I've trawled through 8 pages of search results, and this is the only other thread
My back, which has been a dick for several years, has decided it wants me to live the bulk of my life in excruciating pain. It used to just be the lower back that was bad, but it's now offering a nifty sideline in shooting pains across the shoulders and even the ribs. Effective as it is (not very, it would seem), I do not want to be taking Cocodamol for the rest of my life, due to the risk of duodenal ulcers. Cocodamol combined with a Diclophenic seems to have a decent effect, but again: no drugs please.
So, denizens of the EA forum, please share with me effective methods of relieving back pain.
best,
Nico
Back Pain
4Last November on the first day of a long record my lower back went out in a way that new and very painful. It was a problem for months. Here's what I did to fix it.
1) found a really good chiropractor
2) Listened to the chiro when she gave me stretches and exercises to strengthen my back I did them.
3) Started exercising everyday.
4) lost 20 pounds
5) started attending yoga (though I'm slipping on this)
6) got a new chair for work
It's a drag having to do all this but it worked. The lower back pain that was new and horrible has gone away. I still have other middle and upper back pain that is posture related but the lower back/latest malady has past.
For years I've had chiro's give me lame little exercises for my back and I half heartedly tried them and didn't really give it much time and then gave up.
This time I kept up and it worked.
1) found a really good chiropractor
2) Listened to the chiro when she gave me stretches and exercises to strengthen my back I did them.
3) Started exercising everyday.
4) lost 20 pounds
5) started attending yoga (though I'm slipping on this)
6) got a new chair for work
It's a drag having to do all this but it worked. The lower back pain that was new and horrible has gone away. I still have other middle and upper back pain that is posture related but the lower back/latest malady has past.
For years I've had chiro's give me lame little exercises for my back and I half heartedly tried them and didn't really give it much time and then gave up.
This time I kept up and it worked.
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Back Pain
5Go see a doctor. You'll probably wind up doing physical therapy and in the meantime, you might be prescribed some anti-inflammatories or muscle relaxants to help with the pain and spasms.
Do you do anything on a daily basis that would be contributing to the pain? For instance, if you sit at a computer desk all day with your hand on a mouse, you might be sitting in such a way that one of your shoulders is raised in an unnatural manner. If you have a job where you use a lot of ab or pectoral muscles, it's possible that you've overdeveloped those muscles in relation to your back muscles and that is causing your issues.
Do you have any oddities with your feet? Are you bow-legged, pidgeon-toed, etc? Extremely high arches? All of these things contribute to how you walk and in turn can cause stress on your spine by altering your posture. Your doctor may decide you need orthodics for your shoes.
Do you have any old injuries that might be flaring up again? I haven't figure skated in years but the kneecap on my landing leg is still turned outward at an angle because the outer thigh muscle on that leg was much stronger than the inner thigh. If I walk or bike frequently, that knee clicks whenever I bend it because the bones grind together.
You may have a pinched nerve, in which case a chiropractor or even stretching several times a day would probably help elongate your spine and "unpinch" the nerve. Yoga and swimming have helped my back pain in the past as well, as has strength training and weight lifting in combination with some form of stretching.
I have fibromyalgia so I constantly live with pain, especially neck and upper back pain. The best I've felt in the past 8 years was when I was doing physical therapy, right before I lost my health insurance. My PT specialized in people with my condition and we worked on light stretching that was actually more of a mind-over-body and body awareness sort of thing similar to biofeedback. For instance, if you slowly tilt your head to the right and downward, you'll feel certain muscles become tense and become aware of where there is tension or central pain. The aim of my PT was to learn to relax these muscles using breathing and my mind, and to become aware of the interconnectedness of muscles and how loosening one muscle might loosen another. It's kind of difficult to explain, but what I learned in physical therapy is the only thing that at all helps me on days when my back feels like someone is boring large hot screws under the skin.
There are a ton of stretching exercises available online for people with back pain. It's really important to go slowly and pay attention to breathing and form when you're stretching, otherwise it's not as effective and you can actually make your pain worse. It's also usually suggested that you warm up first by taking a 5-10 minute walk or jog, or jumping rope or something. If your back hurts that badly you may just want to opt for the walking.
Do you do anything on a daily basis that would be contributing to the pain? For instance, if you sit at a computer desk all day with your hand on a mouse, you might be sitting in such a way that one of your shoulders is raised in an unnatural manner. If you have a job where you use a lot of ab or pectoral muscles, it's possible that you've overdeveloped those muscles in relation to your back muscles and that is causing your issues.
Do you have any oddities with your feet? Are you bow-legged, pidgeon-toed, etc? Extremely high arches? All of these things contribute to how you walk and in turn can cause stress on your spine by altering your posture. Your doctor may decide you need orthodics for your shoes.
Do you have any old injuries that might be flaring up again? I haven't figure skated in years but the kneecap on my landing leg is still turned outward at an angle because the outer thigh muscle on that leg was much stronger than the inner thigh. If I walk or bike frequently, that knee clicks whenever I bend it because the bones grind together.
You may have a pinched nerve, in which case a chiropractor or even stretching several times a day would probably help elongate your spine and "unpinch" the nerve. Yoga and swimming have helped my back pain in the past as well, as has strength training and weight lifting in combination with some form of stretching.
I have fibromyalgia so I constantly live with pain, especially neck and upper back pain. The best I've felt in the past 8 years was when I was doing physical therapy, right before I lost my health insurance. My PT specialized in people with my condition and we worked on light stretching that was actually more of a mind-over-body and body awareness sort of thing similar to biofeedback. For instance, if you slowly tilt your head to the right and downward, you'll feel certain muscles become tense and become aware of where there is tension or central pain. The aim of my PT was to learn to relax these muscles using breathing and my mind, and to become aware of the interconnectedness of muscles and how loosening one muscle might loosen another. It's kind of difficult to explain, but what I learned in physical therapy is the only thing that at all helps me on days when my back feels like someone is boring large hot screws under the skin.
There are a ton of stretching exercises available online for people with back pain. It's really important to go slowly and pay attention to breathing and form when you're stretching, otherwise it's not as effective and you can actually make your pain worse. It's also usually suggested that you warm up first by taking a 5-10 minute walk or jog, or jumping rope or something. If your back hurts that badly you may just want to opt for the walking.
"To be stupid, selfish, and have good health are three requirements for happiness, though if stupidity is lacking, all is lost."
-Gustave Flaubert
-Gustave Flaubert
Back Pain
8Not the 'solution', but a tip which might partially alleviate your problems. Sleep without a pillow. It could be annoying initially but you should get used to it in a few days. Not recommended if you have a bad reflux condition. Someone recommended this to me years ago for my back pain & it worked, I still sleep without a pillow.
Back Pain
9I know an amazing doctor who cleared up my construction-related back injuries in a manner of a month or so.
He's in the US, though, do I don't know how that might help you, except perhaps he's practicing some voodoo you might glean and find someone doing that sort of work where you live.
Thomas Boers, PT, MT
Human Performance and Rehabilitation Center
6298 Veterans Parkway
Suite 5A
Columbus, Georgia 31908
USA
706-324-3558
I don't believe in miracle cures, but this guy really fixed me up right. He's not a chiropractor, per se, but I can't tell you what he actually IS... but... I couldn't even ride in cars, my sciatica was so bad. Now, no problems.
He's in the US, though, do I don't know how that might help you, except perhaps he's practicing some voodoo you might glean and find someone doing that sort of work where you live.
Thomas Boers, PT, MT
Human Performance and Rehabilitation Center
6298 Veterans Parkway
Suite 5A
Columbus, Georgia 31908
USA
706-324-3558
I don't believe in miracle cures, but this guy really fixed me up right. He's not a chiropractor, per se, but I can't tell you what he actually IS... but... I couldn't even ride in cars, my sciatica was so bad. Now, no problems.
Redline wrote:Not Crap. The sound of death? The sound of FUN! ScrrreeEEEEEEE
Back Pain
10Nico,
Lots of good advice here, do you have a spinal problem that you are aware of?
Can you touch your toes with ease? Do you have to bend your knees to touch your toes?
A lot of hip, back and knee pain are due to overly tight hamstrings. Stretching can remedy most of these problems as long as we are not talking about a spinal injury, then it's another story altogether.
If you are really stiff, do these exercises for two weeks and see if you get any relief, if not it's off to a physical therapist. Hopefully you have insurance.
http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/fle ... tretch.htm
Lots of good advice here, do you have a spinal problem that you are aware of?
Can you touch your toes with ease? Do you have to bend your knees to touch your toes?
A lot of hip, back and knee pain are due to overly tight hamstrings. Stretching can remedy most of these problems as long as we are not talking about a spinal injury, then it's another story altogether.
If you are really stiff, do these exercises for two weeks and see if you get any relief, if not it's off to a physical therapist. Hopefully you have insurance.
http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/fle ... tretch.htm