Anyone here deal with back pain???

[lyle_destroys]

Like others have said core and lower back exercises are key. I fought back pain in both lower and upper back while in the Army. Lots of core work and light lower back work like deadlifts made a world of difference for me. The upper back stopped hurting once I didnt have to wear plate carriers and hump a 240 all day.

 

[timmymac24]

I haven't read all the previous posts but I have had back issues on and off for years as well. I have an elk hunt coming up in August. I hate going to gyms to work out and try to do everything at home. My wife and daughter do yoga and have raved about it. They gave me the online access to yoga sessions that are recorded at their studio. I finally said what the hell and went against my beliefs and started doing yoga a month ago in my own house. I do the beginner courses which are more deep stretching and one course of level 1-2 once a week. I am blown away how much better my entire body feels. I try to ride a mountain bike and run during the week as well but it's 100 degrees where I live now so outside work outs are limited. Good luck to you a bad back is miserable. By the way unless a doc tells you avoid heat that causes tissue swelling and can cause nerves to be pinched even more I found that out the hard way from a bad chiro treatment.

 

[mabrams]

As a 40 year old man that has had back issues since my early 20's I know a lot about this issue. I have done it all including paying for one of the best surgeons to try and fix it. Like others have said, your Chiropractor is probably doing more damage than good. Exercise is the key but if you were anywhere like me, it was impossible due to not being able to move.
When it comes to back pain or worse nerve pain than I would strongly urge you to not be lifting much weight. Start by walking, and stretching. Physical therapy is key and not over doing it. If your wanting more info on what I have been told by some of the most informed people on the subject please don't hesitate to PM me.

 

[Kilboars]

I've been going to Chiropractors for 25 years for my back and what helped me most was reading this guys older book years ago.

Hears his latest book.

Healing Back Pain - Audiobook | Audible.com

 

[Wirehair]

Nothing worse as above I find if i get straight into ostypath or tia massage and as hard as it is walk.Once you get into youre stride you free up .All the best for youre trip

 

[Reburn]

I read most of these responses but not all. I've had nagging lower lumbar pain for a decade. Trying to find a chiropractor I accidently stumbled across a hybrid chiro Physical therapist. No popping of the spine but after a short evaluation she determined that I had deformed hip flexors from mostly sitting in the truck and at the office all day. Started by releasing the hip flexors which is painful to say the least. Then onto inner core strengthing exercisies. Glute bridges, pevic thrusts, foam rolling quadriceps and glutes, deadbugs, glute clamps ect. They kicked me out after 5 treatments over 5 weeks. Kept doing the exercisises everyday/everyother day and now my back pain is mostly all gone. There are good quacks out there. My recomedation is find a good sports medcine or physical therapist.

 

[2blade]

I'm surprised no one mentioned it, or maybe I missed it, especially since I heard about it on this forum. Get the book

The Back Mechanic, by Dr Stuart McGill

I have 5 bulging discs, L5 is the worst then they get better to L1, and spinal arthritis in 3 facet joints also in the lower back. This book has literally saved me. There is a section in there where you can diagnose yourself and McGill nailed it. Based on what the book said, facet joint problems with disc involvement was close to the MRI results a few months later.

There are 3 exercises in that book I have been doing for over a year to strengthen the lower core and they flat out work. I also lift weights and do see a chiropractor every couple of months. Occasionally if I am not paying attention to my movements I will throw a verterbrae out, the chiro puts it back in and the pain disappears. However, find a chiro that works for you, they are not all the same nor do they all do things the same.

For bulging discs, McGill also suggests that you walk 30 minutes daily. Walking takes the load off the discs and definitely makes it feel better. I manage 4 days a week, the other 3 days I lift weights.

Can't forget the new bed either. If you get up in the morning with any pain at all it is time for a new bed!

Also, if you work a job where you sit down all day, convert your desk to a stand up desk. I read a medical report a while back that said the biggest reason people get herniated discs is because they sit to much. My standup desk has made a huge difference.

For those days when I sometimes over do it, Diclofenac gel, generic for Voltaren is worth its weight in gold!

 

[Rob5589]

I've been in EMS for 27 years, we all have trashed backs if you've been in it long enough. I tell everyone I know, yoga. I know it sounds hippy trippy but, it works. Done regularly, I have 0 back pain. Doesn't take much, either. About 20 mins per day is all I need to fend off back pain. On the infrequent bad days, a Motrin 600 is about all I need to get me through. Daily Motrin, flexeril, norco, etc are just horrible on the body.

 

[jspradley]

I've been fighting chronic back pain as long as I can remember, over the past 3 months or so I have actively removed stressors from my life (stress and depression can cause physical back pains) and have started stretching regularly and it's helped a LOT.

I still have pain from time to time but it's not near as bad or regular as it was.

 

[Ratbeetle]

I had a microdiscectomy not quite 3 weeks ago so hopefully I'm done dealing with back pain...or in my instance severe radicular leg pain. I had a L5/S1 herniation that was directly on the nerve root.

For the last two years, I've tried chiropractors, physical therapy, inversion therapy, tens therapy, yoga, acupuncture ..you name it. Nothing gave me relief.

Not even 3 weeks out and I'm off the pain meds and feeling pretty good. I still have some residual leg pain but the doc says it's normal and may take a bit of time for the nerve to calm down since it was compressed for so long. So far, so good. No regrets on the surgery.

 

[Outlaw99]

Like others have said, strengthening your core can do wonders for reducing lower back pain. I’ve also found that a good 3 mile run really loosens things up and gets it back in alignment. Works for me at least

 

[MuleDeerMike]

Stretch your psoas muscle every day. 2 minutes each side at least once a day but twice is better. That muscle shortens from sitting your entire life and tugs on your lower back. It's the muscle that connects your lower half to your upper by connecting to the femur bone as well as the lower spine. Google the "couch stretch psoas" and do that every day and I almost guarantee you will feel a difference in a week. Make sure your toes are pointed up when you do it.

 

[Gobbler36]

AthleanX YouTube has some great exercises
I’d also invest in a reverse hyper machine, strengthen core and lift weights with PROPER form

 

[NW307]

Has anyone here dealt with facet syndrome in the lumbar? I was recently diagnosed with this after a minor back injury that didn't seem to heal. I'm in the fact finding stage at this point but it's pretty stressful none the less especially since I'm only 35. Thanks in advance.

 

[jb1842]

My years of back injuries/pain finally caught up with me in September last year, one week before bow opener. Chiro/massage/PT just wasn't helping and I kept getting hurt at work. Laminectomy of L5 and fusion of L5/S1. PT started a month later. Didn't help. In April my Doc officially declared my surgery was a failure. Can't walk without pain shooting down both sides of glutes and into legs, still have numbness in left leg. Can't bend over very far, and if I do, it's a chore and painful to get back up straight again. I did a spinal cord stimulator trial last month. It helped with the sciatic pain, but really didn't do much for the back issues. They are going to do a permanent implant next month. Hoping for the best, but still think I'm going to have problems for the rest of my life, I'm only 40. I do need to drop about 20 pounds from my waist, so that should help if I can get back into an exercise routine. Good luck to all who have bad backs.

 

[Mike098777]

Alive for the inflammation and stretching while sitting, crossing my legs and pulling my knees up to my other side took care of my lower back aches. Now if I fill feel any signes of ache I just stretch and haven't had any problems for a couple years.

 

[Kilboars]

I'v dealt with severe back pain for decades growing up and missed many many days of work and good time because of the pain but after reading the Dr. book other book years ago I'm 95% cured.

Chropractors are great when you find a good one but read/listen this book while your healing and your back problems will be over.

Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection: Sarno MD, John E.: 8601420002166: Amazon.com: Books

Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection [Sarno MD, John E.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection

www.amazon.com

 

[Okhotnik]

Lifting weights

Stretching every day. Yoga works great

And use this routine

 

[BroodBuster]

I dealt with back spasms a lot in my 20’s and 30’s all started after a crab pot pulling incident. At first I’d try and stretch my way out of the pain but that either made it worse or just prolonged the pain. I learned to just rest and not push it until I got full mobility back and only then start stretching.

I haven’t had an incident in probably 15 years. I lost a bunch of weight. I walk a lot, 3-5 miles a day. Daily yoga/stretching. And the easiest but the most effective change I made was losing the back pocket wallet. That messed up my posture every time I sat in the truck or at my desk and was a major trigger to back pain.

Good luck. Back spasms suck!

 

[AKBC]

Pilates is magic for me. I’ve heard yoga helps also.