Oh my aching back!

[the_Roqk]

As of now it's been 4 days and even with muscle relaxers, pain killers and anti-inflammitories it still hurts. Here's the story: 4 days ago my last call was in the morning for a woman that fell outa bed and couldn't back up. Just a normal home assist and all would be better in about 15 minutes. BTW I'm a rescue driver FF/EMT for the city FD. Anyway we get there and assist tha elderly female back into bed and all is well. After getting off duty at 0800 I come home and go to get my bags out of the truck and POW my back goes out and I fall to the driveway. I have felt this pain before and it usually goes away after a couple days. But... so far I'm still in pain. My duty day was yesterday and I was advsied to go to our workmans comp clinic and then go Monday to see the WC Doctor. That was a very long 3 hours of my life. All in all I feel that it being this painful for this long I have seriously injured my back to the point that I have bulging disks somewhere. I'm only 43 and yet my back feels like it's 80. Guess I'll know more this coming week. Thanks letting me ramble here and just wondering if anyone else has experienced this pain and what did you do about it.

 

[talleymonster]

tell them you need Lortab...lots and lots of Lortab:cross:

 

[Blender]

I have had some bad episodes with my back in the past. The first time I did not want to move for 24 hours and when I did the pain was almost disabling. It would get better each day but generally took 2 weeks until I felt almost normal. The oddest thing was it would happen when I did normal daily tasks and not when lifting heavier objects. Be careful and take it easy.

 

[the_Roqk]

I have Flexeril and Vicodin. But the vicodin makes me nauseated.

 

[Cheesefood]

I get Naproxen / Vicodin when I get that nerved pinched between the discs in my back.

Use a heating pad. Lots of heat.

 

[the_Roqk]

I have had some bad episodes with my back in the past. The first time I did not want to move for 24 hours and when I did the pain was almost disabling. It would get better each day but generally took 2 weeks until I felt almost normal. The oddest thing was it would happen when I did normal daily tasks and not when lifting heavier objects. Be careful and take it easy.

I here that! I'd have no problem lifting heavy things it's those little objects that for some unknown reason will trigger the pain.

 

[the_Roqk]

I get Naproxen / Vicodin when I get that nerved pinched between the discs in my back.

Use a heating pad. Lots of heat.

Yeah I'm past the point of ice/ cold compresses, and have been using heat off and on.

 

[Blender]

Yeah, I once threw it out reaching for toilet paper.
I'm doing better now, I always bend my knees to pick up things and I am really aware of body mechanics most of the time. No more bending at the waist to pick up anything.

 

[talleymonster]

On a serious note, I understand how you feel.

A couple of years ago while working on building The Wynn Casino in Las Vegas I hurt my back pretty bad. Me and my partner, another young apprentices, were working together. We had gotten into a pretty good groove and we were jamming, gettig a lot done. Somebody made a comment about how good we were doing so we decided to kick it up a notch and try to do even more. We got to a really heavy piece of material and instead of get a forklift or a couple more bodies to move it, we figured we'd be tough guys and throw it out of our way. We lifted it up and started moving it when the pallet it was on broke. We both ****ed uor backs up. We both ended up having to take the rest of the week off (paid leave) and go to the doctor. My partner slipped a disk, and I twisted a vertebrae. We were both put on 2 weeks of light duty, and handed a couple prescriptions of Lortab and Soma.

Evey now and then I'll wake up and my back will be screaming. But most days I'm pretty good. But I bet when I'm older I'll start to feel it more and more. SWMBO has back problems and she's only 23. She got in a bad car accident when she was a teenager and it wrenched her back. Then I knocked her up, and it didn't help to carry around 60 extra lbs (she put on a lot when she got preggo, but it's all just melting off now) of weight on an already bad back.

 

[the_Roqk]

I can remember when I started having problems with my back. I was involved in a vehicle accident and my brother was driving. I was sitting in the backseat with just a lap belt on and another vehicle came out of a side street right in front of us. Well we struck that vehicle T-boned right in the drivers door. A few months after that I began experiencing back problems. But nothing like this. It's been about 17 years now since that MVC.

 

[david_42]

My worst back episode was triggered by opening a window. Took ten days before I could stand again. Since I didn't have insurance, it was a very long ten days. It's strange, but I haven't had a problem since my early 30's.

 

[fretman124]

Three years ago I was sitting in a crappy hotel room chair(no lumbar support) reading a book. Something in my back popped and pain went running down the back of my left leg. 4 months later I went to the doc cause it never got any better. I had ruptured a disc between L4-L5. I had a microdiscektomy that fixed me right up.

My back started bother me a few months later with pain down my right leg. No specific incident started the pain. I put off any medical attention for 2 years until two weeks ago. Due to an issue at work (boss didn't believe I was telling the truth about my back pain) I went in for another MRI. I have a slipped vertebra, another ruptured disc and another vertebra that is cracked. This time the doc is recommending a fusion of L3-L4-L5. There is a laundry list of things wrong in that area.

I'm not over weight and am fairly active. Doc says osteoarthritis is a big factor in the degeneration of my spine. That and I was very hard on my body when I was in my late teens and twenties.

Welcome to old age at 52

 

[CodeRage]

Sorry to hear about your back man. Thats no fun at all.

 

[Cheesefood]

I first hurt my back when I was 17 working at Menards. They made me stack lawnmowers and wouldn't let me use a lifting belt. When I hurt myself they laughed. I was 17 and too dumb to know I should have sued. My back still gives me problems.

 

[turfguy1969]

i ruptured a disk in my lower back 7 years ago. The pain in my heal and calf felt like someone shoving a hot knife in there. MRI and Cat scans showed rupture. My doc gave me a choice: i was 30 and he said take a month off of work and lay and do nothing at all. Surgery would be an option but i was young and no guarantees it would fix.

I layed around took naproxen and iced the hell out of it to the point i think i got frostbite on my skin. I have trouble at times and just take advil and ice it again. I work a lot smarter now too.

 

[the_Roqk]

I thought I was working smart too. Problem is that it seems that any little movement will trigger the pain. Unbelievable!

 

[ohiobrewtus]

I'm sorry to hear that you're having problems. It can be really hard, I know. I'm having to resort to surgery to try and take care of mine.

 

[the_Roqk]

Finally had an MRI done today. Still in pain but it's not like it was a few days ago. But it's still hard to sit down and get comfortable with a constant throbbing pain in lower back and shooting down my leg. Will go Friday for a followup and see how well the MRI came out. This really sucks! I was going to brew this past Sunday too. Now I'll hafta wait and heal so that I can lift my keggles for brewing. Oh well guess I'll take me another Flexeril and chase it with a Homebrew! Cheers!

 

[ohiobrewtus]

It sounds like you're in the same boat that I'm in. My MRI showed two ruptured disks between L4/L5 and L5/S1. The pain comes and goes, but when it hurts it really freaking hurts. My back, down my leg, and my foot goes numb. Get a referral to a neurologist as fast as you can, they can do a series of cortisone injections that may help you. They helped me a bit, but the pain is still there. My only option option is back surgery, and I'm only 34.

 

[BierMuncher]

I'm extremely lucky. Haven't had need of a hospital, doctor, antibiotics or prescriptions since high school.

Are you tall? Strange question bu had to ask.

Hope you wake up tomorrow feeling back to normal.

 

[Brewer3401]

My worst back episode was triggered by opening a window. Took ten days before I could stand again. Since I didn't have insurance, it was a very long ten days. It's strange, but I haven't had a problem since my early 30's.

When I was about 25, I was washing my car, bent over and pulled my back so bad I was in bed for 2 days.

I realized I was out of shape, so started working out with weights again. Never had back pain again.............until I got older and busier and stopped working out............ouch again.

Something about working out with weights. You control all movements (strict reps for the most part) and I believe this puts you in a position where daily activity won't bother you.

Just my thoughts. I'm quite past 25 (by double) and just getting back into working out.

 

[shafferpilot]

Without any doubt, the way to keep your back in good shape is to.... well.... keep it in good shape! Whatever you do, do not try to workout immediately after an injury. Once the pain subsides (which can take weeks or even months) start a free weight excercise program. The machines won't help much, since the machine keeps the weight stable. Free weights force your muscles to learn coordination. You'll notice that at first, the weights wiggle around a lot. That is your body figuring out how to make all the muscles work together. My back has always had lots of trouble. Two things work for me: chiropractic adjustment and excercise. Watch out for pain killer use in the long term. I'm not talking about addiction, though that can be a big problem. Your body experiences pain for a reason, if you consistently numb the pain, the cause will never be fixed and your back WILL degenerate as you age. Ever see an old man or woman who can't stand up straight? No one wants to live like that! just my 2c

 

[the_Roqk]

I'm extremely lucky. Haven't had need of a hospital, doctor, antibiotics or prescriptions since high school.

Are you tall? Strange question bu had to ask.

Hope you wake up tomorrow feeling back to normal.

BierMuncher, I'm 5'-11" and weigh in at 185. I have been feeling a little better every day, usually by the end of the day I feel so much better even with some pain. Must be all the movement during the day and blood flow to the injury site. Thanks for the encouragement.


Because of my work schedule (work 24 off 48) I would go in about 1 1/2 hrs early and work out. I've been doing this for about 13 years on a regular basis and have had a few times where my back has been strained before. No problem, just slowly work back into a routine and usually by 3-4 months I'd be back to where I was strength wise. I normally start my workout with stretching and lots of crunches and situps. Anything that will help strengthen those core muscles and to get the blood flowing. I rarely lift anything heavy and do incorporate some lower back exercises. Now I'm at the mercy of whatever the MRI says. I'm hopeful it's not anything serious. Thanks gents for the encouragement!

 

[Yooper]

Well, since you feel better at the end of the day instead of the reverse, I would take that as an encouraging sign. It seems like you hurt less when the muscles "loosen up" a bit. Good luck with getting the MRI results tomorrow!

 

[BierMuncher]

I'm usually stiff in the morning too...

Though it ain't my back that's waking me up

 

[the_Roqk]

I'm usually stiff in the morning too...

Though it ain't my back that's waking me up

Yeah with that thought it's probably your SWMBO that's waking you up!

 

[Soulive]

I was just prescribed 500mg of Naproxen for my tendonitis. Does anyone know how drinking on Naproxen works out? Obviously I will try to avoid mixing the two, but there are always exceptions!

 

[bigjohnmilford]

You probably will find you don't have to drink as much to get the desired buzz. woohoo

 

[JnJ]

Add me to the list. Early years in the Army jumping form perfectly good planes. Herniated (SP?) 3 disks. Acts up every year or so but this time is bad. Been in pain for 2 months now. Been through all kinds of meds, currently on vicondin and flexeril. Also had cortazon (sp?) injections but they don't help. Now we are talking about epidermal injections.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

I first hurt my back when I was 17 working at Menards. They made me stack lawnmowers and wouldn't let me use a lifting belt. When I hurt myself they laughed. I was 17 and too dumb to know I should have sued. My back still gives me problems.

IMHO, those damned lifting belts aren't worth a pinch of sh!t. Back when I was cutting meat, the store ownership decided one day to make all the meat cutters wear those things. I wore mine for a week and it's the only time in my life I've ever had back pain, other than the occasional pulled muscle from sneezing. After a week, I took it to the store manager and told him to shove it. Within a couple days, none of the meatcutters were wearing thier belts.

Luckily, my back has never been a problem. It must be true what they say, strong back, weak mind........