Back/neck pain

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.