| back pain
Posted: 10/29/2005 7:50:12 AM | | Lots of times back pain is caused by weak core muscles. I have read through this again and didn't see where you had said what the cause of your back pain was. Maybe I missed it. but doing some stability ball exercises might help as long as you take it slow and easy to start with and don't overdo it. | |
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| back pain
Posted: 10/29/2005 8:07:35 AM | | The best thing for my back pain has been walking and stretching, including yoga. Have you asked your doctor about alternatives? I think there are really some excellent ideas on this thread, but I hope you will talk to your doctor before you try anything to different from what you are doing. | |
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| back pain
Posted: 10/29/2005 11:34:01 PM | I'll totally agree with you on the core muscle thing shadowknight.... Once I really got back in shape, including Pilates which focuses on the core muscles, but also exercises to strengthen the muscles that run parallel to the spine, it almost completely alleviated my pain... Weak abs are one of the major causes of back pain, as well as bad posture, and just plain old lack of exercise... We're all sitting in front of the computer>~~~ | |
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| back pain
Posted: 10/30/2005 1:40:55 AM | | My physiotherapist recommended a simple hot bath or hot tub to relax in. Or a towel soaked in hot (not too hot lol) water applied to the injured area. He said muscles will absorb the warm water and ease the pain. A hot water bottle isn't good enough because the muscles can't absorb the water that way. It isn't perfect, but it is very soothing. The towel idea has worked great for me. As far as actual painkillers... this won't work for everyone but it does for me... weed lol. | |
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| back pain
Posted: 10/30/2005 9:12:57 AM | livewire,
people can also aggravate it if they only work the abs. Have to remember balance and symetry. Crunchs and good mornings are effective ways of equalling things out. I am sure there are plenty of combinations but the point is that both the back and abs need worked. Heck even using a swiss ball to sit on rather than a regular office chair will help with the core muscles. I saw one of those chairs they make now for a swiss ball...looks interesting but I haven't seen any research on them and their effeciency yet.
Kevin | |
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| back pain
Posted: 10/30/2005 7:01:17 PM | | You're right Kevin, which is why I also mentioned the exercises for the muscles that run parallel to the spine.. I haven't tried one of those chairs either.. I don't think my employer would purchase one ((I work for the county)).... But I used to watch Denise Austin's show and she gave me so many ideas to incorporate many things into work-outs... Pilates is great, because it focuses mostly on the core muscles... But I also like almost everything else; kick boxing, using a stepper, love walking (not in my neighborhood, unless I wanna die), swimming, yoga~~a little bit of everything... The best cure for me is the steaming hot baths... I feel 20 years younger and am ready to go for hours after about a 30 minute soak in steaming hot water.... My grandmother used to rave about moist heat for arthritis, so maybe it's some weird hereditary thing.... | |
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| back pain
Posted: 10/30/2005 10:40:08 PM | Part of that is the physiological response of the flushing of the dermal layer with blood and then it moving out takign away all the crud. Also opens the pores for stuff to get flushed out there as well as relaxing muscles and such. Also the reason for the baths in the Asia.
It is actually two baths...first one to get clean then the soak in the hot water. They are really great. When I was in Korea there were bathouses in the villages. They were segregated and the co-ed thign was frowned on but man did you feel great when you were done.
Always have a soak after a really hard workout or when sick...it helps immensely. A shower then a soak  | |
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| back pain
Posted: 10/31/2005 9:50:10 AM | Hi sorry all i didnt realise there was 2 pages lol oopsy my bad ..well been 2 hospital 2day and mayb found the culprit(not sure how ya spell it) one they say my pelvis may be shattering thats why im in pain 24 7,im not allowed 2 do running etc or walk far and that as the pain is 2 much i have 2 use a chair if i go out 4 days witch my 2 year old loves.Im gonna be waiting the news now 2 wen i have all these tests but flipping hospitals r useless we was there 5 hours wen i should have only been there like 20 mins or so ahhhh just cos they was behind 5 hours is more than behind lol god im blabbing on sorry xx | |
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| back pain
Posted: 10/31/2005 10:32:46 AM | I used to have constant severe lower back pain.
Found out later it was partly due to fibroids.
Had them removed and it helped some... (hysterectomy)
Then I fell on my butt... hitting it hard... when I got up....
no more back pain and have had no problems since.
Occasionally will have a slight problem from not using good
body mechanics in lifting... but it goes away in a day or two.
Its now NOTHING like it used to be. I am happy about that.
Have a friend who is a back doctor and he said... he does a
procedure on his patients that is similair to the impact I
had when I fell.... only his way takes weeks and $$$
I know I was very lucky. | |
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| back pain
Posted: 11/1/2005 1:32:08 AM | Hi ty 4 your replys  If i hit my but hard i would just snap in half i have 2 be so careful wen goin down stairs and sitting as im very week in the bk after yesturady im more careful after finding out wat i did ty tc x | |
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| back pain
Posted: 11/2/2005 7:43:00 PM | | know any good web sites, roderick2123? l"m using the exercise ball plus some floor exercises, but more information would be appreciated. | |
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| back pain
Posted: 11/3/2005 6:38:21 PM | Some other things that I read about and tried with success are magnet mattress and pillow.
I believe in chiro (palmer method) and weekly massage. I worked very slowly with little excercise for years until I could build up to what I can do today. Accupressure is like accupunture without the needles. Your body has a map on it that corralates to organ and other body parts. It is like reflexology, a science and an art. Putting pressure in certain areas can help with those areas. Carter has a book on this. | |
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| back pain
Posted: 11/3/2005 6:46:39 PM | | Got cut off the system before I could finish. The Carter I am talking about is the last name of the author of a reflexology book. The book has some pain pressure points. There is also the Ingram method of reflexology but, I don't know if they have pain indicator spots. What ever you do take your time and work slowly to your goal. I personally can't stand the doped up feeling that drugs give you. I am living a much more full life now. Have and questions you can email my volleyballanyone. Your site will not let me write to you. Hope all is well with you and you feel better soon. | |
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| I am ex nurse who's been there done that.
Posted: 11/9/2005 10:02:00 AM | Back pain where to begin?? MMMMM! I really need to know where the pain is. I would hazard a guess that it is lower back maybe L3/L4 disc or L4/L5 disc. Let me know. I can then give you some advise on back care. Not too many pain killers cos they make you constipated which can make back pain worse.
Jellybaby. | |
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| back pain
Posted: 11/9/2005 10:43:26 AM | Always have a soak after a really hard workout or when sick...it helps immensely. A shower then a soak
I'm with you there.A good soak helps greatly with back pain. | |
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| back pain
Posted: 11/14/2005 10:23:51 PM | Back pain has so many causes, some physical, some emotional. Louise Hay says it's often related to sexual guilt, whereas others say it can be because of carrying the weight on your shoulders. But really, whatever reason is what resonates with them, including the very valid reason of a car accident!
Myself, I've found the new branch of chiropractic called Bio-Geometric Integration (BGI) VERY helpful. It's really like energy/touch work with a firm foundation in knowledge of the musculature and bone structure of the physical body. Whereas 'regular' style chiropractic seemed to give me a temporary fix, this has been wonderful.
Unfortunately no chiropractic in BC can advertise that they do alternative stuff (it's part of the rules the society imposes, the sucks), but you can see who is a practitioner on the main BGI page. I like Sunshine life Studios, you can find them on the net. | |
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| back pain
Posted: 11/25/2005 10:21:20 AM | of course this is the internet, so run this past your GP to see if this works for you.
5 Point Stance
Read the CAPS while doing the exercise.
The 5 point stance should be incorporated into every myofascial session (at the beginning and the end). In doing so, you and the therapist will have a new awareness of postural dysfunction and knowledge of how to correct it.
Step 1: Stand with your BUTTOCKS, SHOULDERS AND HEAD AGAINST THE WALL, with your feet 2 inches from it (feet and TOES facing STRAIGHT FORWARD now directly under your front hip bones.)
Step 2: PUT YOUR HAND BEHIND YOUR LOWER BACK. YOUR HAND SHOULD TOUCH BOTH YOUR BACK AND THE WALL, AT THE SAME TIME. If it doesn’t, you need to reduce the forward rotation of your pelvis. Imagine your pelvis as a basket, and it tips forward and backwards. WE WANT TO TIP IT BACKWARDS. Tipping your pelvis backwards raises the front, which can be described as A CONTROLLED THRUST. Described below.
BEND YOUR KNEES, lowering yourself 2 -4 inches. TIGHTEN YOUR STOMACH, SUCKING YOUR STOMACH IN, like those ads in the muscle magazines, showing hollow stomachs. WHILE KEEPING YOUR PELVIS IN THE SAME POSITION, STAND UP. This tucks your tailbone under, lengthens your lower back, and straightens your spine, at the same time.
Step 3: Try to TOUCH YOUR CHIN TO YOUR CHEST while imagining a STRING IS PULLING UP ON THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, there should now be a finger space between your neck and the wall. This lengthens the back of your neck,
Stretching here lessens the chances of a tension headache.
Step 4: ELEVATE YOUR STERNUM. (Like a string is pulling UP AND FORWARD.) This lengthens your trunk
Step 5: REACH YOUR ARMS AND HANDS downwards TOWARDS THE FLOOR (without straining). This lengthens your neck and shoulder area.
Step 6: Maintain step 1
When all steps have been learned, hold this position for 15 seconds for 3 repetitions. (Rest 5-10 seconds in between repetitions.) | |
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| back pain
Posted: 11/25/2005 10:24:43 AM | | double post sorry | |
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| back pain
Posted: 12/2/2005 11:22:06 PM | therisa small ectronic unit outfor use now calleda tens unit you place electrodesaround thearea that is tightand hurts it delivers verysmall electrical pulsesthat can be very helpful in relieving painworked for me but not for others inmy book pain that bad its wortha try | |
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| back pain
Posted: 1/27/2006 2:18:47 AM | | I have had back pain on and off for years following a fall. The thing which helped most was losing weight and an exercise at the gym. Don't know what the equipment is called but it involved standing, reaching up and pulling down on some weighted bars. I also find sitting up straight with a lower back support eases it a lot. I would be interested to know though whether anyone has found any supplement helpful - apart from fish oil which I already take. Cheers. | |
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okwa76
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Joined: 12/25/2005
Msg: 46 | |
| back pain
Posted: 1/27/2006 5:18:12 PM | Fish oil?????? What in the f**king world does fish oil have to do with back pain????
I've been through pretty much all of the B.S. regarding back pain. I had my first lumbar surgery in 1978, then cervical AND lumbar surgery in 1995.
Yes, I've laid in a hospital bed in traction for 2 weeks (no help).
Yes, I've had a series of massages. They didn't actually help, but since they were done by a very hot, female, Doctor of Physical Therapy, and it was the only female touch I've had in quite awhile, (and it felt good) I tried to get as many as I could. (She finally ratted me out and said the massages weren't helping.) I had only one massage done by a male P.T., which was because of a scheduling screw up. I was so tense and uncomfortable that I refused to let that happen again.
Yes, I tried getting an "epidural". Although some people say it helps, it didn't help me. It also was the most excruciatingly painful thing I've had done to me! It compared pain-wise with getting a mylogram x-ray. A mylogram is where they lay you on a table, inject a dye into your spinal column, and maneuver the table up and down. The dye shows them where the blockage in your spine is. For 24 hours after a mylogram, you are not allowed to raise your head up off your pillow. I thought this rule was B.S. and I didn't want to use a bedpan, so I got up to go the bathroom. Very, very stupid decision. Raising your head after a mylogram will give you a headache, the likes of which will make your back pain pale in comparison. For about a week it felt like someone was standing over me with a 2 x 4, repeatedly hitting me in the forehead with it. Then the same excruciating pain moved from my forehead to the back of my neck for another week. Thankfully the mylogram x-ray is usually no longer done, since the innovation of the MRI.
An electro-nerve test (a fairly new procedure) is only slightly painful in comparison. This is where they shove a LONG needle into one end of a nerve, (in your hip or upper leg, perhaps) and another LONG needle into the other end of the nerve (your lower leg). Then they shoot an electric current through the nerve to see if it makes your muscles jump, or "twitch". This tells them if you have nerve damage or not (I do).
For some people, certain stretching exercises are helpful, for others, it can make matters worse. For some people walking helps, but when you can't walk across the street without stopping and squatting to stretch your back, then you've got a problem. It all depends on what specifically is wrong with your back. Is the pain only in your back, or are you having nerve pain down one of your legs or arms?
If you want to try exercising, my suggestion is to find a local swimming pool. Most indoor pools now have a hot tub next to it. In a swimming pool you will have less gravitational weight pulling down on your spine. Start out by gently getting into the swimming pool, and just move around the best you can for a few minutes (gradually increase the time in the pool). Then get out of the pool and get into the hot tub, with the water jets shooting at your problem area. Don't stay in the hot tub longer than 15 minutes, as you will only be "cooking" yourself.
As far as drugs go, if you are only experiencing back pain, drugs will probably be helpful. If you are experiencing nerve pain, drugs will probably only f**k you up enough to occasionally get your mind off the pain. The major setback there is growing dependent on them, which is a whole other problem.
When laying down, the whole idea is to try and find a comfortable position. For some, that means elevating your legs. If that doesn't work, try laying on your side with a pillow between your legs. Move the pillow around until you find the most comfortable position. Try different pillows.
If your doctor recommends surgery for you, no matter how well versed you believe the doctor to be, GET A SECOND OPINION!!
If you do elect to try surgery, there are a couple of choices you will have to make concerning doctors. Orthopedic surgeon or neurosurgeon? I've had both. I suggest you go with the neurosurgeon.
P.S.
In 2005 I injured my back AGAIN! The latest MRI I had done showed I have another ruptured disc (which is pinching the sciatic {S-1} nerve), along with arthritis and degenerative disc disease. The doctors say now that another surgery probably would not help, and could possibly make matters worse. I also have bad knees (I used to be quite athletic), so a lot of the recommended back exercises are impossible to do. (Gee, do you think the women are standing in line for me??) | |
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| back pain
Posted: 1/28/2006 12:42:04 AM | | You sound to have had it bad okwa, sorry. It probably wouldn't help in your case but fish oil is one of those supplements recommended to ease stiffness of joints. | |
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| back pain
Posted: 1/28/2006 10:56:08 AM | I try to stay away from taking pills too. But some days i jsut can't take the pain!!: ouch! I go to chiropracter 2X/wk that helps too. Also ice heat and my pro-shuatsu massager really helps when the musles are tight or spasming! Good luck with your back. | |
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| back pain
Posted: 1/31/2006 9:13:22 PM | For anyone that hasn't tried a TENS or transcutenal electronic nuero stimulator it is worth a shot if you pain is severe . You need a perscription but once in a while I see one slip by on EBAY used . Don't anyone tell it can't hurt anyone . Just a little electric shock that is supposed to distract you from the pain . Some people don't even put it on the pain site but I did . It works a little but like people have said nothing is perfect . Drugs are terrible but some of us have to have them . Damn shame legitimate patients don't have places to detox or insurance coverage cuase they wont pay . If you get hooked they call it a mental illness and you go to a addiction center for addicts , psych ward or cancer unit and it is unpleasant and very expensive . I spent 18000 last year only to find out I had to take them again . I am a grown man and cried like a baby . It is hell . I am weaning myself down off Kadian now . These things will put you down . You have to watch yourself the Doctors are down right dangerous . Anyone could end up like Elvis , Howard Hughs or Marilyn Monroe . Belive me they had support systems that none of us do . Be careful . Optiates only work a few years . I have been on them a decade and it isn't pleasant .  Lost my first post but this is a topic I care about . Ps MSN has support groups for Chronic Pain patients that can help you atleast vent . There is a Doctor in Houston that certifies people for pain meds so they can get acess it is very hard and like I said unpleasant when you even get them . God Bless I am so bad I scream at times some people have a tough row to hoe . Healthy people will never know . I wouldn't wish this existance on my worst enemy . Those support groups will help you with everything from the laxatives to natural remedies . Fish oil and lecithen help some so does b-12 . Glucosomine w/Chonditron too . | |
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okwa76
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Joined: 12/25/2005
Msg: 50 | |
| back pain
Posted: 2/1/2006 1:03:59 AM | Exercise blah blah blah......
Natural remedies blah blah blah......
Where the f**ks my Vicodin? | |
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