That's me out.....

[growforest]

As all above, but longer term look at core strength and Alexander technique. Some really good posture exercises helped me after a very bad back accident. Work on core and walk tall. Watch reliance on too many meds and see an osteo / physio regularly till it's right.

[pycoed]

Had recurrent neck trouble (old rugby injury - prop) for years until I was 43. Doctors useless, physio/chiropracter worked every time until the last. Nothing worked with that episode until I finally saw the right doctor & had an op.

No painkillers had ever worked until finally quack prescribed Palfium (which apparently is bloody pure heroin!) THAT worked - for a while. Can't see how anti inflammatories could work if you have ruptured a disc - manipulation or a discectomy I reckon are the only possibilities.

 

Had the two burst two discs out 20 years back & had bones fused & now have no problem at all except can't turn head very far!

Nearly all my rugby mates who played up front have had disc trouble over the years

[Peasgood]

This may have been said as I admit to not reading the whole thread.

If you go to a doctors with a bad back they will tell you to rest and give you some drugs.

If you want to get your back fixed go to a chiropractor or osteopath, they will fix your back.

Last place I would go with a bad back is the doctors, last thing I would take would be Diazepam. I prefer a bad back tbh.

[Merle Nelson]

Wow, lots of advice in a short period of hours. A lot of good friends/mates I suspect. What could I say that would get a point across?

 

Ask kids that care about you the same questions. You could ask till you’re blue in the face, they would have no opinion - they have no experience in such matters. Why is that? How come so many of us know so much about back issues/body pain?

 

If a person wanted to be done with this long term I would suggest two books. One is Pain Free by Pete Egoscue. And the second which I believe would give quicker, more easily accomplished results is Somatics by Thomas Hanna.

 

In the tag line or closing thought that GTR tool repair uses in his posts it says, “All the great things are simple...”, thats the way it is with this. When we get our muscles back a little closer to the condition they were in as kids they will work fine till the time of our death and with the work load we put on them. That condition is quickly and easily within each of our reach. That has been my experience.

[gensetsteve]

I cut logs with a friend for 5 years when we started he had to watch his bad back. But did not have a problem after a few months. We stopped doing logs a year ago and since both of us have had more back problems. I think alot of bending and stretching helped keep the problems away. Doing logs does not neccessarily give you a bad back. Overdoing it will kill your back. The other thing we found is too warm up gently with small stuff. He recently put his back out looking under the bed. That seems to be one of the worse postures to put your back out pulling stuff from under the bed.

[difflock]

54 years old.

Sciatica for prob 25 years.

Doing fool physical things when younger (or trying too)

Lifting 60/65mm thick (cheap seconds) 3' by 2' hyd pressed slabs into a car boot worrying more about scratching the paintwork than knackering my back

No "stoons" of pain, a dull hot ache, and absolutly knackered doing very little.

Absolute killer is (for example) working in the engine bay of a car.

ALL about posture.

I can stand straight and swing a long-tail shovel effortlessly, well until I run out of puff.

I can even swing an Axe, straight back and a long lazy right over the head swing. no problems.

But working at anything at floor level, forget it, by times I sit on my arse as it is simply the only way I can get near comfortable.

I would also agree that muscle tone/condition is key.

And yes, despite huffing and puffing during "logging" I generally feel better after.

Poor musculature/poor posture simply put the vertebrae under strain they cannot deal with.

At times though complete rest appears to work for me.

PS

A senior physio with her own practise advises that a physio SHOULD be able to effect a cure in 6 or so sessions.

After this she reckons they are more likely to be doing harm than good.

She also acts as expert witness in court cases.

Edited July 3, 2013 by difflock

[tcar]

[i]If you want to get your back fixed go to a chiropractor or osteopath, they will fix your back.
Last place I would go with a bad back is the doctors, last thing I would take would be Diazepam. I prefer a bad back tbh.[/i] 

 

 

Forget the GP, don't waste time, go see an osteopath.

[D A Tree Surgeons]

osteopath. today dont delay now !

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

osteopath. today dont delay now !

 

ditto; osteopath not chiropractor.

 

Same cutting timber earlier this year. If you lie on your back on the floor (not bed) with legs outstretched and the pain is much less, and then you raise your knees and then bring them to your chest - what does that do?

[gensetsteve]

ditto; osteopath not chiropractor.

 

Same cutting timber earlier this year. If you lie on your back on the floor (not bed) with legs outstretched and the pain is much less, and then you raise your knees and then bring them to your chest - what does that do?

 

makes me break wind but my backs ok