Stupid back

hisoka

Ok, quick rant.

STUPID STUPID STUPID back.

Just had the stupid thing go out on me, putting on shoes!

I'm slightly famed with friends with my talent of picking them up under one arm (yeah it isn't a sophisicated party trick but it works) and I manage to pull a muscle in my back trying to put my shoes on for work. If I was someone who knew me and knew what I did I would be laughing at me right now!

Now I can't sleep right, can't move without doing the "that's going to cost you" plumbers intake of breath through the teeth, and feeling I am so dumb.

Can't ride, can't even stand up a long time to cook real food either. So off work, and feeling sort of worthless.

Anyway, this is a rant and a vent. I apologise for putting you all through it.

On a plus note, I really think it should be better for the christmas bash. (if not then I am still going to come down as I have the tickets, just without Charlie)

linsen

You have my full empathy........

hisoka

Linsen I get the feeling you know it as well, if not now then recently?

greg66_tri_v2.0

Physio. Urgento.

In the meantime, anti-inflams (ibuprofen or volterol, but not both at the same time), ice.

"Muscle in my back" suggests upper back/thorax, rather than lumbar spine? Those can be b@stard painful. But, OTOH, if you've popped a rib, it can sometimes be possible for a physio to pop it back and substantially ease the pain.

hisoka

Actually mid-lower. Strangely off to the side slightly, can very easily tell it is on my left side not right and would say a bit lower then the ribcage, couple inches under them.

greg66_tri_v2.0

hisoka wrote:

Actually mid-lower. Strangely off to the side slightly, can very easily tell it is on my left side not right and would say a bit lower then the ribcage, couple inches under them.

That's a weird spot - above the lumbar proper (ie L3/4/5) but below the ribs. Not one that (so far) I've managed to explore.

Try to see someone, pronto, while the symptoms are acute.

hisoka

I have an appointment today at the docs, see if they can get it through quick to see a specialist if I need to.
Thing is it felt a hell of a lot less acute yesterday by the end of the day, and now back with a vengence. I think it is siezing up in the night somewhat. Then again, I only know what I feel as not a specialist in this kinda thing, so will let the doc prod and think.

benno68

Get well soon mate.

I've had lower back problems on and off for over 20 years. I was told by a physio to keep mobile as much as possible, having said that there have been times when I've had to stay in bed for 3 days or so, except for calls of nature.

My back was niggling last week and I was going to start a group "Bad Back Brigade" - so we sufferers could all have a moan in one place.

greg66_tri_v2.0

hisoka wrote:

Thing is it felt a hell of a lot less acute yesterday by the end of the day, and now back with a vengence. I think it is siezing up in the night somewhat.

That sounds typical of muscle pulls - think about the times you've overdone something at the gym: pulled/torn muscles seize up if not kept moving, and usually for this reason are most manageable at the end of the day and least first thing in the morning.

Maybe the solution is nothing fancier than rest (not complete, but taking it easy), anti inflams & painkillers & ice. Heat in the morning might help free it up a bit.

Good luck.

hisoka

Thank you Greg.
I'll keep on with that, though been using heat all day rather then ice. Ice works well too?

FeynmanC

Alternate heat and ice - take ibuprofen - keep mobile without overdoing it.

That's what I've always been advised when my back has gone bang.

And i'd also suggest seeing someone to check it out and maybe do some manipulation.

I've been fine for years, but had a spate of problems about 10 years ago that were caused by carrying my wallet in my back pocket - sitting on that for the preceeding 10 years had made one hip about an inch higher than the other one, feeding the problem up my spine. All was fine until I had a "relaxing back massage" for christmas. This relaxed the muscles that had been holding it all together in it's malformed state and a couple of days later everything just decided that enough was enough!

A few sessions with a back cruncher and I was much better and haven't had serious problems since.

greg66_tri_v2.0

hisoka wrote:

Thank you Greg.
I'll keep on with that, though been using heat all day rather then ice. Ice works well too?

Ice brings down swelling and inflammation; heat makes the tissue more mobile. I'd use ice after movement to bring down the immediate reaction, and heat before it to ease the loosening up process a bit.

jedster

Greg,

knowing that yu are the guru on all things back can I run something past you?

About 4 weeks ago my left shoulder/neck area cramped (pull-ups wthout warming up properly :roll: ). This quickly turned in to general neck stiffness which was particularly sore at the base of the neck when waking up in the morning.

I got some physio and the symptoms around my neck have just about gone. However, during the last couple of weeks the problems seem to have migrated to my back - lumbar near the spine but also across the area between the shoulder blades. I'm thinking that teh tension around my neck/shoulders meant that I've been giving my back a hard time.

I had continued to occasionally cycle for a couple of weeks but in the last couple of weeks I've given it pretty much complete rest plus a bit of stretching. The physio has given me core stability exercises which I'm sure makes sense longer-term but I wonder if doing this whese while my neck was stiff just overstressed my back.

Feeling a bit frustrated and lacking a bit of confidence in the advice I've been given

J

linsen

I have ongoing back problems (two degenerated discs) and now have to avoid impact activities altogether.

HIsoka - What you are describing sounds more like the agonising pain you get when you do something like twist slightly awkwardly (and it doesn't need to be much - reaching into a cupboard or similar). It is a muscle not a joint problem and as such will heal pretty quickly.

The important thing is to keep it as mobile and relaxed as possible, otherwise your body goes into spasm around the painful area and that causes all kinds of knock-on problems in the surrounding muscles.

It is times like these you need to keep dosed up on anti-inflammatories (I take 600mg ibuprofen when I do it) and gentle exercise - walking or GENTLE cycling.

Swimming is often excruciatlingly painful if you have injured your back - I would not advise it unless you do backstroke.

hisoka

linsen wrote:

I have ongoing back problems (two degenerated discs) and now have to avoid impact activities altogether.

What you are describing sounds more like the agonising pain you get when you do something like twist slightly awkwardly (and it doesn't need to be much - reaching into a cupboard or similar). It is a muscle not a joint problem and as such will heal pretty quickly.

The important thing is to keep it as mobile and relaxed as possible, otherwise your body goes into spasm around the painful area and that causes all kinds of knock-on problems in the surrounding muscles.

It is times like these you need to keep dosed up on anti-inflammatories (I take 600mg ibuprofen when I do it) and gentle exercise - walking or GENTLE cycling.

Swimming is often excruciatlingly painful if you have injured your back - I would not advise it unless you do backstroke.

Trust me, that is the only type of cycling I do!

Sorry to hear about the discs there, sounds so painful.

Mobile and relaxed, check. And dosed up on iburophen, check (though it does make me a tiny bit spaced, just because I tend to avoid painkillers. long story)

Wasn't think of swimming, mostly as lost my shorts and nearest pool is far away. But I hadn't thought it would cause problems, but I can see it now with all the twisting etc. ergh.

greg66_tri_v2.0

jedster wrote:

Greg,

knowing that yu are the guru on all things back can I run something past you?

Dunno about guru, but here goes...

I think you're bang on. My physio calls the upper back the root of all evil. Your back is supposed to have a proportionately even amount of flex all the way down the length of the spine. If your upper back stiffens up, then when you bend the movement will take the line of least resistance and over stress the least stiff bit of your back - the lower back. At least in very general terms.

When you pull something as you did, the surrounding soft tissue tightens up severely to protect the damaged area. Instant upper back stiffness. That means other bits of your back take more of a strain, because suddenly there's a stiff area not doing its job.

I've found it not unusual to have back pain bounce around like a slo-mo pinball machine, and I'm pretty sure it's the consequential effects of the initial injury working their way out of the system.

The good news is that eventually it should all return to normal. The bad news is that unless you get it treated, the initial injury can generate a build up of scar tissue, and scar tissue is less flexible than unscarred tissue, so you have a stiff area, creating a susceptibility to further injury ... and so it goes on.

The less I've learnt is not to be shy about getting stuff looked at and worked on. I got into a good habit of getting a monthly sports massage. I've fallen out of it, and it's costing me a bit now. I recommend it.

Sewinman

When i put my back out I used some of the heat pack things you strap to yourself. It worked a treat and reduced the pain hugely - bearing in mind it was 'leap off the sofa becuase I have been stabbed' type pain.

jedster

thanks Greg

now where is the physios phone number...

Clever Pun

Greg66 wrote:

hisoka wrote:

Thank you Greg.
I'll keep on with that, though been using heat all day rather then ice. Ice works well too?

Ice brings down swelling and inflammation; heat makes the tissue more mobile. I'd use ice after movement to bring down the immediate reaction, and heat before it to ease the loosening up process a bit.

Ice also increases bloodflow which in turn aids healing

GWS Hisoka

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Sorry to hear about your injury, brings back memories of July 2008 for me, when I did my back a random nasty. Had 3 weeks off work as I could barely walk or stand still, took months of diclofenac to hide the pain.

Bast advice I can give you is push yourself to keep mobile, don't simply sit in a chair all day or lie in bed, fight the pain and do a local stroll of 5-10 minutes around the block a couple of times a day.

Hopefully you will not have to wait ~5 months for physio like I did, but once there, the exercise sheet I was given did help to re-strengthen my injury (although I found it hard to make time to do them).

hisoka

To be honest, it is down to an ache now rather then pain. Managed to ride slowly into work today, and walking round bits here and there.
I think I am really lucky, doesn't feel to be anything major.
Sorry to have whinged and whined to all, but thank you all for the support