lower back pain

[turnipmonster]

this is great thanks. I'll give it a week and do what you recommended, sounds like a solid plan. I'm just going to lay off the lifting/running until it feels better.

[FatBallz]

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however I hate going to doctors.

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Good reason to risk your quality of life, forever.

If the pain is only in your lower back, it seems likely only a muscular thing, although the fact that it happened suddenly is worrisome. If it gets noticably worse over the next few days, particularly if you get numbness or pain shooting down your leg, then you need to see a doctor. Ibuprofen will help either a muscular problem or a disc problem, so start taking shitloads of it (w/ food).

I slipped two lumbar discs last spring, which caused sciaticca (sp?), where the bulging disc is pinching a nerve that runs down your leg. This causes pain in the leg when you walk, and numbness in general. You can get dropfoot and a whole lot of other even more serious problems, but a shot of toridol, some prednazone (steroid anti-inflammatory) and a spinal epidural has pretty much entirely relieved the pain. Now I just have to do some stretches and basic exercises on a daily basis and that should minimize re-aggravating the injury (although it never goes away and will probably eventually require surgery). I'm able to lift again, although squats and deadlifts are out of the picture forever. So speaking from experience, I'd take this seroiusly and see a doctor if things don't get better within a few days.

[turnipmonster]

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Good reason to risk your quality of life, forever.

If the pain is only in your lower back, it seems likely only a muscular thing, although the fact that it happened

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point taken, I will def go to a doctor if it doesn't feel better by tomorrow. the pain is only in my lower back, no numbness/pain in legs, and I can walk normally. sitting up/down hurts the most. holding my back at certain angles makes it hurt to walk however.

it happened very suddenly (basically imagine doing a sit up holding two dumbbells out to your side) and got a little better relatively quickly (right after I did it it hurt to walk, I stretched for a minute and can now walk fine).

[yasher]

Go see a doctor. You pulled something pretty decently, and probably set the muscle into spasm. Does it tighten up at times for no apparent reason?

Your best bet is a doctor of any sort; while a chiropractor is a good bed, a GP will probably do the same thing the chriopractor will. When it comes to injuries like this, Flexeril (cyclobenzoprene) is gonna be your best friend. You won't get any vicodin - but you will get flexeril, and its a beast of a muscle relaxant. Feel better.

[Warik]

Oh... and for the rest of you who do have herniated/bulging discs and are still suffering from pain, I DEFINITELY recommend this book: 7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life: How to Rapidly Relieve Back and Neck Pain

On October 4, I hurt my lower back doing deadlifts. It had happened before and the pain always went away within a week. This time it didn't, so I did some research online. Every site told me to wait 4 weeks before seeing a doctor. So I waited an extra 3 weeks and saw the doctor in early November.

He gave me two utterly useless prescriptions and told me to come back in a week. I did and was not doing better AT ALL. He ordered an MRI.

How much did it hurt? It hurt to lean over in the sink to wash my hands. Hurt when I sat down on the toilet. Hurt when I rotated my torso. Nearly dropped to my knees in severe pain a few times when I sneezed. oh... and the ONLY position that didn't hurt was either standing straight up or lying down flat on my back with my legs elevated.

Got the MRI done 2-3 weeks later because of insurance delays. Doctor said I had a herniated L4-L5 disc, that it would eventually feel better by itself and that I will "usually be in small pain, but will have some 'very bad days'", and that I should not lift weights again... AND that I should not fence or play golf again.

He gave me more useless medication and I was in even more pain a week later. It's about December 7th now.

So I decide that this is BS and I went online to get some advice from a weightlifting board. Turns out several people there have had the same problem, and worse even, but one guy stood out and told me about the McKenzie book and gave me several other tips.

I started doing the McKenzie exercises + some others, in addition to a lot of stretching, two times per day. After about a week the pain was mostly gone and I had stopped the medication. I went back to the doctor to ask wtf. He stuck to his original story of how I'd have really bad days and shouldn't lift anymore, blah blah blah and I explained to him that my back was feeling 90% after only a week of doing exercises while I was in excruciating pain for 2 months and his medication did nothing. I then asked to see my MRI results and it turns out the asshat told me I had a herniated disc when it was really a bulging disc.

I continued the exercises daily and it is now Jan 2nd and I can wake up in the morning, stand straight up, and bend over to touch my palms to the floor without stretching at all and I feel no pain. I started lifting weights a week ago with no pain. In 3 weeks I'm going to try fencing again and in a month or so I'm going to play some golf. I'm sleeping on my side/stomach again and wake up with no pain.

So before a doctor tells you its hopeless and tells you to sit still or recommends surgery, give self-treatment and exercise a try.

And I don't recommend a chiropractor based on what McKenzie says in the book: Chiropractors treat the SYMPTOMS (i.e. pain), not the CAUSE. Your pain will go away for a while, then you'll have to go back for another treatment.

Ok - essay over. Go my mighty warriors! Battle your respective back conditions to the bloody end!

[BigPoppa99]

if you got to sneeze go in a fetal position this will contrat torso muscles so you wont strain your lower back

[lapoker17]

dude - decline presses are pretty worthless.

[Ray Zee]

as everyone gets older and i dont mean just very old. your back doesnt take the things it did when you were a teenager. so be very careful as most all people end up hurting their backs thru unintentional moving because they forget they age.

that said chiropracters may help relieve for a short time until the next visit$$$$$

doctors dispense medicine if thats what a person wants.

smart people do a lot of research and find the right cure or relief. usually a system of excercises and maybe diet.
good luck and take it easy since you got your first warning. heed it.

[Ass Master]

I would just give it some time if the pain isn't too bad and it seems to be improving. From what I've read most acute back pain goes away by itself after a few days or weeks.

A doctor will probably just prescribe some pain medication and give you some generic stretches to do.

Chiropractors can oftentimes be helpful in alleviating acute LBP, but I recommend ignoring the likely pitch that you should keep on coming back for life.

A good massage therapist can also be helpful.

For long-term back health I recommend looking into yoga.

[KaneKungFu123]

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you need protein, eat some meat

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Also, Vitamin C.