Sudden back pain from sitting too long?

Hi:
I'm a mobile app developer, and spend upwards of 12 hours a day on the computer. I'm only in my early 30s, good health in general. Last week while bending down to pick up something from the floor, my back just suddenly completely gave way, and I couldn't even get back up. I thought I just had a stroke or something.

I'm slowly recovering, and talked to my family doctor, who suggested I take Glucosamine. I can't tell if it's helping.

My question is, can sitting too long lead to sudden back pain like this? I thought it was always gradual. Or am I missing some sort of minerals or supplements in my body.

Hello Artemis: Well... I've struggled with back pain pretty-much my whole life. There have been times when I was in so much pain I couldn't get out of bed to go to the bathroom (literally.) Still, I'm certainly no expert when it comes to back issues. (I did used to work with injured workers who had sustained work-related back injuries. And as such I had occasion to sit in on a lot of orthopedic & neurological consultations. So I believe I do have something of a knowledge base here.) But based on my own personal experience... no... back pain does not always come on gradually. In fact most of my episodes occurred suddenly as a result of something I did. And it often wasn't anything particularly dramatic either. Often it was just some little thing that it seemed shouldn't have been a problem at all. But it was...

I know you mentioned you spend upwards of 12 hours a day on the computer. So my thinking is you're probably just not getting enough exercise. It's important to keep the muscles that support the spinal column strong. Not doing so is what often leads to back problems. Could you be missing some minerals or supplements in your diet? Sure... I suppose that's possible. But, from my perspective, unless you're getting the right kind of exercise to strengthen the muscles up & down the spinal column, you're likely to continue to have problems.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to see a physical therapist who taught me some exercises specifically for my low back issues. I do these most days, along with a yoga practice I learned. I can't comment with regard to the Glucosamine. But, again, unless you're doing something to strengthen the muscles that support your spinal column, I would personally doubt Glucosamine is likely to help. My suggestion, for what it's worth, would be to have your doctor refer you for some physical therapy services where you can learn how to strengthen & maintain your back muscles. Otherwise, I fear your problems may only get worse. I wish you well...

Thx Skeezys for sharing your experience and insight! I reckon I need to do more exercising, but it's hard with my busy schedule and lifestyle I guess. One thing I've been doing is rearranging my workspace just to make everything more ergonomic I suppose.

I'm in the same age group as you (early 30's), and have never experienced this.

though I don't know what to suggest, I do hope it gets better and you find a way to deal with it

what kind of Aps have you developed so far?

I started to get back spasms under stress then had problems with prolonged sitting and standing. Now I have what my doc says is referral pain in my legs and feet. While we have discussed FIbro too. Potassium, magnesium and calcium levels could be low ... I know my potassium levels are low around my cycle and if I don't take a supplement my cramps and leg pain are a lot worse.

I talked to my regular doc about my back pain. Turns out I have a curved spine, degenerative disc disease, a few bulging discs, and now a strain in the piriformis muscle. I have physical therapy to strengthen other muscles, but the main thing is I now take a few minutes every hour to move around and stretch before I sit down again.