Does anyone here suffer from lower back pain?

[Mai72]

I had a herniated disc get worse over a long period of time. Finally had surgery to relieve a nerve that was pinched. Was quite a bit better but not fixed. Over the next several years, what was left of the disc flattened out to almost nothing. Had a fusion surgery. Better, more stable but I still have chronic lower back pain. The more I over-do it, I start to get nerve pain down into my legs.

I can only work four days a week. I quit pain pills a year ago. Sometimes I wonder why the fuck I did that

Pain pills are great.

Get back on those sukas!

 

[Mai72]

welcome to the last 2 years of my life. I'm 35.

Hit the gym hard, for 3 months. Deadlifts were a part of my routine.
One day, did too many with too much weight (and probably wrong form)
lower back = death.
stop going to gym.
2 months later, still not great.
Doc says take steroids.
Steroids do nothing.
Doc says try PT.
PT does nothing.
We drive down to FL for vacation (9 hr drive)
Back gets worse after long trip.
Friend suggests Chiropractor.
Chiropractor actually makes it worse, now I have pain in my left leg.
Chiropractor suggests MRI.
Stop going to Chiropractor.
MRI says bulging disc, DDD, and some arthritis.
2 months later... back dies. Cannot sit, sleep, stand without immense pain.
Emergency room.
2 shots, scrip for muscle relaxers, NSAIDs, more steroids, and a neurosurgeon visit.
one week later, much improved.
Go see Neurosurgeon again, he suggests one more week of steroids.
Pain free for 7 months.
Randomly one night, pain comes back. slowly, but becomes really bad after 3 days.
Go see new family doc, try steroids again.
Steroids do nothing.
Go back to doc. Doc suggests another MRI, more agressive PT.
Its scheduled for the 21st. And here I sit with my Aleve every few days (which helps.)


Only thing I can tell you is that everyone's situation is different. What works for one person may do nothing for you. Also pay attention to your body position when you sleep. I started sleeping ramrod straight. Don't pull your knees up at all. Try as best you can to stay that way throughout the night. That more than anything seems to dictate my 'good' days vs 'bad' days.

Thanks for the info. I'll make sure to take of my back issues ASAP.

 

[pontifex]

I have back pain. Sometimes I get such bad back pain I can barely walk. It might be sciatica because I feel the pain from lower back down one of my legs. Luckily it doesn't happen very often.

About 2 instances ago, I went to the doctor. They found arthritis in my lower back. It also doesn't help that I am very overweight.

They gave me some muscle relaxers and pain meds and it helped, but not 100%.

I really need a new mattress/bed too but can't afford one now.

If I walk or stand for too long, it makes it hurt also, but not like the intense, can't walk type of pain.

 

[IronWing]

How do you deal with the pain? I've been getting intense pain in my lower back when I wake up in the morning. Just started using a heating pad.

Thanks.

Applying a heating pad is about the worst thing you could do. Inflamation is the enemy. Heat promotes inflamation.

Buy sturdy walking shoes and starting walking.

 

[GrumpyMan]

You just haven't found the proper mattress for your body type and how you sleep. In other words if you sleep on your side versus like your stomach or flat on your back, you need a different types of mattresses to deal with those issues. My brother sells those for a living so he knows, and helped me with my lower back pains. Don't have them anymore after sleeping.

 

[lk2500]

Basically your back is giving you fair warning that if you don't take care of it you could end up with a herniated to torn disc. It could occur in days, maybe years. Probably too much flexion (bending over forward like when you sit) in your back during the day and not enough extension.

In a nutshell, research proper posture, stretching, sleeping positions etc... Learn and do core work to strengthen your back, hip, etc.. muscles. If you have decent health care have your GP prescribe you some PT so you can learn the proper stretches, core work, and posture and exactly how to do them. Then do your stretches every day, 3 times a day.

I always recommend this book: [FONT=&quot]http://www.amazon.com/Treat-Your-Own...dp/0987650408/


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[John Connor]

How do you deal with the pain? I've been getting intense pain in my lower back when I wake up in the morning. Just started using a heating pad.

Thanks.

You don't apply heat!! Use an ice pack!

 

[surfsatwerk]

I use heat on all my aches and pains, including my back. Heat promotes blood circulation and keeps me mobile.

 

[T9D]

Applying a heating pad is about the worst thing you could do. Inflamation is the enemy. Heat promotes inflamation.

Buy sturdy walking shoes and starting walking.

Heat will loosen up muscles that may be making it worse because of being tight and pulling on the spine area. Also heat promotes blood flow which might help too.

 

[surfsatwerk]

Heat will loosen up muscles that may be making it worse because of being tight and pulling on the spine area. Also heat promotes blood flow which might help too.

*fist kiss*

 

[John Connor]

I have a herniated disk/s. Went to a Chro. and they told me to ice the crap out of it and never apply heat. You want to minimize inflammation. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=18347

There's even a pill that is natural that will help with inflammation. I can't remember the name of it off hand though.

 

[futurefields]

lower back pain can also be highly psychosomatic. mine flares up when im stressed.

 

[pontifex]

I've used heat on mine and it helped slightly

 

[BoomerD]

When my back REALLY flares up...I alternate heat and ice in 15-20 minute increments. For me, that works better than just heat OR ice.

 

[Mai72]

You don't apply heat!! Use an ice pack!

I should have did my research.

Ice pak- yes.
Heating pad- no?

I walked to 7-11 and I thought I was gonna cry. I think I'm going to score some Valium at the pharmacy in Bangkok if this persists.

 

[Paladin3]

I have lower back issues due to bulging disks, but if I walk and keep my back muscles strong and stretched it doesn't bother me. Luckily, I have a job near my house that I usually walk or bike to, and then at work I walk quite a bit. If I have several days off in a row and I just sit around the house my back is always sore afterwards.

I try to stretch and walk daily, and resort to ibuprofen when my upper back muscles get tight and sore. If I screw up and let my lower back muscles get weak it will pinch a disc and I'll end up in the doctor's office for a fist full of pills and physical therapy. It's only happened twice in the last 10 years, both times after Winter snows kept me housebound too long.

When they said "use it our loose it" they weren't kidding.

 

[purbeast0]

op i have 2 fucked up discs in my back that i messed up years ago due to squatting wrong. i have 2 partially bulging discs in my lower lumbar. i still can aggrevate it 8 years after it initially happened. 2 things have helped it TREMENDOUSLY.

1. inversion table. i found one on craigslist cheap, one of those teeter hangups, and holy shit - after literally a week of doing it 2x a day for 5 mins each, my back felt better than it had felt in the past 5 years prior. i just wish i had gotten one of them earlier. any inversion table will work, brand isn't anything, they all flip you upside down.

2. new mattress - this was another life changer. the first night i slept on a new mattress, my back felt better than it had felt in years too. and now i have one of those memory foam toppers and i wake up feeling refreshed as shit every day.

i still get aches in my back when i do heavy deadlifts or squats and kind of tweak it, but i don't let it stop me. i stopped doing squats for years until i finally got it feeling better from the above methods. now i'm squatting more than i could squat prior to my discs getting messed up.

 

[MongGrel]

I have 3 herniated disks, several bulging disks, degenerative disk disease, and several other things fucked up in my spine...I live with the pain by simply telling myself it doesn't control me...and it doesn't matter.

That rarely works though...

Yep, you mostly say fuck it and keep going.

Beer helps for me.

 

[Puppies04]

I did something stupid to my back about 4 years ago. Doctors told me there was nothing wrong with it (could barely walk, had 3 months off work) so I went to a chiropractor for about 12 months. Now it is good as new.

As for your particualr problem OP, as you are having issues when you wake up it is most logical to get a new matress and if that doesn't help change your sleeping posture.

 

[MongGrel]

On a side note, I used to work at a place where his daughter worked doing the high end drug sales things.

Not the illegal drug ones, the going into operating room funded by the FDA/AMA type.

She was in very good shape, former ballet type, tried out for Gators cheerleaders, etc.

The Chiropractor she went to with references from the surgeons messed here neck up pretty bad.

Got me, I'm a bit leery of that line myself, even was before then.

 

[BoomerD]

Yep, you mostly say fuck it and keep going.

Beer helps for me.

Pain is just weakness leaving the body...

 

[ringtail]

hooyeah!!!
lower right side, there have been occasions it suprisingly shot out so extremely much intense pain that I've actually fallen down. No warning...just zzzzzzaaaaapppp and P A I N so intense that only my exertion of strong willpower prevents total blackout.

Just occasional and seemingly random events, like when I'm standing long time in a soccer game, or when standing long time tending my bee hives, or standing long time in a business factory or other, seemingly random times. Just insanely intense pain that absolutely overpowers all conscious control, strikes like lightning, absolutely overpowering. I've actually fallen down on the ground several times.Then after, the "memory of the pain" stays in the body so for awhile it's more likely it'll recur. If it doesn't recur, then after a week or 2 it vanishes all by itself for a year or 2. Sexual deep into the muscle back rubs help SO VERY MUCH!!!

In those events sometime it hurts SO BAD I just want a loving hand to rub deep into the back muscles, especially on the lower right side. The thing is, the blinding, fall-down pain strikes without warning, no prelude of any indicators.

Obviously EVERYBODY needs back pain relief on the upper right because of using friggin computer mouse. That's light years different from what I say, not in same galaxy.

Wish I'd learned younger to protect my lower back while lifting ("your back is like a stack of dimes") - man, lotta time my lower back hurts like HELL, much more so on the right side.

 

[xaeniac]

Stretching and strengthening

 

[malbojah]

I'm dealing with lower back pain right now. Muscles spasmed last week and are taking their time to release. Going to PT 2-3 times a week for stretching and a deep massage, but I have shoulder surgery coming up next week so that will end.

 

[RandomWords]

Ice pak- yes. Heating pad- no?

The people that are telling you to apply heat are misinformed. Heat can loosen up muscles and promote blood flow but if it is just solely inflammation in the area it is the worst thing you can do for it. Inflammation responds best to cold. Alternating heat and cold can be very beneficial too, but never just heat on inflammation and always end with cold.

Stretching could be good or bad - it depends on what is causing the pain. In some cases it can make the issue worse.

Things you can and should do:
Align your hips.

Massage your glutes, abdominals (especially Psoas), neck, and low back really well (low back being the least important of those). Sometimes the Soleus can also cause issues.

Look into which postures are causing low back pain, some culprits: any twisted or unbalanced position (some people sit twisted at computer desks); slouching; shoulders hunched with back rounded and head hanging forward (a lot of people sit like this and some recliners cause you to sit like this); accidents/falls; picking up something too heavy or carrying heavy weight while walking; sitting too much - especially on hard surfaces; sitting with your knees up; climbing or unaccustomed gym exercise; swimming with the flutter kick; weight bearing on one side (always carrying a child on the same hip); standing on one leg (putting your weight on one leg while standing); sitting on a wallet; emotional stress... anything that resembles any of the above.

Make sure you have a good mattress that isn't 20 years old or something. Research your mattress and get a good one.

Depending on your pain you might want to check out your spine for herniated or bulging disks as those require different treatment than tight muscles.

After you try all that for three or four weeks - add in stretching and strengthening. For that you have to know which muscles you need to strengthen and which to stretch - a good physical therapist or personal trainer could help you. Make sure you get a good one - with a lot of happy customers.