Lower Back pain HELP!

[Forest]

I hurt my back about 6 weeks ago and have tried Chiropractors massage and crani sacral therapy with no releif

Got an appt with a real Md next week but was thinking of trying Acupuncture first

anyone have any experience with this?

or any other suggestions for lower back pain

thanx

[djroof]

Mesulid called that pills...

[Forest]

bump

[Babaganoosh]

Can't tell you what to do about your current pain but as soon as you get fixed up, start doing some ab workouts. It doesn't have to be anything too drastic but some thing to strengthen your abs. Since I started working on my abs my chronic back pain is almost gone.

[WarChild]

It depends what's going on. Most likely you've damaged the muscle, either by a rip or inflamation of the muscle. You may have to rest it until most of the pain is gone, and then work on strengthening your muscles in both the lumbar and abs (ignore the advice to work only your abs) as they are both core support muscle groups. Seeing a real MD is the first step.

[SilentKnight]

Can't tell you what to do about your current pain but as soon as you get fixed up, start doing some ab workouts. It doesn't have to be anything too drastic but some thing to strengthen your abs. Since I started working on my abs my chronic back pain is almost gone.

Definitely work the abs. Weak abs are almost always the source of chronic lower back pain.

Try getting yourself one of those inversion tables and use it to do pull-up ab crunches while hanging inverted. I bought one a few years back and it helped greatly. But in order to be effective you have to use it on a fairly regular basis.

I tried chiropractors for a while myself - and all they mostly did was waste my time and wanted to keep booking me for sessions over and over to fill their wallets.

[iWeb_Rowena]

Hi Forest, why dont you try taking pain relievers. Hydrocodone can help you but dont take too much.

[WarChild]

Definitely work the abs. Weak abs are almost always the source of chronic lower back pain.

Try getting yourself one of those inversion tables and use it to do pull-up ab crunches while hanging inverted. I bought one a few years back and it helped greatly. But in order to be effective you have to use it on a fairly regular basis.

I tried chiropractors for a while myself - and all they mostly did was waste my time and wanted to keep booking me for sessions over and over to fill their wallets.

Yeah chiropractors are quacks for the most part. Some people swear by them, but I've never met anyone it actually helped long term.

Yes strengthening your abs will help, because your abs and lumbar are opposing muscle groups and key core groups. Strengthening the lumbar muscles themselves is very important though.

[Raven]

Damn, I hate chiropractors.....

Get on a treadmill and just amble for a half hour.......every day....ice it for twenty, heat it for twenty.....

Take ibuprofen for the swelling...

Once the pain is more manageable, start working out your abs and back muscles. Strengthen them and your spine will be better protected.

Stay away from back surgeons and chiros. They WILL make it worse.

[Downtime]

Can't tell you what to do about your current pain but as soon as you get fixed up, start doing some ab workouts. It doesn't have to be anything too drastic but some thing to strengthen your abs. Since I started working on my abs my chronic back pain is almost gone.

work on your legs too, especially your hamstrings. that will really help, short term and long term.

[Ecksent]

I had a bulging disk in my lower back for a car accident. What worked for me was Deep Water Therapy. I would go to the local rec center and just take one of those kick boards or noodle things and just do the bicycle movements. After that, I'd do some laps just kicking with the kick board. Then hit the hot tub for like 20 minutes. It worked for me, but everyone is diffrent. Good Luck!

[Raven]

I had a bulging disk in my lower back for a car accident. What worked for me was Deep Water Therapy. I would go to the local rec center and just take one of those kick boards or noodle things and just do the bicycle movements. After that, I'd do some laps just kicking with the kick board. Then hit the hot tub for like 20 minutes. It worked for me, but everyone is diffrent. Good Luck!

Water therapy is excellent for back injuries....no impact and it does wonders for the discomfort.

[Forest]

thanx for the input everyone

[coolegg2]

Got an appt with a real Md next week but was thinking of trying Acupuncture first

I would do absolutely nothing until you see your doctor - no acupuncture, no chiro, no nothing. If your problem is a disc, then you don't want anyone near it until your doctor diagnoses what is going on - then he will recommend physio, drugs, operation or whatever.

If your problem is a bulging disc or an otherwise damaged disc, then you want to be absolutely sure you don't burst it. If you do you are fucked for life - back pain forever, and probably an operation to remove it and fuse your vertebrae, just to make the pain tolerable.

Don't do anything until you see a doc. There's a time and place for acupuncture, traditional chiro, active release chiro and physio, but only AFTER your doc has diagnosed exactly what is going on.

[Walrus]

Definitely work the abs. Weak abs are almost always the source of chronic lower back pain.

Try getting yourself one of those inversion tables and use it to do pull-up ab crunches while hanging inverted. I bought one a few years back and it helped greatly. But in order to be effective you have to use it on a fairly regular basis.

I tried chiropractors for a while myself - and all they mostly did was waste my time and wanted to keep booking me for sessions over and over to fill their wallets.

Interesting thread. So ab workouts that work the lumbar area are the way to go then... No chiropractor. I've been having lower back pain past couple days. I just took some Tylenol Arthritis relief before I go to bed. It's a pain while you have this, I am sure it will go away, though. I've had this before, but it's been a while. Once it's gone, you tend to forget about it... and then not do a lot about it. This time I'm going to remember to do some things to try and prevent it again.

[jay23]

I would do absolutely nothing until you see your doctor - no acupuncture, no chiro, no nothing. If your problem is a disc, then you don't want anyone near it until your doctor diagnoses what is going on - then he will recommend physio, drugs, operation or whatever.

If your problem is a bulging disc or an otherwise damaged disc, then you want to be absolutely sure you don't burst it. If you do you are fucked for life - back pain forever, and probably an operation to remove it and fuse your vertebrae, just to make the pain tolerable.

Don't do anything until you see a doc. There's a time and place for acupuncture, traditional chiro, active release chiro and physio, but only AFTER your doc has diagnosed exactly what is going on.

I agree with the above. I hurt my back last week while I was hiking and went and saw the doctor next day. He wants me to get an MRI done ASAP and told me no more hiking / gym until that report comes in. In the mean time I am on Celebrex.

[Reak AGV]

Go see a doctor man..

[Bama]

I feel your pain.... literally!

I messed up my back recently and the pain was so bad I couldn't get out of the bed to piss and wound up using a milk jug. I could be in bed and do nothing more than turn my head and the muscle in my back would grab and cause so much pain I was screaming like a little girl. I kept scaring the fuck outta' the dog!

Walking is great for lower back pain but when you've been reduced to pissing in a jug, walking really is out of the question. Heating pads and massages only made it worse so I finally went to the ER and the doc put me on 3 days of steroids and gave me and IV injection of (and sent me home with) 20 10mg Hydrocodone pills.

The muscles in my back were gripped so tightly that it was constantly pinching the nerve so it never got any better. The steroids helps that by reducing the inflammation and the pain pills allowed me to move around and walk - all of which helps the back.

2 days after the ER visit I was going upstairs and literally felt a "pop" in my lower back and have been ok ever since. It was my damn spine going back into alignment and I wasn't pinching the nerve anymore.

The pain pills didn't make me loopy at all which was a huge plus but even had they done so, I'd still have taken them. Fuck that was the worst 2 1/2 weeks of pain I've ever experienced.

[Phoenix]

lt it heal up and then as others said...core muscle exercises...i used to get a sciatic nerve going off, from compressed spinal column....i stretched it out..and really focused on building more core strength..lost 15 pounds and it is 100% gone.

losing 15 pounds does wonders for anyone..lol when you can begin your core muscle building

[baddog]

Chiropractors are one of the biggest scams in the medical community. They will tweak you just enough to make sure you have to return.

Go to a real doctor.

[Ethersync]

Go see a doctor to find out if it is something serious or something minor. Then plan your next step from there...