NFT: Back pain advice

I’ve had lower back pain almost my entire life. I just bought a new bed with an adjustable base. I now go up to bed hour earlier than I use to. Watch tv on zero gravity and when I’m ready to fall asleep go back to flat. I have been sleeping much better and my back pain has also gone down tremendously. I got a hybrid beauty rest.

Things to find what works best. I got an inexpensive TENS machine which helped a lot with muscle pain and spasms. Good luck and hope you're feeling better soon.

I manage the pain with effective stretching techniques and proper posture. I do work out almost daily by leading and attending exercise classes at a local center. I let hot water run on my back in the shower and occasionally soak in the tub. I have been able to manage it without discomfort. Rarely do I use Advil or the like

In comment 14680836 mainiac said:

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Things to find what works best. I got an inexpensive TENS machine which helped a lot with muscle pain and spasms. Good luck and hope you're feeling better soon.

Interesting TENS machine, had never heard of that before.

long term, see a chiropractor.

Foam rolling your lower back is a huge no no. It causes more harm.

I had bad back pain for a year or so. I stopped sitting and started working from a stand up desk and i can honestly say my back is so much better from it.

Standing is absolutely one of the best things you can do.

seek the advice of a physical therapist.

(a Dr) nor his Drs ever mentioned this. And it's the one things we 'align our backs' to for an extended period every day. A body pillow helped me tremendously

Try yoga, or even PT. I've heard many people get rid of sciatica or back issues from this type of dynamic stretching. PT, I'd suggest someone who is more about preventative, again dynamic stretching (not JUST core strengthening) of back, legs, abs, hips, sides. They always used to stretch the hams & calves b4 sports practices but never the front / hips / sides / abs save quads in my experience (nor would it last more than 5-10 min which seems almost pointless)...esp in the 80s-90s etc. My PT on the other hand was amazing - imo something we all should do regardless of cardio or lifting (and it's a huge boost to all that activity too). It's not about time, but takes me 30 min of just stretching. That can be the workout tho I did that w/ other exercises like cardio or lifting

And of course it'd be good to focus on improving your posture, gait etc. Not at all easy and basically a life long pursuit but having gone thru a major leg injury, it's clear one of the biggest problems is we walk stand sit poorly - aside from specific difficult high intensity activities that lead to extra wear & tear for athletes or those who do physical labor day to day. Actually a PTist might be able to help a ton more there than anyone - I learned I am knock-kneed a bit, which may have led to my injury, if not just the issues I'm having since. And of course now have specific exercises to strengthen & align the necessary muscles to improve that long term. Pretty sure your Dr would give you a prescription no prob

Also might try acupuncture. It's one of the only times I felt a decent jump in my healing. Also had a friend who had migraines from basically building his shoulders / neck up too much - got some 'electric current' acupuncture of some sort he SWEARS by and no longer has migraines...

It’s not the cure but it will give you exercises to help your back.

Also stretch your psoas, that really helps!

love that thing, esp for the back and sides

In comment 14680853 BigBlueDownTheShore said:

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Foam rolling your lower back is a huge no no. It causes more harm. I had bad back pain for a year or so. I stopped sitting and started working from a stand up desk and i can honestly say my back is so much better from it. Standing is absolutely one of the best things you can do. I only do foam roller on mid to upper back which sometimes hurts as I compensate for lower back. I would like a standing desk though.

My wife was getting epidural shots. After a few months of pilates her back was pain free.

Works magic for me. This approach addresses the fundamentals of everyday movement and core strength. 7 years of constant back pain gone in 3 weeks.

you have to treat it with ice. Stretch your hamstrings too but that helps prevent issues from happening later. Likely will give you little relief now.

I take a class at the gym on the roller and teacher told us it causes harm as said above. But, do use the foam roller on other areas especially hamstrings. And, stretch your hamstrings. Lots of lower back pain is caused or made worse by tight hamstrings.

You didn’t speak of the cause of your lower back pain. Were you in injured? Have you see a doctor? Is your weight under control? As a general rule, you need to keep moving & not be sedentary. Check your posture. I take yoga, that helps. I walk a lot. Good luck.

For about 35 years. Then 5 years ago I bought a True Back and virtually eliminated the need for a chirorpactor.

BackBackBack - ( New Window )

but as soon as it gets cold again it will tughten even more than before..

I had a knot in my back a couple of weeks ago, rest and the icy hot patches did the trick for me

as well as targeting the area. Generally low back Bain is from tight hips. Make sure you aren't sitting too much and the only thing I can recommend without evaluating you is hot Bikram yoga. It's a bitch, but the full body approach works and you'll feel much much better overall.

In comment 14680905 Samiam said:

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I take a class at the gym on the roller and teacher told us it causes harm as said above. But, do use the foam roller on other areas especially hamstrings. And, stretch your hamstrings. Lots of lower back pain is caused or made worse by tight hamstrings. You didn’t speak of the cause of your lower back pain. Were you in injured? Have you see a doctor? Is your weight under control? As a general rule, you need to keep moving & not be sedentary. Check your posture. I take yoga, that helps. I walk a lot. Good luck.

I always have had some lower back pain dating back to HS. Nothing very serious but I mostly suffer from having a 1 year old and 4 year old—carrying them around a lot and not finding time to exercise.

I except as I keep getting older it will get worse without much exercise.

The hamstrings being tight is an interesting point as mine are usually tight.

A big belly causes back pain. Ask any pregnant woman.

IMO. Take pills and get therapy if you want relief only. Lose weight if you want a cure.

Yoga, physical therapy

with back pain. Honestly I’ve tried everything mentioned here and more (even rolled on lacrosse and softballs). The tens machine probably worked better than anything else but over time even that wasn’t working. To let you know how back it had gotten it would literally take me 5 minutes to put my socks on the the AM. After years of suffering and my wife on my case I finally went to a neurosurgeon. Mind you I’ve had a few surgeries in my life but I’ve heard so many conflicting opinions and first hand testimonies I was very hesitant to get my back operated on. So he did all the tests and told me I did indeed have some disk problems, L 3 and 4. But he told me I should get my hips checked out, boy I’m I glad I did. They (hips) were both shot, I asked him if I could do the replacements the next day, lol. Two hips later, this was back in spring of 2016 my back pain has virtually disappeared. I consider myself blessed that after having back pain 24-7 for years I no longer have to suffer. So do yourself a favor and get them checked. Hope this advice helps.

And, have tried everything from an opioid regimine, to acupuncture. I can say two things, without hesitation: I will suffer chronically for the rest of my life; a plant based diet is the best relief you will garner.
Exercise, and whatever else tickles your fancy, is all well & good (a strong core=less pain) however, it is a multifarious treatment plan (knocking down bits of pain, through all resources), that begins with a plant based diet which has given me the most relief, while enduring nearly thirty years of chronic back pain.
Good luck to you, the back is not an easy pain to endure. Nor, is chronic pain understood by peers, colleagues, & medical professionals. You are on your own island, make it comfortable for YOU.

..over 10 years ago and still have regular lower back pain, particularly when spending too many hours sitting in front of the PC for work. I manage it well enough that I can walk a minimum of 27 holes a week with the back slung on my back during the non-winter months.

Specific stretches I found that provide the most relief are
-Piriformis stretch with lower leg @90deg on a bench.
-Foam roller on the IT band - from just above the side of the knee all the way to the hip.
-Hamstring; on your back with leg on the doorframe.
-Squats (I have Wright Balance Golf stance widths x9 that I use for each 10 reps). Put a large exercise ball between the small of your back and the wall, do squats leaning into the ball.

Inversion table has been great.

Easiest and most impactful core exercise has been Turkish get-ups. You can start with no weight and eventually start locking-out a kettle bell or dumbell. Adam Scott's trainer once said if he could recommend one core exercise to do for life it would be this.

I also plank regularly at those 9 Wright balance stance widths I mention above. The theory is it strengthens all 3 regions of your core - upper/middle/lower.

As somebody mentioned, you have to use trial and error to make a call on what works for you.

When I started lifting weights it make a big differnce. I don't lift a ton but do so reguarly. I still stretch a lot but I think the weights were the key to relieving my lower back pain.

Talk to a healthcare professional before giving this a try.

https://www.spine-health.com/blog/weight-training-effectively-relieves-back-pain - ( New Window )

I read it as I am lying on the floor—one of my preferred ways to appease my back.

bench. That helps sometimes

Squatting, provided your knees are in good shape. It is the single best position for alleviating some of my pain.

In comment 14681095 Spike13 said:

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And, have tried everything from an opioid regimine, to acupuncture. I can say two things, without hesitation: I will suffer chronically for the rest of my life; a plant based diet is the best relief you will garner. Exercise, and whatever else tickles your fancy, is all well & good (a strong core=less pain) however, it is a multifarious treatment plan (knocking down bits of pain, through all resources), that begins with a plant based diet which has given me the most relief, while enduring nearly thirty years of chronic back pain. Good luck to you, the back is not an easy pain to endure. Nor, is chronic pain understood by peers, colleagues, & medical professionals. You are on your own island, make it comfortable for YOU.

I actually second this in a way, but with one amendment. Not necessarily a plant based diet, but a diet that consists of whole foods. Non farmed fish, pastured meats and dairy, vegetables, and fruit. I don't think people realize how crappy processed foods and factory farming process has made our health. People are essentially eating sick animals on a day in day out basis. Foods high in omega 3's are going to offer a ton of pain relief, salmon, sardines, lamb (grass fed). One of the biggest health issues your average person has is their 03-06 ratio is way way off putting your body in constant state of inflammation.

- exercise a few times a week to keep blood flow going
- stretch out back laying on floor a few minutes each day
- acetaminophen
- bombay martinis, really dry with blue cheese olives

in, but I have read weed does wonders to help with pain management.

not being facetious.

obviously not without its downsides, but in addition to all the other treatment plans you have, if you live in a state that allows it medically or recreationally maybe ask your doctor what they think about it when considering pain management.

it's probably no more toxic than swallowing handfuls of ibuprofen or acetaminophen every day.