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ladyscarlett
Trad climber
SF Bay Area, California
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 28, 2017 - 10:58am PT
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Hi All!
Let the fun of asking advice from this group commence!!! ;)
I've been having pretty bad back pain where almost every position causes shooting pain and throbbing. This is nothing new, as I've had this issue since I was 14, and it comes and goes with no warning. But when it goes from a day of pain, to more than a week, it's time to learn how to cope.
I haven't been able to do more than short mellow walks for a week now and I'm getting antsy. I even tried stuff where I hang, no weight on the legs, and even that hurts too much!
So, barring anything related to water (I have a serious aversion to water activities), what are some physical activities you would suggest to keep a body moving and have some chance at maintaining a minimum fitness level?
Thanks in advance!
Cheers
LS
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FRUMY
Trad climber
Bishop,CA
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Jul 28, 2017 - 11:03am PT
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pilates
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c wilmot
climber
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Jul 28, 2017 - 11:04am PT
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Go to a doctor and find out what is wrong. You can make things much worse if you keep pushing when injured.
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ladyscarlett
Trad climber
SF Bay Area, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 28, 2017 - 11:19am PT
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Thank c wilmot
I know what's wrong. Way back in the day, I had a back injury that changed my life. The second thing the doc told me was that I'd be managing a compromised back for the rest of my life.
So I am...and am always looking for ideas on how to do better.
Thanks!
Cheers
LS
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c wilmot
climber
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Jul 28, 2017 - 11:29am PT
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Well- if walking does not cause pain then that is probably the best exercise. I also find laying flat on my back on a hard surface helps alleviate some pain. Ditto with a hot bath and some cannabis. You should already know how far you can push your back so try and keep it in that realm. Some say yoga helps but for me at least my back is too damaged to see any benifit. Same with swimming. Remember- things can get worse- so be careful
I went from hiking 20+ miles a day no problem to barely being able to do 10. Once your back starts affecting your legs and hips it really intrudes on your ability to walk and do pretty much anything.
Also try to remain positive.i know how frustrating it can be to want to do something only to be reminded of your physical limitations due to injuries. That said- sitting around will aggravate a back injury just as much as overworking it will. It's kind of a catch 22
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Jim Herrington
Mountain climber
New York, NY
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Jul 28, 2017 - 11:32am PT
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I've had some car wreck injuries to my back in the past and I deal with moderate back pain that fluctuates. Usually it's worse when I'm stressed or not taking care of myself, not getting exercise, not eating well, etc.
Yoga has helped my back a lot, but you need to be careful with it and choose which poses to avoid. In general it seems to lengthen and strengthen my back/body which overall reduces my pain. 3 times a week does wonders for me and I immediately notice things going downhill if I miss those yoga classes.
Swimming is also great for my back, but sounds like you don't like that.
Anything that strengthens your core, stomach, back and obliques will be good. I focus on that a lot and it also helps me. Most back pain seems to be nerves getting pinched by vertebrae in some manner. If you can try to maintain perfect posture as much as possible and keep the spine aligned, it can help.
That's all obvious advice I guess. I'm no doctor, I only know what works for me. Good luck!
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fear
Ice climber
hartford, ct
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Jul 28, 2017 - 11:35am PT
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What was the injury and where in your spine is the pain? Lower back I'm assuming.. Pain going down back of your legs? Weakness/tingling in the feet or toes?
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F
climber
away from the ground
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Jul 28, 2017 - 11:36am PT
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Bong rips.
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WBraun
climber
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Jul 28, 2017 - 11:37am PT
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Dig ditches, dig holes, do hard manual labor is the only cure .....
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Norton
Social climber
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Jul 28, 2017 - 11:37am PT
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back pain is almost always nerves being pushed on by either bone or disc material
your prior injury may well have now progressed to a partially collapsing, bulging disc
solution: don't do anything to further hurt yourself, instead call your primary care doctor and tell them you want them to schedule an MRI on your spine, the upper or lower, where the pain is
when you get the MRI have them send the written report and/or image disc to their in network spine surgeon who will look at it and meet you to tell you exactly what is wrong and what can
be done about it
I have had four spine surgeries now, last one putting in a titanium rod and screws....
your pain has been going a long time, it will not go away on its own, get an MRI
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c wilmot
climber
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Jul 28, 2017 - 11:40am PT
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Dig ditches, dig holes, do hard manual labor is the only cure .....
Add lifting rocks and you have the reasons I have the back of a man in his seventies while being in my mid thirties...
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ladyscarlett
Trad climber
SF Bay Area, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 28, 2017 - 01:50pm PT
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Heh!
Love it Dingus, sounds like a plan! But the white pants under the loincloth are a cop out!
It's primarily lower back pain, as per standard for about 75% of the human population. :)
Werner - you're absolutely right. Just thinking about doing hard labor is making my back feel better. Or maybe that's just imagining a bunch of burly dudes doing hard manual labor...while shirtless.... :D
But really, carry a pack with both rope and rack is plenty of manual labor for me - thank you!
Norton - HA! You are spot on, I've been planning on getting an MRI actually, so we're thinking along the same lines!
Yoga has never called to me, I've always preferred self driven calisthenics, but this shooting pain makes me wonder...
Thanks all! Keep it coming!
Cheers
LS
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Mike Honcho
Trad climber
Glenwood Springs, CO
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Jul 28, 2017 - 01:53pm PT
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Dig ditches, dig holes, do hard manual labor is the only cure .....
I laughed so hard my f*#king back went out..
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WBraun
climber
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Jul 28, 2017 - 01:54pm PT
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Lol ...
You got it right with Yoga. It's the best .....
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Jul 28, 2017 - 02:04pm PT
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It depends on what you really have.
I have lots of experience as a patient and have learned to manage it very well.
While you have pain do NOT stretch. It is often caused by a muscle spasm. Stretching can make it much worse. Activites that relax it will help. Light massage, sitting in a spa, isolate and rest that muscle. Calcium & magnisum suppliments target muscle spasms.
Long term I got a teeter-hang up. Any kind of inversion therapy that does not stress other body parts can prevent the back pain from starting.
MD's will give you muscle relaxers.
Chiros will adjust you. Some are good. Some are not as good. I don't like adjustments and prefer milder therapies.
WARNING: Is it really back pain? Get checked for other organ difficluties. I know a woman who went through years of treatment for back pain and found it was actually an ovarian cyst of epic proportions flopping around and stressing other things. Apparently this is common but doc's tend to miss it.
Hope you get a handle on it like I have.
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Jul 28, 2017 - 02:39pm PT
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shoveling mud has done wonders to my back
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Jul 28, 2017 - 02:44pm PT
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I don't have too much first hand, but the first thing that came to mind was inversion on a teeter rack, like mentioned above.
Gravity assisted pressure relief, no?
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Gary
Social climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Jul 28, 2017 - 02:46pm PT
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LS,
Yer...
gunna...
die!
(Just filling in for Locker now that he's retired)
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Jul 28, 2017 - 02:55pm PT
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Hey, Lady: Can you recline, like on a couch? No, I'm not talking about Netflix binging. I've been an enthusiast of recumbent cycling for over ten years. I did not get into it because of a bad back, but I've found that when my back does act up, I can still ride. During an epic recumbent trike tour with my wife and our hound from Jasper, Alberta, to the Mexico border along the Rockies, I suffered a severe flare up in my lower back. Lots of different actions were extremely painful--and I know you understand the feeling--but I was always able to ride. The seats can be customized with different placement and thickness of padding to accommodate the individual. I always need a little extra lumbar support, for example.
My two wheeler:
Our tandem (we also have single trikes, which we took on that Rocky Mtn. tour}:
Single trike hauling Django in CO. RIP Django the Wonder Dog:
These things are HUGE fun. Check 'em out.
BAd
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FRUMY
Trad climber
Bishop,CA
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Jul 28, 2017 - 03:19pm PT
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I know for me inversion was the worst thing I could do.
My original injury was 42 years ago. On a race track I high sided my bike at about 140. Landed on my left hip. The next two years the wife would help me on the bike & wire my left foot to the footpeg. And after a few years of hard work I got better & or could deal with the pain. From time to time it would flair up but no biggie until 2013, when I fell walking my dogs and could not get up. The pain was over the top. Two MRI's & a ct scan later the earlier fractures of L4 & L3 that I did not know about had healed fine, but now the disc between L5, L4, L3 were bulging out. It took 3 shots & micro surgery to get me in a place I could start to walk without help again.
Pilates first till you are out of pain, then yoga & anything that helps keep the muscles around the injury strong.
Best of luck to you.
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