Tell me about your low back pain

powernoodle

powernoodle

Power Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2004
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11,974
I bent over 2 weeks ago and my low back totally locked up. The kind of intense spasm that some of you no doubt know about - where you can't move, can't take a step, can't get into or out of bed, can't get your socks on. Where you can barely breath, and dang near pass out.

Managed to get to the doc, though it wasn't easy. Received muscle relaxer (with the lovely name Flexeril) and a hardcore anti-inflammatory (another good name - Voltaren).

Spasms lasted about 3 days. I cussed, and was mean the the kids, I punched the wall so hard I thought I broke my hand. Went to the chiro - and I don't really "believe" in them - but feeling my low back get cracked at least gave me psychogical relief. Chiropracter referred to it as a strain/sprain, with textbook prediction of 6-8 week recovery period. Said the spasms weren't the problem, but were the symptom of the sprain. Makes sense.

I've applied so much ice and BioFreeze to my low back that I got either a large chemical burn or something akin to frostbite. Also used Mrs. Powernoodle's "tens" unit that zaps it with electricity through adhesive pads.

After 2 weeks and additional chiro visits, I can move around pain free, but still can barely put my socks on. My back totally locks up when I exit a vehicle or sit for very long, so I'm trying to stay out of the car.

So, I feel for you guys with chronic back problems, or other health issues for that matter. I'm going to address mine after recovery by losing 30 lbs, walking, and strengthening my core muscle group. This is no way to live.

:thumbup:
 
I have arthritis in my upper back, and something going on in my shoulder that my doctor thinks is related to the upper back thing. Puts me out of action occasionally, makes sleeping a real pain sometimes, (no pun intended) but it usually clears up in a week or two. Been lucky so far, minimal flare-ups, but my time is a'comin'. I know my family history with this condition, so it's here to stay.

Good luck with your situation; I've had lower-back pinched nerves twice, and I just wanted to sleep until it went away. Couldn't cook, shower, walk upright...nothin'.

thx - cpr
 
I had a real odd thing happen to me regarding back injury. I used to have a desk job and had a poor ergonomically set up work station. I moved my computer monitor about 45 degrees to the right so it would fit in the corner of the L shaped desk I had. Within 2 weeks, I walked down the stairs of the trailer (worked in a wholesale grower of fruit trees as a sales manager), stepped wrong and felt lightning shoot up my back. I could barely move, it was real scary. My boss, the owner sent me to his chiro, and they massaged the muscles in my lower back and said that they were tight because of my work station issue. Within 2 weeks, I was fully recovered. I had a new found gratitude for health and pain free living. My vote is you will heal 100% You have my sincere prayers for healing. BTW, I really enjoy your intelligent posts!
Merry Christmas Powernoodle to you and your family.
CJ65
 
Noodle,

I had the same exact pain you are now experiencing. I did the muscle relaxers and chiropractor also. Once I was able to function normally, I started a regimen of inverted back raises and upside down sit ups on the roman chair we have at the gym at work. This strengthened my core and relieved the pain. I then began doing yoga at least once a week (flexibility) not chanting. I have kept up this routine for at least 8 years now and have been pain free.

Hope this helps...
 
You have my sympathy Sir. Until I experienced it for myself I had no idea what back pain was.

I had a bad fall in June breaking my 12th rib and skating down 9 big stairs on my back.....I was stuffed!:eek:
I had never had a debilitating injury before and I found myself flat on my back for 2 months. Injections of muscle relaxant from the doc and pain pills were all that helped.
Stupidly after 3 weeks I tried to drive and getting into the car I had a back spasm.
I could not move to get out and eventually when I did It was frankly the worst pain I have ever felt.

Back pain is horrible and I wish you all the best for a speedy recovery.

A Merry Xmas to you and your family, and all the best for a healthy '09:)

Kind regards
Steven
 
I know what you are going through. That happened to me on a canoe trip in the backwoods of Canada. I had about 75 pounds to portage plus drag the canoe from lake to lake. I was about 25 miles in and I had to get out of there. so it was really tough. When I finally got back I laid on a shower floor with the hot water on then crawled to a bed for 2 days. It took about 2 months for me to get back to normal --- back muscle spasms are a tough go. Sure hope you get better.
 
zensheepdog said:
Noodle,

I had the same exact pain you are now experiencing. I did the muscle relaxers and chiropractor also. Once I was able to function normally, I started a regimen of inverted back raises and upside down sit ups on the roman chair we have at the gym at work. This strengthened my core and relieved the pain. I then began doing yoga at least once a week (flexibility) not chanting. I have kept up this routine for at least 8 years now and have been pain free.

Hope this helps...
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This is great advice.
After being rear-ended by two very thoughtful drivers:mad: and some sporting injuries, I have back problems that pop up randomly.
I'm also curious why Powernoodle was prescribed cold packs, I would think in the event of a sprain or strain once the initial swelling is gone, you would actually want a relaxant like a hot pad. Well I'm not a doctor.

If you have access to a hot tub, use it, it is your friend. Especially if it has a jet that can massage the place that hurts. After several years of pain I can usually feel when I'm going to have an onset. I go to the hot tub for a while and can often nip it in the bud before it becomes a problem. Alternately when it gets bad, the hot tub helps relax the muscles and the pain goes away much much sooner. In fact I'll be hitting the hot tub today! :grumpy:
 
I'm 31 and have degenerative disc disease in two discs, one of which is torn. I'm hell bent about not getting surgery done until I get to the point where I can barely walk.

Something similar happened to me to trigger the pain as it did to you. I was just bending over. I've done plenty in my life to hurt myself but it was something as simple as bending that did it.

The best thing for me is continue to stay in shape and work out, it's the only thing that keeps the pain away. When it gets really bad I go get some shots in my back, but it's been a long time since I've had that done or had to put ice on it for that matter. I have a jacuzzi in my house and that helps a lot.

Got to a physical trainer so you can learn some exercizes that you can do in your house. It will help.

Bottom line - You will have the pain the rest of your life and need to figure out how to manage the pain in a way that works for you. It's been over 6 years for me and I find a way to just block it out unless it's really bad. I'm young and want to grow up being able to play with my kids, so that's a huge motivator for me to stay wealthy.

I hope you feel better, I know it sucks.
 
My problem is probably not quite as serious as some of you guys but it's not pleasant just the same. Way back in my younger days I stuffed my back getting thrown out of aeroplanes, (also broke my leg but that's a different story), and it has troubled me off an on ever since.

When the pain comes I have discovered I can usually get rid of it by taking some valium and lying flat on the floor for an hour or two. Relaxes the muscles and helps get things back in shape.
 
Oh no. I'm sorry to hear it. The best non-surgical relief will come from exactly what you plan - strengthen the core muscles to compensate for the damaged spine and avoid further injuries. Good luck - I hope you aren't troubled too much by it in the future.
 
I was actually about to start an "Injuries" thread at PracTac. Aside from the "loosening" of my right knee cap, because the December cold, my lower back reminds me of all the falls I did when I was still 200% gung ho into martial arts almost decade ago.

I'm only 33 so I don't know if it is arthritis already. In its worse condition, I remember curling up fetally. Warm compress or chili plaster soothes it though.
 
I had the same thing it sounds like, shoveling snow a couple of years ago. Really pulled something - could barely get up the stairs to bed, and was stuck there for two days.

Went to the chiro - and I don't really "believe" in them - but feeling my low back get cracked at least gave me psychogical relief. Chiropracter referred to it as a strain/sprain, with textbook prediction of 6-8 week recovery period.
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Here's the funny thing about Chiropractic, your back would have gotten better on it's own by 6-8 weeks... :p
 
Bob W said:
Here's the funny thing about Chiropractic, your back would have gotten better on it's own by 6-8 weeks... :p
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Actually, if you consider it, although HIGHLY counter-intuitive, the human body has its own way of healing itself. It's a highly organized and self-sufficient system. Even some treatments are designed to utilize resting for this purpose (i.e. - "supportive treatment" in med. jargon). Unless the pain is so overwhelming or your condition's effect is so debilitating in our daily life, giving the body some time of its own to heal itself isn't such a bad idea for any of the minor stuff that comes our way.

Again though, this is dependent on a lot factors, age being one of them. Immediate medical attention may be needed.
 
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Here's the funny thing about Chiropractic, your back would have gotten better on it's own by 6-8 weeks...
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Maybe. Not all mechanical low back pain resolves in the average time, and the point of actively treating a problem is not simply to get out of pain, but also to rehab the problem so it isn't a recurring issue. We've been around this block before, Bob W, so I know you have your opinions and they're not going to change, ever, but even look at the literature... people who have an incident of acute LBP tend to have the problem on a recurring basis, so saying "it resolves on its own in 6-8 weeks" is not really the whole story.

Besides, after a few visits to his chiropractor, Powernoodle stated that he was pain free after 2 weeks. Sure, he's still having some residual issues, which is par for the course, but are you suggesting he would've been better off letting it "self-resolve" in 6-8 instead of 2? lol

Powernoodle, it sounds like you have a sacroiliac joint strain/sprain. This is exceedingly common and it's very painful. I've been there myself and I have treated hundreds of patients with the problem, too. This tends to be a ligament issue, and as such you're looking at an average healing time of around 12 weeks because ligaments receive a very poor blood supply and, as a result, take longer to heal than a muscle issue does. The good news and the bad news is, that as you've already found out, the pain aspect of this problem resolves quite nicely quite quickly with chiropractic care. The bad news is this is the type of problem that tends to come back, for a couple reasons. The main thing for you to worry about once you are back to feeling 100% is not just losing a little weight, but also rehabbing the muscles. Your chiropractor should be able to work with you on this, but if he cannot he will refer you to the right place for the rehab.

Studies have shown that people who've had a low back injury have changes in core muscle function, particularly in a muscle called the multifidus. This muscle is a stabilizer for the SI joint, and core muscles contract to protect the spine and provide a solid base for your extremities to move from (way oversimplifying it, but that's the gist of it). The core muscles are postural muscles, and they are tonic muscles, meaning they "stay on" when you're weight bearing, rather than phasic muscles, like your biceps, let's say, that is more or less only "on" when you're using it. These studies have shown that critical core muscles like the multifidus go from being tonic to working more like phasic muscles, turning on and off at inappropriate times, allowing you to have the type of incident you had.

So, rehabbing specific muscles, most importantly the multifidus and core group, is vital for preventing further episodes of low back pain like you're having. It's a lot more involved than just doing crunches and stuff, so you really need to work with a doctor who has rehab experience or a PT clinic or trainer who has knowledge and desire to do this. Good luck!
 
Hi Chiro. How have you been? Haven't seen you advertise any knives lately.

I concede that if Powernoodle had a serious injury (ruptured disk, broken something, etc.), letting it go for 6-8 weeks could have been catastrophic. I'm a stubborn SOB when it comes to going to doctors (I won't go), but when in doubt it's best to have an injury checked out by a specialist who can x-ray, prescribe medication, and even perform surgery if necessary.

And I've read, perhaps Chiro can confirm or refute, that most back injuries could be prevented with stronger stomach muscles. Sit-ups, exercise, and stretching could reduce the chances of re-injury.
 
I gave up making knives when I moved, Bob. I had to sell the equipment to save weight and it really was a greay hobby, but just not fitting with what I do in life right now. As for the back thing, I wouldn't necessarily say strong abs are the key, but like I said, strong core muscles, of which the abs are part of. Probably the most important muscle in the body in terms of preventing back injury is the transverse abdominis.
 
I gave up making knives when I moved, Bob.
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Sorry to hear that. Your's sold like hotcakes, as I recall, when offered on the For Sale section.

As for the back thing, I wouldn't necessarily say strong abs are the key, but like I said, strong core muscles, of which the abs are part of. Probably the most important muscle in the body in terms of preventing back injury is the transverse abdominis.
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Makes sense.
:thumbup:
 
I feel for you, literally! Broke my lower back playing football (college scholarship went out the window when I could no longer play as a result of the injury). Never, ever, ever break your back. It is never the same again. For the last 25 years my back has gone out when doing some of the silliest things -- putting on socks, shaving, etc.

When it does go out, nothing really makes it better except time. Chiropractic care helps, and reduces the time it takes to get back to normal feeling and functioning. Medications help, but bring their own set of problems, as some of the better ones make it impossible to operate motor vehicles, etc.

The one good thing about a bad back, at least for me, is that when I wake up every morning and stretch, I know I'm alive... cause my back hurts! :D

Take it slow! And be well!

AJ
 
Chiro75 said:
I wouldn't necessarily say strong abs are the key, but like I said, strong core muscles, of which the abs are part of. Probably the most important muscle in the body in terms of preventing back injury is the transverse abdominis.
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Here here. Transverse Abdominus and Illio Psoas I reckon. I come across so many people who are extremely assymetric in the tightness of this hip-flexor. Teaching them to stretch it effectively, along with some core exercises (as well as a few yoga-style hamstrings stretches) takes care of a lot of peoples back pain.
 
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Noodle,

If you can find a good practitioner, Acupuncture can help with both the pain issue and the muscle spasm.

I used that instead of narcotics for pain control prior to a microdiscectomy (roughly 30% of my L-5, S-1 disc was removed). The surgeon couldn't figure out how I was walking into his office, sitting in a chair, and talking to him after my 2nd MRI showed a disc bulging so much that the nerve roots couldn't be seen. That doesn't mean I was in any way "functional" during the weeks prior to the surgery though. The doc wanted to give me a week or so to think about the "repair", but I said "Look, I'll be there in an hour if you can get me in!"

We think the acupuncture aided in recovery as well. The surgery was as successful as you could want, and outside of considerations for advancing age, I've returned to "full" activity....which includes returning to Judo (gotta get my boys started!)
 
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