# Back pain



## mpls_girl26 (Sep 4, 2007)

So Saturday I spent the day chasing around a 2 1/2 year old at the park, carrying him on my shoulders, racing him for rockets, climbing slides, etc. At some point amongst all that fun I did something to my back. It wasn't until I was sitting down for a while and tried standing up that I noticed the pain. 

By Sunday morning I couldn't get out of bed, had to literally crawl to the bathroom and back to my bed....it was NOT a pretty sight. I live alone so all I could think about was someone coming to check on me and me being naked, face down on the floor with a pool of piss around me because I couldn't make it to the bathroom. Needless to say tears were shed. 

A good friend came over, I slowly made my way to her car and went to Urgent Care. The doctor who saw me for all of about 5 minutes felt my back - I could tell him exactly where it was hurting- my lower back where my spine meets pelvis and more to the left. I couldn't stand straight up and more often than not had to lean on something to get from one place to another. 

He prescribed me Naproxen and Vicodin which I was hoping would take away the pain. The pain didn't get better with the meds, icing and laying as instructed and so I called my own doctor this morning and she also prescribed a muscle relaxer Flexeril and Prednisone to help with any inflammation. 

I suppose there is really no point to this thread but I am BORED sitting here for the past three days!!! Has anyone else dealt with a pulled muscle in their back? I've never had this problem and I want it to just go away but I'm thinking that is just wishful thinking. Any words of advice?


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## Miss Vickie (Sep 4, 2007)

Personally? If it were me? And it's been me, I've been there. I'd see a chiropractor. For back stuff I always see a chiropractor. It sounds like you're describing your SI (sacro iliac) joint, and if it's not taken care of you could end up with sciatica, which is pain down your leg which hurts like a mofo. The Flexeril is good, as is any kind of anti-inflammatory. But if your back is misaligned from your adventure, then only a chiropractor can truly set it to rights.

Now you're always going to find people who tell horror stories about chiropractors, and people love to scare people. But I've been seeing chiropractors, with great relief, since I was a child when the asshole docs couldn't figure out why my neck hurt. Two lumbar punctures and bottles of baby aspirin better, after many years of intermittent agony and missing school, my mom in desperation let her boss, a chiropractor, adjust my neck. Instant relief. Instant! Over the years, I've seen chiropractors because of low back pain, neck pain, headaches, etc. I've only had one chiropractor who was awful; the rest have been kind, caring professionals who take great pride in getting people out of pain. Without a ton of medications.

Whether or not you choose to go this route, ice is very helpful with this kind of injury. The recommendation is 15-20 minutes of ice per hour or two, depending on who you talk to. It does relieve the inflammation and when I herniated a disc in nursing school it was Vioxx (how I miss thee), ice and lying on my side with a pillow between my knees that helped me heal fairly rapidly.


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Sep 4, 2007)

Take your time and let your back heal and I would highly recommend a Chiropractor. Back pain can be chronic - I have been in pain - some worse than others - since 1989 from a car accident. I had to learn to deal with it.

A good chiro can help you to have less pain and exercises to strengthen your back. Good luck,


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## mpls_girl26 (Sep 4, 2007)

Yes, I have been icing and laying on my side with pillow between my legs. A few people have mentioned chiropractor, it's something I've never considered although I do love the sound of a nice cracking back or neck...lol. 

I wonder though if it will matter if it is a muscle issue? Can they still do something to help?


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## Sandie S-R (Sep 5, 2007)

mpls_girl26 said:


> Yes, I have been icing and laying on my side with pillow between my legs. A few people have mentioned chiropractor, it's something I've never considered although I do love the sound of a nice cracking back or neck...lol.
> 
> I wonder though if it will matter if it is a muscle issue? Can they still do something to help?



I'm jumping on the Chiropractor bandwagon. I swear by Chiropractic care.

Now about your muscle. When you subluxate your spine (meaning the spine gets out of alignment), it causes pinched nerves, which then causes muscle spasms. Muscle spasms are some of the worst pain known to man. Seriously. So, chiropractic care will certain get you some relief, by putting the spine back into alignment. They may also recommend massage which will also help. Keep in mind that this kind of soft tissue injury takes time to 
heal, possibly a month or 6 weeks worth of Chiropractic visits, possibly more. 

Honestly, I would just say get thee to a chiropractor. Choose one by word of mouth, and I highly suggest you look for a woman. Most women Chiros are less invasive and very gentle. 

Good luck and let us know how you do.


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## Miss Vickie (Sep 5, 2007)

mpls_girl26 said:


> Yes, I have been icing and laying on my side with pillow between my legs. A few people have mentioned chiropractor, it's something I've never considered although I do love the sound of a nice cracking back or neck...lol.
> 
> I wonder though if it will matter if it is a muscle issue? Can they still do something to help?



I'm glad you're laying on your side and using ice. That'll help a lot. And yes, as Sandie says, a chiropractor will be able to help "even if" it's a muscle thing. I put that in quotes because very often it's not just a muscle issue, or a disc issue, but rather both since they work synergistically together to keep you upright. So while it may have started out as a pulled muscle, very likely it's had an effect on your spinal alignment. Relieving the pressure with a chiropractic adjustment can make the muscle spasm diminish, too. I really believe that the best chiropractors use both -- massage and manipulation -- to produce the most optimal results.

Good luck. I hope you feel better soon. I know it's a miserable kind of pain.


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## HottiMegan (Sep 5, 2007)

I too say check a chiropractor out. If i had health insurance, i would totally see one regularly. I saw one from like 4 to 20 years old. Then i stopped having insurance (or insurance that would pay for it). I miss them. 

I was a rather rambunctious teenager and hurt myself a lot, the chiropractor could always make it better. i have thought, over the years, that I'd like to be a chiropractor. Some day maybe..


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## ThatFatGirl (Apr 25, 2010)

My turn to revive an old thread!

I've been dealing with back pain for about 6-8 weeks now. Some days are better than others. I've had a few days when I thought it (back pain) was all behind me and I was back to my normal which is some occasional back strain when I reach for something incorrectly, some stiffness in the morning being unable to bend at the waist for a half our or so until my muscles and joints loosen up. Due to knee pain, I'm usually unable to bend at the knees to properly reach something on the floor. I think my current back strain began with reaching for some laundry on the floor. I reached and immediately felt the muscles in my lower back start to spasm. I took a Flexeril and probably laid down for a while. Most days I feel like I'm teetering on the edge. One wrong move and something will move out of place and my back will spasm. This causes me to feel tension in my entire back at times. I'm constantly reminding myself to breathe deep, relax and imagine the muscles stretching out and relaxing. Getting into or out of or sitting in the car too long = bad. I'm taking two to three 10 mg tabs of Flexeril a day plus 800 mgs of Ibuprofen twice a day. Last night I got stuck on the toilet and could not stand up! It hurt to try to straighten up.. had to call in the hubby to help. Thank goodness I have him here to help, but he goes back to work on Tuesday. Standing, walking, both are OK most of the time, but sitting too long or wrong is just bad. My favorite chair has become my worst enemy. Sometimes my best bet is to load up on muscle relaxer and ibuprofen and lay in bed and nap for a few hours. When I wake up, everything is nice and numb and I can move around almost like normal for a few hours until it wears off. Even at it's worst, the pain isn't huge, but it is big enough to interrupt my life and it's really starting to get to me mentally. I know I need to figure out what is going on and deal with it properly though I have ALL kinds of fear about the process of doing this - possibility of pain during transportation to and from appointments, spasms as I climb on tables, get an x-ray, even walking into the building, and I will likely have to do this stuff on my own because I don't feel I can ask my husband to take off work to accompany me. Gah... it makes me want to continue my hibernating bear existence of the last month.. but I really don't want to get stuck on the toilet again either, particularly if I'm home alone.

I didn't post just to whine about my pain, though it felt a bit cathartic to do so (thank you for your patience if you've read this far), but to also ask shouldn't a person get an x-ray prior to seeing a chiropractor for treatment? I always thought that was the first step, but I didn't see it mentioned above. I saw my horribly passive doctor at the beginning of the month for something else, but it was on a good day for my back. I really thought my back had returned to normal. I mentioned I'd been dealing with pain for a month but that it had greatly improved, she asked where and simply confirmed I still had Flexeril and told me to look at her website for some back strengthening exercises to do. I'm wondering if I should go back to her now for my back if I need to get a referral for an x-ray. I think I'd much rather see a specialist to possibly nip it in the bud sooner. I don't know. I just want to feel normal again.


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## mpls_girl26 (Apr 25, 2010)

ThatFatGirl said:


> My turn to revive an old thread!
> 
> 
> I didn't post just to whine about my pain, though it felt a bit cathartic to do so (thank you for your patience if you've read this far), *but to also ask shouldn't a person get an x-ray prior to seeing a chiropractor for treatment? *I always thought that was the first step, but I didn't see it mentioned above. ......... I'm wondering if I should go back to her now for my back if I need to get a referral for an x-ray. I think I'd much rather see a specialist to possibly nip it in the bud sooner. I don't know. I just want to feel normal again.



When I first posted this I had not gone to the chiropractor. I rested for a while and it eventually got better. I didn't actually start seeing a chiropractor until I had a car accident and was t-boned on the driver side on the highway. I was kind of skeptical of going to one but the one I found has a strong focus on education. it wasn't until the 3rd visit (after some rounds of x-rays and meetings about treatment and education)that he actually adjusted me. This was back in I think 08. I've been going since and feel great. 

Actually funny because he just said to me last week that most people who go to a chiropractor after an accident usually last as long as the insurance pays and that I've stayed longer than any of their other patients. I replied that I've stayed because I can feel what a difference it makes in my life and that I liked their focus on education when I first started. They just laughed and said - they lose potential patients because of that fact. 

So my advice - see your dr and if not a lot of help start looking for a chiropractor but look for one that is more than just an office to go in and get your back snapped but can help care for you as a whole. 

Good luck!


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## MisticalMisty (Apr 25, 2010)

Your Chiropractor will probably do X-rays before adjusting you.

When I went after throwing my lower back out a few years ago, the Chiropractor took x-rays, hooked me up to a massager and then met with me once the x-rays were ready.

My diagnosis is a misshapen tail bone and some disc degeneration at the bottom of my spine. When he adjusted me the first time, I barely made it to my apartment. He gave me a prescription for Flexrill and Tramadol and faxed a note to my work.

I went back a few days later and he adjusted me again and I was fine. He gave me a list of exercises as well and I continued going to get my back adjusted until I moved to OKC and I never started it back up.

He also told me to get one of those donuts or pads to put in a chair to raise my tailbone. I haven't managed that yet..but it's on my list.

I really hope you get some relief soon.


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## Jes (Apr 26, 2010)

I think so many doctors have seen so many back problems that you should be able to find one who can give you some relief (though I suspect you'll need to be a very active part of the solution, with exercises and stuff), TFG. I will say that heavy Ibuprofen use is not w/o risks. In women, it can lead to hypertension (or worsen it) and it has an effect on the liver. An ongoing regimen isn't good for you, and many people don't know it.

Luck! hope you get pain relief soon.


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## ThatFatGirl (Apr 27, 2010)

mpls_girl26 said:


> When I first posted this I had not gone to the chiropractor. I rested for a while and it eventually got better. I didn't actually start seeing a chiropractor until I had a car accident and was t-boned on the driver side on the highway. I was kind of skeptical of going to one but the one I found has a strong focus on education. it wasn't until the 3rd visit (after some rounds of x-rays and meetings about treatment and education)that he actually adjusted me. This was back in I think 08. I've been going since and feel great.
> 
> Actually funny because he just said to me last week that most people who go to a chiropractor after an accident usually last as long as the insurance pays and that I've stayed longer than any of their other patients. I replied that I've stayed because I can feel what a difference it makes in my life and that I liked their focus on education when I first started. They just laughed and said - they lose potential patients because of that fact.
> 
> ...



I'm glad you've got your situation under control. I think I might be one of those looking for instant relief, not sure I could hold out to the third visit for treatment. Though I believe that process of the education and the x-rays and exam is probably the surest way to long term success. I have no idea what I'm going to do. Today was a bad day but if tomorrow's good, maybe I will see if my doctor can squeeze me in so I can get a script for an x-ray and perhaps a referral from her on who to see about my back. I wish she made house calls! 

Thank you for the reply and the wish for luck!



MisticalMisty said:


> Your Chiropractor will probably do X-rays before adjusting you.
> 
> When I went after throwing my lower back out a few years ago, the Chiropractor took x-rays, hooked me up to a massager and then met with me once the x-rays were ready.
> 
> ...



Thanks, Misty! I hope you're very careful with your move. It's so easy to push yourself too far with the packing and cleaning, whether you have movers or not. 

I have a great wedge for my desk chair that ordinarily keeps my spine very well aligned and happy, but for the last month if I sit this way I soon start to feel my lower back tense up and the beginnings of a spasm. The only way I can comfortably sit at my desk is by sitting at the very edge of my seat with my cushion pushed towards the back so I'm only sitting on the front half of it. My posture isn't bad, but I don't have my spine raised exactly either. 

I can't wait to get back to my normal every day minor aches and pains. This is starting to make me crazy. 




Jes said:


> I think so many doctors have seen so many back problems that you should be able to find one who can give you some relief (though I suspect you'll need to be a very active part of the solution, with exercises and stuff), TFG. I will say that heavy Ibuprofen use is not w/o risks. In women, it can lead to hypertension (or worsen it) and it has an effect on the liver. An ongoing regimen isn't good for you, and many people don't know it.
> 
> Luck! hope you get pain relief soon.



I've been trying to cool it with the medication the last few days and only take it when I absolutely need it. I'm down to 1 muscle relaxer during the day and one at night and I scaled back the Ibuprofen to about 400 mgs only once or twice a day. Daily Ibuprofen use is not my usual M.O., so hopefully I can get the pain and tension in check soon and be done with it. Thank you for the word of caution and the good wishes!


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## gobettiepurple (Apr 28, 2010)

*My brother has a lot of back problems and a chiropractor told him to start exercising his abs, because it would help with his lower back problems because your ab muscles support your lower back. Just a little information, I hope it helps!*


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## ThatFatGirl (Apr 29, 2010)

gobettiepurple said:


> *My brother has a lot of back problems and a chiropractor told him to start exercising his abs, because it would help with his lower back problems because your ab muscles support your lower back. Just a little information, I hope it helps!*




Thank you.. It helps. It's a good reminder to take better care of myself. I've not exercised my abs or done any of the back strengthening exercises I've been told for years I need to do. 

I saw my doctor yesterday and after many questions, bending and poking around, she said she was approaching it as a muscle sprain and to hold off on the x-ray for now. She prescribed Zanaflex (a muscle relaxer) and Naproxen (an anti-inflammatory) and gave me a referral for physical therapy. Today I feel GOOD. I'm so relieved. Now I just need to get started on the PT.. not looking forward to that, but I know it should help make me truly well and hopefully avoid getting in this situation again.

Thanks for the replies and good wishes.


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## SparkGirl (Apr 29, 2010)

_*Hi TFG...I'm so glad you thought to post on here for suggestions. I used to be plagued with back pain and wish I had this as a resource back then. I actually allowed myself to get to the point of being bedridden for a month and boy, did your bathroom anecdote ring some bells. It was so bad after a while that I would just sit on the toilet and picture myself finally making it to the bed (20 feet away) to give myself the motivation to make the effort to get up and then walk. Thank goodness my house is covered with chair rails throughout, to use as support when I was trying to steady myself while walking. 

The best thing I ever did was go to PT...but pool PT. Traditional PT did nothing for me, actually made it worse. The first day of PT I noticed a difference. It helps if it's a warm water pool. I agree with the others about the dangers of consistent use of ibuprofen. I had liver issues after a while. I guess the best advice I can give is keep moving. I know it's tough, but the more you move, even if it's walking around the house, the quicker you will recover. 

I just want to add...a nurse mentioned to me that mental stress can sometimes bring on back problems (a way that your mind manifests mental issues into physical forms as a way of making you aware of, and dealing with the mental issues). Just a thought....*__*I hope you feel better soon, I'm so sorry to hear you are going through this. *_


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## knottyknicky (May 1, 2010)

Im having back pain in the exact same area as the OP...kinda at the bottom of my tailbone/top of my butt. I call it the Tramp Stamp zone, not quite my ass but not quite my back either. Its not as severe as the OP's, but its keeping me from quickly putting on my chonies in the morning and everytime I pick up a kid at work I feel it. I finally realized its probably not muscles and likely a pinched nerve (though it is improving a little), and I realized yesterday a Chiro would probably be the best way to go. I had to google another seemingly unrelated symptom, a strange burning sensation in my inner thigh, only at night when I'm sleeping on my stomach, to find the link to the SI nerve and figure that its probably the same pinched nerve causing both symptoms. I called a couple local chiropractors and they said the same exact thing, so thats my best guess for now.


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## Fat.n.sassy (May 3, 2010)

One thing I learned from Physical Therapy helped me a lot. Back up to a wall, hold your belly in and tuck your butt under. I don't know about you ladies, but I lift my belly with my hands  Don't do this for long or it will hurt as well. Good luck!


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## knottyknicky (May 10, 2010)

Just wanted to update and say that after a couple adjustments and an INTENSE deep tissue massage, I'm more or less pain free. I'm still a little reluctant to move like I used to, but I've got another adjustment on Wednesday and another massage on Saturday (same office), and I think I'll be back to normal. I'm gonna marry my new massage girl, holy hell. Pinched nerves can do some seriously nasty things.


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## ThatFatGirl (May 12, 2010)

I went to my first physical therapy appointment for my back on Monday afternoon. I walked in feeling great and walked out feeling like something wasn't quite right. Yesterday I felt some pain and aching all day. This morning, I'm still not feeling so great. If I don't feel better very soon, I'm canceling my next appointment on Friday. The drugs I am taking were totally working and making me feel almost perfectly normal, but since the therapy appointment, have not seemed as effective against the pain and stiffness. This is very frustrating.

At the risk of being a totally whiney baby, I have a pain in my front left stomach area that first showed up a couple weeks ago as a sharp but brief pain as I first laid down to bed. I feel it every night for just a second and recently started feeling it when I reach up to put dishes up on the higher shelves or just stretching with my hands up. I worry I'm becoming a hypochondriac and that even the back pain isn't much more than stiffness from inactivity. But then I imagine I have a tumor or some other thing growing inside me and that it is the cause of the stomach and the back pain. I know the answer is to see my doctor for answers, but I feel like I've seen her so much recently (twice in the last month). In addition, I've had the PT appointment, a dentist appointment, and I have a consultation with an oral surgeon next week. That's just a lot of insurance charges and copays. 

I will head back to the doctor next week if my back is still bothering me and ask to get an x-ray or sooner if the stomach thing worsens.

Oh and add knee pain to my growing list of ailments. I was walking around an outlet mall on Saturday feeling great then all of a sudden I couldn't take a step without sharp pain. It felt better later that night, but it will still hit me briefly here and there. It's like I turned 41 and now my body is shutting down on me. It sucksssss. 

I am so sick of talking about my pains. It seems to be the main topic of conversation with everyone close to me and here I am talking about it here. I think perhaps I need to look into some mental therapy. As SparkGirl mentioned, stress can bring these things on or make them worse and I'm definitely feeling anxiety about this, upcoming international travel and meeting the in-laws for the first time, and guilt/worry about not working and needing to job search. Of course this will mean more $30 co-pays. 

Again, if you've read this far, thanks for listening. I'd like some cheese with my whine, please.


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## Jes (May 12, 2010)

TFGirl, aging isn't for the weak. And 2 doctor visits a month ain't all that much for some of us! wah-waaaah (sad trombone). I think that if you can accept that doctor visits aren't some freakish thing that you just have to 'get through' (in terms of logistics) but, instead, part of life now as you're aging (and I'm your age, so I'm not saying that critically), then things might be easier for you to handle. Like... it's not a sprint anymore. It's a marathon. I think running the 50 yard medical dash happened when I was younger. Now that I'm older, it's more of a marathon. 

god. That sounds depressing. I don't mean for it to sound depressing. I'm just letting you know I hear you, and that maybe a paradigmatic shift in your thinking will help you tolerate it all better? Everything is a process now. Booooo!

When I read posts here, and elsewhere, about being healthy and not feeling the ill effects of anything, I often think: just you wait! It's crazy, how much we feel things as we age, isn't it? I never thought it'd happen to me. 

Now get off my front lawn, you kids!

I say: pursue as many medical issues as you have now. Tending to them may be pricey, but if doing so gives you relief, and prevents more pain in future, can you really afford not to do it?


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## ThatFatGirl (May 13, 2010)

Aging is not for the weak. You got that right, Miss J. I know you're right about doing what we need to do for ourselves, but I am indeed one of the weak. It's rough. 

This morning I woke up feeling pretty good. Finally! I called the PT office to cancel my next appointments and had a feeling as I was waiting on hold for several minutes that they were summoning my PT therapist to talk me out of it. Sure enough... she was successful with the promise of passive therapy tomorrow and massage. I cannot pass up a massage. She said it's normal to feel "something" after a first PT appointment where they have evaluated range of motion and that the next sessions should be better. I'll see how it goes tomorrow. I'm not yet sold at continuing next week.


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## Jes (May 13, 2010)

ThatFatGirl said:


> . . She said it's normal to feel "something" after a first PT appointment where they have evaluated range of motion and that the next sessions should be better. I'll see how it goes tomorrow. I'm not yet sold at continuing next week.



I didn't want to say anything b/c the decision is yours, but I've certainly heard this, too. I've worked my muscles out (myself, in the gym, not a rehab facility, so I know it's not the same exactly) to fatigue and it hurts and then they're stronger 2 days later. But the 2 days in between--you feel it!


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## Miss Vickie (May 17, 2010)

You guys aren't kidding about aging not being for the weak.  

I had tweaked a disc in nursing school and never had it really looked at other than an x ray and a scrip for (the now off the market) Vioxx, which I ate like candy, and can't believe I don't have an ulcer. Since then, I've had chiropractic and massage regularly for as long as I can remember and between that and my subsequent weight loss after WLS, it's kept everything in check. 

Recently, though, I did something while caring for a laboring woman (or women, most likely) and hurt my back _again_. I finally saw my family practice doc who did a bunch of imaging studies and... I have degenerative disc disease with a herniated disc. From what I've read, it's considered a normal funding for "someone your age" (I'm only 45, what the...?) and they say it doesn't cause pain, but it hurts like a mofo.

Since I can't tolerate Vicodin, Percocet or Ultram (I get jittery, anxious, and feel like I'm going to crawl out of my skin -- oh, and the Ultram makes me nauseous), my options are increasingly limited. Fortunately I'm a WLS patient who can tolerate NSAIDS so I take copious amounts of Motrin regularly with (knock on wood) no ill effects on my gut. But still... not a good long term option.

So, I'm going to try acupuncture. I called my insurance company and I get 12 visits per calendar year and the provider I want to see is part of our network. I'll let you guys know how it goes!


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## knottyknicky (Nov 4, 2010)

Update: I switched sides of the bed, and my pain is literally gone. I still get a little stiff sometimes, but the pain is GONE. I think when hubs and I switched sides back in June/July, I started sleeping in a way that pinched a nerve in my back. I tried the other side and its amazing the difference. Holy moley.


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## ThatFatGirl (Nov 4, 2010)

knottyknicky said:


> Update: I switched sides of the bed, and my pain is literally gone. I still get a little stiff sometimes, but the pain is GONE. I think when hubs and I switched sides back in June/July, I started sleeping in a way that pinched a nerve in my back. I tried the other side and its amazing the difference. Holy moley.



That is awesome! I love when something as simple as this makes such a huge difference.


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## Resson (Jun 24, 2011)

Hello everyone.I have back problem from last two years.I feel lot of pain when i sit more then 2 hour.What is this? IS it a serious problem? What should i do for it.Reply soon.


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## penguin (Jun 24, 2011)

Resson said:


> Hello everyone.I have back problem from last two years.I feel lot of pain when i sit more then 2 hour.What is this? IS it a serious problem? What should i do for it.Reply soon.



Get up and move around every half hour or so. I get sore if I do anything for too long, so it's a matter of balance.


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## Dansinfool (Jun 24, 2011)

Resson said:


> Hello everyone.I have back problem from last two years.I feel lot of pain when i sit more then 2 hour.What is this? IS it a serious problem? What should i do for it.Reply soon.



Resson.....My first question to you is....have you been to a Doctor to get any kind of Diagnois for your back? If it's been going on for 2 years and your in your in pain you need to have it checked. It's hard for anyone here to speculate on whats wrong with you.
Where in your back are you feeling pain? What did you do 2 years ago when you first started experiencing discomfort? As you can see without a medical history everone here will guess as to what is wrong with your back.
I always say When in doubt check it out. Then you can have a course of treatment set up for yourself. Is this pain shooting down your leg?
Lots of people who have back may have siatica. Or you have a problem with a disc in your lower back. Again, its all speculation until you get a clear diagnosis.
Anytime you have pain the body is telling you something is wrong. Dont delay it any longr and go see a Doc. 2 yrs is to long unless you dont have insurance or something.
Good luck and keep us posted.


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## Webmaster (Jun 24, 2011)

The frustrating thing with back pain is that you rarely ever know what the problem is. 

In my case, I've had absolutely debilitating, immobilizing lower back pain. So bad that my world became reduced to simply concentrating on staying absolutely put in fear of the unbearable pain that would hit if I just moved a fraction of an inch. At one point that sort of pain hit me as I was about to enter my rental car in a parking garage in Chicago. For two hours I stood next to the car, unable to move at all, before I could at least gingerly lower myself in the seat.

Conventional medicine might reveal this anomaly or that, and perhaps nothing. In my case, the doctor spoke of partially collapsed vertebrae, and how those could be fused together, but that'd be a back operation, hardly an attractive prospect. So I consulted with a chiropractor who came to a very different conclusion.

Overall, I've gone to chiropractors on three separate occasions in my life. The first time it worked miraculously well. I went from constant back pain to none, and even an overall great feeling of wellness. The second and third time, years later, chiropractic sessions didn't help at all.

Before I resigned myself to living with chronic back pain, I tried conventional medicine one more time. More X-rays revealed little, not even the supposed collapsed vertebrae. So I was sent to physical therapy where I had to fill out this mile-long questionnaire. Next thing I know I get a concerned call from a counselor who apparently thought I was a suicide candidate. How they concluded that was unclear to me as there was neither such a question, nor have I ever even contemplated the thought. After I assured him that was certainly not the case, they sort of lost interest.

Just when I thought I'd have to live the rest of my life with chronic back pain, it vanished. Poof. Gone. No idea why, and it hasn't come back (touch wood!) in years.

What do I make of it? No idea. But I do have advice: be good to your back. Don't do foolish things just because you can. Us guys often try to show how tough and manly we are. Don't. It's not worth it to hurt your back.

So that's my story. For advice other than the above, prior posters have it covered. 




mpls_girl26 said:


> So Saturday I spent the day chasing around a 2 1/2 year old at the park, carrying him on my shoulders, racing him for rockets, climbing slides, etc. At some point amongst all that fun I did something to my back. It wasn't until I was sitting down for a while and tried standing up that I noticed the pain.
> 
> By Sunday morning I couldn't get out of bed, had to literally crawl to the bathroom and back to my bed....it was NOT a pretty sight. I live alone so all I could think about was someone coming to check on me and me being naked, face down on the floor with a pool of piss around me because I couldn't make it to the bathroom. Needless to say tears were shed.
> 
> ...


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## pendulous (Jul 6, 2011)

My girlfriend is getting aches and pains in her lower back and her hips. She is blaming her weight, but I'm convinced it is unsupportive seating. Our sofa is terrible, as is her chair at work. We can't afford a new sofa, so I'm wondering about some kind of back support/cushion to augment what we already have.

I'm wondering if anyone has encountered a similar problem and discovered a solution?

I appreciate the posts about chiropractors, but I suppose I'm seeking a preventative measure.


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## Miss Vickie (Jul 6, 2011)

pendulous said:


> My girlfriend is getting aches and pains in her lower back and her hips. She is blaming her weight, but I'm convinced it is unsupportive seating. Our sofa is terrible, as is her chair at work. We can't afford a new sofa, so I'm wondering about some kind of back support/cushion to augment what we already have.
> 
> I'm wondering if anyone has encountered a similar problem and discovered a solution?
> 
> I appreciate the posts about chiropractors, but I suppose I'm seeking a preventative measure.



My husband has a really neat-o seating apparatus that he uses when he's sitting on unsupportive seating. It has low back support, straps and basically uses tension on his knees to support his low back. I'll have to ask him the name of it and see if it's available.

Another option, if you feel the couch is a problem, is to have her sit on something else. Depending on how much she weighs, she can sit on one of those fitness balls. They're cheap -- about $20 -- and can be moved out of the way when she's not using it. I had a lot of low back problems sitting at my desk and nixed my desk chair and got one of those to sit on and it's great. I

I know you can also buy lumbar support pillows. You might check a tempurpedic store. Also, she should be sure to sleep with a pillow between her knees, and try to sleep on her side, not her stomach.

Ideally, though, she should see a provider so that they can diagnose what the problem is. Depending on the source of the problem, there may be some exercises that can help. And while weight may be a contributing factor, there are other issues -- like unsupportive seating -- which also play a role.


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## GrowingBoy (Jul 14, 2011)

ThatFatGirl said:


> That is awesome! I love when something as simple as this makes such a huge difference.



Had the same experience. Was sleeping on a "sleep number" bed that had gotten out of whack (chord was unplugged, duh). Sleeping on an air mattress or water bed that is underfilled/underinflated is a prescription for pain. Fixing it made quite a bit of difference, literally overnight. 

Also, I second the advice on core exercises. I was prescripted these in PT for my lower back pain. Doing them keeps it from coming back. If I slack off for more than a few days, pain comes back.


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## lypeaches (Dec 1, 2011)

From a fellow sufferer...I've found a couple things that work for me. 

First, for those with deep tissue muscle pain...a product...

The Fenix Rehab System. I LOVE this thing. It's essentially a glorified peg-board that you lay on, positioning the cushioned pegs where your sore muscles/trigger points are. You can control the pressure with your body if you're really sensitive, but it also enables you to get in super deep if you want ...and you do it all yourself, you don't have to bribe someone to do it for you .

www.fenixstopspain.com

The second thing is a particular exercise that my chiropractor gave me, and it works like a hot damn on my low back pain (the aforementioned tramp stamp area). You need an exercise ball...which you lay on, positioning it under your hips/belly area, toes and palms on the floor, so that you are essentially in the "up" position of a mens push-up, but supported by the ball under your hips. Then, left each leg, heel up, as high as you comfortably can, 5 - 7 times, each leg. Repeat one more time. 

That's it. Whenever I get the low back pain, if I start doing those exercises, once a day, the pain is literally gone within 2 - 3 days. And if I keep doing it a couple times a week it doesn't don't come back. 

Just passing on a couple things that have worked, and do work for me...hopefully they'll help someone else.


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