# Back pain...caution: whiny. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 9, 2011, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-pain-caution-whiny/605610 "2011-12-09T12:24:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![beachbetch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@beachbetch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beachbetch)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-pain-caution-whiny/605610/1 "2011-12-09T12:24:25Z")
I went to a hot yoga class. It felt amazing while I was in class, not so much afterwards. I have had left lumbar pain ever since (one week duration). I cannot imagine how people with chronic pain deal with this. I can also understand how and why people become dependent on pain meds. Any advice for me? I have tried heat, ice, Biofreeze and assorted anti inflammatories and pain relievers. Darvocet and tramadol are not touching it. The only thing I haven’t used it a muscle relaxer and that would necessitate a dr visit which is 125$ that I don’t want to spend. ☹ I tired some gentle stretches but I am not to a point in recovery where I can move much yet. Sorry to be whiny! ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-pain-caution-whiny/605610/2 "2011-12-09T12:38:17Z")
Sorry. ☹ From one who deals with chronic pack pain, for about 15 years now. I have two ruptured discs. Muscle relaxants don’t do anything for me when my back goes nuclear. Nor do OTC pain relievers. The only time I go to the doctor is once every year or two, if it’s really bad, for steroids (don’t do much for me) and knock-you-out pain meds. Which I only take once or twice a year, really, just to be able to [del]pass out [/del] sleep. Stay as mobile as you can without doing anything to irritate it further; time will heal. It can take a couple of weeks or more. (I’m assuming you pulled a back muscle, the above is not medical advice but just from my own experience, blah blah.) Once you feel better, it won’t hurt to do regular core/abdominal muscle exercises along with back and flexibility stretches. That will help prevent future episodes. Yoga is great for this actually; but make sure your instructor is knowledgeable. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-pain-caution-whiny/605610/3 "2011-12-09T12:42:14Z")
I have a chronic lumbar disk problem and I screwed my back royally last week. I lay in bed with a pillow under my knees for as long as I could yesterday and it has helped a lot. Hopefully you have just pulled a muscle, which as my professor-of-orthopedics dad says, there’s nothing you can do about but wait between two and six weeks for it to stop hurting. I just take ibuprofen for it. Don’t want to go anything stronger due to addiction concerns. Long-term I do yoga and pilates (and I’m checking out the hotties) to strengthen the core muscles. It really does help as when I skip classes like I did for the last two weeks I can really throw myself out. ---
**Author:** ![beachbetch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@beachbetch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beachbetch)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-pain-caution-whiny/605610/4 "2011-12-10T00:11:31Z")
Thanks guys. Seems to be a bit better today. Really want to get back to yoga!