Is there any way to diminish an emerging back problem?

[MonkeyFunk]

last year, I blew my back out and could barely walk for two months. It got better.

Now my back is starting to feel the same way it did before the last episode - it's just a slight discomfort but I'm afraid it's gonna go all kerblooey again. Is there anything I can do to head it off?

[Shell Beau]

1. From what I know about people who have experienced this, is

that it will come and go. Pain medication and certain exercises can help. But I think a physical therapist may be in order.

[MonkeyFunk]

3. oh

I saw a back doc. Evidently it's a disc pressing on a nerve. I had a similar problem years ago and she gave me an excercise to do, which helped for THAT problem. But this one was different (different disc, different nerve) and all she could do was give me a spinal injection of advil.

I'm hopeful it won't go totally hinky on me, but I just wondered if there were any standard things to do (i.e., bed rest, heat, ice, whatever).

I probably shouldn't be asking for medical advice here anyway - was just curious if there was a simple, obvious answer I wasn't thinking of.

[XemaSab]

2. walking

works for me

[Whoa_Nelly]

4. When you say you "blew your back out", do you mean muscle-wise?

Or skeletal?..or...?

I know when I wrecked my upper back muscle-wise, it took deep massage to finally make the problem stop. It was a deep swollen muscle that kept getting irritated, and a 2-3 hour deep massage changed everything! It was total and long-term relief.

on edit:
Just saw your repsonse up-thread.

So sorry for what you've been through... :hug:

[MonkeyFunk]

5. it was a disc

pressing on the sciatic nerve.

[GoneOffShore]

6. Find a Rolfer

Rolfing has kept Mrs GoS's scoliosis at bay and has, I think, minimized my back problems.

Chiropractic is OK but they suck you in and want you to see them every week. Rolfers try to realign you and though it takes ten sessions (initially) those sessions can be spread out over the course of a year. If you want to go on, you can do another ten (sort of like advanced Rolfing). Those ten also take awhile (depending on the Rolfer). Then you can go back for 'tune ups' as needed.

On edit:

Just saw that you blew a disc. Most Rolfers won't deal with actual physical injuries like that. Muscular and alignment problems are the speciality.

[MichiganVote]

7. Yoga

[av8rdave]

8. Absolutely...abdominal exercises!!!!!

The yoga advice you got is probably even better, and it includes ab work. The abs do a lot to protect and align the back.

[pitohui]

9. "healing back pain" by john sarno worked for my husband

it wouldn't work for everyone but it worked for him and your case sounds similar, as if you probably didn't harm your back recently but it's hurting because you expect it to hurt and you might be in a loop -- he addresses disc pain in the book, you'll see if you read it

some chronic pain originates in the brain not the back


he has been almost ten years pain free now

again, not all back pain has the same cause, but back pain that seems to have "no" cause except habit or discs (we all have discs of varying quality as we get older yet we don't all have these episodes) -- it's worth a try