$#!%! My back!

[Mormon Red Death]

Glad to hear it. Until you have back pain, it's a bit difficult to truly conceptualize
how debilitating itcan be.

I'm not sure what the shot was (possibly a steroid). NSIADS like Motrin are very effective for pain relief. Muscle relaxants are the devil, IMO (although some here may use them). Generally, NSAIDs, light activity, ice initially, and time are the treatment regimen. Major studies show no benefit to chiropractic, and chiropractic is expensive and potentially is quite harmful.

All I know is that when I have acute back pain (throwing my back out) I go to my chiropractor and they put those electrodes on the muscle then use their table stretc/ease the knot I do get better quickere than with painkillers. I certainly don't believe they will cure cancer but for acute back pain they really help.

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[San Juan Sun]

All I know is that when I have acute back pain (throwing my back out) I go to my chiropractor and they put those electrodes on the muscle then use their table stretc/ease the knot I do get better quickere than with painkillers. I certainly don't believe they will cure cancer but for acute back pain they really help.

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Studies show that chiropractic treatments offer no benefit over simple massage sham treatments. I don't doubt that you feel a little bit better, but I seriously think that you've spent a lot of money that you probably didn't need to.

But hey, it's your disposable income, so do whatever you want.

[CJF]

That made no sense to me, so I googled Somatic reflex. It took me to a site that talked about afferent pathways and parasympathetic divisions. It also used the word autonomic a lot. I gave up and popped a Percocet.

[clackamascoug]

71's advice was good. You will get over this initial episode, but it will always be there for the rest of your life. The best thing to do is to learn how to manage it. At the age of 23, my back went out and I had to lay on the floor for 2 hours before someone cam home. 30 years later, I've learned about my back, and now it only takes 30 days to get it back into place, where it used to take 4/5 months.

Be careful of chiropractors. Some are good, others are evil. Chiropractors can help with misalignments, but not so much with herniation of the disks. First thing to do is get the swelling down. Swelling is what is pinching the nerves. Ibuprofen is key, and 800 mg is prescription strength. When the swelling is down, then spinal adjustment will work (better) but not so much when the swelling is aflame.

Your other muscles will try to compensate, so treat them right with a good massage to keep them happy. I use the Homemedic 360H, and it's the best $79.99 I've ever spent.

[Green Monstah]

Studies show that chiropractic treatments offer no benefit over simple massage sham treatments. I don't doubt that you feel a little bit better, but I seriously think that you've spent a lot of money that you probably didn't need to.

But hey, it's your disposable income, so do whatever you want.

Chiros have worked well for me too. They're actually a lot cheaper than my physician. Go figure.

I don't like the electrodes, though. They're useless.

[San Juan Sun]

Chiros have worked well for me too.

Have you tried sham therapy (essentially treatment that is non purposeful but the patient is unaware of it's true placebo-like purpose)?

Of course you have. You go to chiros.

[byu71]

Have you tried sham therapy (essentially treatment that is non purposeful but the patient is unaware of it's true placebo-like purpose)?

Of course you have. You go to chiros.

What is the real reason you have a hard on for Chiropractors.

[Mormon Red Death]

Have you tried sham therapy (essentially treatment that is non purposeful but the patient is unaware of it's true placebo-like purpose)?

Of course you have. You go to chiros.

I agree with you wholeheartedly that its a sham to go see a chiro everyday "cause you are out of balance" or you have the flu. That being said when I have thrown out my back the chiro is the quickest way to recovery. I am positive a phys Therapist would be similiar. Fortunately for me the Chiro is only $30.

Yes I have tried going to a back doc and had MRIs and told about surgery I may need. I once fainted at the doc cause all the blood rushed to my back.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

I've struggled with lower back pain for years, and I'm getting a bit fed up with it. I wake up every morning feeling pretty stiff but usually loosen up to some degree within the first couple of hours. But I'm frequently uncomfortable. Always shifting and stretching things out. About every eight months or so, I find that I get completely locked up.

Most of the issues seem to be concentrated in my lower back and hips just to the right side of my spine. When things are bad (like they've been the last four days), I'll find an hour massage (still haven’t done so with this episode yet) somewhere which makes a huge difference and reset me for a while. This makes me think that it's all muscular/alignment related and not a disk that's giving me problems. It could be nerve related with a pinch or sciatica, but I’m don’t know enough about this stuff to pin point a particular diagnosis.

Like I said, I'm usually functional during any given day but feel that I'm on the cusp of debilitation. A basketball game, or helping someone move away from putting myself out of commission. If possible, I'd love to gain back some quality of life. Here are what I think my possible culprits are:

Age: I’m 40. Things seem to have gotten worse over time.

Height: I’m 6’6” Maybe relevant, probably not.

Weight: I’ve put on about 20 lbs over the last 10 years of being married/having kids. Having said that, it only puts me at 205, but the weight is all belly weight and even though I’m not worried about the weight itself, I’d like to get it off my stomach and either get rid of it or put it somewhere else as muscle.

Bed: Given that mornings are where I feel it the most, I can only assume that my mattress isn’t doing me any favors. We’ve had our current mattress for about 4 years now. We bought it when my wife was pregnant with #3. It’s one of those sleep number beds and I figured it would be good since our preferences are polar opposite. I like firm, she likes soft. I was hoping for a miracle cure, but haven’t really seen any difference. I play with my numbers every once in a while to see if it makes a difference, but haven’t managed to find the unicorn sweet spot.

Sleep style: I tend to sleep on my right side in a semi fetal position. Is there a “best way to sleep to avoid back pain” position?

Lack of activity: I’ve never been a “gym guy” but when I was younger, my field assignments were definitely more strenuous. I haven’t been running/cycling for years and my overall fitness level has probably dropped considerably. Now that my youngest is nearing two and doesn’t require the constant tending to, I’m feeling that I can start getting a little selfish and take some time during the week work on increasing my activity, but the thought of bending over on a bike or trying to run in my current condition, makes my lumbar ache.

Any recommendations? Several years ago, I got sucked into a chiropractor black hole for several months. It would only help for a few days (much less effective than massage therapy) and there was never any discussion about “what to do” outside of making more appointments. I know that I’m not a flexible person and that stretching would be beneficial, I guess I just need a little hand holding for this to show me what really works and what’s just rolling around on the floor. I’ve heard that Yoga can be a game changer for guys like me. I guess I’d be open to it, but only if I could look that pathetic on the privacy of my own home. At least during the beginning.

Is an MRI required to determine if there are disk problems? How difficult is it for a typical doctor to isolate cause when it comes to back pain?

[Bo Diddley]

I had lower back problems when I was about 34. A bone scan found that I had two discs that were going flat. Physical therapy with mostly target strength training fixed my acute problem.

Long term, I've found that a strong running/cycling regimen has really been all I've needed to stay ahead of any other problems. Core exercises are good, and we could all benefit from more of that.

I recently bought a sleep number bed and love the quality of sleep I get on it. I probably sleep half the time on my stomach, and half the time on my side. The I8 matress feels really good.

[beefytee]

I don't think you necessarily need an MRI. When I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, they did an ultrasound on all my joints and they mentioned a small issue with a disk. I'm guessing that simple x-rays could pick up issues as well.

Of course there are plenty of MDs on here that could give you a more accurate answer.

[creekster]

I, too, had lower back issues in my late 30s through my mid 40s. I got MRIs and cortisone shots (effective but temporary) and several courses of physical therapy and nothing seemed to work until I was assigned to a great physical therapist who told me my problem resulted from congenitally short hamstrings which, with all my bike riding, were very tight and strong and put extra strain on the tendons that hold my pelvis and spine together in alignment. She taught me how to be aware of my pelvis' position (hey now, stop thinking that!) and how to stretch properly and it was like a freakin' revelation. No idea if she diagnosed it correctly as to cause, but following her therapy largely fixed the problem. I suspect if you stick with it you will find your solution too.

Now, the bad news. I am stiff every morning. Getting up is not often a fun thing. But it only takes me a few minutes to work it out and loosen it up and I am good to go. I think that is just age. it happens and it is going to happen. In general, the fitter I am, the less I weigh and the more active I remain the less pain and stiffness I experience. Like a lot of things in life, it is not much fun, but it can be dealt with.

btw, at one point I was afraid I was going to have to give up the bike too, but I learned how to keep my back/pelvis aligned properly while riding and to stretch my hammies once in a while and it solved the issue.

Yes, I realize this is all anecdotal. YMMV. But the take away is to go get treatment and stick with it until you get results. Oh, I would also avoid surgery if possible. I have a couple of friends who have had back surgery and they arent very happy with the results. Dang, there I go with the anecdotes again.

[wally]

Dwight, go see an ortho. They will probably xray you first to determine whether further imaging is necessary, or to tell you that you are a pussy and need to do more core exercises at the gym, like they did to one guy that I know.

[Commando]

I'm no doctor, but I know that if you're woefully out of shape you may just be experiencing soreness from carrying around your frame and your belly fat all day. Some weight training for your back could work wonders.

[RC Vikings]

DS try swimming. For me it stretches me out, strengthens the muscles and does it all without putting your body through a bunch of pounding.