Ow! Ow! OWWW!!!

[LaraMN]

For the first time in my entire life, I threw my back out, yesterday. I didn't even DO anything; I was just reaching straight forward for something on the counter and it suddenly felt as though someone had stabbed me in the lower back and was hanging off the end of the knife.

It just got worse and worse all day, and Tylenol-3 did nothing. I spent last night on the couch, unable to get up or down by myself, and even with help, I found my reasonably tough self screeeaming in pain. I got upset with my husband and screamed at him, too, because I mistook his fear for anger directed towards me. :-( I had NEVER screamed at him, before. Wow. I had no idea what real back pain was like, before yesterday. After about 12 ibuprofen and some ice, I can very awkwardly walk and stand and sit on my own, but I can't pick up my kids; I had to have my MIL come over this morning to help. This really sucks. I feel like an old woman! Please tell me this will be gone by Saturday! Ack.

[Rising Phoenix]

1. you poor thing..

rest as much as possible...take care...:hug:

[LaraMN]

6. Thanks, sweets!

:hug:

[Taverner]

2. I feel your pain

I wrecked my back by doing dumb things in the gym. Unfortunately, it may not be gone by Saturday.

Fortunately, however, you can get Vicodin. What worked for me was 15 mg of Vicodin and a Soma chaser. Trust me, you will have a merry Christmas if you do.,...

But the bad news is it took me about a month before I was OK again, and 2 months until I was 100% recovered.

[LaraMN]

7. Great. So this is going to totally fuck up exercising, isn't it?

:grr: :cry:

[Taverner]

15. Yes

Don't lift for a while, but you might be able to get away with cardio

[LaraMN]

17. The irony is I thought shoveling could be my cardio until I found

a place to run, around here (too icy to do it on the sidewalk anymore.) That's what likely got me in this position in the first place. :banghead: :eyes:

[Taverner]

24. Well be sure to stretch

The best way to ward off pain (besides the drugs) is:

heating pad for 20 minutes
stretch for 20 minutes
ice the spot for 20 minutes

Do this cycle 3x per day and you'll feel better, and it will heal easier...

[Bassic]

3. It might.

But back pain cain be pretty persistent. Do you think it is muscular? If so take a muscle relaxant like Robaxacet (or whatever it is called), that will help a lot. Might still take some time thoug.

If it's not musculat, then I don't know. Seeing a doctor might not be a bad idea.

[LaraMN]

5. I do think it's muscular. I'm thinking what precipitated it was

probably overly aggressive snow shoveling tactics, this last week.

[MN ChimpH8R]

10. Sounds like a muscle spasm

from over exertion. Muscle relaxant and some codeine should do the trick. Just don't start thinking you're OK again when the pain pills kick in or you can aggravate it by doing "normal" stuff. Take it easy, lifting and bending for a week or so.

I just about gave myself a hernia a few years ago shoveling snow. People in LA don't have that problem - why am I still freezing my butt off in Minneapolis?

[LaraMN]

12. I took codeine yesterday, but it just got worse.

The ibuprofen seemed to help, some. I was all excited about the extra exercise I could get shoveling. I was using a scoop and pushing it WAY up onto mounds. Bad.Idea.

[Bassic]

11. Snow shoveling is one of the worst things you can do to your back.

I'm all bor plow guys if you can afford it.

In the meantime, get yourself some Robax and hope it works fast. And do NOT shovel again any time soon.

[qnr]

36. Well, you've been under a lot of stress lately. I used to have major

problems with my back when I was under stress. Hope it is/gets better.

[tigereye]

4. used to have that periodically - it really sucks

doc prescribed a lot of ibuprofen for a while. (the giant horse sized pill kind. ) I also went to the accupuncture doc and that was helpful.

Stress reduction and weekly tai-chi have really cut down on any relapse for me.

Hope you feel better soon!

[LaraMN]

8. I've been taking about 600 mg of ibuprofen every four hours.

It's bothering my stomach, but I'd rather have that than worse back pain.

[Ron Mexico]

9. If it isn't better by tonight, go to the hospital.

Back pain is nothing to screw around with, especially when you get your first case and it's a severe one. It isn't worth avoiding the hours spent in an emergency room.

Just go, and take my best wishes for a speedy recovery with you.

[gmoney]

13. Aww, sweetie!

Hate to hear you're in pain... wish I could make it all better for you. I've been there... helped a neighbor move an enormous table up two flights of stairs, and felt fine that day, but the next morning could hardly move. Had to skip a trip to Vegas because there was no way I could make it through an airport and sit in those tiny seats for four hours.

Gentle :hug:

[LaraMN]

16. Thanks, hon!

I feel like a waddley old lady. Yesterday we had Xmas with the IL's, and I kept laughing and trying to make light of it. Everyone was looking at me and wincing.:rofl:

[billyskank]

14. Get thee to thy doctor

O Lara of MN.

[LaraMN]

18. Do I HAVE to? I'm afraid they're just going to hurt me more.

:scared: Can't I just wait it out a few days?

[billyskank]

19. Well, I guess it probably won't do much harm

give it a couple of days to get better. If it doesn't, see your doctor! And in the meantime do not exert your back at all!

Gentle :hug:

[Taverner]

26. If you do go MAKE THEM DO AN MRI

Fight for one. Otherwise they're diagnosis is as good as yours...

[Bridget Burke]

20. Time to see your doctor!

That's the only medical advice anyone can give.

Informative note: I suffered the same kind of sudden, stabbing back pain you describe. It didn't stem from any unusual activity--I was getting up from my chair at work, not skiing down a mountain, etc. Afterward, I started every morning wondering if I could get out of bed.

I finally dragged myself in to see the doctor, who diagnosed a Pinched Nerve. She prescribed a muscle relaxer & giant Ibuprofen. The muscle relaxer was ONLY to be taken before bed. But the morning after the first dose, I awoke feeling much better. The pain was gone by the time the muscle relaxers were. Long term prevention: Moderate exercise, some back-specific.

The doc is the one who can help--& the help might be very simple!

[anarch]

21. ow! much sympathy to you...

That's probably the single most obnoxiously painful injury to have. I was actually unable to walk for about a month after a back injury myself...I hope yours isn't that bad, at least.


Not to dispense medical advice, but take it easy! And don't be trying to pick up kids or anything else for a couple of days....

Hope you feel better soon! :hug:

[SoCalDem]

22. If you can manage to get into the tub, a HOT soak can make you

feel better..Also heating pads help some.. The pain can last for a few days or longer.. a visit to the DR for some muscle relaxers is a good idea..

Hope you feel better soon :)

[GrumpyGreg]

23. Welcome to the not so exclusive backpain club. It sucks !

Mine snapped so badly once I could not get off the floor for hours until my husband came home from work. I was frozen in pain.

It eventually cleared up----until the next time about 10 years later.

[GOPisEvil]

25. I guess we'll have to take ya out back and shoot ya.

;)

Hope you're better soon.

[amerikat]

27. See a chiropractor before you see a doctor.

You may have put a vertebrae out of alignment. I get back pain and it is usually due to a vertebrae being out which causes the muscles nearby to knot up. For me one or two trips to the chiropractor and a good massaging of the knotted muscles fixes it right away.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

28. This happened to me a number of years ago

A physical therapist gave these exercises to do on a regular basis, even while I was hurting:

1) Lie on floor, knees bent, arms at sides, lift head and neck (NOT shoulders!) off floor (like "scrunches") and HOLD for up to one minute.
No repetitions.

2) Lie on floor, knees bent, arms at sides, bring knees as close to your chest as possible and HOLD for up to one minute. Again, no repetitions.

3) Lie on floor, knees bent, arms at sides, lift buttocks off floor as high as possible and HOLD for up to one minute. No repetitions.

Holding your position in these exercises instead of going for repetition helps stretch muscles that are contracting without putting further strain on your back. When you are in pain, you should do them several times a day.

I have not had any back problems since I started doing these, other than menstrual-related backache. I do them more often at the first sign of discomfort, and it helps immensely.

I hope you're better soon!

[Beer Snob-50]

29. a warm shower helps me when my back is sore.

just let the warm water run over it and gently twist your back. for soem weird reason i also stretch upwards and it relieves the pressure some.

that will be twenty dollars for a computer call.

[newyawker99]

30. Ouch!! I hope you get better soon.

:hug:

[FuzzySlippers]

31. This is going to sound strange,

but is it possible you're constipated? A couple months ago, I bent over to do something, and experienced searing pain. I had done nothing I could think of to stress my back. Well, the next day I...um....you know....and felt immediate relief. The pain was completely gone within a couple of hours.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

32. I feel for you LauraMN

:hug: :hug: Hope you feel better soon and I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers

[bigwillq]

33. Hope you get better soon!

Send my love, thoughts and good vibes! :hug:

[Metta]

34. When that happens to me

I take a prescription muscle relaxer, an absolute necessity to me getting back to any semblance of movement/ normal life and I see my chiropractor that day or the next. It's always gotten rid of my back pain.

[GalleryGod]

35. Sorry, Snow Angel !

If you can get a good tab of "Flexeril" that'll put you away for hours and relax the muscle spasam...PM me your address I'll send some out to you.:loveya: My wife "Nightnurse" is,of course, A NURSE.:applause:

[ashling]

37. You have my sympathy.

I have had some really bad experiences w/ back pain ... and lots of folks think there is no such thing!
Think vicoden.
Hang in there ... don't overdue it and let your family care for you.