pain, but I can't stress enough that if you're getting sharp shooting pains while trying to move, then stop, and go see your doctor. Dull muscular pain is to be expected, but if it feels like somebody is stabbing your spine and/or you're getting bad sciatica (pain down your leg(s)), then stop -
(2) Fast Lower Back Pain & Sciatica Pain Relief – Beginners Yoga Stretches and Poses - YouTube


As for the Chiropractor thing. Chiropractors are not medically trained. It's an alternative medicine. I won't tar them all with the same brush, as there are some excellent ones out there, but there are a lot who'll just treat your symptoms to give the impression they're curing your pains, but it's only a short term fix so they'll know you'll be back soon.

Physios are medically trained, but like all professions, there are good and bad, so try and get recommendations if possible.
I've had the benefit of a neighbour who was a rugby coach and owned a gym, so I used to go and ask him who he'd recommend for whatever ailment I was currently suffering. He had a list of 4 or 5 physios, and he knew exactly who was better at what.
Legs was the local rugby club physio. Back was the physio who worked out his gym. And arms/shoulders was a different physio.

 

[ukracer]

I don't exactly have back pain but 30 years ago I slipped from the top step of a fire appliance as I was driving in boots and the rubber surround was rubbed down to the steel.
Anyway I suffered the occasional twinge for years . As I was active it came and went.
But now as I am currently standing for long periods in the workshop, sitting at the computer, typing on the phone and sitting on a box fishing it seems problems with my sciatic nerve have resurfaced.
It gets worse while I am in bed. I get up 4 to 5 times per night and it's getting worse

Seen the Doctor as I am struggling to care for my wife and all he can advise is to wait for a physio appointment and not to use ibuprofen as longterm use is bad for you. (He expects me to need pain relief long term apparently.

So only thing I can suggest is get to see doctor sooner rather than later and stay off Ibuprofen.

 

[brightspark]

Seen the Doctor as I am struggling to care for my wife and all he can advise is to wait for a physio appointment and not to use ibuprofen as longterm use is bad for you. (He expects me to need pain relief long term apparently.

So only thing I can suggest is get to see doctor sooner rather than later and stay off Ibuprofen.

thats a joke the physio at the doctors 3 or 4 visits and they say do a few exercises and thats your lot .after that you get to see a specialist at the hospital after 6 month. possibly more now due to backlog i got scanned and they could do an op but would be off work 6 month and no guarantee they could sort it and could make it worse i just put up with it , some days better than others . just keep mobile helps doing nothing aggravates it and you stiffen up

 

[brightspark]

I try to do my stretches and strengthening exercises each day maybe not evry day but it does help. pain is worse if I have a lay in on my day off if I get one!

thats my problem doing stretching putting light fittings up twisting and working overhead all the time

 

[Bladevane]

The muscles, as well as providing the motor effect for us to move, are also there to protect the fragile skeleton. When they do this, possibly by going into spasm, they are just doing their job - very well. Pain is the body's way of saying something is not right. Painkillers have their place, as do anti-inflammatory tablets like Ibuprofen. I thoroughly recommend any form of Arnica - tablet, gel or balm. It is a universal natural medication for muscle pain,, strain, ache etc etc. Some of the above mentioned exercise regimes can also help as can acupuncture. The trick is to find something your body reacts to favourably and then go with it. Sadly I do not believe there is a universal cure-all or go-to medication.

 

[daleyd]

To be fair I don’t think anyone is suggesting that medication alone is the answer but it can be an important part of getting a result, if only to allow you some sense of relief to try and stay mobile.

 

[Newlands]

I’m just about recovering from five weeks of sciatica, possibly triggered by lifting a sawbench into the van followed by pressure washing the moss off my roof. The first three weeks I dared not drive, spent most of the day hobbling around between workshop and house and most of the night waking up, pacing up and down and trying out all sorts of weird positions to find one which didn’t hurt (Never did find one). Got by with ibruprofen, plus a packet of codeine based stuff the pharmacist recommended in the first week.

I’m pretty sure keeping moving is the key, even if it hurts. Long term I might have to start doing Pilates (my other half has been doing Pilates exercises every morning for years) - there’s no need to go to a class as there are loads of books and websites that tell you what to do.

It’s made me realise that I’ve been lucky to avoid this sort of thing for the most part up till now, and I also realise that there are others who have put up with much worse for far longer.

 

[pedrobedro]

I haven't had problems with my back for a long time but earlier this year I was drying my back after a bath and my right elbow locked as if someone had knocked a nail through the joint and it was absolute agony. It freed off after a few hours but felt like when I had tennis elbow. I contacted the doctors but they were not making physical appointments due to Covid and was referred to Physio at the local hospital. They offered me a phone consultation which I replied to as being pointless and it took 4 months to actually see someone who gave me some exercises to do. My elbow was still locking at random intervals but I had found that by raising my arm palm up then forcing it straight I could click it and gain temporary relief. I told the Physio this was helping and she told me to do this while holding a small weight like a tin of beans and after about 7 months of pain it is now getting to the point where I can do everything as normal. It still clicks when I straighten my right arm but the pain is now only momentary and the Physio has signed me off. I think time is the great healer in most cases.

 

[Morrisman]

Core strength. It’s what hold your whole spine in alignment. I learned years ago how crucial it was to a life without pain. I spent 25 years offshore doing exercise regularly just to keep the pain away.

Since I retired 5 years ago, and got divorced soon after, lost my house, hot rod and bike, and the wife, I’ve learned that hatred and bitterness work just as well as exercise to keep the pain away.

But seriously, regular exercise is what holds your body together.

 

[Kram]

This physio's youtube has helped me although Ive not had back pain. The reasoning behind it makes sense.

 

[jimbo84]

A good physio is what you need.

Had back pain, lower for years and occasional higher up too. A very very bad episode of it forced me to go and see a physio. I did about 6 or 7 sessions with him and for the last 5+ years all I've had is mild issues that a bit of movement sorts out.

I find doing nothing/slouching on the couch is the worst thing for the back.

 

[Blobber]

All the men on my dads side have suffered back problems and I get lower back pain but not to the extremes some of you are suffering so just manage it with movement if it occurs

I do get kidney stones now and then which manifests itself as a lower back pain and sometimes it catches me out as im not sure if its back or kidneys, the pain starts of as a massive dull ache in your lower back, it feels like your whole body is collapsing downwards and when the pain increases you start to crawl around the floor curling up into a ball, this can last many hours but eventually the pain moves to the front which is the bladder and you just hope it pees out OK!
So all im saying is if you get that type of pain in that order it could be stones!

 

[MysterG]

All the men on my dads side have suffered back problems and I get lower back pain but not to the extremes some of you are suffering so just manage it with movement if it occurs

I do get kidney stones now and then which manifests itself as a lower back pain and sometimes it catches me out as im not sure if its back or kidneys, the pain starts of as a massive dull ache in your lower back, it feels like your whole body is collapsing downwards and when the pain increases you start to crawl around the floor curling up into a ball, this can last many hours but eventually the pain moves to the front which is the bladder and you just hope it pees out OK!
So all im saying is if you get that type of pain in that order it could be stones!

Been there, only once fortunately.

 

[ukracer]

Been there, only once fortunately.

Snap..

 

[Morris]

My doc also advised me to get the book treat your own back by robin mckenzie, basically stretching exercises but can be bought for a few quid on ebay.Mainly from what I remember its stretching your back in the opposite way it should go so lying on the floor face down and pushing your upper body upwards.

This. I suffered for years with back spasms. The local physio department runs a class called"heal your own back" based on this, brilliant and really works.

 

[keithski122]

This. I suffered for years with back spasms. The local physio department runs a class called"heal your own back" based on this, brilliant and really works.

I always forget until my back goes.I have my own exercise which involves lying on the floor face down bending my upper torso up, resting on my elbows and read the paper.

 

[MysterG]

Away for a few days. Hotel bed, screaming back this morning. No inversion table to help sort out. Three hour car journey ahead

 

[daleyd]

Away for a few days. Hotel bed, screaming back this morning. No inversion table to help sort out. Three hour car journey ahead

Ouch I feel your pain - the very first time I had serious problems with mine back in 2007 I was working in Essex, a 4 - 5 hr trip to get home for me. It was absolute agony, there were a few times I thought I was going to not stop as I couldn’t get enough pressure on brake pedal.