Back/neck pain

i had this over christmas, it was horrible

a friend of mine back home is a masseuse and she said she won't massage anyone with severe pain; she said the best thing is hot and cold, hot and cold - get a heating pad or get in a sauna, keep it on for as long as you can take it (probably about 10 minutes) then alternate with an ice pack for as long as you can take it (about five minutes)

long-term, you are not sitting properly. both feet flat in the floor and sit up straight.

you can also try (gentle) neck and shoulder exercises right after getting up in the morning

i know, it is my posture... i'm trying to address this big time now. hot and cold is a good idea.

yes -- i'm always doing the gentle neck rolls and stuff, self-massaging. i need to do more though. i've also been told lifting light weights helps.

my disk is all herniated :(

oh no! i'm so sorry -- are you bed-ridden or something?

it's weird, when i got glasses, my neck pain improved a LOT

bummer. you really shouldn't have been walking upright all this time, you know.

NO, i am not bed ridden. it's probably been herniated for months and months but they just now did an mri. they gave me a bunch of trigger point injections (injections of lidocaine into the muscles) and it is really sore though.

glasses? really?

awww. it's my big fear, to herniate. i'm sure i will one day.

yah! i found i was straining forward a lot less, when sitting at my desk. which makes perfect sense, i can see the damn screen now...

yeah the doctor kept going "you're not that OLD, we usually see this in OLDER people blah blah blah"

haha that's sweet of him i guess?

i get that about my teeth -- "you're too YOUNG to have this problem"

ok thx how does that help me now

well my teeth seem to be ok now. but my neck feels like i've been sleeping in the backseat of a pickup for a week.

i think i'm gonna suck it up and go to the nail place for one of those 10min massages finally.

i've been trying acupuncture...it seems to be helping a little, i guess? i've only done 2 sessions but i'm going to try to go every week now, since my insurance won't cover anymore PT til next year and there is a place that will acupuncture me for $25 a session with my student id.

my body feels like shit after work every day from sitting in this damn chair

i want to start doing yoga or something

max, try to get up and stretch every 15 minutes

i almost wish i had a smoking habit to remind me to get up from my desk and walk around more

tell me more of this herniated disc. I have a nagging sensation that seems to sit right on my spine and extend about an 1.5" to the right in my lower back. It's fairly constant, but seems especially agitated after doing crunches or basic stretching that involves anything below my shoulders :/

I suppose I should go to the doctor, but it's inconvenient and theyt always want me to come back for more tests. Hey, dude, let's just do all the tests today. Every single one. Then we can get to the business of fixing it pronto. I have like work & life and stuff.

i don't know if it sounds like a herniated disk if it is just a "nagging sensation" - an herniated disk usually involves sharp pain and numbness since the vertebrae is bearing down on a nerve. if you dont want to go to a doctor, i would say you should try a course of anti-inflammatories, heat & ice, and avoid the excersizes that are causing the pain.

So I was brushing my teeth on Friday morning when I felt a weird twinge below my shoulder blades. I was late for work and thought nothing of it. Got on my bike, cycled to the station, locked my bike up and felt it again. Managed to stagger onto the train but once it arrived at Kings X, I physically couldn't get up without wincing in pain. Someone noticed and helped me off, gave me some ibuprofen.

I somehow managed to hobble into work but couldn't even explain what the matter was as I couldn't breathe without it hurting. Lay down on the sick bay floor for about an hour but still couldn't get up. Eventually had to be carted out the building in a wheelchair and driven home. I now can't get around without crawling or sort of holding onto my knees. A sharp pain going from right to left across my back in the area beneath the shoulderblades.

I don't know if it's a pulled muscle or a trapped nerve or something else, all I know is it's getting frustrating not being able to move about. Cocodamol and ibuprofen have done little to nothing unfortunately.

Anyone got any tips? Should I be attempting to move about or stay absolutely still? Should I treat it with a hot or cold pack? Should I see an osteo/chairo/physio or just a doctor?

dude... see a doctor

Why the holy fuck did you not get a lift to A&E rather than a lift home?

It sounds like a pulled muscle, btw, I do that from time to time and find heat works (I lie down flat and put a hot water bottle underneath me), but it usually sorts itself out after a day or so, and ibuprofen helps.

I had it a few years ago and it cleared up after a couple of days, after which I thought nothing of it. It's been three days and it hasn't gotten any better now.

My husband had the same. They gave him a cortisone shot (after we went to the emergency room duh).

fuck this - feels like something wants to escape through my shoulder blades

I need to improve my posture

evolution needs to work faster imo everybody sits in front of a computer these days nature get with the program

I want my head in my belly NOW not in ten thousand years

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f387/Woundsofruin/Krang.jpg

I hurt my back on Sunday. the lower part just seized up, was bloody sore. Its getting better (slowly) though.

my lower back has been in agony for a month

what fucking ever is my attitude toward all new pains now, the last two years have sucked so bad health-wise that I'm like "oh yeah? fucking bring it on, I laugh at you & listen to house music"

these two stretches have changed my life, seriously: http://www.drbookspan.com/NeckPainArticle.html

i felt it through the bottom of my neck, underneath my shoulder blade, and then down my arm. it was fucking awful

xp
yeah lower pack. Same thing i did last year. Im turning into my dad.

it's tuff, you gotta do it everyday throughout the day but it's soo much better than just living with the pain

yeah I remember that link LOLK! should do those more often though the page seems really fussy about how to do them :\

yeah, essentially what you need to take from it is that you need to stretch your pecs so that your shoulders can relax in the right position. the second one just helps with the flexibility of your neck

it also helps to just start noticing when you are holding your head forward or craning your neck so you can correct it

I sit at this computer from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. almost every day, and after 9 years it's starting to wear me down. I'm thinking about wearing a neck brace all day so I can relax my neck/shoulders without my head falling off my body.

STRRETCH YOUR PECS :P

god i need this shit so badly

did yall stretch yr necks/pecs today? it's not gonna get better unless you do something about it!!!!

i stretched!!!!

Argh.

This is my first encounter with the searing lower back pain and it's fucking painful. Weirdly I didn't do anything particular to bring it on, it just slowly came on on Monday evening as I was walking round town and got worse as the evening wore on. Slept flat on my back on Monday night and could barely move the next morning. Yesterday I slept on my side and it's better and I'm at work and mobile but it still kinda hurts.

What do you guys recommend - have been only on Ibuprofen so far but might try some Ibuprofen gel or some of the really good stuff with codiene in it.

Obviously this has hit me a matter of days before I go on holiday. I suspect my work chair isn't exactly helping matters.

i heard a rumour that feminax cures all known ills

more seriously, all i tend to do with back pain is stretching - i don't know that it makes it necessary feel less painful but it is satisfying and i feel like i'm doing something about it. but that's all upper-back stuff caused mostly by my terrible posture. (how do people sit with feet flat on the floor? it's impossible)

feminax is ridiculously effective, alix brought some round for whatever i had 3 weeks ago (and have again now) and it knocked me out basically.

is it muscle pain? icing it should alleviate pain, have heard good things about ibuprofen gel but when i bought it for my knee i managed to lose it before getting a chance to test it out.

anyway make an appointment with a physio asap basically, that's most important.

i always mean to look into good back stretches/exercises to do given how much time i spend hunched at a desk, and i don't really do any atm, and i'm vaguely paranoid it's gonna bite me at some point.

I think it's a muscle pain, yeah, either that or a trapped nerve but I think the former. Feminax is basically paracetamol and codiene right, so unless it's in mad quantities then straight ibu/codiene should do the same trick? Also by knocked you out do mean like actually sent you to sleep because I think I should avoid that.

I would totally see a physio but I've got like 48hrs left in London and I'm not sure I can get in in that time?

feminax made me zone out slightly but i was kind of zoned out already?

dunno whether you'd be seeing the physio on the NHS or otherwise but if the former the process will take a while so best set it in motion now - if you can see a doctor before you go they'll refer you to a physio, and then you make another appt with them, o bureaucracy. even if it's cleared up by the time you get round to seeing them, the stretches and such they'll give you to do will probably be useful in some sort of strengthening/preventative way.

Yikes! Are you OK? How did that play out?

I considered it could be something else, but for now I'm gonna trust Occam's Razor on this one. I slept on my back weird and probably exacerbated it through some strenuous exercise and yard work

It played out that i kept getting new cancer treatments over the last 3-1/2 years until each stops working, and there's more to come! (ie, no, i'm not OK)

Oh man, I am so sorry. I had no idea. I'm wishing you the best. We've all lost people we've loved to cancer, but I've also seen people I love overcome improbable odds with some treatments (my grandma overcame cancer that was supposed to be terminal), so I always hold out a lot of hope.

Holy fuck I literally cannot move

I took three ibuprofen an hour ago (on an empty stomach) and no relief from the excruciating spasms every few seconds. Am flat on my back and cannot get up to take any more pain relief (also, have none). I'm like crying out with pain.

Also I have music playing fairly loudly but can't turn it off. It was Annette peacock and I have it arranged alphabetically by artist so my neighbors will be treated to my entire music collection over the next day or so if my situation doesn't improve

after all three hours of your adolf hitler compilations they will probably be too traumatized to care

wouldn't adolf come before Annette? Mine alphabetizes by first name for some stupid reason

Lol Adolf comes before Annette fortunately

Also perhaps fortuNately, spotify doesn't play flac so no autechre
Xp

Hitler comes before peacock too

Christ this is bad

I always figured hitler for a premature ejaculator tbh

wouldn't adolf come before Annette? Mine alphabetizes by first name for some stupid reason

― sarahell, Saturday, 18 June 2016 22:03 (3 minutes ago)

that's why they will be too traumatized now!

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/r7-5Ct4eQho/hqdefault.jpg

neighbour irl rn

Wince

feel bad for moaning about a wee gum infection now

You need more than ibuprofen for bad back pain. I'm lucky that the partner gets some pretty strong codeine based painkillers on prescription. If you take 3 or 4 of them it would be recommended to turn the music off first! The spasms are the worst. They usually hit me unexpectedly when I'm out and about and it's like getting shot by a sniper's rifle.

No way toothache rivals this in terms of blocking out all thought of anything other than pain ime. At least you can move I guess

Xp ibuprofen was the only thing to hand, and a walk to the pharmacy doesn't feel on the cards just yet

Update: I managed to pull out the aux cord and now I may vomit

:(

http://www.imgion.com/images/02/Wishing-you-speedy-recovery.jpg

Thanks, I'll be fine. I sent for help as the spasms got worse after my attempt to sit up, mum & sister bringing painkillers

maria got a traction device from her doctor. it's pretty cool. i'm gonna try it soon for my neck. she had serious neck surgery a year or two back.

Solpadeine has saved the day, still the occasional agonising spasm but way fewer & farther between as long as I remain immobile.

Question: do I want pillows or should I be flat? My mum seemed to think my head should be elevated but my neck is getting kinda sore (using phone prob not helping)

dunno what is up, back pain for the past 10 days after returning from traveling...thought maybe just tied to that of 3 hrs in plane then 3 hrs in car but didn't expect it to endure this long?

I did see my doctor who just gave me some muscle relaxers and who said to follow up back w her in a few wks

it feels too persistent idk, not excruciating but I have tried stretching a lot and no dice. its lower back area and left flank soreness. along my lower back there was even some bruising? that is fading but its still stiff/painful

ibuprofen doesn't seem to help a lot tho using like those icyhot patches does temporarily feel ok

I have had a disgustingly huge abscess on the back of my neck that is the most painful thing I've ever felt. It was lanced yesterday but it's so big that in the coming hours they're gonna put me under a general and lance again, so that they can push hard enough to get it all out (it was just a local yesterday). But seriously it's huge: bigger than the span of my hand. Immensely painful. Happily they hospitalized me (that's more normal in France than the USA I think).

yikes

And out of general. This thing was (!) horrible and disgusting and painful. Necks are sensitive it turns out.

managed to back pain myself again last week, just now improving; was worse this time i think where if id of had to leave the house or w/e i prob could not have..

idk glad to have perspective from my above post remembering that time
i guess just getting old but prob should stretch more or something? i feel in general my core is prob decent, is there anything preventative one can do or nah

Can you afford to see a physiotherapist? My husband’s knee (and in this last year, knees) was kinda fucked, drs only offered a shot of steroids(?) to reduce pain. It would occasionally feel like it was giving out. He was convinced it was only matter of time before surgery.

A couple months ago he started seeing a physio. The first session the guy tested range of motion relative to pain, then had him do a bunch of exercises, then repeated range of motion test - he noticed instant improvement. It’s costing a small fortune to see this guy but the difference husb has noticed has been amazing.

yea i think i can possibly; its odd that, and maybe this is just a back-thing, it isnt really a chronic issue, but rather i have a tweak/episode once every year-ish?

i'd not say it feels like it'll give out or elevate to more of an everyday maladay, but idk who knows

good advice tho & glad to hear re: your husbands knees

His knee thing came and went too. Drs were honestly pretty useless. He met this physio when the guy came to his gym to offer a class on back issues, actually, and when my husband asked him about the knee issues he immediately understood the problem (something to do with the supporting muscles in his thighs I think).

I think physiotherapists are underrated by a lot of ppl because you won’t see long term results unless you put in the work on your own time too

Yep. I did a lot of core strengthening for my back injury (planks, side planks, stretching, etc) and it helped. And after resisting joining the yoga crew for many years, I've started doing Youtube yoga since working from home, and it's been hugely helpful all aroud.

Just1n3 otm

About two years ago I started having pain in my right thigh which then morphed into shooting pains in my lower right back. Would have trouble raising my right leg properly when walking and was eventually reduced to a walking motion where I would keep my right leg straight and wheel it around in a semi circle in order to walk. Was shuffling around like this for weeks ( some days less extreme some days really unpleasant) until GP referred me to a physiotherapist. Was ready for some p brutal hands on therapy and at home exercise regimen or smthg but the therapist totally Mr Miyagi'd me!

First session she barely touched me, watched me walk up and down then said I probably had something out of line after missing a step somewhere at some point in time. Had me come back the next week, was a bit more hands on but again v gently manipulated my leg and neck. I thought the whole approach was v bullshit new age hippy and one step removed from healing crystals tbh. Pain got worse for a couple of days then eased off. The 3rd session more of the same and 2 days later I was completely pain free and have been ever since. Would totally think the whole thing was psychosomatic except I was really unconvinced of her methods the whole time. Amazing.

Justine OTM ... PTs can do amazing things, including teaching you how to keep yourself together after your treatment ends.

Some back pain is normal for aging humans. At 59, I'm concentrating on maintaining functional movements (bending, stretching, twisting, lifting) rather than on trying to be pain-free. Exercising generally makes my back feel better, and I've learned to vary exercises to address particular problems, but I expect a little soreness, stiffness, or twinging and try not to worry about it unless it's really unusual or persistent.

Are "physiotherapy" and "physical therapy" the same? I googled a little but there doesn't seem to be a simple answer. I'm familiar with US-style physical therapy, which is usually done on an out-patient basis, often after a referral from a GP or specialist. The physical therapy I did involved a bit of electrical stimulation, little or no soft-tissue work, and a whole lot of exercises. After a certain number of sessions I was sent away with exercises to do on my own.

Some of the sources I glanced at suggest physiotherapy is more of a UK/Canada/Europe thing, often associated with hospitals, and maybe emphasizing more soft-tissue work. Academic qualifications are different, too. Are there larger differences, or is it more a matter of regional usage and emphasis?

I did the bird dog exercise today, it seems to be helping.

Preventative: weight lifting helps. If you have a gym, you could schedule a session with a personal trainer. The guys you see in the weight room are intimidating but a trainer can make you feel more comfortable lifting lighter weights. I use planet fitness, trainer sessions are free.

I think it might be a regional thing. We call it physiotherapy in NZ

how 'regular' does one's back pain need to be before you can feasibly ascertain that it's chronic and should maybe be looked at?

asking for ME. second or third time in the last week that I've mildly hurt it.

today was more understandable, I picked my dad's 190 pounds of dead weight up off of the curb. but I got spasms just sitting ina chair the other day

see a doc. no harm in it.

my current PCP is still not seeing people in person, but I imagine I should go to a specialist for this anyway...I don't have an HMO/EPO so I don't need a referral.

*adds to list*

do a telehealth with your gp and get a referral now; that way you can set it up when you're ready and/or if it gets worse. you don't want to be in a position where you're just starting the process in extreme pain as you'll have two weeks where no one will see you.

i speak from sad experience

thanks for tip. I think I finally have a clear schedule for the first time in two months, so I think I'll do that.

already have degenerative disc in the neck (which I"ve had forever) so don't wanna play with it.

i never go to doctors for anything (maybe i will change that in 2021 but idk) but i did telehealth for what turned out to be a minor knee injury a month ago and it was so much easier than going irl, but i did have to go get the x-ray first in person so it was like 2 separate appointments. but it was fine. i don't need a referral either so i just went straight to an orthopedist's office. totally worth it.

Sorry to hear you’re going through that, N. I strained my lower back in the autumn lugging around bags of soil and mulch. For weeks it was a chore just sitting down, standing up, getting out of bed, etc. It was a good 8-10 weeks ago at least and I’m still dealing with it. The one thing that has really helped me was getting one of those cylindrical foam roller things and just rolling it out every morning and every time it stiffened up during the day. After about 3 weeks of that I’m probably back to 95% finally.

If you normally sleep on your stomach or side, the first easiest thing to try to is force yourself to sleep on your back for a few nights, and you can also put a pillow under your knees in this position.
Mayo Clinic link: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/back-pain/multimedia/sleeping-positions/sls-20076452?s=2

I had lower back pain a few years ago, immediately changed my sleeping habits after doing a little reading on the subject (I was a stomach sleeper and forced myself to be a back sleeper) and I swear I have not had any back pain since then. Your results may vary of course. I see so many people on social media tell friends, at the first sign of unexpected back pain to either 1) get drugs or 2) see a chiropractor, and I'm like noooooo try changing your sleeping habits first.

a teleheath visit is a good precaution

it sounds like maybe you strained some muscles while moving and/or lifting your dad ... it's not unusual for strained muscles to spasm later (especially after you've been working on a computer for a few hours) ... if it's a strain, it will probably return to normal with some rest and hydration ... give it time to heal before stressing it again with heavy lifting or forceful flexion/rotation

I'm so grateful this is not part of my life. Because the couple of times a year I go through it for a couple of days, like at the moment, I'm miserable.