Threw out my back...

[Running Mommy]

UGH!
I have a bad lower back, so I have to becareful about how I bend and reach. The last few days I've kind of felt like it was ready to "go", and today it WENT!
I had just finished my 6 mi run and decided to jump in the pool to cool off. There was a huge ugly brown spider in the pool. I was trying to whack him, but he was a fiesty one. He actually was hopping around on top of the water. Well I got out of the pool and bent over to try to whack him when my back went. Call it spider karma...
So the spider won, my lower back lost, and now I'm all hopped up on advil with a side of bio freeze....
So here I am, trying whatever I can to make this pain go away. I walk for a while, then I lay down in different positions, anything in an attempt to make this piercing pain go away. It's even going down into my legs... sigh...
And I HAD planned a ride this evening...

[crazycanuck]

RM...oh dear I am unsure on how to treat one's back when it goes out

Take care of yourself & if it's not better in a few days, please go & see a doc.

I'll bike an extra few km's for you ok. Running..umm..pass. Swimming..will do a few extra laps for ya.

(((RM)))

C

[Zen]

I've only had a back problem once, fingers crossed, but it was excruciating, I couldn't walk pain free for about four days. I lay on a heating pad on the floor with my legs up, knees bent and calves resting on a weight bench.this flattens the lumbar region a bit and should provide at least temporary relief. The rest of the relief comes with rest and time.

[BikeMomma]

Uggghhh! RM, I totally feel your pain! I wouldn't wish back pain on my worst enemy.

I'm still recovering from hurting my back New Year's Day....slowly it's getting better and I'm able to race & stuff. But still, it's a touchy thing....any little hint of real pain and I have to back off, which is frustrating when I'm feeling so strong right now. I haven't been able to do any hill training this year, though, because of the pressure climbing puts on my lower spine. I'm still seeing the chiropractor, but now I'm down to once every two weeks (doc says that if I wasn't active, it would be once a month now, but oh well).

Have you tried ice instead of heat? One of the first things I did wrong with my back injury was to apply heat, which only caused the area to inflame more, hence more pain. The instant I applied the ice, it was unbelieveable relief. Ice packs and me have been on intimate terms for months....

Take care & hope you get to feeling better soon (back pain sucks!)
~BikeMomma

[enzed]

I've got a bit of lower back problem myself.

A few years ago I slipped on a hard kitchen floor landing on my lower back. The next day my back was not very happy & a couple times a year it has a tendency to play up.

Last week I spent 2 days off my bike due to some soreness. I could walk for a little while, than my lower back seized up. I'd give it some rest & repeat the above steps.

Last year I had a tough few days. Each time I stepped, a shooting pain would go down my right leg & I ended up walking like a hunchback.

I'll agree with you - Getting comfy can be difficult. I find lying on the floor with my legs bent on a chair can help during the day. Getting comfy at night is somewhat harder. It takes a bit of tossing & turning to find the ideal position.

I've tried some rub-in ointment & pain killers, but the best thing you can do is rest.


Get well soon

[yoggy]

Hey ppl

SPeaking of back, I used to have some sevre back problem.., I didnt wanted to take any medication but I did try some yoga method and that made me heal in 3 weeks.

The back pain is gone now, I used to lift some heavy stuff but I left that and now I am on to account so it feels good now..
Thanks for letting me share

Charlene
Syria

[Pax]

I had a "bad back" for YEARS! Back spasms were routine and debilitating, I thought that was just how it was and there wasn't much I could do about it. Then my boss and an internet buddy from a motorcycling forum both recommended a book called Healing Back Pain. It literally changed my life, I haven't had a back spasm in over two years and can truly say I no longer have a "bad back", it's heavenly.

[Running Mommy]

Hmmm... Thanks Queen, I'll check it out. I'm a very mind/body type girl so it looks interesting.
Someone posted about ice instead of heat. That is what I'm doing at this point. I'm using bio freeze, and also I have a huge hunkin ice pack thingy that has velcro straps on it. So I've had that strapped to my back on and off.
It seems a lot better this morning, though I did wake up quite a bit lastnight. Sigh... I know the only thing that will make it better is time, rest, and the proper exercise, so I promise to be good and let my body heal. Though it is going to be HARD!
Thanks all for your well wishes.

[Zen]

This ones about yoga
http://www.sportsgeezer.com/sportsge...s_best_fo.html

This one is from the Washington Post
http://www.sportsgeezer.com/sportsge...beat_a_ba.html

North American Spine Society: North American Spine Society: http://www.spine.org

I'm not so sure about that ice. Ice is used for immediate injuries to reduce swelling. Ice tightens things up. Think of gum on the sidewalk in January and then in July. You want your muscles to relax. Maybe hot baths and stretching.

[BikeMomma]

I'm not so sure about that ice. Ice is used for immediate injuries to reduce swelling. Ice tightens things up. Think of gum on the sidewalk in January and then in July. You want your muscles to relax. Maybe hot baths and stretching.

In my case, it was an immediate injury as well as an ongoing/current one. The ice has to be used correctly, or yes -- it will start to be a negative thing (reduced circulation to the area, etc.). The correct way (in my case - your doc may direct differently) is 15-20 minutes on, 15-20 minutes off until you feel relief (i.e. no swelling). Taking Ibuprofen is beneficial, as well, if needed.

You're right, Zen, that the muscles have to stay relaxed, and that's one reason to take off the ice after a few minutes. But also, what people don't realize is that when you've injured your spine, your back muscles are doing double and triple the work they usually do to keep your spine stable. In essence, from the moment of the initial injury to the spine, your muscles have continued to be tensed and stressed until they finally tell you "enough!!" and that's when you get the diabilitating back spasms. The ice is necessary to get them to a relaxed state again (to stop spasming). Then the ice is needed to stop the inflamation in the tissues around the spine to allow them to repair and heal.

Hot baths did NOT help and only worsened the pain because the area needed to be cooled, not warmed. Muscle tiredness and general aches and pains -- yes on the heat. Spinal and other bone injuries and resulting spasms -- use ice.

RM, I've found that those velcro packs are a pain in the a$$, as they are only good for so long before you have to stick it back in the freezer again to refreeze. I've found my preference is that the good ol' fashioned ice bag is the best, because you can just dump out the melted ice and refill it with fresh ice, and the ice water stays colder longer than the freezer packs (hence, you don't have to keep getting up and down). Only thing is sometimes they spring a leak and you don't know it!