Author Topic: Back Injury  (Read 10177 times)

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xylothrill

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Back Injury
« on: July 03, 2008, 04:50:30 am »
I might be out of commission for a while. My back's been getting worse lately and finally today, It gave out. I had such spasms that It took me a half an hour to get onto the floor. It was so bad and my nephew is on medication for a leg injury so brought me some "good" drugs. I took a pain pill, muscle relaxer, and 4 ibuprofen (800 mg, which is prescription strength). Normally I couldn't take aspirin or ibuprofen, even one, because it would give me severe heartburn. This is how bad the spasms were. I'd rather have the severe heartburn than feel those spasms. It took me a half an hour after taking them before I could get up and walk. The thing is, the ibuprofen hasn't bothered my stomach in the least! I attribute that to my diet. The lining of my stomach and esophagus has probably had a chance to heal and there are no neolithic carbs in there to add to the stomach acid.

I have a really bad back and have already had two back surgeries. I don't want a third. I hope this is not disc-related. I haven't had such spasming since before my last back surgery ten years ago. I've had minor spasms and aches and pains but this feels like another herniated disc and is scaring me.  If this turns out to be something serious, I'll consider VAX-D (I think it's called). For now, I'll just play it by ear and see how I feel when all these drugs wear off. I know, not very paleo of me but the pain was unbearable.

I know it's work-related but this episode didn't happen AT work so I'm not sure if Worker's Compensation would cover it or not. I'm really hoping that my back is just protesting and there is no serious injury. I hope It's just telling me I need to find a less physical job.

I'm a little loopy right now.

Craig
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« Last Edit: November 06, 2008, 04:13:52 am by Craig »

Offline Raw Kyle

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Re: Back Injury
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2008, 05:56:18 am »
Sorry to hear that Craig. There are so many healing modalities out there to try, I wouldn't know where to start. I believe there must be something better than surgery though.

xylothrill

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Re: Back Injury
« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2008, 06:15:40 am »
Thanks Kyle,

I'll find something. Practicing Naturopathic medicine is illegal in the state of Florida but we do have Chiropractors and I've heard many good testimonials with VAX-D, if it comes to that.

Craig

Satya

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Re: Back Injury
« Reply #3 on: July 03, 2008, 08:43:04 pm »
Too bad, Craig.  I must say that people I know who have had back surgery continue to have problems, so I question the validity of such an approach in general.  I would suggest that you avoid going under the knife again if you can.  Get as much information from as many sources as you can before you do anything.

I have not had back problems like yours exactly, however, I possess lumbar #6 (10% of the population has this, and some suggest that we are extra terrestrials).  This puts quite an arch in my lumbar spine, which could herniate, but never has.  I had a great experience with a chiropractor after I had problems with my hips after the birth of my first son decades ago.  He was very thorough and helpful with exercises for my situation as well.  He took x-rays first (I know I know) and gave me such great insight to my spine; neck issues, the extra vertebra, etc.  But you have to be careful who you go to, as I know people who have been maladjusted by chiropractors too.  Get recommendations from clients whenever possible.

Exercise is probably the best remedy and prevention of just about every malady on the planet.  In your case, I would recommend that you begin a yoga program along with some strength training, beginning with abdominals to help support your lower back.  And I am not talking crunches with a plate on your gut.  I am talking about really gentle stuff at the start.  Lying supine and breathing with your abdomin to strengthen it will probably not cause any pain, and will support the back.  Inhale and inflate, exhale and suck the muscles in double the time of the inhalation.  Hold the exhalation with abdominals tight as you progress.  Seek out an Iyengar yoga instructor in your area.  As a former personal trainer and yoga teacher, I cannot say enough about this form of practice for anatomically and biomechanically correct movements.  Iyengar yoga instructors have been well-taught in helping people with various conditions.  You need to start a serious and dedicated exercise program to help your back (altough you may not feel like it now!).  The upside-down poses will help you tremendously, but they will also have to be approached very gently.  Iyengar yoga uses props to help students, and this is what you need.  You will love it.

http://www.iynaus.org/Search/search.aspx

Your job situation may or may not need changing.  I have been active my whole life and I even have worked at jobs more strenuous than yours (try unloading and sorting packages for a major shipping company sometime and we can compare notes, as my back bothered me then from moving packages every 2 seconds).  This situation is probably temporary.  It may be your body telling you to work those abs to support your back, or to use better form when performing tasks.  Where are the spasms at anyway?

I wish you well Craig.  I think that you can beat this problem without resorting to drastic measures.  But it will probably mean that YOU will have to change some things and work diligently to improve it.  Soma and other drugs are really bad news, but I do understand that they may be helping you to ignore the problem.  But they will not help your back in any way.  They will numb you to it, and if you are not careful, you will resume activities and injure yourself further.  Pain can be a good thing as it keeps you in line!

I will continue to exercise regularly.  I might even reach 5th Dan black belt in my lifetime.  We shall see (as you have to wait and train the number of years for which rank you which to achieve after the few years it takes to achieve 1st Dan - 2 years for 2nd, then 3 years for 3rd).  But I do know that life is about living.  I work hard and play hard.  I hang out with people who do the same.  The healthiest, happiest people I have known are active ones.  I have a friend 40 years my senior who only drinks wine and coffee, but she works out daily, rides horses and just enjoys herself to the fullest <g>.  My grandmaster moves like a 30 year old at age 68.  These are my role models. 

You are young, and you will continue to be if you believe it.  That's what it takes.  This is a tough situation.  Injuries suck and we all suffer from them from time to time.  Please take care of yourself.



xylothrill

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Re: Back Injury
« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2008, 01:51:44 am »
Thanks Satya (our token Alien!)  ;)

The spasms WERE on the left side of my lower back. This is very strange. This morning, when I got up, my back felt better than it has in a very long time! Usually, I have to get up and move around a bit before it loosens up. This morning I just got up and was able to stand up and walk around without having to work out the kinks - almost no stiffness.

It's as if my back did something to itself to correct something or maybe my bulging L5-S1 (I don't have an L6) got sucked back in.  When I was able to get on the floor during the spsam, I did some Kinsey (sp?) exercises which is lying on your stomach and slowly pushing your upper body up while keeping your pelvis on the floor. This is meant to push any bulging discs back in. I should probably do those everyday and I'll look into those upside down poses and exercises you mentioned.

My back usually feels better with exercise. Without it, it gets stiff.

I'm the opposite of you, I have flat back syndrome so instead of my lower spine acting as a spring, it acts more like a load-bearer. I wouldn't be surprised at all if this were a deformity related to modern diet.

I didn't plan on staying on drugs I just wanted to be able to move. I develop tolerances very quickly so after a few days the meds become useless anyway.

This is unbelievable, never have I had an episode like that and not have it be an ongoing serious condition!

Craig

Offline TheWayCreatesTheWarrior

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Re: Back Injury
« Reply #5 on: July 27, 2008, 08:06:17 pm »

i feel for you Craig.

ive pulled(through out?) my back on 3 or 4 occasions in my life, and although probably not as severe as yours, i recall it taking, literally, 3 full minutes to roll from my side to my back while in bed, and even longer to stand up. it sucks. the back has to be the worst place to get injured, the nexus of your whole body. well, maybe your abdomen may be worse.

but i hope you feel better soon, and everything works out financially.
There can be no mercy in the heart, of the heart, of the Wolf.

Offline TylerDurden

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Re: Back Injury
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2008, 08:32:24 pm »
An intensively-painful stomach/stomach-ulcer is far worse - I've had back-pain before, and it's nowhere near as painful as the horrible stomach-aches i used to have after eating any cooked-animal food, pre-raw diet.
« Last Edit: July 27, 2008, 11:33:32 pm by TylerDurden »
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xylothrill

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Re: Back Injury
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2008, 11:01:50 pm »
Thanks Bronson, it's still much better now. People who haven't experienced it can't truly understand.

Tyler, you might be right for you but I've broken bones before - heck, I walked around on a broken ankle for a month because everyone told me I wouldn't be able to walk on it if it was broken - and nothing is as paralyzing a pain as back spasms. My mother equated them to labor pains that wouldn't let up when she had them. We can argue all day long about what the worst pain is but for me, it back spasms by far.

Craig

Offline TylerDurden

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Re: Back Injury
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2008, 11:34:38 pm »
Well, I broke a leg once(when I was 4) and it didn't hurt a bit(no doubt due to the brain releasing pain-killing endorphin hormones).
"During the last campaign I knew what was happening. You know, they mocked me for my foreign policy and they laughed at my monetary policy. No more. No more.
" Ron Paul.

xylothrill

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Re: Back Injury
« Reply #9 on: July 28, 2008, 01:30:54 am »
I'd like to try eating a live electric eel one day. Yum! :D

Offline goodsamaritan

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Re: Back Injury
« Reply #10 on: July 28, 2008, 08:59:54 am »
You might also suspect kidney pain at the lower back.
Some people confuse kidney pain and back problems.
I'm familiar with it myself when I eat too much protein.
I do a fast and do a kidney cleanse with avocado leaves tea.
Pain goes away in 1 day.
http://www.curemanual.com/detox-protocols/kidney-cleanse

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xylothrill

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Re: Back Injury
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2008, 11:36:25 am »
Thank Edwin but I'm positive it was as spasm. You could see and feel the rock of muscle on my back. The muscle will eventually tire, giving some relief but not whole lot. A couple of things I didn't have was pain down the legs and foot-drop that I'd had on the previous occasions so thankfully, there was no nerve compression. It took almost a year for the feeling and strength to come back in my left lower leg the last time. I was told this is how long it takes for the damaged myelin sheaths to regenerate. 

Thanks again. Every opinion has the potential to help someone out there.

Craig

Offline wodgina

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Re: Back Injury
« Reply #12 on: July 28, 2008, 05:23:44 pm »
I've been really lucky with my back and my body overall it must suck to not be able to do normal things, Craig are you considering a change in vocation? or do you like the physical stuff? I like the physical stuff but now the younger guys do more of the lifting, climbing and I have to use my brain more.
I haven't broken any bones in my 30 years, I have no idea how I managed that and i've had some spectactular stacks in my time. But yeah so as far as pain goes I would have no qualms in popping pain meds at all.
“Integrity has no need of rules.”

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xylothrill

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Re: Back Injury
« Reply #13 on: July 29, 2008, 01:20:00 am »
I love the physical stuff. Expending energy begets energy and at the other end, it also helps me sleep at night. I have considered a change in vocation but our economy is horrible right now; not many jobs.

So, your the wise, old, elder at 30? LOL! I remember when I thought 30 was old. You're still a youngster. If you live even to be only 90, you've only lived 1/3 of your life.

I broke my ankle while running and stepped into a hole - hopefully killing the critter that made it. I broke my hand while trying to defend someone else and got attacked myself. Apparently, you're supposed to punch with your first two knuckles and not the smaller second two but I didn't know this. Anyway, I'm a lover, not a fighter.  ;)

I'm sure I've detoxed those pain meds by now. A random drug test would not have been good around that time.

Craig
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« Last Edit: November 07, 2008, 12:25:59 am by Craig »

 

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