Dealing with lower back pain

[tevari]

I woke up on Thursday and could barely get out of bed. I don't know if it's a strain or something else. Has anyone tried sleeping on the floor for a couple nights to straighten your back out? I've heard conflicting reports on whether it helps or not - some say yes, others say it makes the pain worse. My pain is kind of like, a dull, constant ache that is more prominent obviously when I stand up or lean forward.

[Lookingtostart]

Visit a chiropractor. Doing anything else is guesswork.

[chilidog]

I work in front of a computer for about 8 hours a day, and have done so for the past ~15 years. I had bad back pain for quite awhile. Definitely go see a chiropractor, and then a good massage therapist. The massage therapist will show you stretches that you'll need to start doing daily, but it helps so much. Your hips could also be rather tight, and there's plenty of stretches for your hips.

[SBR Lou]

Visit a chiropractor. Doing anything else is guesswork.

Usually just makes the problem worse/your body dependent to the adjustments.

I'd echo chili's advice with the good massage therapist and go from there. Sitting in a hot tub or jacuzzi if you have one would also help.

[TheLock]

tevari

That happened to me out of the blue in my mid-20's

Spent thousands at a chiro when I could have spent hundreds and then began stretching

-Put a towel on the floor and lay on your back. Pull your knees to your chest with your hands and hold for 10 seconds. Don't hold your breath. Do 4 sets of that

-lay on your back and keep your knees bent (so that your knees are at their highest). Lift your pelvis in the air as high as you can (yes it looks a little silly). Hold that position for 10 seconds. Keep breathing. Do 4 sets.

Do those 2 stretches every morning when you wake up and force yourself to drink 10-16 ounces of water with lemon.

2 Advil in the morning and 2 at night for a week to reduce the inflammation

Good luck.

[leafs_ducks]

Sleep on the floor
Do deadlifts

[Doc JS]

Alternate ice and wet heat (hot shower/hot tub/whirlpool) every 2 hours for 15-20 mins. Ice minimizes swelling. Wet heat stimulates blood flow.

If you don't have any stomach ulcers, get started on an OTC NAID like advil. Depending on your size, 3 or 4 (600 to 800mg) three times a day with food. Make sure you take the NSAID's with food in your stomach to avoid gastritis/ulcer.

If you have a muscle relaxer like Flexeril or Soma, they can be helpful in reducing muscle spasms.

If you have narcotic pain meds like Vicodin, they can help with pain.

Be aware both muscle relaxers and narcotic pain meds can make you drowsy. Don't drive or operate machinery while you're on them.

Google Williams Back Exercises. Do the back exercises after you've done the wet heat and your back is as loose as it can be.

If this doesn't help, see your doctor, you may need an MRI to rule out a HNP or slipped disc.

Hope this helps.

Doc

[Bluehorseshoe]

tevari

That happened to me out of the blue in my mid-20's

Spent thousands at a chiro when I could have spent hundreds and then began stretching

-Put a towel on the floor and lay on your back. Pull your knees to your chest with your hands and hold for 10 seconds. Don't hold your breath. Do 4 sets of that

-lay on your back and keep your knees bent (so that your knees are at their highest). Lift your pelvis in the air as high as you can (yes it looks a little silly). Hold that position for 10 seconds. Keep breathing. Do 4 sets.

Do those 2 stretches every morning when you wake up and force yourself to drink 10-16 ounces of water with lemon.

2 Advil in the morning and 2 at night for a week to reduce the inflammation

Good luck.

This.

The second move I put my feet against the wall.

[Bigbill365]

oh boy the famous back strain i strained mine or pulled it.It took about 2 months to fully heal back to normal.It felt better when i would sit with my legs straight and crack my lower back

[Lookingtostart]

Some interesting advice, I'll look into a message therapist. I visit a chiro every now and again, they do help but I also know that stretches help as well, you just need to know the right ones I guess.

[bradyj90]

Stretch your back as much as possible while drinking insane amount of fluids. It may hurt to do so but it is the quickest way to recovery. I wouldn't put all my faith into a chiropractor as that is a very short-term fix. The more limber and equally limber your calves quads and hams are, the less problems you will have with your back, guaranteed.

[TheMoneyShot]

Tevari - I've had back surgery. I understand what you're going through... there are a few steps to relieve stress first. Stress is the #1 reason why a person has lower back issues... it's a build up of inflammation 9/10 times.

1. Go see a massage therapist who specializes in "deep tissue" massage. Tell the massage therapist exactly the area you're hurting at.

2. Advil Gel Caps work wonders for short relief. If it's mild inflammation... you should be well in about 3-5 days. Grab yourself a bottle over the counter.

Everything else... is pure speculation. But inflammation is the cause to all back pain.

[tevari]

Thank you all so much for the responses. I thought I was a bit young to have these problems but I kind of looked back and realized I've always sort of had lower back pain since my late teens (I'm 27 now). I will take them all to heart and see how it is.

[Snowball]

from someone who has it, let me tell you what's worked for me...
btw, mine comes from heavy lifting at work years ago, constant lifting..

stretch.

learn how to stretch your lower back properly. some examples:

1. standing, one foot on floor, the other leg extended with ankle resting around
waist-height (on a beam, furniture, table, etc.), extend opposite hand
to opposing raised ankle. ultimately you will get face to knee.
2. sit on floor, spread legs. opposite hand to foot, both, then center, leaning forward.
3. standing, feet together, touching.. bend down to floor. you should be able to palm the floor.

always go slowly... lock and HOLD, counting 30 seconds before extending further.

doing these has pretty much eliminated my lower back pain.

[ukgaz]

Maybe time to change your mattress - Memory foam is the way to go

[TheRifleman]

listen to me...I've dealt with lower back pain for years and years and years..

GO GET A NEW MATTRESS.....a good orthopedic one, FIRM.

Your mattress is contributing 90% to your back pain....i've literally crawled on my belly because I couldn't stand up straight without severe agonizing pain..until I bought a new ORTHOPEDIC MATTRESS....it worked....I thought I was in heaven the first few nights I slept on that new mattress....I woke the first night up with no pain, not hunched over...didn't take me 30 mins to stand up straight.....and it's been like that for a few years now

Life has been a lot better ....and no debilitating back pain..just the normal pain associated with degenerating disc disease.....

[thezbar]

Swimming has been very useful for me. I've had lower back issues on and off for years.

[belvedere86]

do some exercices to strenghten your core:

camel-cat exercise is also a good one.

[BeatTheJerk]

OxyContin works for me used in moderation. (10mg)

[dante1]

tevari

That happened to me out of the blue in my mid-20's

Spent thousands at a chiro when I could have spent hundreds and then began stretching

-Put a towel on the floor and lay on your back. Pull your knees to your chest with your hands and hold for 10 seconds. Don't hold your breath. Do 4 sets of that

-lay on your back and keep your knees bent (so that your knees are at their highest). Lift your pelvis in the air as high as you can (yes it looks a little silly). Hold that position for 10 seconds. Keep breathing. Do 4 sets.

Do those 2 stretches every morning when you wake up and force yourself to drink 10-16 ounces of water with lemon.

2 Advil in the morning and 2 at night for a week to reduce the inflammation

Good luck.

This back exercises work the best, see the doctor if you must but try these exercises too. They will work wonders unless you have a serious back injury.

[Gator10069]

I second the firm mattress. I've been through 2 fusion surgeries and I get relief from the mattress and get a recommendation for a good therapist.

[probettor1]

Visit a chiropractor. Doing anything else is guesswork.

before you visit a chiropractor read what is a chiropractor on wikipedia. See if there is any cientific evidence to support their systems. Check who invented it and how he did it. If you still want to go limit your visits to one or so.

Any way sleeping on the floor is not recommended, floor is to hard, if you want to do it make sure to get a few blankets to soften the floor, bone on floor is painful.
take ibuprofen and use ice packs, 20 minutes 4 to 5 times per days of ice packs
once you start getting better find someone to teach you a home exercise program to stretch and streghten your core muscle(physical therapist or check online, make sure you dont do anything to make it worse)
avoid high impact exersice if you have pain

[Ghenghis Kahn]

tell your boyfriend to chill out with anal fisting for a while.

[probettor1]

tell your boyfriend to chill out with anal fisting for a while.

That is trolling.

[mikejamm]

Gezzz us christ! Medical advice from a gambling forum? Dude, go see a doctor. Period. You don't know what is causing the pain and neither does anyone else here. So before you do something that could possibly make it worse, get it checked out. If you have a pinched nerve or a slipped disc, doing exercise or taking a bunch of pills will only make it worse! Plus, back pain can sometimes mask a more serious problem, you may think it's back pain, but unless you've actually done something to cause it, I'd get a doctor's professional diagnosis first.

[probettor1]

Gezzz us christ! Medical advice from a gambling forum? Dude, go see a doctor. Period. You don't know what is causing the pain and neither does anyone else here. So before you do something that could possibly make it worse, get it checked out. If you have a pinched nerve or a slipped disc, doing exercise or taking a bunch of pills will only make it worse! Plus, back pain can sometimes mask a more serious problem, you may think it's back pain, but unless you've actually done something to cause it, I'd get a doctor's professional diagnosis first.

Mike do you think every one here is a loser like you?. My job is taking care of people with lower back pain, I see over 20 cases a day with back pain. Dont you dare to underestimate the forum. There are doctors, lawyers, mechanics, hookers, and all sort of professions here.

[TheLock]

OxyContin works for me used in moderation. (10mg)

Worst possible long term resolution (with the exception of suicide).

[probettor1]

Worst possible long term resolution (with the exception of suicide).

[mikejamm]

Mike do you think every one here is a loser like you?. My job is taking care of people with lower back pain, I see over 20 cases a day with back pain. Dont you dare to underestimate the forum. There are doctors, lawyers, mechanics, hookers, and all sort of professions here.

This coming from an idiot who doesn't believe in chiropractors! Never said there wasn't "professionals" on the site. Hookers? Lol! I merely suggested he see a "real" doctor rather than take some advice that could lead to making the problem worse. I don't remember you stating you're a doctor and if you are, you're obviously ignorant to the benefits chiropractic treatment can provide. Yeah and by the way asshole, I'm up positive over the lifetime of my better career, and I always will be after the big hits I've made. So take your "loser" comment and shove it.

[ColdBeerHere]

I've been dealing with back pain for about 13 years now..

Things that help me:

Chiropractor
I sleep with a pillow between my legs
Stiffer mattress
Stretching twice a day helps a lot but I've been lazy
If it gets too bad you might want to get some kind of back support for when you do anything physical as well

[beefcake]

Tevari,I know a great neurosurgeon who did my neck fusion surgery a year ago.He also does backs..

[probettor1]

I've been dealing with back pain for about 13 years now..

Things that help me:

Chiropractor
I sleep with a pillow between my legs
Stiffer mattress
Stretching twice a day helps a lot but I've been lazy
If it gets too bad you might want to get some kind of back support for when you do anything physical as well

This is why you have been dealing with back pain for 13 years: You have been doing it all wrong, starting with a chiropractor. Matt Serra had a lumbar disk herniation with severe pain, he did real rehab, not chiropractor rehab and went back to fight with no surgery. The main thing to do is strenghtening of core muscle. You missed that in your list. I would recommend avoid high impact exercise too as long as you have pain.

[tevari]

So, I did talk to my doc over the phone and he says I'm likely suffering from adrenal fatigue (even though that's not a term recognized by western medicine). He said it could be due to anything....stress from work, lack of sleep, TOO MUCH CAFFEINE intake, etc. He said a lot of people who never really complained about back pain and then all of a sudden have it, usually confuse it with exhausted adrenal glands, which are right above the kidneys.....get some rest, drink lots of water, yadda yadda.

[probettor1]

So, I did talk to my doc over the phone and he says I'm likely suffering from adrenal fatigue (even though that's not a term recognized by western medicine). He said it could be due to anything....stress from work, lack of sleep, TOO MUCH CAFFEINE intake, etc. He said a lot of people who never really complained about back pain and then all of a sudden have it, usually confuse it with exhausted adrenal glands, which are right above the kidneys.....get some rest, drink lots of water, yadda yadda.

Did you talk to a sports medicine doctor? Your doctor sound a little bit lost.

[Big Bear]

tevari

That happened to me out of the blue in my mid-20's

Spent thousands at a chiro when I could have spent hundreds and then began stretching

-Put a towel on the floor and lay on your back. Pull your knees to your chest with your hands and hold for 10 seconds. Don't hold your breath. Do 4 sets of that

-lay on your back and keep your knees bent (so that your knees are at their highest). Lift your pelvis in the air as high as you can (yes it looks a little silly). Hold that position for 10 seconds. Keep breathing. Do 4 sets.

Do those 2 stretches every morning when you wake up and force yourself to drink 10-16 ounces of water with lemon.

2 Advil in the morning and 2 at night for a week to reduce the inflammation

Good luck.

i will try that. thanks