Anyone with a bad back?

[beardo]

Originally Posted by kazawaki

Swimming, swimming Swimming

Last time i tried swimming i did 3 laps and could barely walk the next day. i will try again but maybe in a heated pool

[beardo]

Can I also ask what some of you do for work and how it affects your ability to do your job?

[noddy383]

I've had a couple of bouts of severe back pain (ended up in Emergency 3 times in a week because of pain and complications) with the intermittent mild to moderate pain in-between and I've actually just come back to work after just shy of 6 weeks off because of it. I have bulging discs at L4/5 and L5/S1, which is at the very base of the spine.

I work in the medical industry, but I'm not a doctor, so this is all just general advice. My biggest advice would be see a doctor. They will have the knowledge to begin either working out what is wrong (I see you're on top of that bit) or start working out what helps, be it exercise, medications or changes of lifestyle.

I would also suggest that you pay close attention to what makes it worse and better. When I had my first really bad episode, I had loads of people saying Heat packs, Ice packs, keep moving, stay still, swimming helps, walking helps etc.etc. I tried most of them and came to a place where I can manage it pretty well. Keeping a diary of these things can help keep a track of how long it take to feel better or worse after you do something (e.g. bending over for 5 minutes take an hour to recover from, or 2 tablets of drug X helps after Y minutes).

I hope this helps

[LyleXR8]

Originally Posted by beardo

Can I also ask what some of you do for work and how it affects your ability to do your job?

Machine operator, loaders, dozers diggers upto 800 ton, work wise i only really get an ache, it doesn't really effect me to much, if I get real tight n stiff I just ask to go in a dozer for a couple of days and it loosens everything up, my damage was done working in the building industry from 15

[beardo]

I've been in construction for about 12 years now but it is a worry that I'll be forced to alter my career path prematurely. And without being qualified makes it worse. I have my excavator, loader, dozer etc tickets so i guess thats an option

[cram_it_frog]

I had to change jobs so I went to TAFE and now I have diploma in accounting diploma in systems management and diploma in networking and systems .

but I cannot get a medical certificate saying I am fit to go to work so I am 61 and retired

[beardo]

Originally Posted by cram_it_frog

I had to change jobs so I went to TAFE and now I have diploma in accounting diploma in systems management and diploma in networking and systems .

but I cannot get a medical certificate saying I am fit to go to work so I am 61 and retired

What were you doing before you went back to tafe?

[cram_it_frog]

main roads dept pushing a shovel , building major bridge construction mostly manual work ,

I wanted to be a brain surgeon but when I turned up for the interview with a pick and shovel and a chain saw they suggested I might not be suitable for this type of work

I forgot to say I left school at 15 in first year so I had no real education and because I migrated here from the uK they stuffed up what year I was supposed to be in

I had many jobs working on some of Perth,s 20 story buildings I did couple of years as a survey hand on the wongong dam with bell bros I loved it ,

There was a different world back then unlike today when you have to have paper work and healthy and safety certs for every thing I had fun saw many places and enjoyed life

[maat1985]

i am a coffee roaster and i fin that the sitting or standing infront of the roaster console is the worst part whilst at work... too much in one spot without moving... coffee comes in 60kg - 70kg sacks and heavy lifting required with a mate of upto 50kgs... whilst at work this is ok it catches up with me once i stop at the end of the day.... the bending down to scoop and weigh coffee constantly is a huge problem... lifitng the weight not so much....

[beardo]

Originally Posted by maat1985

i am a coffee roaster and i fin that the sitting or standing infront of the roaster console is the worst part whilst at work... too much in one spot without moving... coffee comes in 60kg - 70kg sacks and heavy lifting required with a mate of upto 50kgs... whilst at work this is ok it catches up with me once i stop at the end of the day.... the bending down to scoop and weigh coffee constantly is a huge problem... lifitng the weight not so much....

I know what you mean about standing still for too long (usually about 30 seconds is enough for me). Theres no way I'd be lifting 60 or 70kgs at the moment, which i find hard to deal with as I've always very capable of lifting being an ex brickys labourer and now rail worker

[maat1985]

can only do 60kgs-70kgs with the help of someone else.... i just find that i really need to push myself as much as i can... i cant let my back stop me from doing things.... its just the way i am.... spend alot (mayb 5mins every hour) of my time stretching trying to loosen up my muscles in an effor to keep going... as i speak even as typing this post i have adjusted my seating position 5 or 6 times... and am just very uncomfortable....

[cram_it_frog]

my wifes tv died last week she hate the new ones so she went to local face book page and was a old tv some one had it was delivered and we struggled to get into the house, but was to big to put it where we wanted far to heavy

so we rang local charity they sent two guys out one of them walked up picked it up by him self and walked to the truck no problems

I soon realized how limited I am with lifting the guy make it look so easy lol

[Cav]

I got a bad back.

I am 66 and I still have hair and I am still good lookin'

The way I see it is that god can't give you everything so I have a bad back. It makes the chicks easier to catch me ;-)

If you've read my other posts youse will know I is full of BS.

It is all about management.

Make sure you have a good supportive mattress.

Make sure you have good supportive chair when watching TV

Make sure you have a chair that is high enough when you are sitting at the table or computer so that it is easy to stand up. A low chair means you have to put both hands on the table and jump up to stand.

Don't lift anything.

Walk slowly, you'll still get there.

Seek medical help re diagnosis and management. Doctors are OK but I found that good chiropractors are the only ones who can help. Luckily in the small town in which I live there is a magic chiropractor who comes down from Sydney three days a week. He xrayed my back, pointed out all the problems (PM me if you want the list) and we discussed how to manage it. This is the first guy in 20 years who took the time to show and explain everything to me.

If your doctor or chiro are not up to scratch, seek out others. It's your back.

[TRAU BLAU]

The driver's seat had collapsed on one side on me AU Wag.Which was giving me a bad back driving form the side instead of more centered.Took the whole seat out(back bolts hard to screw back in)& reupholstered it & put big washers supporting the metal base.A good clean out & it slides,adjusts up down &back a lot easier.

[beardo]

I think sitting on a milk crate would be more comfortable than my au seat

[F6RCD]

Who would be the best person to see to diagnose what exactly is wrong with your back? Seen a local GP but he seemed more interested in giving me painkillers than actually finding out what is wrong with it. Been having lower back problems for around 12 months but its starting to get worse.

[noddy383]

Getting an MRI is one of the best ways to find out in my opinion (CT is very good too), but that's my (probably biased) opinion being that I work in the industry. From a patient perspective, it was how I found out what was wrong with mine and let my doctor know what to suggest in terms of treatment. Maybe ask you GP about investigating the cause, it may just be that they are keen to get you out of acute pain before they focus on treating the cause.
Different referrers can request MRIs and CTs, but be aware that if you get one from a non-specialist and you get charged full private rates, an MRI can cost a couple of hundred, but you'll probably get some great information about what is or isn't wrong.
All of that said, it really comes down to how your medical practitioner, be they GP, chiro, osteo or other, uses that information and what they know about how to best treat the problem with your spine. Unfortunately there are loads of things that can be wrong and it can take a long time to find the perfect combo of exercise, medications, lifestyle factors etc to get you to a good place.

[cram_it_frog]

they have come a long way with MRI when I started to have back problems all they could do was inject die into your spin now the MRI can give a 3 d image of your spin

I had a look at mine a while back and it was a mess lots of damage to the disk and disk above the previous surgery to remove a disk


you need do need to see a get a decent MRI then onto see a nuro or spinal surgeon who will tell you the best options

They will not consider surgery unless you are at risk of not being able to walk once you have back surgery to remove a disk you are screwed for life

they will recommend exercise and manage you life style if you are in pain for a long time you can get into pain clinic but you have to have cronic pain to see them

god luck

[xurbanx]

Mines not as bad as some of the guys here - but I've started to get some pain around the lower back region. Office job and on my behind to and from work and during work.

Started gym a few months back and realised the pain was gone, going to start that again. Also did a bit of research and found out I have an over pronation - going to get some proper footwear and hope that irons out the pain.

[cram_it_frog]

because of the way humans are built and the type of things we do all humans get a sore back at some time in life

In most cases it is simple and will go away the problem gets worse when the mechanical parts start to fail or you severer your spinal cord

but even a week end gardening can cause serious pain and you need hot bath and rest to help

[cram_it_frog]

has any one else lost the depth perception in one of there legs mine is getting worse every year I seem to be tripping a lot more

What makes it worse is the kerbs in Broken hill are very high because of when it does rain it can flood

I have to be careful when walking

loss of depth perception is where you have lost feeling in one part of lower leg so I really have no feeling in that foot

[Lugh]

I have degenerative spondy on top of three damaged discs. Bulging L3/4, and herniated L4/5, and L5/S1. First injured the discs when I was 24, but being a typical aussie male I didn't see a doc till I injured it again when I was about 27, even though i'd been chewing 10-15 nurofen a day for years.
Initially the docs/phisio thought it was just a muscle strain and it took 6 months to get a proper diagnosis.
When my orthopedic surgeon saw the MRI he was convinced that I needed a triple fusion. As this is completely irreversible and would result in a loss of about 60% mobility I politely told him where to go. He referred me to an excellent phisio that specialized in deep water therapy, and I did that for around three months.
I am 32 now and still haven't had any surgery, and still work full time as a carpenter. I no longer take painkillers daily and sometimes go for months without any at all. However I get pain and sometimes numbness in my right leg from the L4/5 bulge onto the ciatic nerve, so the solution to that would be a partial discectomy, but I want to avoid surgery for as long as possible.

[cram_it_frog]

10-15 nurofen try getting Physeptone( Methodone) for pain .

I am on 60mg per day but it is not easy to get long term I have to get a new referral every 4 years from a pain clinic also each script has to have a authority from NSW gov

I have had endone before but you end up so doped up you have no idea where you are lol

[MattSAU2XR8]

Assuming you need your back to keep working to remain in a physical job:
- Avoid strain where possible, eg. Rigid seats in dozers etc, jumping down from forklifts, bad lifting techniques, lifting too heavy, rotating body while carrying a load
- Consider private health cover since if your back plays up and an operation can help, the public system can't afford it
- Minor strains may well get better in a week or two, but still get them recorded if they happen at work
- Not all GPs are perfect at back pain so if not getting anywhere ask around for one who has an interest in sports medicine or similar
- If your back doesn't get better after a few weeks and you can't work properly then you probably need a diagnosis that includes the name of the part and how exactly it is damaged, which means imaging. X Ray and CT are for bones and MRI is for soft tissues like discs and nerves. Although a big disc bulge may often show up on CT.
- Once you have the name of the damaged part and how it is damaged the doc/pt/chiro can make a plan. Not all injuries can be repaired by massage or manipulation or training, and by the same token not all of them need drugs or operations either.

[bernbo]

Originally Posted by cram_it_frog

has any one else lost the depth perception in one of there legs mine is getting worse every year I seem to be tripping a lot more

What makes it worse is the kerbs in Broken hill are very high because of when it does rain it can flood

I have to be careful when walking

loss of depth perception is where you have lost feeling in one part of lower leg so I really have no feeling in that foot

You might want to get that checked as you could be suffering from a bit of foot drop from a compressed nerve. Having a lack of sensation is one thing but you may not be lifting you foot up high enough causing a bit of tripping.

My 2c on this topic, having degenerative disc disease from the age of 22 (I'm now 40) and also as a radiographer who spends most of my days, today included scanning backs in MRI is to always avoid back surgery unless you literally have a compressed cord i.e. causing symptoms like faecal and urinary incontinence, reduced **** tone, for drop, paresthesia and not just back pain.
I once scanned the lumbar spine of a surgeon with decades of performing back surgeries who said never get surgery on your back! Unless you have a compressed cord you can achieve a better quality by doing all those things people suggest. For everybody it's a bit different, some it's stretching, or swimming or for me it was pilates that made the break through on reducing pain. I did the proper pilates that uses the equipment to teach you the proper technique not just a floor class. The main things to do are what people have success with is that they have done things to keep them moving i.e a form if exercise, have avoided long periods of standing or sitting, avoided lifting and twisting and to ensure you maintain good posture. Pilates helped me to get my core working better and to realisemy left buttock had actually switched off. I had to learn to use this muscle again and with it came am improvement as my body was no longer compensating and causing an inbalance in my pelvis.

I used to have the max dose of neurofen plus everyday but now a box of voltaren rapid lasts me a year. If I do something stupid and have a flare up a couple of pills and a stretch gets my back on track. So my advice to all is to get a proper check at the doctors, get the pain under control and get to the physio to get moving again. Experiment with different forms of exercise, the physio can help here or you can also see a exercise physiologist to make sure you are doing it properly. The pain can be cause from a single event or can be an accumulation of bad posture, bad bed or dodgy shoes. The was a study done showing that mens wallets in their back pockets angles the pelvis causing pain and stress to the spine. So it's all these things that makes it so complex to treat.

[elysian50]

Originally Posted by bernbo

You might want to get that checked as you could be suffering from a bit of foot drop from a compressed nerve. Having a lack of sensation is one thing but you may not be lifting you foot up high enough causing a bit of tripping.

My 2c on this topic, having degenerative disc disease from the age of 22 (I'm now 40) and also as a radiographer who spends most of my days, today included scanning backs in MRI is to always avoid back surgery unless you literally have a compressed cord i.e. causing symptoms like faecal and urinary incontinence, reduced **** tone, for drop, paresthesia and not just back pain.
I once scanned the lumbar spine of a surgeon with decades of performing back surgeries who said never get surgery on your back! Unless you have a compressed cord you can achieve a better quality by doing all those things people suggest. For everybody it's a bit different, some it's stretching, or swimming or for me it was pilates that made the break through on reducing pain. I did the proper pilates that uses the equipment to teach you the proper technique not just a floor class. The main things to do are what people have success with is that they have done things to keep them moving i.e a form if exercise, have avoided long periods of standing or sitting, avoided lifting and twisting and to ensure you maintain good posture. Pilates helped me to get my core working better and to realisemy left buttock had actually switched off. I had to learn to use this muscle again and with it came am improvement as my body was no longer compensating and causing an inbalance in my pelvis.

I used to have the max dose of neurofen plus everyday but now a box of voltaren rapid lasts me a year. If I do something stupid and have a flare up a couple of pills and a stretch gets my back on track. So my advice to all is to get a proper check at the doctors, get the pain under control and get to the physio to get moving again. Experiment with different forms of exercise, the physio can help here or you can also see a exercise physiologist to make sure you are doing it properly. The pain can be cause from a single event or can be an accumulation of bad posture, bad bed or dodgy shoes. The was a study done showing that mens wallets in their back pockets angles the pelvis causing pain and stress to the spine. So it's all these things that makes it so complex to treat.

Since 1991 I have suffered periodic back pain due to a compressed nerve in the lower lumbar.I manage it with Naproxen and occasionally Codine based pain killers.What I found most effective though are muscle relaxants such as Baclofin.Apart from the sciatic pain most of the tight aching across the back comes from the muscles going into spasm and the Baclofin irons this pain right out,they are also relatively cheap.

[Boza]

I have Ankylosing spondilitis it is an autoimune form of arthritis that attacks the spine destroying the the joints and causing new bone growth fusing the spine. I have fusing in my upper back and lower back and make's me very tired which is a symptom of it also affect's my eyes sometimes and other part's of the body google it for more information.

[bernbo]

Originally Posted by Boza

I have Ankylosing spondilitis it is an autoimune form of arthritis that attacks the spine destroying the the joints and causing new bone growth fusing the spine. I have fusing in my upper back and lower back and make's me very tired which is a symptom of it also affect's my eyes sometimes and other part's of the body google it for more information.

Michael Slater also is a sufferer of this and I remember reading his routine which involved cycling and yoga amongst others things to try and remain as flexible as possible.

[Boza]

Originally Posted by bernbo

Michael Slater also is a sufferer of this and I remember reading his routine which involved cycling and yoga amongst others things to try and remain as flexible as possible.

yeah i ride my bike every day nearly wanna get into riding in the bush nothing crazy just fire trails and flat even roads

[hawkgirl]

Originally Posted by cram_it_frog

has any one else lost the depth perception in one of there legs mine is getting worse every year I seem to be tripping a lot more

happens in my right leg when I am tired or have overdone it. Mine is to do with the nerve signals not going back & forth properly.