[CarrPainting]

Ya so I'm packing (for my move) and throwing out tons of crap

Went to pick up garbage bag yesterday, maybe 30lbs? Felt something slip/move in my back, dropped the bag, then 10 seconds later the pain, took my breath away... Almost collapsed...

The pain was nearly unbearable... Like 9/10.

Took about 5 min leaning on the counter... The pain in my legs. I was on the brink of crying it hurt so bad, and I have an amazing pain tolerance.

So I said the hell with this! Took the last 4 bags out to the garbage, in excruciating pain, figured if I work and walk it off it'll be ok.... :no:

After about 10 minutes my left leg went completely number :blink:

Soooo... Since my pickup has no brakes. :whistling took the work truck to the local chiro... Waddled in like a duck, Geary eyed, told Em I need this fixed NOW. So I saw the doc, they took X-rays of my back, an old accident injury came back, L4 L5 and S1 are twisted to the right....

I could barely walk... Like to walk was excruciating pain.. I was afraid to sit.. Took 5 min to get out of my work truck... Good thing I took that and not my pickup...

When he worked my back...he cracked it... Instant severe pain then relief !

I felt better. I'd say 7/10 pain wise when I left.....

Then forced myself to walk a mile. :whistling

This am went back to get more torment... I'm feeling better, it's like 4/10 which spikes to 8/10 when I push it, see the chiro tomorrow... I told him, I'm self employed, fix this. I have to be able to work! Gave him my biz card, told him, you take care of me, I'll take care of you... :thumbup:

According to the ladies at the desk, no one comes in every day... My doc said I can come in everyday. Told him I'll be there every day til it's fixed. I'm going to home depot later to get a new back brace, found my old one, my dog chewed it in half

Life happens this back issue isn't going to hold me down!

Total financial damage so far $150.

But, as long as I can work I'll make it happen!

 

[MarkJames]

Chiropractor is the wrong guy for something that severe.

 

[parkers5150]

maybe ....maybe not

 

[Chris Johnson]

I would be hitting buffalo MRI real quick, sciatica is telling you something more. Take it from me, I've been down this road one too many times and now pay the piper...I can't do much in the field anymore.

 

[carp.780]

I'm going to tell you about something i wish i knew about a long time ago.

This book "becoming a supple leopard" is a sports therapy book by Dr.Kelly Starrett.

It is essentially a haynes manual for the human body. I had lower back problems, knee problems and shoulder impingement and this book's techniques fixed all of my problems. it will carry me well into my old age. It is expensive (65$), but compared to daily chiro it's dirt cheap.

check it out on amazon, easily the best investment I've ever made, you only get one body after all.

 

[66 Shelby]

Chiropractor is the wrong guy for something that severe.

Nope, sounds about right to me. I always thought they were some kind of voodoo 'doctors' until I went head first down a flight of stairs and fvcked my back up good. My wife's longtime good friend is a chiropractor, who I had never used because I thought it was all crap. I was very wrong. She fixed me up with a few tweaks and I was back at work a couple days later. What she did hurt like hell for a while, but in the end I was 're-aligned' and felt great. Who knew you could dislocate ribs? I had 5. Hurt like a MF'r.

 

[MarkJames]

Based on the description, I'm hearing herniated disc(s) and nerve impingement. Nothing to mess with. I'd first be evaluated by an MD before anybody cracks my back. Fortunately for us all, most hernias heal themselves (with REST!!!) and plenty of ibuprofen. Working it off, if that's what it is? No.

 

[Tiger]

Consider that this is free medical advise provided by an electrical contractor:

1. It will take an MRI to determine if your problem is muscle, disc, nerve or something else.

2. Best advice from my wife's lawyer a few years ago...chiropractic is temporary, physical therapy is permanent. This is after you let this injury rest and heal at least partially. My recent physical therapy increased my core strength and taught me proper lifting techniques that I thought I already knew. A strong core supports your back. If you continue to lift you will continue to injure yourself.

3. Best advice from a doctor for my back recently...use ice within 48 hours to reduce the swelling of the injury. After that ice will reduce swelling and heat will increase blood flow in the area to facilitate healing. Use what feels good, try both.

From my experience, you can lay down with this now or continue to injure yourself until you need to be hospitalized. I did that in my 20s. A couple years ago I injured my back picking up a ping-pong ball with a quick twist. I immediately went home, laid down and iced it. I didn't work much that week. Now I am past therapy and stronger than ever. This is about 6 months after my most recent injury. Good luck.

 

[CarrPainting]

Buffalo MRI charges $1200 per picture, paid upfront. :laughing:

I don't see that happening.

I was rear ended in my current work truck 8 years ago. Was recommended surgery. No thanks. Once you go under the knife for back surgery there's a 20% chance of complete 100% success. That according to the best back surgeon in buffalo.

Chances are multiple surgeries, and my life in construction is over. Forever.:sad:

Or... Be careful. I listened to the MDs for over a year. Finally listened to dad.

Dad was right. Again. Use the chiro, but stay mobile, strengthen ur back.

I'm already feeling better.. :thumbup: I go back tomorrow. By Friday I should be good to go.

I went thruogh 3 chiros before I found this guy I was scheduled for surgery and everything... This guy fixed me last time... Btw, surgery is $8,000.

I'll get that book, sounds like a good investment :clap:

 

[Ohio painter]

My back went out in fall of 2012. I could barely walk or sit or stand. I drug myself to chiro and found myself in same position of needing to get back to work asap.
My chiro done wonders for getting me back to working quickly but advised me to stay the course and get my back healed, I did and feel so much better now. It took me 15 months.
Started visiting Chiro every week then 2 weeks then every month and then every 6 weeks. Each visit got quicker and the last few visits he said nothing to adjust so we are done. The chiro had me doing exercises for my back that I continue to do now.

In the mean time I spoke to my family physician and he said if I think the chiro is helping then continue, if not then to come see him. I was happy with that.
My advise is continue with him if it is helping, don't confuse feeling good with meaning healed, or you will be right back there again in due time.

 

[dave_dj1]

Listen to those who have had back problems. I too threw my back out in 2011 and I'm just starting to feel better. For the first year I had excruciating pain, then a little less and now only from time to time. I have "learned" my limits and cannot do nearly as much as I could before. I am self employed and "had" to get back to work, that worked good for a month or so, went to light the woodstove one morning and was cracking a piece of 3/4 x 3/4 pine kindling over my knee when I went down in a heap. Had to call two friends to get me into my house (stove is outside). I ended up in the ER that day with no shoes! LOL DR told me I was free to go after his looksee, I said I can't leave, I have no shoes!
Any way, take good care of your body, you only have the one.
I have made the decision this year to hang up my tool belt and concentrate on running my business, so far, so good.
Take care and good luck,
dave

 

[Leo G]

What's your obummercare representative tell you to do :whistling

 

[Allcity1]

Consider that this is free medical advise provided by an electrical contractor: 1. It will take an MRI to determine if your problem is muscle, disc, nerve or something else. 2. Best advice from my wife's lawyer a few years ago...chiropractic is temporary, physical therapy is permanent. This is after you let this injury rest and heal at least partially. My recent physical therapy increased my core strength and taught me proper lifting techniques that I thought I already knew. A strong core supports your back. If you continue to lift you will continue to injure yourself. 3. Best advice from a doctor for my back recently...use ice within 48 hours to reduce the swelling of the injury. After that ice will reduce swelling and heat will increase blood flow in the area to facilitate healing. Use what feels good, try both. From my experience, you can lay down with this now or continue to injure yourself until you need to be hospitalized. I did that in my 20s. A couple years ago I injured my back picking up a ping-pong ball with a quick twist. I immediately went home, laid down and iced it. I didn't work much that week. Now I am past therapy and stronger than ever. This is about 6 months after my most recent injury. Good luck.

This is very good advise and dead on with my experience. I have had 3 back injuries all herniated disc, the second injury took surgery, after 6 months on the living room floor with no improvement. Only thing I would add to the above is to listen to your body! If you are in severe pain stop, a few days or a week now will be a heck of Alot better than months or years of your life later on. We are talking a total change in your life here.

 

[Big Shoe]

I herniated two disc in 1990. Close to a year of healing and physical therapy. It took a few yrs of learning ''What not to do". HEAVY LIFTING was out. I had to learn to say "no" to peaple asking me to help lift heavy things.............Like a little girl.

Good luck. And don't push it. Learn proper lifting techniques. :thumbsup:



'

 

[pritch]

I have a long history of back trouble. It started in the 6th grade (1969) when the chain pulled out of the swing seat just as I was on the down stroke, slamming my ass onto that 2" thick rubber playground mat that was/is still used. From that day forward, I needed a really tight kidney belt to ride dirt bikes or ride in boats. But kids are tough, at least I was, and by the time I was 20 or so it hardly ever bothered me anymore. Then in 1990, I was layed off from my real job and was framing some condo's for a guy in the mean time and managed to fall through a hole in the floor, 10' to the basement floor, landing flat on my back. (I need to explain how this happened-we had just nailed off the sheathing on an exterior wall and I marked out where the window was and cut it out. The cut out piece didn't fall through, so I walked out on it and gave it a stomp. Sure enough, it was the stairwell window and the stairs weren't in yet.) That was my only ambulance ride so far. At the hospital is where I found out that the fly-by-night guy I was working for had zero insurance. No worker's comp, no liability, no nuthin'. X-rays showed that I had broken 3 verts and some ribs. As soon as they found out there was no insurance involved and I was unlikely to die, the hospital wheeled my busted up ass to the front door and pretty much said "Gee, wish we could care" and sent me on my way. I was layed up for months. If not for the kindness of an old GF that worked for the unemployment office, I would have lost everything. Looking back, I should have sued the guy, but didn't know then what I do now and figured all I'd end up with was his POS car. Besides, I was still pretty tough, and I was getting better, and it was my fault for being dumb enough to fall through a hole in the floor, so I let it slide.

But now, I live in constant pain. My legs and feet are numb most of the time. Once or twice a year, I slip a disc and it puts me on my knees for a time, like what the OP describes. I can't lift hardly anything. I'm not so tough anymore. I told my doctor last time I was double covered that it was a good time to get it fixed and he said the success rate was pretty low for these kind of things, and if all I need is a handful of lortabs once or twice a year, I ought to be glad I'm not in a wheel chair. So I got smarter, and now I'm paid from the shoulders up:whistling

I don't know what my point is, other than (in my best Hyman Roth voice) "This is the life we choose"!

 

[TimNJ]

Back pain is a vicious cycle. Nerve gets pinched causing pain, causing muscles to tighten up and spasm, causing discs to compress more, causing more pain, causing muscles to tighten up........

I have dealt with back pain starting when I was 18 and thought I was a tough guy running a jackhammer.

The absolute worst was back in '06 when in the course of 1 year I had approx. 20 some odd shots in my back consisting of steroids, trigger point muscle relaxers, pain killers similar to novacaine, and during this I was taking both morphine tabs and valiums.
I thought for sure I was done for but everything gradually started to calm down.

My problems are the same as OP, L4L5, L5S1.

The last time I had an xray a few years ago the doc said it showed I had arthritis building up on those vertebrae. He said eventually it would keep building up and actually turn into a self made bone fusion.

Now when I feel my muscles tightening up in my back I will take 1/2 a valium when I go to sleep for what I consider moderate pain and a whole valium for severe pain. Usually after 1 or 2 nights everything will calm back down.