My lower back started hurting a week or so ago for no particular reason. It’s not bad enough yet to see a doctor. Looking for personal experiences, not medical advice.
Surely there are some Dopers out there who have had back pain. What worked for you? Rest? Stretching? Exercise? Beer?
I ain’t a doctor, but been there, done that. Rest is good at first, but after the initial pain subsides (take an NSAID, i.e., aspirin, etc.) get off your ass. Move, but not quickly; slow, controlled movements are the order of the day. Stop if you have any sharp or severe pain, and see a doctor; he is likely to suggest back-safe exercises. Many back problems can actually be traced to poor abdominal muscles, so don’t neglect those (but not traditional situps, they can make the problem worse. Try crunches). Slowly stretching your back and hamstring muscles after movement is good; don’t stretch cold muscles (that’s asking for trouble). If the problem gets worse or doesn’t get better, see a doctor. Don’t let the problem nag you to death.
My chiropractor recommended walking - lots of walking - and it gives me good relief. But be sure your old shoes aren’t the cause of the pain in the first place, as is often the case.
Yep, walking worked for me. I had a herniated disk - excruciating pain, numb toes, etc. Nothing the chiropractor or physical therapist did seemed to help, but then I started walking. First I forced myself around the block, then a little further each day. The farther I walked, the better my back felt. Now, as long as I keep up the walking, my back doesn’t bother me.
I’ve had back pain since I was a child- mild spina bifida, an old horse-riding injury and big boobs are pretty much the trifecta when it comes to chronic back pain.
If it is a basic musculo-skeletal problem, there is probably some irritation and inflammation. So you treat it like you would any other musculoskeletal problem- rest, ice packs, anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen) and compression.
Basically, some sort of back support belt (should be easily available from a pharmacy), lying on an ice-pack, taking care not to wrench or twist your back further (no heavy lifting either), and taking a few pain pills until things settle down. Walking is great once your back has settled from the inital trauma of whatever you have done to yourself- as long as you have no other problems with your legs or feet.
Although heatpacks might instinctively seem like the best option, they are not. Think of your back as like a sprained wrist or ankle- ice will reduce swelling and inflammation, heat, while it may feel nicer, isn’t actually doing you any good.
When you feel ready, go and see a physiotherapist- they’ll show you some exercises to improve your core muscle strength, without hurting yourself. Do not try to devise an exercise programme yourself or just ask a trainer at your gym to help- the physio will make sure you’re not suffering from something more serious before they start and they know exactly what they’re doing. When it comes to dodgy backs, a physiotherapist will probably be more helpful with regard to exercises than a family doctor.
Long-term, paying attention to your posture, how you lift and move, and possibly a programme of exercise or techniques such as pilates or yoga might be a good idea.
If you have “lightning” type pain or the sensation of “electric shocks”, pins and needles, numbness or tingling in your back or legs or any problems with your bowels or bladder, you need to see a doctor asap. This is the “Do not pass go, do not collect $200” type of “see a doctor asap”- those symptoms suggest spinal cord compression and need to be dealt with urgently.
There’s a lot of good advice on the medical sites.
(I’d skip the chiropractors. They have one answer for everything - “misalignment” causes everything from burping to brain tumors.)
I’ve always found that laying down with my knees bent up (and a pillow under them) really relieves the pain. It’s immediately noticeable. Try it!
Treat Your Own Back. Got this from my doc and it worked wonders. Cheap and contains all sorts of exercises for acute pain and preventing future pain.
My problems are spasms and generally tight muscles. I’m getting Treat Your Own Neck now, as I’ve developed neck and shoulder problems.
I pinpointed my back pain to my new laptop. I was actually sitting it on my lap and sitting in a comfy chair. Not a great ergonomic position.
Anywho, my advice other than to sit properly at your computer is to stay away from treadmills and elliptical machines for awhile. They made my back worse. The stationary bike, on the other hand, seemed to help.
Thanks for the suggestions. As I said, it did not hurt bad enough to see a doctor, it was just sore. It may have been bad posture at computer at work. I’ve been taking it easy this week (watching posture when sitting and lifting things, letting 50 lb children stomp up and down my back) and it feels much better today. I’ll try some walking and mild excercise.
My back surgery last year was a success (as far as getting rid of the hernia and curing the sciatica). However, I still get pain in my lower back.
This is what I do (these are all exercises given to me by my PT after surgery):
Get on your hands and knees. Arch your back, then relax to the point that your back is curved downward. Repeat 10 times.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Tighten abs and use your abs to lift butt off the floor. Lift as high as you can - comfortably - and hold for 5-10 seconds. Feels really really good on the lower back.
Lie on your back with your legs straight up a wall or door. Helps for lower back pain and tight leg muscles.
Lie on stomach with hands on floor near your chest. Push up on hands so your upper body is raised. Hold for 5-10 seconds.
All the other exercises he gave me were specifically for legs.
The only other thing I do is to sleep on my back, with no pillow, on the floor. The hard surface and completely flat posture feels so good. Sometimes when I get home from work (very physical job), I can barely move because my back is so sore. After doing the exercises, I can more with more ease and much less pain. After a night on the floor, I’m ready for another day at work. If you try sleeping on the floor, use extra blankets. It’s really cold on the floor and shivering all night is not good for your back.
Oh, if you have access to a pool - swim. Even just floating on my back helps more than I could have imagined. Don’t dive though. Hurts more than I could have imagined.
Like **Kalhoun ** said, a pillow under the knees while lying on your back feels very good. There are wedge shaped pillows designed exactly for this purpose. Before I had my surgery, the people at the MRI place gave me one to use and it cause the most relief I had had in months.
As for chiropractors, they’re not all obsessed with misalignment. The one I saw refused to adjust my back in any way because He believed I had a herniated disk and sciatica and I needed an MRI and probably a cortisone shot. Two months later, my GP finally agreed with him and got me the MRI. A month later, I had my first cortisone shot.
I spent a lot of time and money trying to figure out what was causing my back pain and it was the damn chairs at work. Luckily I figured it out before I really screwed things up.
A lot of entry level Yoga positions are helpful for the back. I’ve also found that Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements helpful for pain in the lower spine.
What about upper back pain? I’ve had recurrent pain and cramping in my neck, shoulders and upper back ever since about 1990. I’ve been to MDs and chiropractors, I’ve tried antiinflammatory meds, frequent massages by LMTs – some things provide temporary symptom relief but nothing keeps it from coming back.