Lower back seized up... dang, it had been almost 8 years since last time

[Muse]

Bike mishap a couple days previous, bike fell on top of me. I thought it was just contusions, abrasions, maybe it was, but yesterday morning I'm holding a 4 1/2 lb. mattock in one hand by the handle and climb up on a raised bed in my garden (maybe 10-12 inch rise) and Wham! I feel a twinge in lower back that I immediately feel is potentially debilitating. Felt like I just injured it, not like I'd just felt something that had been there, say, the day before.

Spent most of the day in bed. Get up and walk around and do some stuff (~40 years ago I had a similar incident and could hardly get out of bed for 3+ days), sometimes feeling better than others. Sometimes it felt like one false move, even the tiniest, could cause the "injury" to snowball into a paralyzing rupture and searing pain.

This morning woke up feeling fine but figured the moment I worked my way out of bed and put on my shoes and stood up I might not feel OK at all, and indeed, it felt dicey. Fixed coffee, got back into bed. Later had a bite, got back into bed (where I am now).

Now, I have Naproxen (NSAID) and acetaminophen but I almost never take those because I figure my body knows how to heal and those drugs have side effects. I have usually had heartburn when I took ibuprofen.

I thought I was doing so well, but I was obviously wrong. I should NEVER brag again about how great my back is. I suppose I should figure I'm always one false move away from a debilitating lower back seizure. Dang!

I live alone, so applying ice wouldn't be easy and massage is out of the question. Warm shower might help, might not. I guess patience is the thing.

 

[balloonshark]

I hurt my back about 5 years ago. I just picked up the laundry basket the wrong way and bam I was hurt. I went to the hospital and they gave me a shot which helped for a very short while. They also sent me home with pain meds and a muscle relaxer. That night in bed my knee started hurting as bad as my back.

The next morning I carefully crawled out of bed. I had to drag a kitchen chair over to the sink so I could sit down in between the steps of making coffee and fixing my filtered water. I was in tears at times.

I ended up getting consitpated from the meds so I quit taking those. The only relief I had was from Tylenol, a large heating pad and a cheap "TENS" unit. Eventually the pain went away but it's always in the back of my mind when it's going to happen again.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Seen daffy duck drying his back with a towel after shower? Do that, at the lower back. The more you push your lower back from the back to the front, the better the chance that whatever disc has been affected, will click back into place.

For two years or more, I slept on my stomach. My disc had broken and it was pressing hard against the nerve, causing extreme weakness in my right leg. The muscle needs nervous feedback to keep working normally. If the nerve signal attenuates, so does the muscle. It was scary to think that I would lose my leg muscle function and limp for the rest of my life. I don't know how but after 2 or 3 years, the problem resolved itself. I did go through multiple sessions of wet cupping in the last year before it healed so that possibly may have had something to do with it.

 

[Torn Mind]

Erector spinae and the QL are some of the biggest lower back "troublemakers" and the hell is permanent without physical "therapy" like massage after the pain subsides.

 

[lxskllr]

At this point, I've spent more of my life with a bad back than without. When it goes out(haven't had a bad attack in over a year), time's the thing that works best. I just deal with it, and I'm movable after a week, not feeling to bad after a month, and status quo after a couple months.

 

[Muse]

Talked to my sister physical therapist today, after posting the OP in this thread and a similar post to her. She called me.

She explained to me that my back seizing up and the bike accident I had less than 48 hours previous were not a coincidence at all. My back spasm was my body's way of protecting the damaged tissues from the bike accident. The spasm prevents movement that counters the healing process. She said what I've been doing is the right thing, but she recommended some more things. Rest, of course, the extra sleep and naps I've been taking, yes, but in addition do some gentle stretching in an effort to straighten my spine to achieve normal posture. I was bent over from the pain of the spasms and couldn't stand up straight. She suggested I take NSAID's (e.g. ibuprofen or Naproxen, I have both), even a minimal dosage for a few days. Warmth could help, she thinks I'm already beyond where icing is beneficial.

I am feeling SO MUCH BETTER since I posted the OP almost 6 hours ago. A nap especially helped. Been sleeping principally on my back. Until only maybe 3 years ago my favored sleep position (ever since a kid) was on my stomach, but this was hard on my neck and some neck issues (cervical, I believe they're called, the vertebrae in the neck) have me not doing that any more. I had no problem sleeping on my back if I napped, which I would do occasionally, but it didn't seem the thing to do at night. That has to be psychological. I tend to sleep on either side, I guess on my back too nowadays, it's easier on my neck.

If I keep progressing as I am I think I'll feel 80-90% OK in a day or two.

Sister also recommended lying on my stomach for a few minutes if reasonably comfortable, which would stretch me out. Also, lying on back and pulling one, then the other knee toward my chest with my hands. This stretches out the opposite hip flexor. I've done that one since 20 YO when I had a serious back injury when I dove into a pool off the diving board not knowing WTH I was doing! I had therapy at the university hospital for that. Was recommended that knee to chest stretch, both at same time too, also means to develop good posture was strongly recommended. They gave me muscle relaxants too.

I try to do a lot of things that strengthen my core muscles. I thought I was doing well but this incident made me wonder if I was fooling myself. What my sister said is reassuring. I don't think I'm in bad shape, this was really a reaction to my bike accident almost 3 days ago more than anything. That did some damage!

 

[purbeast0]

If you have chronic lower back pain, I would highly HIGHLY recommend an inversion table. It was life changing for me and made my back feel better in about a week, than it had felt in like 5-7 years after I hurt it squatting wrong at the gym and partially herniated a disc.

This was a post I made years ago and to this day, I have it in my laundry room and if I tweak it, I will break it out for a couple days.

Herniated Disk

Hi. I have a ruptured disk (L5) and was told by surgeon that I need surgery. I don't have much pain (don't take pain tablets), but have good days and bad days of relative pain. This has been going on for months but is improving slowly. I sleep well at night but can feel the pressure on my nerve...

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