Bad Back !?!?

[High Scale]

You heard the man High Scale - time to hang up your harness.

 

But I only just purchased a new one, boo fricken hoo!

[Thea]

My suggestion to anyone with a bad back or any other muscular/skeletal strain or injury would be to go and get treated by a Bowen therapist. Failling that see an osteopath.

[RPA]

Anyone with a serious back problem for there own and co-workers sake shouldn't be in this game, unless they are in a mangement or consultancy position with no physical work involved. Thats my opinion..

 

Sorry Lee, respect most things you say but bol:thefinger:lux

 

As far as the original question goes, insurance will prob not cover existing/known conditions and his work load should be planned so as to avoid (as far as practical) the situations outlined or have contingency plans in place with RA's and EP's to cover them.

 

Provided people are honest and open and everyone is happy with the situation someone should not be prevented from doing something they want.

 

Would you rather have someone with years of experiance and a potential bad back rescue you or someone who just passed aerial rescue a week ago?

[sonic]

Anyone with a serious back problem for there own and co-workers sake shouldn't be in this game, unless they are in a mangement or consultancy position with no physical work involved. Thats my opinion..

 

WHY... I have a herniated disc (that,s a slipped disc for the medically uninformed) its not stopped me from working in fact it,s worse when I don,t.

My boss had his back fused 20ish years ago and there,s alot more work in him than many so called fit lads we,ve employed.

[Lee Winger]

I still stand by my post sorry if it offends, I worked with uncle as a teenager,I used to cringe everytime he picked up a log, he spent months in and out of hospital with back problems.

 

Saying that, If you feel up to the job and can put in as much as the next man, and if you fully understand the implications if you don't follow a doctors advice! then carry on working its your life!

[Tom D]

i have rhumatoid arthritus in my hips and have had many a day that climbing sorted me out as i climbed out of the wagon my mate would put my feet in the harness then pull it up for me then i would hobble over to the tree not been able to put my own spikes on even but once sat in my harness was right as a bobbin and could do a full days work rather than on the sick which a lot would have done now my medication is sorted no problems now

 

I have slipped the same disk four times and often have baxk pain, bit its just a case of managing it and taking good care of your back. I have not had a day off because of it for five years. It is much better when in a harness and climbing is no problem. I just have to remember not to lift big lumps of timber. If we have a lot of timber to shift by hand i have a back support thing which is very good. it looks like an elastic corset and just holds everything in line.

[David oakman]

When i went on my manual handling course the tutor asked us to be honest and how many had at some time had a bad back,out of 24 24people put there hands up.We had to learn to lift a box but the box was empty HSE no lifting weights.

[RPA]

Sorry Lee did not mean it to come over that I was offended, i wasnt. Its just a subject close to my heart.

 

Its a hard subject to grasp and nearly everyone will have a different view. I think you have to be in that situation before it is possible to see how you body and mind react, no two people will be the same.

 

My own personal experiance is that I automatically compensate; by thinking twice before I do something, re-postioning, etc, etc. One thing it does do is make you think to work within your own limits (not a bad lesson for many to learn!).

Its amazing how much you get done working logically in a steady manner

 

As a lot of you will know I am just getting things going again after being out if arb for too long, at the moment I still have a day job. For the record my Doc has told me to get back on the trees asap. Day job stress is doing my body more harm (muscle tension reacting with scar tissue etc) than being happy climbing trees will ever do. He has even watched me do big take downs etc to see how my body is positioned/stressed etc during climbing.

[Zenfordinner]

Sleep on the floor for a while; stretch regularly, learn to easily touch your toes- great help with a tight lower back. Herniated disks often cause muscle tension in the surrounding area, hence the benefit of regular stretching. Bend/lift using powerful leg muscles rather than weak point of tailbone/ lower sacrum area. Do not twist in odd angles. Increase abdominal muscles, see a Chiropractor who will x-ray your spin to check proper alignment, if incorrect will readjust spine. Warm up and warm down before and after work.

Avoid sitting in chairs, instead favour the lotus position, even if it takes weeks for you to be able to get into position.

 

That is my recommendations, bad back or not. (I used to be a body worker, worked on lots of bad backs, have many relatives with bad backs. Consensus is to keep moving, and be extra careful with body, especially when lifting weights. Generally, people tend to be lazy about bending with knees and engaging the large muscles of the buttocks and thighs when lifting.)

 

Worth a try.

 

Whenever I have lifted timber too heavy for me, or at my limit, I always stretch that evening, putting my hands flat on the floor with my legs straight- works a treat. That and plenty of hot water or heat pads on area, can alternate with cold packs to help speed things along.

[High Scale]

Don't forget a Tens machine, great pain relief.