Ugh - I hurt my back running on the beach on vacation. I strained the little muscles on the left side of my lower back and I'm in sooooo much pain and I can't DO anything. Sitting hurts, moving hurts. I'm on big time pain killers and muscle relaxers and they just make me fuzzy headed...still have lots of pain. BLAH!!

I am really active - I exercise a lot and have three boys that I homeschool. Not being able to be active is stressful for me.

Does anyone have ANY tips on how to heal quickly?? The island doctor just gave me pills and sent me on my way. I really want to get better.

Thanks for any help!

[yupitsme]

Sorry to hear you've hurt your back...
Have you tried some icy hot?? My hubby uses it when he hurts his back...

Originally Posted by yupitsme

Sorry to hear you've hurt your back...
Have you tried some icy hot?? My hubby uses it when he hurts his back...

Thanks, yupitsme

Yes, I've been using icy hot patches - they're part of my three-pronged pain relief approach - the icy hot, the painkiller, and the muscle relaxers.

I do have some tiger balm I haven't tried yet, because it's SO intense. I really just want to be healed instantly, but I guess that's not going to happen

[yupitsme]

Good for you for homeschooling, by the way! I've wanted to homeschool my 3, but I have them in a french school, and I don't speak it, so they are in the public system..

Anyways, off topic, lol.. Do you have someone that can come help out with the boys while you assist from the couch, resting?? Not what you want to hear, but resting your back is probably the best cure..

Originally Posted by yupitsme

Do you have someone that can come help out with the boys while you assist from the couch, resting?? Not what you want to hear, but resting your back is probably the best cure..

My oldest is 12 and will totally help me with anything I need, including corralling his little brothers. You're right, I probably will have to rest. Which stinks!

[Rmdctc]

So I just had to share my story because I was where you are now just two weeks ago. I couldnt move, sitting hurt, laying hurt, and I was walking bent over at the waist. Needless to say it was painful and not fun. I then remembered that my uncle told me that he does acupuncture for his back and it really took him out of pain. Now I am super afraid of needles. I mean REALLY afraid, but I was also in soooooo much pain so I thought what the hell ill just go do it. That Tuesday I was in alot of pain and not walking well. I then went to get acupuncture (must say I could not really feel the needles) and after that I was walking better and out of some pain. I went three times that week and by the end of the week I was out of pain and walking. I am fine now but I do some pool excerises to keep streching my back. I was say do some acupuncture it REALLY WORKS! Oh I would also say ice it alot!

[nightbird]

Hi Tree,

This may sound odd, but exercise is a great medicine.
Of course, you have to warm up and do exercises that encourage other muscles and areas to take over the load that is injured, but it does work.

I hope you consider it and seek the proper guidance to show you how to get stronger while healing still takes place.

Meanwhile, see Doc for stuff you need, like pain.

Maybe a nice membership to a health club is in order.

Some insurance pay a part, btw.

All soothing things help me with pain, and when I was really bad, calming music, my relax and imagery tapes (for pain), and just plain spoiling myself came in super handy...

Feel better soon, Dear Person!

Peace and Wellness,
Night
xoxoxo

[wanttoheal]

For me, when I have back problems, going to my chiropractor helps a lot. Also stretching helps me. When my middle lower back hurts, I've found that the back of my thighs are pretty tight. If I can stretch them, it brings relief to my back. I've also done acupuncture and love it.

I hope you feel better soon treehouse. Take gentle care.

[phoenix7]

Rest, Heat packs, heat cream, Tens machine from a physio (blocks of fthe pain impulses for a while) gentle stretching exercises - lieing on the opposite side. Hot water bottles help alot wiht muscke strain

Pain killers - muscle relaxants - rest - rest and more rest

[FooZe]

Originally Posted by treehouse

Does anyone have ANY tips on how to heal quickly??

I've had quite a few different problems with my back, and each one seems to have required its own kind of solution.

-- Sometimes rest helps more, sometimes movement.

-- Years ago I read an article in some health magazine that said (a.) most doctors didn't know much about back problems, and (b.) bed rest, one of the most common treatments, typically did more harm than good.

-- I used to get sciatica, shooting pains from my butt down my leg. It took me years to figure out that what brought it on or made it worse was sitting, or kneeling close to the ground, with my lower back bent and what made it better or cleared it up completely was bending over backwards or sitting with a small pillow behind my back.

-- Sometimes when I've had sore muscles on one side of my back, I've found that I can carry something like a bag of groceries in one hand without hurting my back but not in the other.

-- Once when I had a muscle in my back wanting to go into spasm, I signed up for a massage. While waiting, I took a hot tub and let the jet (a strong one) play against my back. The muscle cleared up just from the water "massage" (but I did still go ahead with the other one).

-- Once, after I'd been sitting at a picnic table (on a bench without a backrest) helping my friends peel apples for pies, my back started hurting. I couldn't seem to find a sitting position that made it hurt any less. Eventually one of the pie cooks asked for a volunteer to drive to the store and buy more sugar. I went. The twenty or thirty minutes in the bucket seat of my car cleared my back right up.

-- Once I strained something in my back while getting up from the floor (where I'd been having a close encounter with an electrical outlet). Neither movement nor rest nor driving home helped at all. I was low on groceries so that night I hobbled to my car and made my way to the store, first stopping by the drugstore to buy a cane. I hobbled into the supermarket, hung the cane on the handle of a shopping cart, and headed down the aisle to shop. My back cleared up after about two minutes of simply walking with the support of the cart.

Good luck with yours, treehouse, whatever it turns out to want.

Thanks all....

Today is day 9 since I hurt it. I can tell it's slowly but surely getting better. I think I may try to do my strength training tomorrow...still afraid to run, because of all of the pounding (which sucks - I love to run)...but hopefully it will feel good to do SOMETHING.

Exercise is a big stress reliever for me. And it helps me sleep. And I have a history of ED, and when I don't exercise, I'm not hungry, so I don't eat, and that sets me up for a scary cycle of ED stuff

Here's hoping it goes well!

Oh gosh, I worked out today and completely made it 100% worse. I hate not being able to work out. It's my stress relief. I need to be able to sweat! BLAH.

[nightbird]

ok, well, exercising is not helping... I'm sorry you are in pain.

I use a heating pad or the hot shower for soreness from weight training.

If I'm lucky, a hot tub.

And I'll take it easy for awhile, not stop everything, just go easy.

Acupuncture was suggested and it is great for many people who suffer pains in their backs and ribs and arms, etc.

I use a massage therapist occasionally, light touch, for body pains due to my being messed-up-sick hurting, other than that, the heat works for my sore muscles.

There are acu-pressure points that help. Do a web search and try them. Or an acupuncturist can teach you.

Feel better soon. Take it slow.

Peace,
Night
xoxo