[seesaw]

So doing something unmentionable I either sprained my back or possibly herniated a disc. Even though it's been severely painful, I'm not at the point where I want to see a doctor yet (if it's soft tissue or a herniated disc, the doctor won't do anything for me anyways, except home remedies, which I already know, and since I used to work in PT, I know all the PT exercises and stretches to do to help with healing). I need to take a few days at home resting and doing home remedies before I know if it's serious enough to see a doctor. I was very distraught last night because it was so painful, but it has been a bit better this morning.

I hate chiropractors so don't even bring that up.

I'm just struggling with now being totally inactive for a few days. I wasn't at my highest level of athletic activity before, but I was still walking about 4 miles a day and doing a strength training/yoga. The set back of letting myself heal is SO frustrating. I'm trying to figure out what I can do to maintain momentum while I take it easy, like focus on my diet/nutrition, and what activity I can do to promote healing but not hurt. I just came back from the pool where I just walked laps. But it felt pretty good as I was finally able to stand up straight and move more freely. Walking back to my apartment I felt looser as well, so I'm hopeful that this can heal at home with the appropriate rest and exercise.

The only thing a doctor would be good for right now is some pain meds and muscle relaxant, neither of which I want because they will make me loopy and unable to work. So I'm fine using over the counter meds.

I got a heating pad at Target but it kinda sucks so I'm going to return it and look for a better one. It just doesn't get hot enough, not sure why. I also got a foam roller for stretching, which has been helpful.

Strangely enough the most painful thing is sitting and trying to stand after having been sitting for a while, and then bending over, but as long as I bend at my knees and squat, I can get stuff off the floor.

I'll probably try the pool a couple more times today so I can keep some activity level without pain. It wasn't entirely pain free but the pain was more mild to moderate versus severe.

So, that's all. I'm just blatantly looking for pity and sympathy, lol. And if anyone has any special techniques BESIDES a chiropractor, I'd love to hear home remedies for back pain. I have a gel analgesic that I may try too, but I'm nervous because sometimes that can be TOO intense.

So...yeah, I'm crippled now, temporarily, I hope.

Seesaw

[divine1966]

Oh no. Poor you. The kind of pain happened to me once. I ended up unable to walk at all. It was seriously like 3 days no walking (almost crawl to the bathroom on my fours). I think simply laying and not walking healed me. Just inactivity. You may have just lay low for awhile. Every time I had something hurting like this I was told that I need rest. That’s all.

[seesaw]

Originally Posted by divine1966

Oh no. Poor you. The kind of pain happened to me once. I ended up unable to walk at all. It was seriously like 3 days no walking (almost crawl to the bathroom on my fours). I think simply laying and not walking healed me. Just inactivity. You may have just lay low for awhile. Every time I had something hurting like this I was told that I need rest. That’s all.

Actually, so I laid down a bit after the pool walking, and it feels better still...so I think it's on the mend, which is a relief since it was SO bad yesterday. I was freaking out it hurt so severely last night. I think if I keep taking it easy and do light stuff to help loosen up, like the pool, I will be healed up in a week or so.

That's what I get for dating a loser......you know what I mean...

[*Laurie*]

I was just now going to reply to your PM.

The pain sounds absolutely miserable. Of course if it lasts (I'd say more than a week) you need to see your doc. But I agree with you - OTC remedies can definitely help at this point.

Do you take Advil or a similar med? Ibuprofen relieves inflammation so you can get some very gentle movement/stretches in and loosen things up.

If there's a God, I think heating pads are a gift from him/her.


I'm thinking that a lot of rest and a little bit of gentle stretches, plus the other home treatments, are the way to go.
(btw, I don't trust chiros, either...plus had a really upsetting experience with one, years ago. Total creepo.)


I'm sending you loving, healing vibes~**~**~**~*~~***

[seesaw]

Originally Posted by *Laurie*

I was just now going to reply to your PM.

The pain sounds absolutely miserable. Of course if it lasts (I'd say more than a week) you need to see your doc. But I agree with you - OTC remedies can definitely help at this point.

Do you take Advil or a similar med? Ibuprofen relieves inflammation so you can get some very gentle movement/stretches in and loosen things up.

If there's a God, I think heating pads are a gift from him/her.

I'm thinking that a lot of rest and a little bit of gentle stretches, plus the other home treatments, are the way to go.
(btw, I don't trust chiros, either...plus had a really upsetting experience with one, years ago. Total creepo.)


I'm sending you loving, healing vibes~**~**~**~*~~***

I'm doing a combo of ibuprofen and Excedrin. The heating pad I have needs to be replaced. It's just not a very good one, so I need to take it back to Target a bit later. But the pool walking definitely helped, and resting is helping too. I notice that a bit of stretching or light activity in the pool, followed by rest, seems to yield healing results. My weight certainly doesn't help, but if I can get the pain down from severe to mild, I can get back to walking and working on it.

I am just so relieved I am seeing some progress as the past few days have been excruciating.

[*Laurie*]

I've found that pool exercise is very helpful for whatever physical issues someone has. I love my little apartment, but I do wish we had a pool here.

[guilloche]

I'm sorry you're hurting. I've been in pain like that (recently, even) and it sucks so much to get to that point. It's exhausting. I hope you're doing better, and really glad to hear that you're already up-to-speed on the types of exercises a PT would have you do! Glad the pool work seemed to help a little, hope you recover the rest of the way quickly...

[wildflowerchild25]

I’m so sorry! I e been struggling with constant back pain since about August. I finally went to a spine specialist last month and I’ve been doing chiro and pt for three weeks. Only slight improvement so far. My X-ray showed a narrowing of the lowest disc and inflammation in my joints. I also have the most trouble standing from sitting and bending over. Also sitting In certain positions for too long.

I hope you heal very soon!

Hey Seesaw,

I’m so sorry your hurting

I sprained my back and neck last summer. My co-worker talked me into going to his specialist, which cost me an arm and a leg with the testing.

All they did was tell me the sorry condition of my back (something about bulging disk) and the sprains, and offered me pills I refused and walked out with a sheet of exercises I tossed and instructions to use heat. I can’t remember if they said ice.

I then went to my regular Paleo doc and asked him what I could have that isn’t addictive and won’t poison my liver.

He gave me Tramadol 50 mg which is less addictive and contains no Tylenol so I could take extra without killing myself.

I went on amazon or ebay (I can’t remember, probably amazon) and bought a large heating pad that does not shut off. I already had another something like it, and I slept on both of those.

This happened because I was hypomanic—I dug up my whole yard planting trees, bushes, and flowers. My yard is full of rocks and maple tree roots in clay soil. I was off my rocker. I kept going even though I was sore. I even bought a jackhammer from Amazon because the guy working at Home Depot just kept telling me I was crazy and would get hurt. I was pissed at all the giant tree roots everywhere. I swung an ax many times, used saws, and fortunately the jackhammer had an oil leak right out of the box, or I might have hurt myself.

My neighbor tried to help me, and I told him I’m big and strong as a man, and I didn’t need any help! I fell several times trying to dig out rocks the size of a large baby’s head. I was trying to use leverage w/the shovel and flipped myself backwards. I kept going even though I was hurt. I even took an ax to the tree roots under a retaining wall that belongs to my neighbor, and leveled the wall and put the stones back.

I can’t imagine doing that work now. I’m a lazy slug...hypomania is amazing.

Anyway, I think it’s a good idea to try heat and stretches. They told me to come back in 8 weeks. I didn’t, but it was more like 12 weeks before it was better.

My back is screwed up, though. Lately when I fall asleep on the recliner, I will have a back ache the next day.

[healingme4me]

I've ruptured a disc before and have had other times of bulging discs. Which explains my sciatic nerve pain when I do get that.

I hear you about the chiropractor, I'm not a fan. The last time I had trouble my neurologist had prescribed prednisone. It's funny how back trouble displays during an ms check up...I fail the needle test when I have a disc out. :\

Sounds like you know what needs to happen to recover.

[MoxieDoxie]

Sometimes the volume of the pain increases because the muscles spasm. Getting a massage can bring more blood flow to the area to help with ischemia in the surrounding muscles which in return can help with healing and lessen the pain.

[eskielover]

Ugh, back pain is horrible. Never had back issues until a few years ago when I fractured it bailing off a spooked horse. I didn't have money to go to PT, so my back ortho gave me a pamphlet with back strengthening exercises to do after it healed.

Now every time I work too hard that lower area of my back aches & it is time off to lower the inflamation.

Ibuprofen, also heat then cold alternate because heat though it feels good also causes more inflamation & my ortho said ice..... then when exercising use the heat to losen it.