Back Problems

Ok, take away my man card....

I did something to my back yesterday lifting an empty case of beer bottles. Now 24 hours later my back is spasming (sp?) till where I'm basically religated to my easy chair. I was up twice yesterday after it happened, once to pee & once to go to bed.

It'll spasm & my right leg will draw up like im a flamingo.

No drugs in the house, no way in hell I'm driving to the doc, I'm on a heating pad.

Any ideas, tips, hints, tricks, help or suggestions?

if I could get to the refidgerator, i'd RDWHAHB...

Zac

Well my back is so bad at times that it spasms when I sneeze. I haven't seen a doctor because I'm you know, a man...and we're too stubborn to go to doctors (even though I work with them.)

So I feel for yah....but I don't have any suggestions except maybe a brutally hot soak in a tub....but getting in and out might be a problem....are there any little kids, midgets, chinese women who could walk on your back??? That always helps me...

Slow, gentle stretching... grab one foot, then lean all the way back, then lean forward grab the other foot... slow gentle movements.

I hear ya dude, I've been having my left leg go numb randomly lately.... It sucks when I go to step on that foot, and suddenly it decides it's not there anymore. Been falling into a lot of walls lately.

Lift with your legs.

That way, next time you'll just throw out your leg and can at least get around with a cane.

Aging is fun ain't it. Nature has a way of reminding us of all the hard or stupid stuff we've done to ourselves huh?

Learn the Million Dollar Roll!

EVERY morning before I get out of bed, I have SWMBO push the legs over, and I've had (knocking on wood) great luck since.

Gila, The box was in behind some other boxes, so I did the man thing & just got a finger hold & pulled. AHHHHH. Yeah, stupid stuff I have done. I tried to quit doing that stuff, it just dosn't work out.

Chriso: I afraid to try to get in the floor, SWMBO won't be back till after 8 tonight! I tried to get in the floor yesterday & couldn't make it! Even on a good day I can't touch my toes, but yeah, that should help. No spasms in the last hour or so, but of couse, the hardest thing I have done is change channels with the remote.

Revvy, reckon my 120lb hound dog would come in & walk on my back? All the neighborhood kids are in school or at day care. I did know this little chick from college, wonder if the wifey would mind if she came over?
I have a tub not 10 feet from my chair, except it's full of brewing stuff, including a few full cases of beer. The other tub is upstairs & the staris weren't very friendly going to bed last night. A scalding hot soak sounds really good tho. I'll try that tonight!

I always told SWMBO I needeed a tap within arms reach of my easy chair for times just like this..she didn't listen!


arg......

Zac

zac said:

Revvy, reckon my 120lb hound dog would come in & walk on my back?
Zac

Click to expand...

I'd try it...but you're SO gonna regret that you didn't train him to do this...



[youtube]NEmDHO9rLGY[/youtube]

zac said:

I always told SWMBO I needeed a tap within arms reach of my easy chair for times just like this..she didn't listen!


arg......

Zac

Click to expand...

Seee there is the problem. You held a pre-kegorator meeting and got a "50% against" vote from your board members.

My kegorator just magically appeared within 3 foot of my sofa overnite chilled and ready to fill. The wife, umm "board members" scratched her, um their, head trying to figure out what changed but, when all was done the worst I got was "Is that seriously going to stay like that?"


"Uhhhhhhh. No VP. I plan to put the kegs in at some point"

Get the book Treating Your Own Back!! Till then lay on your stomach to start, put a pillow folded in half under your chest support your self with your elbows in front of you, now move lifting your pelvises slightly to both sides until you feel the pain is in the center not off to one side. Lay like that for a few min 5 or 6 times a day. GET THE BOOK it will help.

Been there, done all that and now have a 4" scar to show for it..But no more back problems!!

I had the same trouble. And the more time went by, the tighter it got and the more it hurt.

I got one of these:
Homedics Kneading Shiatsu Massager Mechanical Kneading Thumbs Two Way Direction Selector Sm100h
And after about 30 minutes I felt about 1000 times better. I was back to normal in about 2 days. I use it all the time now, anytime I get a twinge.

It's the price we pay for walking upright. When my back goes, I lay on my back and pull one knee at a time up to my chest. I alternate knees. Then pull them both up to my chest. I also will pull one knee up and then across my body to loosen the glutes. Then I lay there with my knees bent and flatten my back against the floor. I think these are called the Williamson exercises or something. Try it out. Works for me.

Brewiz said:

Been there, done all that and now have a 4" scar to show for it..But no more back problems!!

Click to expand...

Likewise. Best surgery I ever had.

akamatt said:

Get the book Treating Your Own Back!! Till then lay on your stomach to start, put a pillow folded in half under your chest support your self with your elbows in front of you, now move lifting your pelvises slightly to both sides until you feel the pain is in the center not off to one side. Lay like that for a few min 5 or 6 times a day. GET THE BOOK it will help.

Click to expand...

Is this the book???

Amazon.com: Treat Your Own Back: Robin A. McKenzie: Books

Thanks!

Made it out of the recliner, to the throne for some much needed relief, then all the way (30') into the spare bedroom to the HOMEBREW FRIDGE!!!! Bet an IPA or 6 will help me.

No spasms, but my back is SOOOO sore.

I tried a few of the exercises while i was up. I don't think I'll try them again for a few more hours. They hurt! Will try to make it upstairs for a soak in the tub later.

Anybody even had a spasm that lifted your right leg off the floor like a dog marking territory? SWMBO got tickled at me doing that last night, then I got all mad which made my back tighten up even more, which made my leg lift up higher, which made her laugh... you get the picture.

She also mentioned the "pain stench." Anybody else ever get this? Right now I reak where I was sweating when my back was hurting so much. It's not my normal BO, its not homebrew farts, its pain stink... am I crazy? I can smell it but she smelled it yesterday too.

Wierd.

Hope I feel good enough to go vote tommorow.

Cheers.
Zac

Brewiz said:

Been there, done all that and now have a 4" scar to show for it..But no more back problems!!

Click to expand...

Same here. I had my back surgery a year ago and haven't had a single problem since.

akamatt said:

Till then lay on your stomach to start, put a pillow folded in half under your chest support your self with your elbows in front of you, now move lifting your pelvises slightly to both sides until you feel the pain is in the center not off to one side. Lay like that for a few min 5 or 6 times a day.

Click to expand...

Hmmm, the use of the plural of pelvis indicates this method may require SWIMBO's help...

And 5 or 6 times a day too!!!

Sorry to hear you are in pain though

Back problems... welcome to my world. I've been out of work for almost 2 years with 5 herniated discs.

If you're getting muscles spasms it may be a symptom of a herniated disc. You don't have be to be in excruciating pain to have a slipped disc and you may not even feel any pain at all. Usually muscle relaxers help my spasms but moist heat may help as well. It helps loosen my muscles that tighten up around my spine to "protect" it and sometimes it can calm down the spasms. Something like Advil will help with any inflammation and soreness.

Soreness is the word of the day. Very Very VERY sore.

My mom has back problems all her life from kidney problems & eventually herniated & degernerated disks. Talking with her today, whatever I have going on is not what she went through. On a scale from 1-10, last night was an easy 8.5 to a 9. Cold sweats, moaning I had all of it.

The pain & soreness is around on my back, about halway from my belt to my shoulders, and about halfway from my spine around to under my armpit. Feels like my ribs back there are going to crinkle when it spasms.

That being said, no spasms for about 14 hours now. I fixed supper, and that went ok. The potato I dropped during the process was still on the floor when SWMBO got home.

I've had a rough go of it the last 36 hours. Hope it's behind me. I can deal with the soreness, I deal with that enough already.

Cheers,
Zac

Pinched nerve. I almost guarantee it. I recognize every bit you mention.

Next time I would lift with you legs and not your back. Other options you could go with include having someone else lift them, leaving them in place or shooting them and then vacuuming up the mess, your Choice.

I had back problems that were related to arthritis in my right hip. I'd lost a lot of range of motion in my right leg and was compensating for it every step I took. Eventually, my back couldn't take it anymore and I started spasming. I'm now dealing with the underlying arthritis and doing strength and stretching exercises for my hip and back. No more back pain (and much less hip pain, too). Moral of the story: It might not be your back at all. You need to see a doctor.

At least I'm lucky in that regard. I am 45 years old, have worked in strenuous physical jobs my whole life (I was a meatcutter, now I do electrical work), never paid any attention to the "lift with your legs" thing, and have never had back problems in my life. *knocks on the wooden coffee table that supports this laptop* I guess I am a prime example of the "strong back, weak mind" thing..........

Do you think it could be this?

depending on where you strained your back, one thing i find that helps is a stretch i think is called 'the cobra' in yoga. Basically, lay flat on the ground and position your arms where you can push your chest up into the air while leaving your torso flat on the floor. Basically you are arcing your back backwards while staying in a comfortable position.

This is one of those stretches that feels amazing when your back is sore. I don't recommend it until your just sore, not in pain, though. Pain isn't good, soreness can be worked through and stretching will help.

Maybe its time to break down and see the ol' doctor. Good luck!

Chriso,
What caused it? How can I fix it? And more importantly how can I prevent it? Needless to say, I lift things heavier than an empty case of bottles every day at work.

I got into the "routine, maintainence" drugs when I screwed up my knee, that won't be a road I travel down again. I have yet to even swallow a tylenol with this last bout. It's not that I'm anti drug, it's just that the last 2 traumatic injuries I've had have resulted in "here, take victon or ulrtacet or what-ever" and it'll get better. F that. Know what I mean?

Have you got experience with pinched nerves? What was the outcomes?

thanks,
z

wow, I missed page 3 till i responded.

Beerthoven, My right hip clicks every time I take a step, any symptoms like that? I already have arthur in my left hand, right shoulder, right knee & left ankle...I guess a hip would be the next logical step.

Soulive, I don't think so. This is higher up on my back. Higher than the lumbar. I don't have just plain onle pain pain. Its muscle spasms that cause pain b/c it feels like somebody hitting me in the back with a wood maul shaped like a ball peen hammer. Impact zone is about the size of a marble, then it feels like somebody gets the message to crush ribs with reckless abandon.
This (I don't think) is not a spine problem. The pain will start about 2 or 3 inches away from my spine & radiate around to my side, 3 or 4 inches down from my armpit.

I really, really have an obversion to going to the doctor. I go for my yearly CDL physical, but outside of those 2 of the last 5 times there they have tried to kill me.... not on purpose, but what's that matter if you are dead? 1 reaction to penicillian & the next time a MEGA throat swelling, tonsil gagging (literally..i threw up my tonsils) experience in response to allergy shots.

I'll see how tommorow goes. If i'm just stiff, sore, I may let this ride.. If not, I'll go see the doc AFTER I vote. SWMBO has tommorow off, so I'm sure if I don't shape up by lunchtime, she will be insisting that I see the doc.

thanks ya'll. I'm super introverted at work, its nice to be able to discuss with other folks. I'll just tell the guys at work my back hurt & they'll say that sucks, and life will go on.

Z

Heat pads, slowly easy stretching out your back and time.
Sometimes it hits me hard and I can't even crawl to the phone to call in sick. I've had a co-worker stop by after work twice checking in on me. By the second time he knew what the problem was as he heard me trying to come to the door.

AM update:

Feeling MUCH better. Woke up about 6, stretched, took a piping hot shower. Still awful sore & stiff, but little real pain.

Whew. I hope this is over with already!

zac