Lower back Pain

[Rikao4]

like you Lube.. I only play Dr. under the right conditions..
sounds like a sciatic nerve issue..
being on both sides throws a wrench for me..
remember doing anything that brought on pain but went away..
recent long plane / car ride..
fall asleep in a weird position..

good luck..

Rika

[m21sniper]

I have 4 herniated discs, 4 bulging discs, and arthritis in my neck and back.

Want to trade ailments?

Mike,
Do NOT go to the gym to lift weights - bad advice!!! I was just diagnosed with several herniated discs and stenosis. MRI showed some scoliosis as well. I'm doing some very specific PT work to strengthen core and hopefully put off surgery. Doc and PT told me to stay away from gym until they sign off. First thing - go to your Doc and get some pictures of the carnage.

[coolngroovy]

Welcome to my world!

Being woken up almost every night from sciatic pain is no fun!
I usually sleep in 20min incruments.

I live for getting absolutely drunk..... that way i can get 4-5hr solid sleep in, which makes a HUGH difference to my well being.
Probably not so good in the long run though.

Another 3mths until i see the neurosurgeon.

[DARISC]

Doc told me if the pain is on both sides it's not the sciatic nerve, sent me to a physical therapist, who verified that it wasn't, and gave me some excercises to do to strengthen core muscles.

The one that helped me most was laying flat on my back and pressing the small of my back to the floor - you have to isolate the specific muscles and not use the muscles in your buttocks.

The healing was slow (it's inflamation) so I bought a $300 inversion table from COSTCO. It's a traction device and stretching things apart gets blood and fluids flowing that promote healing. I got instant relief from the first time I used it - after only four minutes. Money well spent, it's healthy to hang like a bat and is a preventive measure to keep the problem from returning. Gotta walk an hour a day also. Therapist said two things; "use it or lose it" and "motion is the lotion".

Pic from COSTCO web site:

.

Edit: in my case, I had zero pain when sitting or laying down - only when standing and walking.

[M.D. Holloway]

I'm gonna see a chiropractor tomorrow - always had good luck with them in the past. I like the idea of the inversion table. I was hanging from the basketball rim over the weekend trying to take some pressure off the spine. Could'nt hang long enough to feel any results other than sore fingers.

[billybek]

Check with your GP first then....
Find a good massage therapist....
I know chiropractors have there place. I have walked in with my knuckles almost dragging on the ground and walked out fully upright after seeing one but I have more faith in removing the tension from the back first. Many chiropractors have a massage therapist working in house.
Good luck with this. Nothing makes you as miserable as a bear with a sore ass than a bad back.

[TSNAPCRACKLEPOP]

tsnapcracklepop says it all

stop in when in kc next time

[M.D. Holloway]

Saw my Chiro this AM - ex-NFL lineman, Dr. Jay Humpreys. The guy is super cool and as strong as an Ox! He did a few adjustments and relieved about 90% of my pain - said I still had inflammation and should alternate ice and heat and take some aspirin to reduce the inflammation. He said to come back next week and have the MT take a swing at me.

Yup, gonna make my apt now!

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by LubeMaster77

I'm gonna see a chiropractor tomorrow - always had good luck with them in the past. I like the idea of the inversion table. I was hanging from the basketball rim over the weekend trying to take some pressure off the spine. Could'nt hang long enough to feel any results other than sore fingers.

Based on my experience with a herniated disc, a chiropractor will not help and may make it worse.
YMMV.
If it's not a disc and is only a pinched nerve, it might make all the difference in the world.

[sammyg2]

BTW, iffn you can help it don't let em shoot cortizone into your spine. Hurts like hell, nearly passed out.

[M.D. Holloway]

I do have a herniated T3 that has actually been pretty good the past year or so, this is much lower, thinking L5 and it is a different type pain all together. When I ran and played soccer in college I used to be able to do some great stretching and I was fit so I never had back issues. Now that I am a lazy slug my body is rebelling!

[Joeaksa]

Try sleeping on your side on the sofa for a night. That helps for me when my lower back is acting up, taking some of the pressure off of things and sleeping in a different position changes things.

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by LubeMaster77

...He did a few adjustments and relieved about 90% of my pain - said I still had inflammation...

Yup. But, don't be discouraged if the pain returns in the morning - or this afternoon. I got instant relief from a sports oriented chiro. a triathalete himself who has Padres and Chargers as patients, but it came back the same day and I ended paying twice weekly visits for 6 wks (all the while religiously doing the excercises ha prescribed).

I reached a level of improvement that I couldn't get beyond and he said keep doing the excercises, see me again if the pain gets unbearable; might go away, might end up being chronic, 70% of men have lower back pain by the time they're 50. Great.

Called my doc and he authorized visits to a physical therapist who gave me a thorough exam (1 hr, 15 min) and prescribed the same and more excercises that the chiro. did.

I asked her about inversion tables and she said it was safe to do.

I also asked her about glucosamine/condroitin, the effectiveness of which is controversial, and she said she wasn't permitted to advise me on that - but - said that all the doctors she dealt with recommend it to their patients.

As I said, the inversion table gave me instant relief and I still use it regularly. The ongoing improvement has been such that I've not returned to the therapist.

Best wishes.

[M.D. Holloway]

That table looks like it would be a marital aid! Less for sex and more for drawn and quartered!

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by LubeMaster77

That table looks like it would be a marital aid! Less for sex and more for drawn and quartered!

Yeah. My GF calls it the rack (and will have none of my suggestions ).