OT: Lower back pain

[conversationpc]

I just got back from CVS with a new heat pad. It vibrates also and, let me tell you, this thing is powerful enough that it would probably give a woman a major orgasm.

[Wheels Of Fyre]

Wow, amazing story FYRE. Glad you are doing so much better.

Thanks! It was pretty crazy. Because of the emotional trauma/depression that I went through but was unaware of I often feel like I lost a large part of my life.

It's been 12 years since the surgery and I feel like I've only been "ME" for 12 years. I should be hitting puberty any day now!

[MCC620]

Has anyone else here ever experienced lower back pain? If so, I have the utmost sympathy for you. I hurt mine almost two weeks ago and, for a few days, could barely get out of bed in the morning without passing out. It still hurts like hell. Anyone have any tips other than stretching exercises and muscle relaxers?

Sorry to hear you have to go through this,Dave...I have been through that too and it was terrible.
My advice would be to try and sleep on a hard flat surface with no cushions.It will really help you feeling better in the morning when you wake up..
And try not to sit in front of your computer too long.

Some more help and advices:

http://www.backpain.realage.com/content.aspx/topic/1

http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/article_290.shtml


Get well soon.

Thanks for the info...Unfortunately, my job involves sitting in front of a computer for at least 8 hours a day.

I suffer from the lower back spasms and tingling in the legs. I also sit in front of a computer at work. Here is the key to relieving the pressure. small size box, like a shoe box, no more than 7" high. That lifts your legs enough to ease the pressure at the lower back from sitting all day.

[Wheels Of Fyre]

Now see mine was also a freak accident. I was a sophomore in high school. My school held over 5000 students. Many different staircases all over the building to get from one class to another. I was walking down a rather remote staircase. On the floor above me some students dropped a water balloon (not seeing me). It landed directly in front of me and down I went the whole flight of stairs. They hit the panic button and left. I knew I was injured. No one around. I laid there trying not to move (fear of paralysis) for the whole period until the bell rang. Finally I was found. Then, because my parents were out of town, they had to locate my grandparents. At that point, until they could locate them, even though the paramedics came, they could not do anything for me. Fast forward another 4 hours. Finally got my grandfather and he gave consent.

One full year in the hospital, many years of physical therapy, and the rest is history.

Shall we all break out our "Jaws" stories of horrific accidents?

That's a scary one!

[SF-Dano]

I had chronic lower back pain for about 3 months. Saw a chiropracter, didn't help. Eventually I herniated (sp?) a disc in my lower back about 1.5 years ago. Most dibilatating pain I have ever felt. For the first couple days I could barely, barely walk. The herniated disc also caused my syatic (sp?) nerve to be pinched and created both pain and numbness at different times down my whole left leg. The only things that helped me were, Vikadin in the first couple weeks, then high dosages of Ibuprofen for pain relief and inflamation relief. Then basically taking it easy for the next 6months, ie. walking with a cane to relieve some pressure from that side of the back, no sports. Other things that helped were sitting in a Jacuzzi and purchasing a memory foam pad for the bed.

Hopefully your pain won't get so bad that you end up sliping a disc or something. It took about six months for the pain to go away and another six before I was able to get back to excersing and playing sports without pain. Even now, every once in a while a can still feel the problem in the lower back and I know that is the time to stop playing Basketball or softball. It is almost gone now.

Silver lining (I guess) I really haven't had any chronic back pain in about six months.

On chiropractors, some people swear by them, for me it did not really help and I am concerned that at the time it may have done me more harm than good. I recommend seeing both a chiropractor and a regular MD to get two opinions than go with what you think works best for you. For me the MD's instructions worked, took a long time to heal, but it worked.

Good luck, I can really sympathize with you.

[Moon Beam]

Sorry to hear your in a painful way Dave.
May I suggest sex, booze and breakfest in bed?
I'm sure your wife will jump at the chance to
serve you while your in pain

[Shadowsong]

Yes, a man I had been with for a few years swore by me walking across his back.
If your wife is small, have her do a couple of "walk overs". I'd say she'd have to be less
than 115 pounds.

That's called Shiatsu...may not be wise for an untrained person to stand on your back...

Hey, I;m perfect weight under 100


Try heat, water massage, vibration therapy
but if the discs are impinged in any way and it;s not just muscular
you;d probably have to see a chiropractor

[Natalie]

I just got back from CVS with a new heat pad. It vibrates also and, let me tell you, this thing is powerful enough that it would probably give a woman a major orgasm.

What brand did you say it is?????

[treetopovskaya]

strengthen those abs... if you have weak stomach muscles you put stress on your lower back... over time it takes it's toll. hope you feel better soon. }:C)

[TRAGChick]

Oh do I have a story for YOU:

I have a crushed disc - L7, to be exact - in my lower back: the left-hand side is where I have the pain.

I got it, ironically enough, doing a DANCE ROUTINE for the Musical, "Sweet Charity":

There was a scene choreographed right out of the movie from the '60s: we had to stand in a diagonal line, and fall backwards onto each other, like a "row of dominoes". Well, I had done dance and musical theatre since I was 4 - at that time, I was 23 - and I told the Choreographer that we were NOT "trained dancers"....someone's gonna get hurt...

....and, guess who THAT was...?



I had the weight of approx. TEN PEOPLE fall on me....and since I HATED the routine, I was "bracing myself" - rigid - so I was like a "plank board" when everybody fell on me.

The result?? NO disc at all!!

I saw the XRays myelf, and almost got sick.....but, "The Show Must Go On"....and let me tell you - adrenaline is THE GREATEST "painkiller"...

...but I paid the price: my spine became "compacted", and I lost ONE INCH of height. Also, I couldn't walk down the hall at my house; I had to lean against the wall and PUSH myself down the hall.

I had to go thru extensive Chiropractic Therapy, which I elected....because I yelled at the doctor and told him that NO ONE was cutting into me...that's what they wanted to do.

To this day, I still wake up in pain, and sometimes it takes me a while to get out of bed...but I'm so freaking stubborn....I STILL take dance lessons..."Hip Hop", to be exact...

[Shadowsong]

Mine started when I wrestled a 6 foot bougevelia on a huge trellis out of a heavy clay pot.
It sctratched, implaled me and put up a fight but I got it into a 5 gallon paint can so the guys could get it off ther balcony. Not exactly my job but for some reason that $20 mexican clay pot was inviting so I dragged it down the stairs to my apartment.

One year later still had weakness in my lower back upon exersion that included bending over.
That was about 3 years ago and most of the timeI am fine but some mornings wake up and it's hard to twist myself or turn. I must have done some damage but I never went to the DR . I figured it would go away & I don;t have any coverage. It's better most day but it never did really become like new...

All over a stupid thing as I try to do everything myself and hate to ask for help....
I don;t know what I did that would cause real damage but whatever never really healed
Backs are nothing to fool around with.

Hope it;s nothing serious

[RedWingFan]

Has anyone else here ever experienced lower back pain? If so, I have the utmost sympathy for you. I hurt mine almost two weeks ago and, for a few days, could barely get out of bed in the morning without passing out. It still hurts like hell. Anyone have any tips other than stretching exercises and muscle relaxers?

Sorry to hear about your back CPC. I hurt mine when I was 13 and woke every morning for about the next 20 years with a sore lower back. That didn't stop until my wife and I bought a Select Comfort Sleep # Bed. It's the best purchase, well worth the $1800. I set my side on 55, my wife keeps hers on 40 which is softer. The only time I wake w/ a sore back is if I drift on her 40 side in the middle of the night. Might want to keep this in mind when you're due for a new matteress. Hope you feel better dude

[conversationpc]

Update on my back...

Went to see the doctor this morning and he said there are no signs of any disc or vertebrae problems, so he is recommending physical therapy. He seems to think that will help.

[NealIsGod]

Update on my back...

Went to see the doctor this morning and he said there are no signs of any disc or vertebrae problems, so he is recommending physical therapy. He seems to think that will help.

That's good news. Best of luck!

[Granny]

Update on my back...

Went to see the doctor this morning and he said there are no signs of any disc or vertebrae problems, so he is recommending physical therapy. He seems to think that will help.

Happy to hear there is no major problem. Hope u are free of pain really soon.

[sadie65]

Wonderful. Nice news to read on a Monday morning.