Who has back problems

[Falcon Coupe]

I'm 6'2 and been in the building trade for twenty years, it's catching up with me and if not for fortnightly visits to my chiropractor i would not be working.
I enter the premises with back pain and associated headache and walk out pain free, well for a week or so anyway.

[rodderz]

I do landscaping every day and this soirt of trade makes me a monty for a crook back too

While it's been ok so far I can feel it getting worse, sometimes sore for a few days, from constant up and down at work.

A chippy I used to work with is now 50, skinny build and has been building for 34 years. He had sever back problems, one operation last year they had to operate on his spine from the front, through his throat to his top few vertebrae. Yet still has back problems and can no longer do his chosen work.

[cowboy]

Some great advice coming in guys. In my experience so far chiros have done more harm than good but I find a good osteopath will give some relief. I do core strength excercises every day without fail and a hundred odd situps, walk alot and am pretty lean. I have an active job and am still working but am finding myself relying more and more on painkillers and voltaren to keep going. Am booked into to see a neurosurgeon specialising in backs in early jan, just to run over future options. It's manageable now, but am scared of what it will be like at 50.

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by cowboy

Some great advice coming in guys. In my experience so far chiros have done more harm than good but I find a good osteopath will give some relief. I do core strength excercises every day without fail and a hundred odd situps, walk alot and am pretty lean. I have an active job and am still working but am finding myself relying more and more on painkillers and voltaren to keep going. Am booked into to see a neurosurgeon specialising in backs in early jan, just to run over future options. It's manageable now, but am scared of what it will be like at 50.

Cowboy, I did the L3-L4 disc in 1981 and in the first instance could not get out of bed. After the usual rounds of chiros etc. I finally got a referral to an orthopedic surgeon and his advice along with visits to a manipulative therapist got me back on the road to recovery.

The major thing is to get your back and stomach muscles strong as they are what holds you up. Keep fit with swimming, walking, bike riding. Only use pain killers as a last resort and especially don't take Voltren or other muscle relaxants on a regular basis. Especially avoid heavy lifting or bending over from the waist.

Have patience as it doesn't get better overnight.

[redxm]

Ive had crook back for about 7 years now
Ive had cortisone injections into my discs, hydro therapy, physio therapy, exercise, acupuncture, chiro, handfulls of cool drugs. You name it Ive done it.
Im at a stage now where I can put up with the pain most of the time.When it was real bad I couldnt walk. Cold weather seems to be worse. God knows what Im going to be like in 20 years

[Van D]

At the age of 18 my back was pretty much rooted from lifting heavy music gear, i've compressed a couple discs or something, can't remember what the physio said exactly. They've gone the wrong way as I understood it.

I've also lost half my hearing. I'm on a winner so far!

[xbgs351]

As already mentioned you will have to work on your core stabiliy. I would recomend finding a physio who specialises in doing physio for those going into or coming out of back surgery. If you have had a back injury there is a very good chance that your core stability muscles have turned off and that you won't be able to turn them on at all. If this is the case you will have to start from ground zero and even if it isn't the case you should anyway. Using an ultrasound you will be able to see that you are using your core correctly. It can be very slow going and hence very frustrating, but there are gains to be had by keeping everything nice and solid. As you improve your core stability you will be able to incorporate free weights, bands and the Swiss Ball.

You will need to stay active. When in the acute stage it's ok to rest up, but you need to get moving pretty soon. Swimming and walking can be helpfull. Make sure that the pool isn't too cold as the cold can make the muscle in the back tighten up and everythng will get sore. Same thing applies during the colder months of the year. Don't do butterfly!

Something that should be pointed out is that the joints in the back are different to those in the rest of the body. If you damage a knee or hip joint it will stiffen up which will be painfull. Do the same thing with a vertabrae and it will also stiffen up, but in this application, a stiff joint is a stable joint and it will actually hurt less. This is the reason why people who injure thier backs and can cope with the pain and put off surgery for 12 months almost always improve enough that they won't need surgery in the future.

I would also take fish oil, glucosamine and chondroitin. Can't hurt.

[t2te50]

I'm probably one of the tallest mechs you'll see going around and am by no means suitable to work under a hoist. The new BISHAMON hoists that go up around 2 meters may be a exception.
Anyhow my lower back and crucifix gets pretty sore especialy when I need to pull a box out of a car or are doing a prolonged job under the bonnet. God being 201cm is a f$%kn pain in the backside.
Personaly don't know for how much longer I'll be doing it but the winds of change have been blowing for a while. Anyhow enough of my grievances, next patient.......

[nugget378]

Been a plumber for 22 years,
always working right handed,hammering,sawing,digging etc all right handed.
The thing that really done it was always carrying the oxy-acet bottles over my right shoulder,finally it all caught up with me last year,6 months off after battling constant pain for a while.
Saw a specialist and got reccommended to a good physio,massages/stretching and traction loosened up the tight side of my back,while excersizes with a rubber hoop and in the pool built up the less used side of my back.
Best remedy of all was learning to use all muscles evenly rather than over working one side.

[Sloth]

Originally Posted by AC/DC

A lot of people who are taller, get a thing called Scheurmanns disease, which happens when you are in your teens, , growing faster some of the vertibrae dont grow perfectly flat.....

I have it, and yeah sometimes I get a sore back.

http://www.spine-health.com/topics/c...s/scheu01.html

and I am 6 foot 5.....and the chiro recommended riding a bike and general exercise to strengthen the muscles around the spine.

AC/DC

I'm 20 and 6'4 and I'm just thinking maybe I have something similar, my back has quite a hunch unless I force my shoulders right back, and it seems to curve sharply inwards lower down.

After about 5 minutes of standing at work I get a really sore lower back and shoulders, even if I am trying to stand up straight, so I have no choice but to endure the pain or have a sit down.

Do I just put it down to my terrible posture when younger and my total lack of exercise, or should I go see a doctor or something?

[schnoods]

I'm 23 and have back problems for around a year. I work as a boilermaker.

I am a physically large build around 6'5" and around 140kg and very solid.

My back problem started when I quit doing rugby when i was 19 and put on some weight that came with working in the trade (beer and going out). Because of work I didn't have the time or energy to go to rugby. I used to be able to bench 140kg but that is a thing of the past.

About a year ago I slipped a disc badly while trying to bend over and pick up a small bit of steel (about 3 kg's). It was in the mid section (in the middles of the "s") and because of my gut it saved my lower back.

I still have a bit of soreness but thankfully it is liveable for now. Because of my back problems, I will be going back to study an become an engineer. I am on a diet because of my weight, while still doing a fair bit of weights to get back strength up as well.

[Go baby Go]

Originally Posted by cowboy

Some great advice coming in guys. In my experience so far chiros have done more harm than good but I find a good osteopath will give some relief. I do core strength excercises every day without fail and a hundred odd situps, walk alot and am pretty lean. I have an active job and am still working but am finding myself relying more and more on painkillers and voltaren to keep going. Am booked into to see a neurosurgeon specialising in backs in early jan, just to run over future options. It's manageable now, but am scared of what it will be like at 50.

Avoid situps !!!!!! You are causing your back to go to an acute angle..... they are not muscle strengthening excercises.
Walking and hydrotherapy is excellent - i was told to stay away from swimming for now because breaststroke and butterfly have the opposite effect.

Cheers,

[5tumpy]

Originally Posted by bob^

I've never come across anyone else who has had that too! My parents always thought I was being lazy with my bad posture, but once they finally got me to the doctors I was diagnosed with it.
Do you have much of a hunch in your back?
Dead lifts at the gym helped with mine a bit.

I've got it too... 6'4" and 130kgs, most of that weight is my upper body...


Scheuermann's disease and scoleosis for me.... And with my Scheuermann's I also have hammie's that are too small for someone of my height... So lifting with my legs is impossible, making the back pain even worse! But I've learnt to live with it, if I actually did some exercise I might be better shape but hey... :P

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by Go baby Go

Avoid situps !!!!!! You are causing your back to go to an acute angle..... they are not muscle strengthening excercises.
Walking and hydrotherapy is excellent - i was told to stay away from swimming for now because breaststroke and butterfly have the opposite effect.

Cheers,

Yes, I high-lighted sit-ups in my post but forgot to mention it. They are bad for your back. I agree about those two forms of swimming, I should have specified the crawl.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by GTP owner

Why would you say not to go chiropractor, yet had problem with a specialist too. Shouldn't you include the specialist in the "not to visit category".

Easy, the specialist cost me nothing but my time, the Chiro cost me $40 a shot, you work it out.

[gtfpv]

i'm 38 . 5 foot 7 and haven't had back problems . but not so long ago . i got up with a sore neck. by the end of the day . i could barely walk , sit down , or lie down , or even breath from the pain . the doc said rye neck , and once you get it , you'll get it again . i've had it twice since . and i hate it . fine now though.
i feel sorry for my wife . because she sits up on the lounge , un naturally straight . i know it is her lower back .

[exrtnz]

Ive got a back problem also, ive found a good firm pillow helps keeping your neck inline with the rest of the spine , also a good mattress . And good posture has helped alot but its a difficult habbit to get into.

[WPN XR6T]

Originally Posted by Go baby Go

Avoid situps !!!!!! You are causing your back to go to an acute angle..... they are not muscle strengthening excercises.
Walking and hydrotherapy is excellent - i was told to stay away from swimming for now because breaststroke and butterfly have the opposite effect.

Cheers,

I disagree. I am in the military and had an accident back in 2001 where I broke my spine. I was very very fit at the time, and the doctors attribute this to my almost complete recovery (without even going under the knife), and maintaining my core stability is the one thing keeping me vertical.

Pushups and situps, only when done correctly, are vital to this. Situps done incorrectly are very bad for your spine, so a phisio or qualified phyical training instructor should be sort for correct technique. Pushups also add to correct posture, core stability and overall fitness and strength, a must if you are going to continue with a active lifestyle after a major incident like a back injury.

Once again, only when done correctly are they of any benefit, and I always do pushups under supervision, as someone watching you will pick up any mistakes that you are doing, and be able to point them out to you. Get the missus involved so that she can correct your technique correctly and you should avoid any injury.

Staying active is vital, remaining proactive with regards to your core stability is a must and you will suffer less with your lifestyle and in the workplace. Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Matt

[Fev]

ive got a really bad back, cant walk for more then half an hour. buldging disc in my lower spine giving me sciatica down both legs im also 6ft 4, 115kgs and not exactly that fit.

by the way im only 19. it sucks as i can't stand for too long at all.. and its incredibly painful some times. really need to get back to physio..

[GTP owner]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

I liken chiropractors to that guy on the TV commercial that slaps two fish together over the guys back...
My advice after 25 years of competitive sport and plenty of injuries is see a properly trained professional Physio after being properly diagnosed by a qualified Sports Medicine Doctor.

I have not seen that one - i do not watch that much TV. How do you tell the physio is properly trained???

[NGN 351]

I work as a paramedic and have injured myself 3 times lifting fatty boombars. This is my advice...
Keep fit
Do pilates regularly, dont stop when you start to feel good again, it is a maintainance program
Keep flexible
Dont get fat or get rid of excess kilo's, any gut will hyperextend your back even more putting more stress on your back
Exercise, even just walking. when you sit around because you are sore makes it worse. you need to keep moving
This is what helps me

Justin

[Daveman]

Originally Posted by xbgs351

It can be very slow going and hence very frustrating, but there are gains to be had by keeping everything nice and solid. As you improve your core stability you will be able to incorporate free weights, bands and the Swiss Ball.

You will need to stay active. When in the acute stage it's ok to rest up, but you need to get moving pretty soon. Swimming and walking can be helpfull. Make sure that the pool isn't too cold as the cold can make the muscle in the back tighten up and everythng will get sore. Same thing applies during the colder months of the year. Don't do butterfly!

Good advice here.
Have to agree with you here xbgs351. These type of injuries are long time, no quick fix's sorry to say.

I've had 2 bung lower discs for going on 10years now, 36yrs old now. Couldn't walk or stand up for the 1st week, very depressing.

I would keep lifting & especially any twisting (very important) to an absolute minimum. Put your pride aside. You'll look like a softy but only takes 1 wrong move & lapse of concentration and you'll be back to square one and be even more depressed. Be in tune with you body, it will let you know when its had enough. Dont push you luck.

Cheers.

[cowboy]

Originally Posted by Fev

ive got a really bad back, cant walk for more then half an hour. buldging disc in my lower spine giving me sciatica down both legs im also 6ft 4, 115kgs and not exactly that fit.

by the way im only 19. it sucks as i can't stand for too long at all.. and its incredibly painful some times. really need to get back to physio..

Bloke at work had this done for bulging disc, reckons it made him new again. You're probably too young though. Worth a look anyway.

www.nucleoplasty.com

[cowboy]

To any young blokes reading this thread. Please learn from my mistakes.

-you are not bulletproof
-you don't have to prove anything, looking like a but of a pansy now is worth it to save your back
-if having problems, seek advice early
-there is only prevention, there is no cure
-lift properly, your back may be strong now but they do wear out

Sorry to get all preachy but if someone had told me these things 15 years ago I wouldn't be talking about this right now.

[Fev]

i always lift properly, but i worked at maccas where the benches are about 3 inches lower then my waist so bending over 9hours straight is NOT good for your spine.



also during schoolies last year i was ****ed lookin for my hat around my apartment building in the garden at the goldcoast, couldnt get out, so decided to jump onto the underground carpark ramp, landed and then fell flat on my ***.. didnt fase me then but now it is... lol

good week though
thanks for that website, i just send them an email asking what can be done

[juve_fan14]

Wierd that this topic came up, i have a hot bottle thing on my back right now cause it hurts soo much, i think it might be a muscle on the right side of my back cause i have trouble taking deep breaths, have to see a doctor soon.

[Fev]

Also, any advice for throwin ya back while "gettin down" with the missus? stick with it or roll over and scream in pain? lol

[Laminge]

Originally Posted by ngn351

I work as a paramedic and have injured myself 3 times lifting fatty boombars. This is my advice...

In reply, pre order of fork lift for any emergency where laminge crops up, don't want you to hurt yourself lifting my leg, let alone 2
: :

[flappist]

Being a shortarse 6'2" I have had the odd back/neck problem over the years. Tried chiro and physio etc and it was all a waste. If it worked at all it was temporary.
It got so bad in 2004 that I was going to sell the GT-P because it hurt when I drove it especially changing gears.

A friend suggested bowen therapy and I told her "no witch doctors".
One extra painfull day I bit the bullet and went to the "witch doctor".
What they do is extra weird the push and prod and when I left $40 lighter I thought I had been scammed again.

BUT

It worked. Bloody amazing AND it was 100% medibank private refunded.

It may not work for you but it did for me and it cost nothing so it might be worth a try.

[blueoval]

Due to stress, my neck muscles and upper back tense up badly, it throws my back out which in turn throw my chest muscles out too and I get muscular chest pain.

Any advice?