Fifty Plus (50+) - But I wasn't even doing anything......

Any chiropractors or orthopedics out there?

Yesterday was a rainy Saturday-a good day for bike maintenace. After a couple hours of working I'm standing up but leaning over looking into one of my large boxes of bike stuff that is sitting on the garage floor. All of a sudden it feels like the vertebrae in my lower back "shift downward" in a hard to describe but popping/grinding feeling. There is this never felt before type of pain in my lower back.

I've never ever had back issues-maybe some strains but nothing that felt like this. I finished up the stuff I was doing on my bikes but it really hurt to try and stand straight up. Applied some heat and sat in the jacuzzi for 30 mins. The worst discomfort is just trying to stand straight.

It's better this morning but still pretty stiff. Anyone know what is going on??

I have too much going on to be slowed down by this!! I now I need to work on core muscles......

I'm no doctor. I don't even play one on a message board--but that is almost exactly the way my bulging disc presented itself. What worked for me was core exercises--especially for the transversus abdominus (Sorry spelling police. I'm sure I've got that wrong) and a lot of stretching especially backward bending.

I know chiropractors come with mixed reviews. Mine helped me to create a pretty decent self-care program. I also got help from a physical therapist. My advice is that while there is much you can do to help yourself, this is not a do-it-yourself project. Get a program from a professional you trust and stick with it, even when you're feeling good.
Good luck, jppe.

Oh, one more thing--I won't bore you with the details, but hammering too early may be the royal road to disaster.

Haven't had back problems other than strains, but a sports oriented physical therapy group is where I would go. I would trust a licensed therapist over a chiro.

Yeah, it can sneak up on you. Sometimes overdoing it the day before can show up as a "SPROING" the next day from something like sneezing or leaning over without properly tensioning the core muscles or any number of what should be innocent events.

I'm on my second week of serious back pain from a badly pulled muscle. Got it playing paintball. I burst forth when I should have "sauntered purposefully" and wow... does it hurt. Missed 4 days of work because I just plain couldn't stand up for more than 5 seconds. Doc confirmed no spinal issue so now I'm working on stretches and exercises. They are helping a lot but it still wants to cramp up at the first hint of an opportunity.

Stupid me figured that going easy for the first game should have been enough warmup for the second where the damage occured.

I'm more than a few months into it with what is a combination of some disc degeneration and a bulging disc at my L5 (Sciatic) vertebrae.

Gotta say the pain is unlike anything else and if you can't feel your leg or legs or experience weakness that I would get thee to a doctor.

I will start week 3 of rehab and physio tomorrow and the traction seems to be working wonders.

Yeah, the doc was asking me about pain in my legs as well. That seemed to be the disc vs muscle clincher on the deal. And then he used a thumb and forefinger to "TWACK" my spasming back muscle..... that made my eyes sweat fer sure..... stoopid doctors..... :D

Had a few of those doing nothing and sudden pain in the back myself.

Luckily- no lasting damage but it was a week or so of finding the ways it did not hurt before I could do anything sensible. Once the initial pain had gone- I found I was most comfortable when stretched out on a bike. In fact-I even did a 100 miler a week after such an attack and only regretted doing the ride in the 3 hour drive home.

The attacks came on the day after doing something exerting- like painting the lounge- or 3 hours weeding a neglected vegetable patch. So how difficult was it to fit into that one piece skin suit?

I also find that riding offers a good deal of relief as the forward position and being able to support my weight on my arms is good as is the light stretching of the back I get when I ride.

I've been using my folder a lot as it has a very low step over and a really comfy padded and sprung saddle with a cutout.

Any chiropractors or orthopedics out there?



The best decision I have made in the past month was to go and see my Doctor of Osteopathy about my hip - which turned out to be my back. If only I had done it 3 weeks earlier, I would have saved a lot of pain.

With his fix, and some exercises he gave me, I and my hip - and back - feel better than they have in months.

I always start with the premise, "I can handle this, and if I just wait long enough it will go away."

WRONG!

Sometimed the doc CAN really help.

Don't wait around for it to heal itself. If it doesn't, you likely are making matters worse.

I was trying to exercise my disc (L5) problem away last month when it went into back spasms so bad I gave up and went to my DO's urgent care. 2 ESI later I'm back on track and only missed one yoga practice, but I am aware that the pesky thing is there and being a bit more careful. That said today I planted a tree about 18" rootball, and rearranged a small retaining wall and I'm not more then a bit stiff, but I won't mess, I'll put heat on it here in a bit and take a couple Ibuprofen before I crash for the night.

Go see the doc and make sure its not going to hurt you worse!

Hopefully it was just a muscle thing. I feel I'm about 90% today. I was even able to get out and play a round of golf late today. I obviously need to do some more muscle toning in the abdomen area.

We'll see how I feel about doing the TT Wednesday night.

At least it got me our of mowing the grass pushing a mower this afternoon!!

My son in-law is a D.O. and they are the best of both worlds...medicine and chiro. That would be my recommendation...and the sooner the better.

...Applied some heat and sat in the jacuzzi for 30 mins. ....

Better bet is to treat a back strain like any other musculoskeletal strain - cold (ASAP, and frequently) and NSAIDs (ibuprophen, naproxen, etc). Heat should be used later.

I also find that riding offers a good deal of relief as the forward position and being able to support my weight on my arms is good as is the light stretching of the back I get when I ride.


Can't tell you how happy I am to read someone else with the same experience. Almost three years ago, I herniated a disc (L3-L4) and it was hell. Couldn't walk, lay, stand, sit, but I could ride for hours. It was literally the only place I was pain free. Coworkers and doctors think I'm crazy and encourage me to take it easy, but the longer I'm off the bike, the worse my symptoms get.

Now, I'm looking at surgery (long story) in the next few weeks for nerve damage in L4-L5 (leg and foot go numb after about 20 hard miles) but the bike is still the only place I'm pain free. I've spent literally weeks rehabbing, working on trunk strength, leg strength and hamstring flexibility, and have numerous epidural and nerve root injections, and none of it helps. Only the bike is my saviour.

Stretching feels great also. Almost like a drug the combination of stretch, ride and stretch.

Good luck to everyone that is suffering with back problems.

Steve

My son in-law is a D.O. and they are the best of both worlds...medicine and chiro. That would be my recommendation...and the sooner the better.

Stay away from chiro's if you've got any nerve issues. For muscular-skelatal issues, maybe, but discs pressing on nerves don't need to be tweaked, twisted and cajoled.

Steve

Can't tell you how happy I am to read someone else with the same experience. Almost three years ago, I herniated a disc (L3-L4) and it was hell. Couldn't walk, lay, stand, sit, but I could ride for hours. It was literally the only place I was pain free. Coworkers and doctors think I'm crazy and encourage me to take it easy, but the longer I'm off the bike, the worse my symptoms get.

Now, I'm looking at surgery (long story) in the next few weeks for nerve damage in L4-L5 (leg and foot go numb after about 20 hard miles) but the bike is still the only place I'm pain free. I've spent literally weeks rehabbing, working on trunk strength, leg strength and hamstring flexibility, and have numerous epidural and nerve root injections, and none of it helps. Only the bike is my saviour.

Stretching feels great also. Almost like a drug the combination of stretch, ride and stretch.

Good luck to everyone that is suffering with back problems.

Steve

Just came home from a short spin of 6 km but just that 6km did more than any of the stretching and rehab I did this am and undid a lot pain I was feeling after having to be on my feet until 5pm.

Was looking into Piriformis Syndrome today as the symptoms of this are pretty much identical to what I have been suffering and I discovered I am unable to even do some of the stretches used to relieve this condition which could be a strong indicator.

If anything, it has added one new stretch to a regimen of many.

http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/piri.html

http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/piriformis-syndrome.php

My rehab bike... replete with a low step over, wide gearing, and a padded and sprung saddle with an anatomical cutout to reduce pressure on my perianal area.

I have not been riding much else of late... she is also much faster than she looks.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/gracecommute2.jpg