# Back injury from brushing teeth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 9, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948 "2003-12-09T16:20:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/1 "2003-12-09T16:20:25Z")
An employee in our department called in sick today, saying she “hurt her back while brushing her teeth.”:dubious: I cannot imagine how this could have happened. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/2 "2003-12-09T16:57:58Z")
She could have leaned over the sink to spit in a funny way. It could have happened when she tried to straighten back up. Just one wierd move could be the last straw in a back that’s ready to go. I threw my back out washing my bicycle. I tipped the bike forward with my left hand by lifting the seat, I turned the pedal with my right hand and POW!! Instant agony. That was the end of my youthful indestructability. Recently I pulled a muscle in my back changing a diaper. I had to take a couple days off being that I could barely stand up straight, much less walk. ---
**Author:** ![cellblock\_view](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@cellblock\_view](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cellblock_view)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/3 "2003-12-09T17:00:35Z")
I’m at the age where you can hurt your shoulder yawning. And when I get a leg cramp I have to stand up right away and put weight on it, which can startle others eating dinner with me. You’ll find out all about it when they return, don’t worry. And you’ll wish you never asked. ---
**Author:** ![VenusProbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e495f1/32.png) [@VenusProbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VenusProbe)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/4 "2003-12-09T17:03:35Z")
I once pulled a muscle in my back closing the shower curtain, the pain was so bad I was on my knees and could not stand up for about 5 minutes. I ended up on the couch for most of the morning because I could hardly move without a spasm. So yeah, I can see it happening. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/5 "2003-12-09T17:18:31Z")
I can totally see it. My back goes out for no discernable reason whatsoever. Went out on me last Thursday while I was standing still. Still have residual pain from it today, and last night was the first night in a week I slept pain-free. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/6 "2003-12-09T17:24:02Z")
Hmm…ok, you’ve turned me around on this. I thought it was some lame excuse to get out of work. It might still be, but I see now that it is at least _possibly_ true. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/7 "2003-12-09T18:25:06Z")
When your back goes out, where does it go? Does it meet with other backs in a downtown pub and swap stories? Do they do shots of linament? I’ve never heard of someone walking into work and saying, “My back came back, I feel much better.” ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/8 "2003-12-09T18:28:16Z")
The best work excuse I ever heard was from the woman who called to say she couldn’t come to work becasue she ‘Stepped on her sandwich.’ I laughed so hard I didn’t care that she was slacking. Luckily, my back has not caused me any problems, knock-on-wood, but from hearing stories from people I know who do have back problems it almost sounds like it is almost common to throw one’s back out doing ordinary things. The last person I heard about this from threw his out taking off his coat too quickly. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/9 "2003-12-09T21:11:21Z")
I threw my back out sleeping. sigh. I’m only 24! ---
**Author:** ![katie1341](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/91b2a8/32.png) [@katie1341](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katie1341)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/10 "2003-12-09T22:35:15Z")
I had back surgery a couple of weeks ago- I blew out a disk in a pretty conventional manner, picking up a really heavy box that I should have had some burly, handsome man pick up for me. I joked to my Dr that I was going to tell everyone I hurt it rock climbing or something, and he said that an amazing number of people do serious damage to their backs by sneezing or by, ahem, moving their bowels. Maybe she was just too emabarrassed to tell you how she really did it! ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Serpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@Silver\_Serpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Serpentine)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/11 "2003-12-10T02:53:37Z")
I’ve had back problems for literally as long as I can remember - and I’m only 20. I’ve done exercises and everything, and it keeps coming back. Just last week, my back and the muscles on the back of my left hip felt weak. I couldn’t put all my weight on my left leg without it collapsing. I don’t know what made it start hurtingin the first place. The only thing that made it go away? Getting tipsy and going to bed. Woke up pain free. Nicest morning I’ve had in weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/12 "2003-12-10T05:06:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SiXSwordS \* > \*\*The best work excuse I ever heard was from the woman who called to say she couldn’t come to work becasue she ‘Stepped on her sandwich.’ I laughed so hard I didn’t care that she was slacking. \*\* Ahahaha, did you ever get an explanation for that? That’s hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/13 "2003-12-10T07:26:16Z")
I hurt my back once while putting on my socks. I had to lay down for a few minutes before I could get mobile again. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/14 "2003-12-10T08:21:14Z")
Last school year, my back, hips, shoulders, or legs would sometimes hurt so much that I could barely stand up or walk–this would happen randomly, often in the middle of (or between) classes. Another fairly common occurence was for both of my calves to cramp up at once; this would happen in class, at home, or sometimes while I was walking–sometimes as often as once or twice a day (sometimes not to the point of being a “cramp”, but definitely tight enough that I was in some pain). You don’t _know_ pain until you’ve been in that kind of physical state (or worse–I know that many people have to deal with more than that). I was 16 at the time, btw. I’ve been seeing a postural realignment type specialist since this summer and am now fully functional. Anyway, the point is that anyone can be suddenly incapacitated by physical pain at any time, as has already been demonstrated in this thread–just wanted to add my story. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/15 "2003-12-10T08:22:40Z")
Oh, and one time, two people I knew threw out their backs sneezing at around the same time. They were both hospitalized. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/16 "2003-12-10T08:25:17Z")
Even assuming it’s totally true, I would have come up with something more plausible for when I called in sick. “I threw out my back whilst battling homicidal burglars”. Much more machi than a personal hygiene inury 😉 ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/17 "2003-12-10T08:26:37Z")
doh! macho machO ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/18 "2003-12-10T17:53:53Z")
My knee blows out for no reason at all. Like sitting in a chair, suddenly my knee is in agony and if I try to put weight on it, I’ll fall to the floor. And it might stay that way for a week. I have no idea why. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/19 "2003-12-10T21:31:20Z")
As a healthy, fit 17-year-old, I severely pulled a hamtring during a _math exam_. Best guess was that I was clenching due to the stress of writing the test, and when I stretched my legs out… PATWANG! “Eeeeyaaargh!” Couldn’t walk out of the classroom on my own two feet. ---
**Author:** ![Magnolia\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Magnolia\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magnolia_B)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948/20 "2003-12-10T21:41:24Z")
I hope this isn’t too bad of a hijack - this is too funny not to share but I don’t think it deserves it’s own thread. My boyfriend’s Admin Assistant told their boss that she had to go home because her ass was raw. No, there was no other explanation than that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-injury-from-brushing-teeth/217948.md?page=2)