Did something wierd to my back...

[Gidds]

Ok I did something wierd to my back. My spine has been bugging me for a couple of months and I thought I needed a new mattress maybe then awhile ago I strained some muscles carrying five gallon pails of water around. Carrying my gear around doesn't help either. Last night I was doing overhead presses with 10lbs free weights and something unpleasant happened between the top of my pelvis and the middle of my back on one side. Now about halfway down my back two of the lumps that I assume are my vertebrae are sticking out more than they ought to or at least they feel that way. I think I will be calling the doc. Not terribly painful but uncomfortable so does anybody have a suggestion for stretches or something that might alleviate the discomfort?

 

[MilitantMedic]

1) If it was your vertebrae you would probably be paralyzed.
2) Go see a doc
3) Take an NSAID; i.e. Motrin, Naproxen etc.
4) Stretchs:
a]Lay on your back, bring your knees up over your head and put them on the ground on the other side of your head. (so your butt is straight up in the air)
b]Hamstring stretch; i.e. standing and touching your toes or the floor.
c]Lay on your back, bring your left knee up and over your body and touch the floor on your right side. Keep your shoulders flat on the ground when you do this, the best you can. Reverse knees.

You can't get enough information online to say it's one thing versus another, so just go get it checked out by a doc. There is a list of about 35 things (or more) that should be asked about back pain and a physical exam...

Best of luck to you.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Remember: Cameron is your friend!

PM Cameron Martz on this board or visit the website -
http://www.divefitness.com/

 

[CameronMartz]

Ok I did something wierd to my back. My spine has been bugging me for a couple of months and I thought I needed a new mattress maybe then awhile ago I strained some muscles carrying five gallon pails of water around. Carrying my gear around doesn't help either. Last night I was doing overhead presses with 10lbs free weights and something unpleasant happened between the top of my pelvis and the middle of my back on one side. Now about halfway down my back two of the lumps that I assume are my vertebrae are sticking out more than they ought to or at least they feel that way. I think I will be calling the doc. Not terribly painful but uncomfortable so does anybody have a suggestion for stretches or something that might alleviate the discomfort?

Gidds,

Anytime you press weight over your head, you give it a lot of leverage over your lower back. As MilitantMedic said, the vertebrae won't move. However, disc material can bulge or herniate.

There is no quick fix for this. Again, as MilitantMedic said, go see a doctor, but one that specialized in the spine. General Practitioners don't always go beyond treating the pain as they generally do not have the specialized training to treat disc injuries.

One important place I would differ from MilitantMedic is in the stretching. If you have a newly-formed posterior bulge in one or more discs, you do not want to hug your knees or do anything that would open up your lumbar spine. It will certainly relieve the pain short-term, because you are taking pressure off of the inflamation. However, this pressure is what is keeping the disc material from bulging even further. "Egging" your back can allow more damage to occur and is contraindicated until the initial healing process is completed and inflamation under control.

One method for pain relief used by many PTs and physicians is called the McKenzie method. I've already posted information on this recently, but it is summarized in a book called "Treat Your Own Back," by Robin McKenzie, available for around $12 from amazon.com and others.

Let me finish by reinforcing the advice to go get this checked out by a physical or PT asap.

Cameron

 

[CameronMartz]

Remember: Cameron is your friend!

PM Cameron Martz on this board or visit the website -
http://www.divefitness.com/

Doc,

That's funny timing- as you can see, I was already at work typing up my reply as you posted this. <g>

Cameron

 

[Gidds]

Thanks. It doesn't really hurt, it's just uncomfortable and standing for any period of time is disagreeable. I thought herniated discs were extremely painful? I'll get it fixed hopefully, thank you for the input.

 

[MilitantMedic]

A herniated disc is usally very painful, and I should make a caveat the "steps" were in order. With seeing a doctor at the top.

But Cameron is absolutly correct if there is any degree of herniation then those stretchs are indeed bad. See a doc first.

 

[pipedope]

A herniated disc can go from little or no pain at all to "Please kill me now!" in an instant.

Go see the Dr.

You want a good ortho or neuro Dr who is most interested in finding and solving your problem. A Dr with a vested interest in not finding anything, probably won't find anything even if you are in big trouble.
A good Dr will find the problem if there is one and won't find anything if there isn't.

The trick is finding the 'good Dr."

 

[Gidds]

Unfortunately I am stuck with dr.s at school but I like my particular doc so hopefully he can fix it or give me a referral. Anything I ought not being doing until I see him? At the moment I am parked on the couch in an upright position that is the least uncomfortable.

 

[MilitantMedic]

If it hurts...don't do it.

=)