Since swimming laps on a regular basis for the past 3 years, I have had virtually no chronic back pain episodes.
Re: Bupronorphine patch — The patch did not provide good pain control.It helped a little for the background aches and pain.
Re: Different workplace setup — Used to work on laptops a lot. Getting back to a regular setup made my back pain disappear almost entirely.
Re: Weak abdominals — Have "pot belly syndrome" whatever that is, all I know is I've looked pregnant, even when I was NOT, most of my adult life, right up to the present and I'm 63. Weak abs do not make for a happy back!
Re: Injury — Have had a couple of three whiplashes. Also fall a lot so the old buttocks have taken quite a few beatings. Even did a couple of bellyflops on concrete or tar. None of the above help to prevent backpain.
Re: Tiredness — Tired but kept pushing self to keep on keeping on. Not a good idea to over exert already tired back, upper leg muscles.
Re: Lifting — Worked in nursing when it was still a hands on profession. So did plenty of lifting, not always using proper body mechanics. Don't think that idea existed then. Also, had a large, by todays standard, family and did plenty of carrying 6 children on the left hip. Grocery bags were better when they were paper, and you could hug them close to your waist when you carried them in, plastic bags kill the arms, shoulder, elbows and wrists. Did it all wrong and now have to pay for it.
Re: Bad posture — I think I was literally born with bad posture. I was born with mild pectus chest, so was my paternal grandmother, nice of her to share her gene pool with me. I also am the carrier of the Fragile X gene, and by virtue of that, have low muscle tone. Was hounded to "stand up straight" for years, more than I'd like to recall, but without much success. The spirit was willing to stand staight but the body not able. It could be worse. Now a days, doctors would have recommended surgery or PT for the pectus chest, but when I was born, 2 arms, 2 legs and the head on your shoulders was considered normal and a good start. Oh well, it is what it is and suffering is very good for the soul.
Re: Stress — Stress, part of everyday life, kills me, or should I say I wish it would already. Makes me stiffer than the usual stiffness, foggy in the thinking processes, headache, left jaw at ear area achy. Stress is not good for fibromyagia.
Re: Pain — Lower back and left hip pain, expecially at night or when sitting for a half hour or more. I have been told it is due to trigger points from fibromyalgia and osteopenia of left hip. Tried chiropractic care, acupuncture and most recently deep myofascial massage and release. Still suffering daily. Tried Lyrica and Savella and the side effects were terrible, increased sweating, palpitations, irregular and skipped heart beats. Cymbalta made me crazy in the head and I had worse insomnia than usual. Would like to try LDN but my PCP says he's not familiar with doses smaller than 50mg. My daughter, who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia when she was 18, and MS when she was 34, had been having relapses every 2 to 3 months until she started taking LDN in 2007 and has not had a true relapse since. Great drug but very hard, almost impossible to get someone to prescribe it. Praying it get approved. Getting to old and worn out to keep on fighting.
Re: Stomach cramping — get a sharp pain for no reason randomly in days
Re: Lower back soreness — Mostly during sleep. After I've been asleep 5 to 8 hours
Re: Lower back striking-electric shock pain — I get them too when i bend ova . . I was organising my school when i got a violent shock all of a sudden on my lower back . . Its pretty sore :) anyone know why ? ?
Re: Stiff back when standing up — It is always my experience (for the last 10 yrs) when walking slow or standing , my back gets so stiff I cant tell you . What the hell is it ??
Re: Neck stiffness — general stiff neck daily.
Re: Yoga — Yoga really helps for my backpain
Re: Lower back striking-electric shock pain — I've had eletric shocks before, but this is worse.
Re: Lower back striking-electric shock pain — When this happens i just curl up and dont want to move, im left on the floor and i feel i cant say to someone why im doing it because the pain is so bad.
Re: Lower back striking-electric shock pain — Yeah, im only 13 and when i jolt or move i get electric shock feeling pains at the bottom of my spine, it hurts so bad i just have to make my way across the floor to get to something to lie on. Usually this happens as one schock that i get because the cartalage in my spine is being pinched, but this time its all the time whenever i turn, get up, sit down and especially bend over. I was really scared to move because i knew how much it hurt, i was shaking from the shock. Having a hot water bottle against where the pain is helps a lot, if its not better tomorow then i may go to the doctors to find out what happened. It's weird because it usually happens to old people.
Re: Exercise — Over time I realized that my mountain biking was helping my back pain. I'd thought the opposite would be true, because I'm bent forward over the handlebars all the time. However, probably because most of my weight is supported by my hands on the handlebars, the ride becomes a very high repetition, very light stress (in various different directions) workout for my back. I believe it is the variety of the outdoor trail (turning, balancing, leaning) that does this--I don't believe I get the same benefit from riding my bike on the trainer. Side effects? Clearly, you can put a great deal of stress on your back by thoughtlessly pumping while standing on the pedals and hauling up on the handlebars. So I don't do it.
Re: Stretching — Very helpful: the exercise where you twist the hips one way and the shoulders the other while on your back. I discovered that one side was always tighter than the other, and loosening up that tight side--I believe--was the more important effect.
Re: Core strengthening exercises — Slowly increasing the power of my abdominal muscles using daily lying-on-my-back leg lift/pelvic tilt/crunch exercises (and to a lesser extent, light weight lifting for the muscles to the sides of my core) has been a big success. Also, learning that before lifting I should take a deep breath in and pressurize it in my lungs (by tightening my newly strong abs to the max)--has made me significantly less likely to strain my back during lifting. All this happened without any direct back strengthening exercises.
ecwillia1 Re: Spinal Fusion — After trying physical therapy, pilates, spinal injections and constant ibuprofen, my back pain continued to increase. I had a double pars defect on L5. I got a second opinion before having the spinal fusion (L5-S1), and both doctors thought I would recover well because I am young (surgery at 23) and in otherwise good health. I had the surgery almost one and a half years ago and I still suffer from constant pain. I am unable to stand for very long and I can't lift anything over 5-8 pounds without having severe pain. My surgeon said it was a surgical success because the fusion is healing properly (despite one screw coming loose), but not a true success since there was no improvement in pain. I had physical therapy after surgery and I am not sure how beneficial it was. I've stopped taking ibuprofen due to serious stomach issues.
Re: Egoscue technique — Egoscue literally saved my physical life. I was in a high speed auto accident that nearly took my life. For over a year I did physical therapy 6 times a week and was still left with constant, crushing pain. 6 years later I was in 38 and couldn't tie my own shoes. Doctors said I'd never run or play tennis again. I finally found Egoscue and less than a year later I was running and playing tennis again, pain free!
I've tried everything, and there's nothing more effective for dealing with musculoskeletal pain than Egoscue.
Re: Pain on one side only — I have had pain for over a year in my right upper buttocks. Have done physical therapy, chiropractor, anti-inflammatories, and as of last Thursday 6 steroid injections. The pain does not go down my leg. But it hurts to sit for any length of time, it hurts to walk and have had trouble sleeping. The MRI showed spinal stenosis in L4 and L5. This last doctor who gave me an injection (total of 3) into 3 of the sciatica told me there is a possibility that I may need an injection that deadens the nerve which can last for a year. Anyone out there heard of such a procedure?
Re: Pain — caught a flu like bug aobut 3 months before.. had to work thru night 23 dec 2002 and sat for hours.. when i got up couldn't quite stand as buttock cramped with sharp nerve pain.. had disc prolapse already but never had shooting pains and this pain was not shooting down leg but shooting from buttock up to spine..
Re: Pain — 4months of increasing muscle cramps in buttocks ala 'weavers bottom' to stabbing knitting needle pain in base of spine .. stiff muscles pulling lumbar/spine out of position. Couldn't sleep unless in running hot bath. All due to gram negative bacteria, but simply diagnosed as degenerated disc. Managed to get GP to prescribe Doxycyclin from advice on backcare.org Two 100mg of doxycycllin and my left leg buttock swelled up but pain and muscle cramps disapperared took 100mg daily for 8 weeks.. but now have a disc prolapse which sometimes causes problems and think I get similar minor flareups but take doxy and things settle down. Also found I have balanitis xerotica obliterans and think things are linked. The steriod for that definately affects the nerves as the ones I have problem with all 'light up' and protest when i use the steriod cream...
Re: Gyrotonic — I have recovered from a ruptured disc and disc degenration using Gyrotonic. I am trained myself in Gyrotonic and if you understand how to apply it the results are amazng. My back surgeion was I baffled as he said nothing would help except surgery and recovered 100% within 12 weeks. Give it a try you have nothing to loose and only everything to gain.
Bris Re: Ibuprofen — No side effects, but only works for me in combination with caffeine. Since I can't have caffeine after 2pm, I have to switch t marijuana cookies.
Bris Re: Ibuprofen — Ibuprofen and caffeine, in combination is amazing...better than vicodin. This is my second, very painful, herniated disc/sciatica. Last time I had valium, then vicodin, then dialadid, then oxycontin.....this time, I choose ibu/caffeine everyday while I wait for my 2nd surgery.
nalts Re: Spinal Fusion — My dad waited years to have a spinal fusion, so when I was diagnosed with spondylothesis, I tried physical therapy, every book on "mind over matter," and medication for months... but pain wiped me out. Then I had the spinal fusion, and nearly 100% recovery. Best decision I've made.
zan Re: Cervical spondilitis — yes, absolutely can exacerbate
viji555 Re: Neck stiffness — The neck is so stiff , I am unable to turn my neck even slightly. As i am forced to use a two wheeler for my travel to my office , it becomes extremely difficult and painful.
TwilightFairy Re: Standing for long periods — I work as a cashier and have had more severe pain in the last year or so than any other of my 6 years. Partly I think it has to do with the surface that I am standing on and any changes to that surface. I have tried every shoe recommended by 4 doctors. My back muscles get really tense and my knees get stiff.
TwilightFairy Re: Ibuprofen — It works up to a certain point and then almost nothing (except vicodin- kind of) dulls the pain. If I dont take motrin soon enough then I get very little relief.
David Re: Lifting — Lifting aggravates back pain (or is impossible when in severe back pain), especially if it is asymmetrical or requires twisting
Re: Celebrex — Horrendous. It caused heart palpitations, skipped heart beats, nausea, dizziness and confusion. The literature states that it can lead to strokes and I came very close to that. Would not recommend it under any circumstances. No amount of pain is worth Celebrex. Tai chi and acupuncture are quite effective.
IowaGirl Re: Tension in hamstring — I have found by stretching (toe touches and hamstring) I am to release some of the muscle tension.
burninghampsters Re: Bad posture — I wish I could check Yes to too much sex!
burninghampsters Re: Massage — I have a broken bone in my back- spondilo- and I was am in constant back pain. Some days I can't reach my toes to put my shoes on. I went to a physical therapist who gave me a stretching regimen- and she also manually forced my tendons to stretch and it definitely works! I have to stretch at least once a day but I feel so much better! Talk to your doctor and see a physical therapist- it's only a couple of appointments but if you do what you are shown it is just short of magic! I still hurt alot, but it is on the easily ignored side versus the I can barely funcion side!
zallers Re: Lower back striking-electric shock pain — Not often, but when I do- it knocks me out flat. Seems to happen 1-2 times a year after stomach crunches or similar.
what is the best pill against back pain?
rolfing worked for me
related with long time position
Since swimming laps on a regular basis for the past 3 years, I have had virtually no chronic back pain episodes.
Re: Bupronorphine patch — The patch did not provide good pain control.It helped a little for the background aches and pain.
Re: Different workplace setup — Used to work on laptops a lot. Getting back to a regular setup made my back pain disappear almost entirely.
Re: Weak abdominals — Have "pot belly syndrome" whatever that is, all I know is I've looked pregnant, even when I was NOT, most of my adult life, right up to the present and I'm 63. Weak abs do not make for a happy back!
Re: Injury — Have had a couple of three whiplashes. Also fall a lot so the old buttocks have taken quite a few beatings. Even did a couple of bellyflops on concrete or tar. None of the above help to prevent backpain.
Re: Tiredness — Tired but kept pushing self to keep on keeping on. Not a good idea to over exert already tired back, upper leg muscles.
Re: Lifting — Worked in nursing when it was still a hands on profession. So did plenty of lifting, not always using proper body mechanics. Don't think that idea existed then. Also, had a large, by todays standard, family and did plenty of carrying 6 children on the left hip. Grocery bags were better when they were paper, and you could hug them close to your waist when you carried them in, plastic bags kill the arms, shoulder, elbows and wrists. Did it all wrong and now have to pay for it.
Re: Bad posture — I think I was literally born with bad posture. I was born with mild pectus chest, so was my paternal grandmother, nice of her to share her gene pool with me. I also am the carrier of the Fragile X gene, and by virtue of that, have low muscle tone. Was hounded to "stand up straight" for years, more than I'd like to recall, but without much success. The spirit was willing to stand staight but the body not able. It could be worse. Now a days, doctors would have recommended surgery or PT for the pectus chest, but when I was born, 2 arms, 2 legs and the head on your shoulders was considered normal and a good start. Oh well, it is what it is and suffering is very good for the soul.
Re: Stress — Stress, part of everyday life, kills me, or should I say I wish it would already. Makes me stiffer than the usual stiffness, foggy in the thinking processes, headache, left jaw at ear area achy. Stress is not good for fibromyagia.
Re: Pain — Lower back and left hip pain, expecially at night or when sitting for a half hour or more. I have been told it is due to trigger points from fibromyalgia and osteopenia of left hip. Tried chiropractic care, acupuncture and most recently deep myofascial massage and release. Still suffering daily. Tried Lyrica and Savella and the side effects were terrible, increased sweating, palpitations, irregular and skipped heart beats. Cymbalta made me crazy in the head and I had worse insomnia than usual. Would like to try LDN but my PCP says he's not familiar with doses smaller than 50mg. My daughter, who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia when she was 18, and MS when she was 34, had been having relapses every 2 to 3 months until she started taking LDN in 2007 and has not had a true relapse since. Great drug but very hard, almost impossible to get someone to prescribe it. Praying it get approved. Getting to old and worn out to keep on fighting.
Re: Stomach cramping — get a sharp pain for no reason randomly in days
Re: Lower back soreness — Mostly during sleep. After I've been asleep 5 to 8 hours
Re: Lower back striking-electric shock pain — I get them too when i bend ova . . I was organising my school when i got a violent shock all of a sudden on my lower back . . Its pretty sore :) anyone know why ? ?
Re: Stiff back when standing up — It is always my experience (for the last 10 yrs) when walking slow or standing , my back gets so stiff I cant tell you .
What the hell is it ??
Re: Neck stiffness — general stiff neck daily.
Re: Yoga — Yoga really helps for my backpain
Re: Lower back striking-electric shock pain — I've had eletric shocks before, but this is worse.
Re: Lower back striking-electric shock pain — When this happens i just curl up and dont want to move, im left on the floor and i feel i cant say to someone why im doing it because the pain is so bad.
Re: Lower back striking-electric shock pain — Yeah, im only 13 and when i jolt or move i get electric shock feeling pains at the bottom of my spine, it hurts so bad i just have to make my way across the floor to get to something to lie on. Usually this happens as one schock that i get because the cartalage in my spine is being pinched, but this time its all the time whenever i turn, get up, sit down and especially bend over. I was really scared to move because i knew how much it hurt, i was shaking from the shock. Having a hot water bottle against where the pain is helps a lot, if its not better tomorow then i may go to the doctors to find out what happened. It's weird because it usually happens to old people.
Re: Exercise — Over time I realized that my mountain biking was helping my back pain. I'd thought the opposite would be true, because I'm bent forward over the handlebars all the time. However, probably because most of my weight is supported by my hands on the handlebars, the ride becomes a very high repetition, very light stress (in various different directions) workout for my back. I believe it is the variety of the outdoor trail (turning, balancing, leaning) that does this--I don't believe I get the same benefit from riding my bike on the trainer. Side effects? Clearly, you can put a great deal of stress on your back by thoughtlessly pumping while standing on the pedals and hauling up on the handlebars. So I don't do it.
Re: Stretching — Very helpful: the exercise where you twist the hips one way and the shoulders the other while on your back. I discovered that one side was always tighter than the other, and loosening up that tight side--I believe--was the more important effect.
Re: Core strengthening exercises — Slowly increasing the power of my abdominal muscles using daily lying-on-my-back leg lift/pelvic tilt/crunch exercises (and to a lesser extent, light weight lifting for the muscles to the sides of my core) has been a big success. Also, learning that before lifting I should take a deep breath in and pressurize it in my lungs (by tightening my newly strong abs to the max)--has made me significantly less likely to strain my back during lifting. All this happened without any direct back strengthening exercises.
ecwillia1
Re: Spinal Fusion — After trying physical therapy, pilates, spinal injections and constant ibuprofen, my back pain continued to increase. I had a double pars defect on L5. I got a second opinion before having the spinal fusion (L5-S1), and both doctors thought I would recover well because I am young (surgery at 23) and in otherwise good health. I had the surgery almost one and a half years ago and I still suffer from constant pain. I am unable to stand for very long and I can't lift anything over 5-8 pounds without having severe pain. My surgeon said it was a surgical success because the fusion is healing properly (despite one screw coming loose), but not a true success since there was no improvement in pain. I had physical therapy after surgery and I am not sure how beneficial it was. I've stopped taking ibuprofen due to serious stomach issues.
Re: Egoscue technique — Egoscue literally saved my physical life. I was in a high speed auto accident that nearly took my life. For over a year I did physical therapy 6 times a week and was still left with constant, crushing pain. 6 years later I was in 38 and couldn't tie my own shoes. Doctors said I'd never run or play tennis again. I finally found Egoscue and less than a year later I was running and playing tennis again, pain free!
I've tried everything, and there's nothing more effective for dealing with musculoskeletal pain than Egoscue.
Re: Pain on one side only — I have had pain for over a year in my right upper buttocks. Have done physical therapy, chiropractor, anti-inflammatories, and as of last Thursday 6 steroid injections. The pain does not go down my leg. But it hurts to sit for any length of time, it hurts to walk and have had trouble sleeping. The MRI showed spinal stenosis in L4 and L5. This last doctor who gave me an injection (total of 3) into 3 of the sciatica told me there is a possibility that I may need an injection that deadens the nerve which can last for a year. Anyone out there heard of such a procedure?
Re: Pain — caught a flu like bug aobut 3 months before.. had to work thru night 23 dec 2002 and sat for hours.. when i got up couldn't quite stand as buttock cramped with sharp nerve pain..
had disc prolapse already but never had shooting pains and this pain was not shooting down leg but shooting from buttock up to spine..
Re: Pain — 4months of increasing muscle cramps in buttocks ala 'weavers bottom' to stabbing knitting needle pain in base of spine .. stiff muscles pulling lumbar/spine out of position. Couldn't sleep unless in running hot bath.
All due to gram negative bacteria, but simply diagnosed as degenerated disc.
Managed to get GP to prescribe Doxycyclin from advice on backcare.org
Two 100mg of doxycycllin and my left leg buttock swelled up but pain and muscle cramps disapperared took 100mg daily for 8 weeks..
but now have a disc prolapse which sometimes causes problems and think I get similar minor flareups but take doxy and things settle down.
Also found I have balanitis xerotica obliterans and think things are linked.
The steriod for that definately affects the nerves as the ones I have problem with all 'light up' and protest when i use the steriod cream...
Re: Gyrotonic — I have recovered from a ruptured disc and disc degenration using Gyrotonic. I am trained myself in Gyrotonic and if you understand how to apply it the results are amazng. My back surgeion was I baffled as he said nothing would help except surgery and recovered 100% within 12 weeks.
Give it a try you have nothing to loose and only everything to gain.
Bris
Re: Ibuprofen — No side effects, but only works for me in combination with caffeine. Since I can't have caffeine after 2pm, I have to switch t marijuana cookies.
Bris
Re: Ibuprofen — Ibuprofen and caffeine, in combination is amazing...better than vicodin. This is my second, very painful, herniated disc/sciatica. Last time I had valium, then vicodin, then dialadid, then oxycontin.....this time, I choose ibu/caffeine everyday while I wait for my 2nd surgery.
nalts
Re: Spinal Fusion — My dad waited years to have a spinal fusion, so when I was diagnosed with spondylothesis, I tried physical therapy, every book on "mind over matter," and medication for months... but pain wiped me out. Then I had the spinal fusion, and nearly 100% recovery. Best decision I've made.
zan
Re: Cervical spondilitis — yes, absolutely can exacerbate
viji555
Re: Neck stiffness — The neck is so stiff , I am unable to turn my neck even slightly. As i am forced to use a two wheeler for my travel to my office , it becomes extremely difficult and painful.
TwilightFairy
Re: Standing for long periods — I work as a cashier and have had more severe pain in the last year or so than any other of my 6 years. Partly I think it has to do with the surface that I am standing on and any changes to that surface. I have tried every shoe recommended by 4 doctors. My back muscles get really tense and my knees get stiff.
TwilightFairy
Re: Ibuprofen — It works up to a certain point and then almost nothing (except vicodin- kind of) dulls the pain. If I dont take motrin soon enough then I get very little relief.
David
Re: Lifting — Lifting aggravates back pain (or is impossible when in severe back pain), especially if it is asymmetrical or requires twisting
Re: Celebrex — Horrendous. It caused heart palpitations, skipped heart beats, nausea, dizziness and confusion. The literature states that it can lead to strokes and I came very close to that. Would not recommend it under any circumstances. No amount of pain is worth Celebrex. Tai chi and acupuncture are quite effective.
IowaGirl
Re: Tension in hamstring — I have found by stretching (toe touches and hamstring) I am to release some of the muscle tension.
burninghampsters
Re: Bad posture — I wish I could check Yes to too much sex!
burninghampsters
Re: Massage — I have a broken bone in my back- spondilo- and I was am in constant back pain. Some days I can't reach my toes to put my shoes on. I went to a physical therapist who gave me a stretching regimen- and she also manually forced my tendons to stretch and it definitely works! I have to stretch at least once a day but I feel so much better! Talk to your doctor and see a physical therapist- it's only a couple of appointments but if you do what you are shown it is just short of magic! I still hurt alot, but it is on the easily ignored side versus the I can barely funcion side!
zallers
Re: Lower back striking-electric shock pain — Not often, but when I do- it knocks me out flat. Seems to happen 1-2 times a year after stomach crunches or similar.