significant LBP

I have had a bad back for about 10 years now. It usually bothers me about 1x/year. Well I strained it a bit a work, didn't think too much about it and then went for a pretty long hike last weekend. My back was hurting but it was not too bad. Well, on Monday it really hurt so I tried to move slowly. unfortunatley it was a very busy week at work...12-13 hour days. Starting on Wednesday it hurt so bad I could barely move and yesterday DH had to put my shoes on for me because I coudn't even cross my one leg over the other. It is in my low back and i don't have any radiating pain at all. My hurts with any forward flexed positions or if I reach forward with my arms or look down with my head. Anyone else experience this. It is pretty frustrating because I can barely move without being in pain.

Sounds like you and I need to have a beer (or 12) and commiserate for about 3 days.

After about 30 years of degenerative change following an injury, my L5 finally blew last year. It sucks. But I'm learning to deal with it. I've tried just about everything out there--yoga, pilates, McKenzie, more and more and more core work--and sometimes it just stays angry (I'm in an angry back phase right now). I have days where I have to crawl up the stairs.

Call everyone you know and find a good sports medicine orthopod (I specifically looked for one who was NOT a surgeon). My hunch is that you are dealing with a lot of what I am dealing with (in addition to the angry disc), specifically arthritis and disc degeneration. It happens to all of us as we age, and some folks never know it while others find it debilitating. And what works for one person might not work for another. It's worth taking the time to find someone to help you through it. I was hesitant to do anything at first but am now glad that I did.

Good luck. I don't wish back injury on anyone. Don't let it take over your mind!!!!

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Originally Posted by solobiker

I have had a bad back for about 10 years now. It usually bothers me about 1x/year. Well I strained it a bit a work, didn't think too much about it and then went for a pretty long hike last weekend. My back was hurting but it was not too bad. Well, on Monday it really hurt so I tried to move slowly. unfortunatley it was a very busy week at work...12-13 hour days. Starting on Wednesday it hurt so bad I could barely move and yesterday DH had to put my shoes on for me because I coudn't even cross my one leg over the other. It is in my low back and i don't have any radiating pain at all. My hurts with any forward flexed positions or if I reach forward with my arms or look down with my head. Anyone else experience this. It is pretty frustrating because I can barely move without being in pain.

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Lidocaine patches have helped me when my back acts up (disc issues at L4/5). That and doing some physical therapy exercises.

If you haven't tried PT, I highly recommend it. They pinpointed things I was doing that were making my back worse. Now as soon as I feel the slightest tinge in my back, I start my exercises. Before I started doing this, I'd be out of commission due to back pain for
a week or so every year. I haven't missed work due to back pain alone since.

Thanks for the advice. I have tried the patches and they do seem to work a little. I have also beeen trying to do the exercises, unfortunately it hurts quite a bit just to get into the correct position to do them:( I am going to try a massage to see if that helps. I went to the Drs today and he seems to think it is not a disc problem. Boy, let me tell you...it hurts to even cough. Bummer, it is getting to be my favorite time of year to play outside.:( Oh well, I guess it could be worse.

I also find that lots of stretching helps. My back has a low level of pain all the time and a medium level of pain during longer or harder bike rides. I find that getting off the bike and doing some gentle stretches while I'm really warmed up works really well in keeping it from going into a full-blown spasm.

I do go to the chiropractor about once a month and get everything snapped back into place, but it doesn't last for long and I'm trying to wean myself off of going there.

I also recently started Feldenkrais lessons (http://www.feldenkrais.com/). It's a method of moving that retrains your body so that you move in a way that is not painful. It's kinda hard to explain, but I am trying it as a natural way to solve my back pain issues.

Most of all, I think it's really important to keep moving.

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Originally Posted by solobiker

Boy, let me tell you...it hurts to even cough. Oh well, I guess it could be worse.

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That's usually one of the major indicators we use to determine that someone does have a disc problem.

Pain flexing forward is a strong indicator of a posterior disc derangement.

PM me if you'd like me to talk you through a couple positions for pushing the disc back into place/relieving some of the pain.