Back pain. Do you have it?

[rizzle]

My freaking back is killing me. Supposedly I have a couple of degenerative disks way down low. Doc says no cure, best thing to do is try to stabilize my core through training and the only surgery is fusion which is a road I don't want to go down.

I haven't had a chance to get in the gym over the last couple of months because of my newborns and I can tell the difference in how stiff and sore I am. I just can't get comfortable. Any of you deal with this?

[ChicagoWhiteSox]

Doc says no cure

I have a friend named jack that has a cure:r

Any of you deal with this?

I kinda had knee troubles a while ago, i was taking this...http://www.gnc.com/sm-gnc-msm-glucosamine--pi-2133429.html

It helped a little

[Da Klugs]

Nothing as extreme as that.

Older I get the more it makes itself known. Sleeping in the bed vs couch and flat vs scrunched up seems to start the day better for me.

Sorry for your pain.

[MedicCook]

I have been dealing with back pain for years. The best thing is not the gym but just some generic stretches every morning when you wake up. My last year in EMS I had a fall which twisted my back, then my back went out on me lifting a heavy patient, then I was in the back of the Ambulance when the driver decided to run into a sign pulling into the hosipital and I got tossed across the back of the rig.

[14holestogie]

I've had recurring back pain for quite a few years. Mainly just a tightness most days, but sometimes it'll let me know not to push it. Exercises (back specific) which you could learn from your doctor or chiropractor could give some comfort. It'll never be what it was before, but you can make it bearable. I'd steer clear of surgery, too unless all other options are exhausted. I've heard and seen too many horror stories.

[hotreds]

Yes- spinal stenosis. I'm sure if I dropped some lbs, that would help, but weight is not really the cause. I think that I was too gung-ho as a youngster with those now condemned iron boot leg lifts. Indeed, I, too, have heard that surgery is 33% effective. 33% improve, 33% no change, 30% worse. Not good odds!

[stitch]

Yep, After a broken neck and fractured spine in 1995, A fracture which is still there, I live with pretty bad back pain every day.
I ignore it as best I can and just tough it out.
I will not take Rx pain killers!

[MadAl]

Are we talking upper, lower, mid back?

[markem]

Preaching to the choir, my friend...

I was hit by a car in high school and that has left me with a messed up back. I also did in a disc when I tried to keep a motorcycle from falling over after I put it on the center stand (hint: let it fall - it's cheaper in the long run).

Yoga helps me quite a bit as do trunk strengthening exercises. I don't do gym workouts because of badly destroyed knees from playing too much soccer with people who thought that they were better than they were.

Since I spend serious dollars on a well fit chair (from Relax the Back, duno if they are still in business), I'm way down on the chronic pain. I still see a chiro at least once a year since I tend to have ribs pop out from time to time. When I twist, I can imitate a popcorn popper.

Just started glucosamine + condroitin + msm so it is still too early to tell how that will help, but it seems to help my chronic hand pain (dislocated all the bones in my right hand in a motorcycle accident).

But mostly I eat right, have a good mattress, and drink loads of water (strange how much that helps). Long walks (4-6 miles) during good weather is what keeps me sane.

I've been told that getting old ain't for sissies.

[Blueface]

Two herniated lumbar/sacral discs reporting for duty here, thanks to a darling who took a stop sign.

Have had them since 1991.
Have endured the formal "fetal" position on many occasions.
Have had often times the need for the wife to put on my socks and help me roll off the bed and onto the floor.

Lots of Vicadin.
Lots of Naproxen.
Lots of Robaxin.
Lots of other similar candies.
Lots of epidural blocks, up to three levels in one sitting, once a month for three months.

Each morning I wake up, it is there to remind me.
However, I love doing my own landscaping.
I carry bags of mulch and rocks.
I don't care anymore.
I want to live and it won't win over me.

[ashmaster]

Yep! Years ago I ruptured a disc and pinched a nerve in my lower back so it gives me fits from time to time. I hate it when I go to take out the garbage or something and it "goes out" on me. I then walk around all ****-eyed, you know bent over and sideways for a week or so.

I've dropped a few inches around the mid-section and work on core strength making it much more bearable.

I do have to agree with Da Klugs.

Older I get the more it makes itself known.

[schnell987]

Just a word of caution if anyone has back pain. Always worth it to have it checked out as soon as possible.

I know somebody who thought his severe, intermittant back pain was due to a slipped disk (he used to lift weights quite a bit). When he finally saw the doctor, they performed several scans (CAT and MRI) and found that the pain was due to kidney cancer - spread to the spine. So, better to get it looked at sooner rather than later.

Hope that helps.

[foomanto]

had a few ruptured discs about 10 years ago. i did not need fusing they just went in and removed the jelly from the donut so to speak. no problems not returned to 100% but close enough i had no pain. back in July i got hurt again ruptured another disc i don't want to do surgery again mostly because they want to fuse my the vertebrae this time. so now i deal with the pain the best i can drugs help a little but some times not enough.

[Jbailey]

Yup! I would say around 5-6yrs ago I threw my whole back out, working in the warehouse of circuit city. Came in early one morning to find nothing was done the night before. So i start cleaning up and the last thing I was doing was trash. Picked up the last big can and dumping it into the crusher and must have moved just right because I had a shooting pain from my shoulder all the way down to the bottom of my back and couldn't move.

I shuffle my way up front and find my boss and tell him the situation and what happened. I say I have to leave since I'm in a horrible amount of pain and can't move. He tells me I have to stay and work until they can get someone else to come in. I tell him fine you can pay me to stand right here cause that's all I can do.

The long story short just last year they finally cleared my doctor bills for the accident. I still get get pain in my back anytime i bend over for more than a few seconds. Folding laundry is a pain, literally.

[the nub]

I've had lower back pain (muscle and disc) for the last seven years. At times it's been excruciating. Started abdominal work a few months ago and it's significantly better, so much so that I've been doing lower back exercises without difficulty.

[mikeyj23]

Lower back pain here - degenerative discs as well, one bulging (but not herniated, thank God). Chiropractor(s) did nothing for me, but learning from physical therapy helped a lot. Learning core exercises and actually doing them helped a lot. On bad nights when it bothers me I have my Soma (carisoprodol) muscle relaxant, which lets me fall asleep but leaves me with a little medicine hangover the next morning. On bad days, I have Relafen (nabumetone) as a NSAID.

The core exercises are best for now, but I'm pretty sure (and certainly praying) that in 30 years when it gets a lot worse they'll be able to slap in fake discs pretty easily.

[Sailchaser]

When I had lower back pain I was remodeled. The pain was actually coming from the avascular narcosis in the hip joints. The found that only from a chance MRI they gave me. Then after the first surgery I had done I had a accident in the hospital and was told I would never walk again, BS to that I worked my a** off and don't walk well but definitely can get around.My daily cure to which I take no meds is
Morning stretches on the floor
Rolling my spine on the top of 2 tennis balls in a sock to loosen it up
hot shower to loosen thing up
and a sleep number bed at the end of the day

[King James]

have 2 degenerative disks (L5 and S1) that give me trouble from time to time and during certain tasks..... core training is good option :tu

[Genetic Defect]

most people have back pain more common then it should be.

[Ken]

My freaking back is killing me. Supposedly I have a couple of degenerative disks way down low. best thing to do is try to stabilize my core through training
Here here! I also I have a straight neck. Just went to the chiropractor yesterday to have disks pushed back into place and some other snap-crackle-pops.

Make sure to do exercises that actually stabilize your abs and lower back and not ones that have you curving or twisting your lumbar.

[rizzle]

had a few ruptured discs about 10 years ago. i did not need fusing they just went in and removed the jelly from the donut so to speak.
Totally different ball game here.

Lower back pain here - degenerative discs as well, The core exercises are best for now, but I'm pretty sure (and certainly praying) that in 30 years when it gets a lot worse they'll be able to slap in fake discs pretty easily.
Bingo. I'm figuring, and praying, that at some point the technology will be available to do this.

Preaching to the choir, my friend...

Yoga helps me quite a bit as do trunk strengthening exercises.
Just started glucosamine + condroitin + msm so it is still too early to tell how that will help, but it seems to help my chronic hand pain (dislocated all the bones in my right hand in a motorcycle accident).

I've been told that getting old ain't for sissies.
Been taking glucosamine chondroitin + msm for a couple of years now. Can't tell any difference, thinking yoga might be good. And getting old damn sure aint for sissies.;)

Are we talking upper, lower, mid back?
Lower.

[tsolomon]

I have suffered with lower back pain caused by muscle spasms for years. I spent a lot of time with the orthopedic approach, physical therapy and anti-inflammatory for a couple of years. Because of reoccurring problems, I then went to a chiropractor for a couple of sessions which helped more than the orthopedic. It seemed as long as I did my back exercises and stretching I could avoid throwing my back out. If I did throw it out, I went back to the chiropractor to get re-aligned. I now do yoga and the quality of my life has improved to the point where I'm much more physically active and don't worry about my back. Even if I get a twinge, I can do a couple of yoga stretches and not end up on the couch with the heating pad for 3-4 days. I find that yoga is a better, longer lasting stretch and includes the correct body alignment like the chiropractor. :2

[rizzle]

Lots of Vicadin.
Lots of Naproxen.


Each morning I wake up, it is there to remind me.
However, I love doing my own landscaping.
I carry bags of mulch and rocks.
I don't care anymore.
I want to live and it won't win over me.

Same and same.

Just a word of caution if anyone has back pain. Always worth it to have it checked out as soon as possible.

Initially had an MRI and they saw an "abnormality" in my sacrum. Then had more MRI's, CAT scans, Bone Scans, the works bro. Best any of the specialists can tell the abnormality is simply that, an abnormality.
have 2 degenerative disks (L5 and S1) that give me trouble from time to time and during certain tasks..... core training is good option :tu

That seems to be the best that one can do. :tu

[RGD.]

Back pain since 1978. Caused by lifting the front end of Lieutenant's Porsche up on the sidewalk. It was funny the first ten or so times I had done that - not so funny that day.

So yeah - been living with it every since. Never had the surgery done - cause they could not give me a warranty - :D


Ron

[AAlmeter]

Had a pretty badly herniated L5-S1 7 years ago. The pain was often unbearable. There were times where it took every ounce of willpower pull the car over to safety.

I had a microdiscectomy and a laminectomy Dec 24, 2003 and have been vastly improved since.

I still have trouble, especially when I lay down for more than 5-6 hours a night or when my weight creeps up.

I have never had any sort of physical therapy, since the doctor didnt think it was necessary (at the time of the surgery I was 20 and in great shape). I have, however, found that doing weightless squats helps to manage the pain quite a bit.

[starsky]

I can't remember a day I didn't have back pain in one degree or another.

[UPHOTO]

Fractured 4 vertebrae in my back about 7 years ago while snowboarding......

Can't do a thing about it besides feel the pain. :(

[Blueface]

Never had the surgery done - cause they could not give me a warranty - :D


Ron

Ron,
They have recommended surgery for me for quite a while now with the same "no warranty".

I had a family doctor who was also a family friend who is now deceased whose words I will always remember.
He told me when it comes to back pain, go for surgery ONLY if you have been in the fetal position (and we all know what exactly that means when the pain really hits) for 30 days straight.
He always said if you can manage to break out of the fetal position, avoid the surgery as you may still end up in the fetal position post surgery.

[Genetic Defect]

bah

[Blueface]

bah

Perry,
Have you been playing in the garage with sheep?:r

[Genetic Defect]

Perry,
Have you been playing in the garage with sheep?:r

its called keeping warm, you wear your way, I will wear mine my way

[yourchoice]

Wow, lots of back pain in these parts.

This is just a laymen’s suggestion, definitely not a doc, but I'm a big believer in a solid foundation. You may want to see a podiatrist if you have the more "common" back pain (not associated with accidents, falls, etc.). I have very flat feet and had problems with them in high school while playing football. I went to see a podiatrist then and have been trouble free since. :2