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Wrecked back

brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,005
edited November 2013 in All Encompassing Trip
Dang! My back is out major big time super freakin' bad! It take me five minute just to roll over in bed or stand up. Intense lower back pain every minute of the day and night. Can't/won't take narcotics. Handfuls of ibuprofen and ice don't even touch it at this point. Not really interested in pulling a Hemingway or H.S. Thompson but I sort of understand the allure (no worries, not going there). In one of my five minute blips of sleep I dreamed about having a full spinal column replacement... don't I wish! Surely there must be something amusing about all this. The upright human body: what a dumb design! :x ...:lol:
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













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  • Green CircleGreen Circle Posts: 5,192
    most people scoff at this, some have taken my advice.

    Accupuncture.

    I had a severe back issue around the time that I got married. at times I could only take 6 to 7 inch steps, and no way was I bending over to pick anything up. I went to a Accupuncturist at the advice of my
    step mother.
    I had two treatments and was able to do the things I wasn't able to do with the back issue.

    Find a reputable one and go.
    Most Insurance plans cover it now and if not you'll be out what...maybe 50-60 bucks?
    don't have much to lose at this point, no?
    "...And I fight back in my mind. Never lets me be right.
    I got memories. I got shit so much it don't show."
  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 Posts: 23,303
    brianlux wrote:
    Dang! My back is out major big time super freakin' bad! It take me five minute just to roll over in bed or stand up. Intense lower back pain every minute of the day and night. Can't/won't take narcotics. Handfuls of ibuprofen and ice don't even touch it at this point. Not really interested in pulling a Hemingway or H.S. Thompson but I sort of understand the allure (no worries, not going there). In one of my five minute blips of sleep I dreamed about having a full spinal column replacement... don't I wish! Surely there must be something amusing about all this. The upright human body: what a dumb design! :x ...:lol:

    do you have anything radiating down your legs? groin numbness? loss of control of bowel or bladder?

    yeah our spinal column is amazing. it is a poor design for sure, but it is amazing. good thing the spinal cord branches out at about L1 or so, or the vast majority of us would be paralyzed.

    you are doing the right things brian. but if you are in pain that bad, i would go to the er for evaluation. they can treat your pain there with perhaps a toradol injection or something, and they can get you a brace. maybe they can give you tramadol/ultram. it is an opiod but it is not a narcotic. also maybe a muscle relaxer like flexeril or amrix. in the meantime ice it as much as you can.

    good luck my friend, and i hope you feel better soon. back pain sucks!!
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,005
    Thank you Green Circle and thank you gimme. Good advices, both. I'll make some calls. :)
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • STAYSEASTAYSEA Posts: 3,814
    Aquatic therapy worked for me, B. There is no quick fix for back injuries and every one is different.
    image
  • shortstackshortstack Posts: 2,339
    it's the worst!

    bridge type exercises are the only thing that relieved my lower back pain.
    did you see me? i saw you.
  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 Posts: 23,303
    brianlux wrote:
    Thank you Green Circle and thank you gimme. Good advices, both. I'll make some calls. :)
    first thing first, you have to get your acute pain flare under control before you can consider any exercises, rehab or other interventions. you have to get this initial pain settled down first, or nothing is gonna work.

    trust me, i deal with acute back pain every day at my job.

    if you refuse to go to the er, you have to find a comfortable position.

    are you better on your back, on your stomach, or your side?

    if on your stomach, try to prop yourself up on your elbows for a minute at a time. if on your back, try bending your knees and placing a pillow under your knees. if on your side, put a pillow between your knees. all of these things relieve stress on the back, and if you have spasm, these positions help to relieve some of the spasm.
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • F Me In The BrainF Me In The Brain Posts: 31,256
    Sorry to hear this. I have this happen about once a year when it goes totally out. Nothing they can do to fix the issue short of fusing some vertebrae but I am too young for that they say.
    When it first happened the only thing that stopped the swelling (which caused the pressure on the spine, the pain, the losing feeling in legs/arms, etc....) was an epidural. The feeling the next day was the best thing I could imagine.
    Took lots of dr trips, x rays, MRI, etc to get there but it was well worth it.
    If you can get one of those bad boys I recommend.
    I dont take the flexoril, naproxin, vicodin they recommend when you go to the regular doc. (They just masked and didnt help...Drugs are recreational if I can help it.) That shot changed things though....epidural, ask the doc about it.
    Also, sleeping with a body pillow was a game changer. Find it difficult to sleep w/o one now and be comfortable.
    Hope you feel better.
    The love he receives is the love that is saved
  • STAYSEASTAYSEA Posts: 3,814
    The wonderful part about aquatic therapy for managing back pain is the lack of pressure on your vertebrae.
    Floating in the water with no strain on your spine has an appealing "jelly fish" factor.

    I know I have some times wished to be an invertebrate...
    image
  • Green CircleGreen Circle Posts: 5,192
    first thing first, you have to get your acute pain flare under control before you can consider any exercises, rehab or other interventions. you have to get this initial pain settled down first, or nothing is gonna work.

    Agreed!! :thumbup:
    "...And I fight back in my mind. Never lets me be right.
    I got memories. I got shit so much it don't show."
  • JonnyPistachioJonnyPistachio Posts: 10,217
    Dang Brian, sorry to hear that buddy.
    Back pain is the worst...it makes me depressed. No other pain fucks with my head like back pain.

    I had L4 and L5 herniated discs... Misearable for years with recurring pain.

    I refused to take anything too, until it got to be too much. I tried some pain killers and muscle relaxers and they were only temporary fixes. I gave that up. I was most reluctant when they gave me a mild steroid pack. But I can tell you, ever since I had that medication, my back has been much better and recurring injuries are never nearly as bad.

    I hope you feel better!
    Pick up my debut novel here on amazon: Jonny Bails Floatin (in paperback) (also available on Kindle for $2.99)
  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 Posts: 23,303
    JonnyPistachio wrote:
    Dang Brian, sorry to hear that buddy.
    Back pain is the worst...it makes me depressed. No other pain fucks with my head like back pain.

    I had L4 and L5 herniated discs... Misearable for years with recurring pain.

    I refused to take anything too, until it got to be too much. I tried some pain killers and muscle relaxers and they were only temporary fixes. I gave that up. I was most reluctant when they gave me a mild steroid pack. But I can tell you, ever since I had that medication, my back has been much better and recurring injuries are never nearly as bad.

    I hope you feel better!
    we prescribe prednisone a lot for severe acute back pain.

    it is very cheep, very effective, with relatively minor side effects.

    our docs refer to it as "Vitamin P".
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • JonnyPistachioJonnyPistachio Posts: 10,217
    gimmesometruth27 wrote:
    JonnyPistachio wrote:
    Dang Brian, sorry to hear that buddy.
    Back pain is the worst...it makes me depressed. No other pain fucks with my head like back pain.

    I had L4 and L5 herniated discs... Misearable for years with recurring pain.

    I refused to take anything too, until it got to be too much. I tried some pain killers and muscle relaxers and they were only temporary fixes. I gave that up. I was most reluctant when they gave me a mild steroid pack. But I can tell you, ever since I had that medication, my back has been much better and recurring injuries are never nearly as bad.

    I hope you feel better!
    we prescribe prednisone a lot for severe acute back pain.

    it is very cheep, very effective, with relatively minor side effects.

    our docs refer to it as "Vitamin P".

    Yeah, I think that is what it was. I saved the box for the longest time because it was such an incredible help and I wanted to remember what it was. But I tossed the box last year when I moved. It was incredible how I turned around.
    Pick up my debut novel here on amazon: Jonny Bails Floatin (in paperback) (also available on Kindle for $2.99)
  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 Posts: 23,303
    JonnyPistachio wrote:
    Yeah, I think that is what it was. I saved the box for the longest time because it was such an incredible help and I wanted to remember what it was. But I tossed the box last year when I moved. It was incredible how I turned around.
    yeah prednisone is the "medium sized gun" haha... the big guns are percocet and soma, and we rarely write for that stuff... too much potential for addiction with that stuff. and painkiller addiction is one of the worst ones you can get. so terribly hard to get over it. we are not in the business of creating addicts, so we rarely write for that stuff.
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • mickeyratmickeyrat Posts: 38,534
    as the resident sober drunken drug addict, Ultram made me loopy and thankfully it was only a 3 day script. Might have had to change my sobriety date!!!!


    Prednisone is the shit!!! Oh man, I cant remember the last time I felt so fluid and pain/ache nagging bullshit free!!
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  • badbrainsbadbrains Posts: 10,255
    Fuck Brian, that sux buddy! I've been dealing with back issues since high school. Went to therapy tried everything and nothing worked. Dr wanted to give me a steroid shot and I passed on it. Good luck man, I feel for ya!
  • LoulouLoulou Posts: 6,247
    Oooo ouch! I have really nasty sciatic pain at the moment with this pregnancy. :roll: I'll stand up and get a nice big shooting nerve pain right up my back and down the back of my leg. Stops you right in your tracks. It's so annoying!!! Best of luck Bri, hope you can get that sorted soon.
    “ "Thank you Palestrina. It’s a wonderful evening, it’s great to be here and I wanna dedicate you a super sexy song." " (last words of Mark Sandman of Morphine)


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  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,005
    Thanks for good thoughts and ideas everybody! Saw my chiropractor this morning. Must have looked funny because I hobbled in on a cane like some old geezer. :lol: My chiropractor only does a gentle form of adjustment and none when the pain is as bad as it is now but he put me on a tens unit that uses electrical stimulus to relax the muscles. He's got a newer one that seems to work well. He said the same thing gimme said- lots of ice. 15 minutes on, one hour off. Good thing I don't mind icing! I definitely need to do some core strengthening once I get over this nasty episode- the worst I've ever had. Really freakin' nasty! So my other therapy today is to read some Henry Rollins. Hack or pack, baby! :lol:

    Thanks again good friends!
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 Posts: 23,303
    brianlux wrote:
    Thanks for good thoughts and ideas everybody! Saw my chiropractor this morning. Must have looked funny because I hobbled in on a cane like some old geezer. :lol: My chiropractor only does a gentle form of adjustment and none when the pain is as bad as it is now but he put me on a tens unit that uses electrical stimulus to relax the muscles. He's got a newer one that seems to work well. He said the same thing gimme said- lots of ice. 15 minutes on, one hour off. Good thing I don't mind icing! I definitely need to do some core strengthening once I get over this nasty episode- the worst I've ever had. Really freakin' nasty! So my other therapy today is to read some Henry Rollins. Hack or pack, baby! :lol:

    Thanks again good friends!
    glad your DC did not mainpulate you. i have heard stories of DCs manipulating people with acute back pain with disastrous results.

    the 2 commandments when dealing with acute low back pain are:

    1. Thou shalt let the back pain settle

    2. Thou shalt not exacerbate acute low back pain with aggressive manupulation techniques.

    there is a reason the vertebrae may be "out". most people have instability in a vertebral segment, meaning that the vertebrae have a little too much motion and they slide. this results in spasm, which is the body's way of trying to splint itself, and tell you that you have a problem and you should rest and not do too much. the body is a wondreous thing. the vertebrae tend to slide and hang up on each other as a way of providing stability that the ligaments are not providing for some reason. most times, because they are lax due to age, injury, or bad luck... the body knows that in order to provide stability, you must limit mobility. as a result you get muscle spasm and vertebrae moving on themselves and becoming what people refer to as "out". most times, they are "out" for a reason, like to prevent excessive motion...
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • EdsonNascimentoEdsonNascimento Posts: 5,521
    The Blues, Brian! It may not cure your ills but it will make you feel better!

    Seriously, that sucks. Take it easy and feel better.
    Sorry. The world doesn't work the way you tell it to.
  • Tenzing N.Tenzing N. Posts: 466
    Please be careful! I had three months of "therapy" before being correctly diagnosed with a fractured L3 vertebrae. By then, of course, it was already on the mend. Stop going to chiropractors. Modern day witch doctors. The real doctors initially weren't much better but after the diagnosis everything wet great.
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,005
    I understand your hesitancy regarding chiropractors. I stopped going to two others in the past because they were too rough. My current chiropractor does very gentle adjustments- mostly massage, acupressure, tens (that's "tens", tenzing, not "tenz" :lol: ) unit therapy and always he checks my BP and asks many good questions. I've had x-rays of my spine taken during a similar episode a few years ago and the pictures show that I have a few degenerated discs due to age and wear and tear.

    As my wife puts it, when you turn 60, your warranty expires.

    What kind of treatment did you receive after proper diagnosis?

    Tenzing N. wrote:
    Please be careful! I had three months of "therapy" before being correctly diagnosed with a fractured L3 vertebrae. By then, of course, it was already on the mend. Stop going to chiropractors. Modern day witch doctors. The real doctors initially weren't much better but after the diagnosis everything wet great.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,005
    The inflammation in my lower back still has me mostly out of commission. :x
    Oh well, it'll give me a chance to boost my posts here by about 2,000 or so. :lol:
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • F Me In The BrainF Me In The Brain Posts: 31,256
    Tweaked my back this AM (this is the back sufferer's universal sign to get horizontal for extended periods...and soon, or else it will swell up, pinch the spine and kick your ass!) slightly and thought "Oh shit, there goes my weekend plans, need to ride the couch and make sure it doesnt get bad" and then I wondered how your back was. Hopefully after a month from the last update it is feeling better and you are not hobbled still!
    The love he receives is the love that is saved
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,005
    F Me In The Brain wrote:
    Tweaked my back this AM (this is the back sufferer's universal sign to get horizontal for extended periods...and soon, or else it will swell up, pinch the spine and kick your ass!) slightly and thought "Oh shit, there goes my weekend plans, need to ride the couch and make sure it doesnt get bad" and then I wondered how your back was. Hopefully after a month from the last update it is feeling better and you are not hobbled still!

    Thanks for asking, F Me In The Brain. It's definitely better than a month ago... I say this while sitting here with an ice pack against my lower back. :lol: It's a chronic booksellers ailment. We all trade stories around the shop.

    Have you tried icing or using a TENS unit (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation )? I hope you get better quickly!
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    OUCH.

    I hope Mr. Brain & Mr. Brian are feeling a bit better. Mine has gotten worse the last month or so - only so much self-medicating one can do! The rest of it just is...dammit.

    (this weekend = me doing my best to be as sloth-like as possible)
  • F Me In The BrainF Me In The Brain Posts: 31,256
    brianlux wrote:
    F Me In The Brain wrote:
    Tweaked my back this AM (this is the back sufferer's universal sign to get horizontal for extended periods...and soon, or else it will swell up, pinch the spine and kick your ass!) slightly and thought "Oh shit, there goes my weekend plans, need to ride the couch and make sure it doesnt get bad" and then I wondered how your back was. Hopefully after a month from the last update it is feeling better and you are not hobbled still!

    Thanks for asking, F Me In The Brain. It's definitely better than a month ago... I say this while sitting here with an ice pack against my lower back. :lol: It's a chronic booksellers ailment. We all trade stories around the shop.

    Have you tried icing or using a TENS unit (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation )? I hope you get better quickly!

    Good to hear it is better. I am a 'heat' guy vs. ice. (Different things for different people!) And I do use a heating pad, have one on my chair now. Never tried a TENS unit. Mmm...
    OUCH.

    I hope Mr. Brain & Mr. Brian are feeling a bit better. Mine has gotten worse the last month or so - only so much self-medicating one can do! The rest of it just is...dammit.

    (this weekend = me doing my best to be as sloth-like as possible)

    Thanks!
    Being sloth-like is key, for me, to nip it in the bud when it starts getting cranky. Hope you feel better!
    The love he receives is the love that is saved
  • shortstackshortstack Posts: 2,339
    my back starts hurting when i don't move around much. i've had so much going on this summer/fall that i completely stopped exercising. i'm paying for it because my back and everything else is killing me. i've had back pain so bad in the past that i contemplated suicide, thankfully it's not like that now. time to get moving again.
    did you see me? i saw you.
  • backseatLover12backseatLover12 Posts: 2,312
    From what I understand, ice and NOT sitting or staying in one position for too long is the best treatment. If you stay in one position, it'll hurt even more when you do attempt to move. That said, good luck! I have never been to a chiropractor, but do feel that they have their place and are good for everything spinal.

    P.S. How's the Rollins book?
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