back pain thread

[92dlxman]

just want to share my experiences, fixes, and hope to hear yours. history first.

im 6' and have always been thin. not necessarily in shape, but always skinny. nicknames like "woody" "slim" "bones" etc. im up to 165#s empty right now.

hurt my back at age 18. couldn't walk hardly for 3 days. scared the heck out of me. never forget actually tearing up trying to get in my truck.

was fairly carefull after that. i knew when i was "pushing it" and was careful anytime i felt "stiff".

i dont remember any debilitating pain again until i was 25, when i went in stiff, got on my tip-toes to put bolts in a valve, and WHAM! i got hit hard! i wanted to fall but had nowhere to go, cause i was in a scissor lift. helper could see it in my face, he took the lift down, un-hooked me, and said it was break time. i was trying to choke down the worst pain i've ever felt along with a sandwich when my boss sent me home. was out for 4 days.

very careful after that. always asking for help with moderate lifts, and life was good. . . . .till i got my dirt bike last december

i have rode balls to the wall out in the desert, and came out with jello arms, and concrete hands. life was good, till a couple months ago. i was on some family property, just a mess around day on the bike, went to pop a wheelie over an imaginary log, and that familiar WHAM! happened again. i loaded the bike and drove home in that familiar position of propping myself up off the seat while my back was threatening to crush myself like a tin can.

happened again, same circumstance, a few weeks later.

happened again, last weekend, while camping, for no apparent reason.

[DougAustinTX]

Kevin: I know just how you feel. I got hurt in my back when I was 15 trying to deadlift 500# in football training. Problems off and on ever since then. Until you have had back spasms that bring you instantly to your knees, it's hard to believe how disabling it can be. Sometimes it goes away for years, sometimes it lasts for years. All you can do is live with the pain, or risk spinal surgery. Me, I'll live with the pain for as long as I can stand it.
Doug

[92dlxman]

im still dealing with last weekend's episode, and decided to do something about it.

surgeons scare the crud out of me. they go to work like i do. they like grinding, chipping, fusing, "get a bigger hammer", etc. we share the same tools, and i spend my days trying to keep such devices from entering me. i wont see one.

doctors are worse, they sell stuff. take this that will make you constipated and stupid so take this in addition which will make you. . . . .i dont like drugs. wont see a doctor.

biggest thing is, im not a complete moron, and am convinced that with the power of the internet, i can self-diagnose and fix my apparent problem. i could sell the bike, but i wont give up camping.

so, im reading i have a herniated disk, pressing on my sciatic nerve. sounds terrible at first, but why?

its not so bad. apparently, all this time i have spent on the internet learning, (which is probly my favorite hobby), hunched forward and very intently reading every word i can read about. . . . .anything, has forced some disk(s) outward. simple mechanics. so i have learned stretches that will help coax them inward, and hopefully centered again.

[Brazin]

Yep, it's all about proper exercise and rest. I am sort of similar to the OP. About 6 feet tall, and finally hit 170 this year. When I was younger I thought I could do anything, lift anything. Then one day in my mid 20s I rolled over and couldn't get out of bed one morning. after that I was a little more careful but there was definitely some instability in my lower back. About eight years later I completely destroyed one of my lower vertebrae in an accident and had to have it fused. Not fun. Since then it's been a careful balance between doing too much and doing too little. If you do get the surgery you must do the physical therapy. Keeping my back strong is the only way to avoid daily pain, and stay off the OxyContin.

[92dlxman]

today is my second day of "excercise". i always hoped work was enough, i walk miles a day, up stairs, ladders, flat ground, but its not enough.

i have a weak core. tummy muscles are important for supporting upper body weight according to the internet. i bought a roll out pad to do floor exercises on my all hardwood floors. sit-ups, crunches, but i think just as, if not more important, are those stretches.

now, i dont want to go all yoga crazy here, but hear me out. i found one where you lay flat, face down on the floor. think real hard about relaxing your legs and glutes, and prop yourself up so your upper body is supported by your elbows flat on the ground. i catch myself going into spasm here, starting with my glutes, but if i hold for a while, and think about relaxing my legs, i can then put my hands down and prop myself up to full arm extension, head high, and legs totally relaxed laying flat on the floor behind me. this is hell, and i have to fight every little twinge and kink that my lower body wants to do. hold as long as possible.

when i stand up, i feel like a million bucks.

[92dlxman]

this is where i learned stretch. gets real at 2:55 but whole video may be worth viewing

[92dlxman]

it was another video posted by some fruit-loop that made some sense on posture. like i said before, i believe the way i sit at the computer, leaning forward with arms crossed on the table, and then jumping up to go do something has contributed to this now unpredictable condition. so now, i focus on sitting like an idiot with my back strait. and that seems to be helping. this goes at work also, like where i pulled up a bucket today to sand fittings while hunched in a similar position. no good. no hunching/ slouching

[92dlxman]

thats all i have for now, i will continue trying to strengthen my core and doing silly stretches, and will post again if pain completely disappears or i hurt myself again.

so, after the last episode which ocurred Sunday, i have managed work, barely, and started exercise/ stretch wednesday. i still have a dull ache that radiates down my legs starting from lower back. that is base-line. dull ache since wednesday night has been a blessing compared to walking around like a hunchback.

[Brazin]

It's usually the scretch you want to do the least that you need to do the most. Sitting lets the front of your hips tighten up. So the "cobra" stretch is great for that, you could throw in some leg lifts to strengthen your back too. Rolling back and forth on a 4" foam roller is great at keeping those vertebrae moving.

[abec]

I'm 6'2 260lbs always been a bigger guy I've had some back spasms and pains anytime it gets bad I go to a chiropractor works wonders

[QCTechInsp]

Although I am all for self help, you need an MRI to see exactly what the problem is first. That does not require any meds and will actually help you better to understand how not to hurt yourself. When you have the MRI and know exactly what you have , then I can recommend a few books, methods, etc. I would not go blind into internet self diagnosis without first having some real information first hand. That is about the best way to make the problem worst permanently.

[DSW]

I'm 6'2 260lbs always been a bigger guy I've had some back spasms and pains anytime it gets bad I go to a chiropractor works wonders

Not all chiropractors are created equal. I've been to some chiropractors who are great, some who are so so and so who just seem to make things worse. The guy I've been going to now for the last few years does great things with not only my back, but all of my joints. I've gotten all messed up running my big 1/2" drill in steel when the bit grabs and he does wonders straightening out my wrist, elbow and shoulder. before I might go a few weeks until everything worked itself out. Now he can get me back to normal after one visit on average when that happens.

[Fast Leroy]

Not all chiropractors are created equal. I've been to some chiropractors who are great, some who are so so and so who just seem to make things worse.

You know that's right. The only one I've been to nearly killed me, made my pain a lot worse. I have found as many has already mentioned, work those abs. Keep your core in top shape and strong. I also take Turmeric as a natural anti-inflammatory. Has helped with my bad knee also.

[Hobbytime]

thats all i have for now, i will continue trying to strengthen my core and doing silly stretches, and will post again if pain completely disappears or i hurt myself again.

so, after the last episode which ocurred Sunday, i have managed work, barely, and started exercise/ stretch wednesday. i still have a dull ache that radiates down my legs starting from lower back. that is base-line. dull ache since wednesday night has been a blessing compared to walking around like a hunchback.

there are 2 big muscles in your back on either side of your backbone that can go into spasm and feel like someone is ripping your backbone out of you, and all the pain is muscular, not a slipped disc or any damage to your back, chiropractor can help you get them out of spasm...think of it as 2 rubber bands you stretch and then all of a sudden ..snap...thats what happening, it takes a few days to come out of spasm then your good..and the cause many times is something out of alignment like your hips..do you drive alot? reaching for the gas pedal all the time can send your hips out of alignment, or if you have a big wallet on one side, as you sit over time hips will go out of alignment..good thing is its fixable by building up your core muscle, that seems to be your problem from your description of physical stature..go see a chiropractor..they are great, just fined a good one, no needles, drugs or surgery and they can help.. seems every 4 to 5 years I get the same thing, takes that long for my hips togo out of alignment, a trip to the chiro and a few days rest and good for another bunch of years..

[mikecwik]

I never hurt my back and have had what you describe. It has been a long time maybe 15 years since it happened last but I remember once I was brushing my teeth and fell to the floor.

It is a lot of pain and it is hard to move as it feels like every way will make it worse. I think the best thing to do is try to keep moving when it happens even if you can only take 1/4" steps.

If you are taking the time to stretch you might as well consider yoga.

I did not think about that before but when I was younger my posture was terrible. I don't know how my family let me be like that or get like that.

I started stretching in the morning and thought hey this is just like yoga so I got into that in 95. It takes a long time to correct posture and the possibility of hurting yourself is pretty good by thinking you can do it all at once.

[mikecwik]

I always thought yoga was my own best kept secret. Nothing like being in a room full of women bending over.

Maybe a more motivating video.

[N2 Welding]

sub'd for later, going fishing

[tracymobilecnc]

i had a coach that always said 'a bad back is a weak back' i by no means work out but stretching and posture make a hell of a difference. i'm 30years old and its crazy how many people my age cant touch there toes..

[mikecwik]

i had a coach that always said 'a bad back is a weak back' i by no means work out but stretching and posture make a hell of a difference. i'm 30years old and its crazy how many people my age cant touch there toes..

Or see them.

[92dlxman]

good stuff guys keep it coming. all the input is appreciated.

the bit about the mri i completely agree with. i wish i could just go in and get one, but, i fear it will get complicated. x-rays first to look for structural damage, see specialist, referred here, charged there, and maybe, someday, they would give me what i want. i could be wrong as i havent had a normal doctor visit in probly 10 years, (i get almost annual physicals through work with all the odd places im sent), and i dont care to go for a case of the dumps or a runny nose.

im not glad to see so many people responding with similar issues, but glad to see im not the only one. most the guys i work with also walk funny, and i had a feeling most you guys would have some experience too.

so, i dont want to necessarily hear the answer, but has anybody noticed any relationship between alcohol and back pain?

[N2 Welding]

has anybody noticed any relationship between alcohol and back pain?

Yes it makes my pain go away. At least while I'm indulging.

[QCTechInsp]

good stuff guys keep it coming. all the input is appreciated.

the bit about the mri i completely agree with. i wish i could just go in and get one, but, i fear it will get complicated. x-rays first to look for structural damage, see specialist, referred here, charged there, and maybe, someday, they would give me what i want. i could be wrong as i havent had a normal doctor visit in probly 10 years, (i get almost annual physicals through work with all the odd places im sent), and i dont care to go for a case of the dumps or a runny nose.

im not glad to see so many people responding with similar issues, but glad to see im not the only one. most the guys i work with also walk funny, and i had a feeling most you guys would have some experience too.

so, i dont want to necessarily hear the answer, but has anybody noticed any relationship between alcohol and back pain?

I have some kind of experience, having been seen by more than 20 specialist from different categories running all the spectrum , and having suffered it for more than 10 years. After an initial X-ray your doctor should be able to order an MRI and besides, if you go to a specialist , he may order an MRI straight away. It all will depend on your insurance and if he is paid to keep costs down. Now, after and xray and initial assessment and you still with pain , he can not deny you an MRI. An xray wont show muscle or tissue, only bones. An MRI is required to show exactly if you have a disc or bone actually pinching a nerve or if you only have a muscle tear that is trapping some nerve(muscle hernia), which is very different than a herniated disc. A remedy applied without knowing the real cause might actually make it worse. Your alcohol question makes me wonder if you could also be suffering from TMS, which is a psychological condition that actually produces real body pain and changes and that have to be treated completely different. A website for welding is not the best place to get medical information to fix yourself. You would not want your primary doctor running that 1/2 inch bead of aluminum , so why do the same here? Go get first a real assessment of what you really have , and then if it is nothing too complicated you might explore what others have done in your case and what have helped them. No one here can do much other than giving you moral support and lose advice based on their experience. Best of luck. QC.

[idacal]

I deal with this a lot I fell out of a tree when i was 14 and landed on my head that was the start of back problems when I was growing in my late teens I would get that pinched siatic nerve in my lower back that would just take me out. Got out of my pickup at work one time it slipped, I staggered into work the boss told me to go home said I was walking like I had been molested by a football. That has pretty much not hurt me after I walked for a few months it takes a long time for the inflammation to go down and the muscles to streanthen around it. One thing to think about though I had my appendix swell and finnally rupture I kept going to the chiropractor and she kept working on me and it would feel better for a day or two I was doesing up natural meds because it wasnt healing the pain felt like horrible lower back pain finally it started leaking And i fainted in the bathroom went to the doc they were looking me over checking my heart asked me about any pain i was having I told them just a bad back ache but that was normal. It was 3 days later when the puss pocket in my side was the size of my fist that I felt it and did some research realized my appendix was on that side not the other spent the next 4 days in the hospital. So make sure something else isnt going on. Im 300 lbs 6,2" my back still hurts all the time but now its just cause im fat im okay as long as I stay off of a shovel or have some one help me lift something and yank. The best thing I did is just find a good chiropractor and follow their advice if doesnt work within a couple of weeks go to someone else it doest take long to heal up once what is wrong is figured out. if they know what I they are doing 3 or 4 visits you will feel substantual improvements

[soutthpaw]

I had chronic debilitating back pain for many years. Tried many things. Looks like it's finally fixed, knock on wood. Thanks to a good neurosurgeon who treated the patient not the test. Also mine was diagnosed by CT scan as I can't get MRI. Important note here, get the CT or MRI when the pain is at its worst. That is when any bulging/herniated/torn etc discs will slow their effect on the nerves and such. Some things won't show, like dried out cartilage etc. For me, when all that disc crap was removed and the extra space made for expansion for the spinal nerves and the spine, the results are nothing short of amazing. Too many Doctors treat the symptoms insead of the cause. Pain management doctors and chiropractors are the worst. I had two neuro surgeons tell me a surgery that a pain management Dr did was total wrong and unneeded.
Unless you find and treat the cause, it's just going to reoccur.
There are so many different causes of back pain with similar symptoms, you cannot expect Dr Google to get the right diagnosis. Same with comments here, just because symptoms are similar doesn't mean the cause is. That said, strong core muscles,flexibility, exercise, body weight, lifestyle, posture, diet equal weight distribution etc are all key factors to long term back health.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[AKmud]

I nearly broke my back crashing a Snowmachine about 12 years ago. I separated the sacrum from the pelvis and compressed a disk on Thanksgiving day when I crashed on a jump. The ER took X-rays and confirmed nothing was broken. It was 5 days before I could get to a doctor/osteopath who tried to get things back in place. It took about two weeks of chiropractor visits before the muscles finally stopped pulling things back out. I've had steady lower back pain ever since. I've been to chiropractors off and on ever since. I finally got tired of paying $75 a visit and bought an inversion table. I used it frequently for about two weeks and haven't had to go back to the chiropractor. When my back starts acting up, I simply climb on the table for 10-15 minutes for a tune up. The trick to the table is to be "active" and not just lay on it when inverted. Twist side to side and hold it for a few seconds, arch your back, curve forward, etc... I don't like hanging completely vertical, I just tip it back about 45* and go for it. Might not work for everyone, but it has been a lifesaver for me.