Back Pain

[Nonbryan 173]

Looking for helpful input on relieving lower back pain.  L5-S1 to be exact.  We have seen PT and Airrosti guys but with minimal success.  Does anyone have a technique or person in Austin that is really good at helping with these sort of things?  Thx.

[El Diablo 4232]

Don't move and give it time.

I injured my back in '96 and bottom line is my suggestion above is what ended up being the most beneficial. It would flare up occasionally over the years and bed rest, sometimes for several days, was always the answer. Boss I had at the time told me that it would get better with time but as I was dealing with it I just didn't believe him, I thought I was furked for good. PT sucked balls, that just aggravated the already inflamed nerves. Pain meds weren't really much help nor were the muscle relaxants. Turned out he was right. Over time it got better as long as I didn't aggravate it and I've been pain free for some years now, not even a flare up.

Good luck, sucks ass when it happens and can have a long lasting and lingering impact.

[MadTrapper 153]

Have you had an MRI? I had L5-S1 disk bulge pressing against my nerves and it hurt like hell. After seeing the actual image I was amazed at how much the disk was protruding. Did the standard Mackenzie back excercises initially, but a steroid shot followed by PT worked the best. For bulging disks, they can indeed 'heal' over time, as in your body absorbs the part that is bulging. That seems to have happened in my case, but the shot definitely helped a lot.

 

Being more active, not sitting on my ass at work all the time (standing table), and taking ibuprofen whenever my back feels inflamed all seemed to have helped together.

 

Edit: I saw Dr. Weiner in Houston at Methodist. So sorry no Austin recs.

[dad 557]

I had back pain all through college, felt like a herniated disc but I didn't have health insurance so I never got it diagnosed. The one stretch that helped me out the most was the one where you lay flat on your stomach and push your upper body up but keep your torso on the ground. Do this repeatedly and hold.

[DaysOff 7959]

Prone pushup

Also stretch that hammy. It's all connected.

[It Takes Eleven 7]

I blew my L4-L5 at 34, read up on how 80 percent of all bulging discs can be resolved through PT or injections.  MD said no, you're a surgical candidate.  Microdiscectomy 19 years ago and it was the best outcome I could've imagined.  I stopped playing in basketball leagues, but continued hiking and working and doing anything else I wanted.  17 years later, at 51, same symptoms, went back to my old neurosurgeon.  After a number of excruciating PT sessions, he decided surgery was a need again.  Day of surgery, I was home by 11am and, other than pain meds and muscle relaxers on the day of surgery, I took nothing but advil for the pain.  Between a small re-rupture and scar tissue from the original surgery, doc said I'd never have resolved through PT or injections.  It's been two years and I feel great.

The days of "never have back surgery because you'll be damaged for life" are over.  Minimally invasive procedures were not mainstream when I had my first surgery almost 20 years ago.  Now it's customary.  Admittedly, surgery will always leave you with a damaged joint in your back, but it's a far cry from the chain saw days gone by.

 

 

[pearlandhorn 3274]

Don't go to a chiropractor.  Just go to a real doctor if you decide to go that route.

[Brewin’1up 34]

I had initially injured my back when I was in college, working at a drive-thru beer barn and moving kegs. One time, instead of lifting with my legs, I twisted and slung a keg into the bed of a truck. It twinged and hurt like hell, and when I woke up the next morning I couldn’t get out of bed, I had to roll onto the floor and pull myself up. Fast forward 10 years… It had been sore for a while, but I was having some sexy time with the wife and threw it out again (embarrassing, I know). Only this time I legitimately couldn’t move. I was laid up in bed for a couple weeks in constant pain, pissing in a jar, and popping pain meds like they were Tic-Tacs. The only position that relieved “some” of the pain, was when I was lying flat on my back with my knees up. Finally one weekend the wife and kids were away at her moms, I tried to get up to use the bathroom and fell and couldn’t get up. I lay on the floor for several hours till the wife got home that evening. I’m a big dude 6’4”, 270# and there was no way she was picking me up, so she ended up calling EMS. They arrived and we decided to go to the hospital. The Doc at the ER just wanted to give me some more pain meds and send me home, but we made them do an MRI. It ended up being bulging disks. I got a referral to a Pain Specialist and got scheduled for the injections. The steroid injections worked like a miracle for me. I hobbled into the doctor’s office like I was one of Jerry’s Kids with my back all twisted up and using two canes to keep from falling. After the injections, I walked out carrying the canes. I kick myself in the ass for lying around in pain for as long as I did. These days when I feel it getting tight, I have a foam roller and some exercises to stretch it out. That and losing some weight seems to help me most now.

TLDR: short term - talk to a Pain Specialist, and look into getting a steroid injection. Long term - stretch/exercise/lose weight.

[SDG 3319]

A couple years ago I was having lower back pain.  I may have gotten the advice on Shaggy, but I ended up buying one of these as a first step.  In my case it solved my problem so I didn’t have to take any further steps.  I’m not a DR but it may be worth a shot.

 

https://www.amazon.com/North-American-Healthcare-JB4866-Stretcher

[Chuychanga 133]

My L5-S1 was herniated and pressing on my sciatic nerve. PT alone was a temporary help. By the end of the day it would hurt again. Steroid injections were laughed at and put to shame by my stubborn sciatic. Surgery changed my world. I know everyone says to only do surgery as a last resort, but I don’t get it. It was fucking awesome for me. My sciatic pain was gone the moment I woke up. Yeah my back was a little stiff for a while but continued stretching and movement has eased that. Post surgery, I never felt any worse than I did pre-surgery. My only regret about it is not doing it sooner.  I had a microsdiscectomy with NeuroTexas.  

Other things to add. Rest for back problems isn’t always good.  It got herniated by overworking to make up for your weak core. Strengthen with core work will actually help the injured parts rest by not having to compensate for the weaknesses anymore.  And walk. When you think you’ve walked enough, walk more. Core work every day.  

[staboner 4984]

depending on how old you are + the chronic nature of the injury = i would recommend an MRI. 

long time back sufferer here. I do 10+ things a day to keep my chronic pain down. Stationary bike, PT, pilates, stretching, multiple offices, chairs, standing desks, heating pads, ice, fuck me it goes on and on. SI joint instability is bad

you want to chat just let me know. be happy to share my experience with you and lend some advice

every back injury is different and they are all moving targets. good luck. 

[El Diablo 4232]

11 hours ago, DaysOff said:

Prone pushup

Also stretch that hammy. It's all connected.

Agree on stretching the hammy, it helps a lot and sometimes immediately for me. I guess it depends on which direction the disc is bulging but for me getting into the fetal position provided the best stretch to give some relief.

[CleverNickname 1320]

Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

Sciatic. Arse hot poker, except sometimes it's lower calf, or a rictus of blue balls. Steroids, please please work. Can't sleep, but sitting all days itself is pain. To the church of codeine, I pledge my soul. 

[washparkhorn 9939]

On 4/11/2018 at 10:10 PM, DaysOff said:

Prone pushup

Or in yoga, the Cobra (I think).

Yoga and Pilates didn't cure me. But post-op (two-level fusion L4-SI), Pilates and yoga certainly set a good foundation for rehab.  I still do both daily. Good luck. 

[washparkhorn 9939]

On 9/5/2021 at 7:48 PM, CleverNickname said:

Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

Sciatic. Arse hot poker, except sometimes it's lower calf, or a rictus of blue balls. Steroids, please please work. Can't sleep, but sitting all days itself is pain. To the church of codeine, I pledge my soul. 

Make sure you are stretching your piriformis. It is the source of a lot of sciatica flareups (they suck ass).  Good luck.

Two piriformis stretches I do daily:

and

[Irish Wrist Watch 1392]

You have two giant muscles on either side of your spine. Lay oh your side. Have a massage therapist of signif other apply pressure to the muscle (on the topside of your spine) below the ribcage using their forearm. Pull your leg on that side up to your chest, then stretch it down and back. sort of like riding a bicycle. Flip over and repeat. This stretches those muscles and immediately relieves the pressure on the spine.

You can duplicate the maneuver by yourself if you have a sleigh bed and a very firm pillow. The bed itself applies the pressure to the muscle. The only difference is the side your working on is on the bottom, not the top.

[Knoxtnhorn 6061]

Any advice on the most f'd up pinched nerve of all-time?

Started 3 weeks ago.  Pain between my shoulder blades.  After a few days, my right shoulder blade felt like it had a nail in it.  Then my right back shoulder and arm started hurting and falling asleep.  About a week ago, it moved more centrally.  Over the weekend, I kept waking up with both of my arms asleep.  Now, the gdamn left side is flaring up, I can't really turn my head in either direction, sleep is impossible, "nail" in my left shoulder blade.  I've pinched a nerve before, but it always got better after a couple of days.

[gyroprotagonist 2594]

31 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Any advice on the most f'd up pinched nerve of all-time?

Started 3 weeks ago.  Pain between my shoulder blades.  After a few days, my right shoulder blade felt like it had a nail in it.  Then my right back shoulder and arm started hurting and falling asleep.  About a week ago, it moved more centrally.  Over the weekend, I kept waking up with both of my arms asleep.  Now, the gdamn left side is flaring up, I can't really turn my head in either direction, sleep is impossible, "nail" in my left shoulder blade.  I've pinched a nerve before, but it always got better after a couple of days.

go to a doc and get some steroids.  

[Irish Wrist Watch 1392]

2 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Any advice on the most f'd up pinched nerve of all-time?

Started 3 weeks ago.  Pain between my shoulder blades.  After a few days, my right shoulder blade felt like it had a nail in it.  Then my right back shoulder and arm started hurting and falling asleep.  About a week ago, it moved more centrally.  Over the weekend, I kept waking up with both of my arms asleep.  Now, the gdamn left side is flaring up, I can't really turn my head in either direction, sleep is impossible, "nail" in my left shoulder blade.  I've pinched a nerve before, but it always got better after a couple of days.

If your arms are getting numb, sounds like disk compression to me. A friend who knows about these things says that we'll all need  back surgery if we live long enough. How old are you?

[Knoxtnhorn 6061]

39 minutes ago, Irish Wrist Watch said:

If your arms are getting numb, sounds like disk compression to me. A friend who knows about these things says that we'll all need  back surgery if we live long enough. How old are you?

Still in my 40's so, old enough.  It's odd because I never had one incident of back pain in all my life of playing sports and being extremely active.  As soon as I had my first "issue" about 10 years ago, my back has been on and off every few months.

[Tom 2959]

I hurt my lower back in the gym either squatting or overhead pressing years ago and always had a pain in the lower right side of my back, probably from some sort of inflamed disc or pinched nerve.  I know everyone's situation is different, but these two stretches I found on Youtube really helped alleviate the pain and get back to normal.  I no longer have access to the video, but it's basically this:

 

1. Lay flat on your back with both your shoulders touching the floor.

Bend your knees up and then rotate them to one side of the floor, keeping both your shoulders as flat as possible so that only your hips/lower back are stretching and turning. 

Hold for 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side.

 

2. Do the same thing with your back and shoulders flat on the floor.

This time only lift up one knee and bend it.

Rotate the bent knee over your other leg that's still flat on the floor and try to touch the bent knee to the floor or as close as you can.  Your shoulders should still be as flat as possible on the floor.  This should be a deeper stretch than the first one.  Hold for 30 seconds and switch sides.

[Knoxtnhorn 6061]

My upper back pinched nerve started feeling better, so I thought it'd be a good idea to bike for 2 hours today.  Now I have both lower back (possible SI joint) pain AND upper back (pinched nerve) pain.  I've got a huge bottle of Hydros; however, I don't want to rely on that and get addicted.  Plus, I've noticed that, whenever I take pain meds (it's been a couple of years) or muscle relaxers, it F's up my next day.  As a teacher, it really sucks to be in a place where you're tired, moody, and easily annoyed.