Oh the pain!!!!

Well, I won't say what I was doing this morning, but I am being reminded of just how nasty lower back pain can be now. I had a chronic lower back injury back in my early 30s, and it took years to get over it. Once in a while I will aggravate it and the old pain comes back. We're talking stooped over, walking like Tim Conway's old man character, endorphine generating knife in the back kinda pain. I am eating the Ibuprofren like they were Pez candies, and the wife wants to put one of those pop out turkey temp indicators in my belly button cuz I've got the heating pad cranked up to max and she wants to make sure I don't overcook.

The bad news is I have to fly to Denver for a three day interview tomorrow morning. 3+ hours in an economy class seat is not going to be very good. I hope corporate appreciates my sacrifice.

I can only imagine how debilitating such an ailment would be were I to suffer this in a survival situation, which is entirely possible. Short of carrying a syringe full of Demoral with me, how else would you deal with this kind of injury?

I do the following:

Put/pour epsom salts (generously) and a 12 oz bottle of green alcohol into the bath tub. Fill the bath tub with the hottest water that you can comfortably stand. Get into the tub, with a good book and soak/read until the water starts to feel cool. Get out nice and slow and you will find that you feel much better. Do this two times a day for about 3 days (more if you feel the need).

It has always gotten me recovered in about 3 days. I still move carefully for the next month so as not to aggravate the lower back muscles.

Having been there, done that (not having had one single totally pain free day since April of 1983), I can say with all sincerity that I feel your pain. I too eat 800mg motrin like candy. Got several super duper muscle relaxants, but I have found that rum and/or vodka does just as well, and tastes better. One thing you might try is stretching exercises. Lay on your back and bring both knees up to your chest (like doing a cannonball into the pool). Hold for a while, stretch out, repeat half a dozen or so times). Then do one leg at a time, same thing. There are more, but it would take me forever to describe them. If you go visit a licensed physical massage therapist he/she can show you all. Good luck, and I do not envy you your time inflight. I hope you get a front row seat in first class, at least that way you can stretch out...

Speaking from experience I can "feel your pain". I have 4 discs that are completely gone, beyond herniated.
First time I dealt with this was almost 6 years ago, did the drug thing for a couple of years and also did lots of physical therapy.
Best thing I learned is daily stretching, each and every day as soon as I get up. Any good physical therapist can set you up with a good series of stretching excercises that will provide not only short-term relief but long-term benefits.
My back "goes out" on me once a year or so and with the stretching it's really not anywhere near as bad as it used to be and I recover much more quickly. I no longer use any drugs except a couple of Aleve each morning.
Good luck.

Personal experience, plus what I saw during SAR missions, convinced me in some cases, you do need some serious pain meds as well as/or anti-inflamitories when in back country, or in a bugout/survival situation. Most commercial FAK's, IMHO, are very limited in pain and anti-inflammatory meds.
My personal support kit currently has 25 Advil 200mg in it along with a full script of hydrocodone since I destroyed my ACL and fractured my femur and tibia. I have a 10 count Advil tube, (about the size of a chapstick) that will hold 25 Advil 200mg tablets.

I have this sized easy to identify packaging of Bayer, Advil, Dramamine, Benedryl, Tylenol that have been replacked (filled) in my Personal Support Med Kit. Wrapping the label with clear packing tape keeps the name/directions from being worn off the labels. The are marked with expiration dates also.

Yeah - for some reason Advil works better than most things

I not only have a script for Hydrocodone - I actually have pills, mostly because of my leg

One hint - Advil and hydrocodone can be "chased" - - you don't have to wait for the advil to wear off before you take hydrocodone if the advil doesn't work

Another pair that can be chased is Advil and Tylenol - each are take "every 4 hours" - take each - 2 hours apart, alternating

Well, I finally remembered I have a jet tub, and after about an hour in that thing I am feeling a bit more limber. I still walk funny, but at least I can sit up now.

It may be a long few days in Denver...

"...I finally remembered I have a jet tub..."

You FORGOT that? The shame. Our hot tub has a sign posted stating "No Suits In The Spa"...

I blame it on the endorphines, and a little bourbon.

Sometimes self-medicating is an involuntary response.

"...self-medicating is an involuntary response..."


Tell me about it. Glad you are at least a little better. Let us know you you are in the am...

Yep, will try and get on if I am in decent enough shape. A full night on the heating pad at max might make a difference.

A fifteen minute yoga routine every other evening. I went from waking up stiff and in pain every morning to feeling like I did in my late twenties/early thirties.

I can e-mail you a Quicktime movie of the routine (cute blond yoga teacher) if you want. You won't notice much change for the first few weeks but by 4-5 weeks you'll be amazed. The routine is designed for newbies.

-Blast

I guess I worded my post badly. I meant I have a full prescription bottle of hydrocodone in my Personal Support Kit.

I've lived with back pain since my accident on 8/8/93. I have spent many thousands of dollars on various treatments, including Chinese therapy. I am now to a point where I can manage it.

1. Start anti-inflammatory over-the-counter meds
2. Get in the bathtub and soak with near-hot water. Better, yet, go to the gym and alternate between jacuzzi and cold water several times
3. Start getting massage two or three times a week.
4. After the above have relaxed your back enough, you need to wind down the expense of massage and start stretching. The psoas (spelling?) muscle is one of your top goals. Get professional advice on stretches, but one that I like is I sit down on the carpet with both legs extended out. Then, I bend one foot back and set it next to my bottom. Then, lean back slowly. Hold for maybe 30 seconds. Switch sides. Start over. As time goes on, you'll be holding your stretches for up to a minute and eventually you'll be able to lie all the way down on your back with your foot curled under. This stretch alone, for me, has been a life saver.
5. Rolfing is great, but this therapy is expensive and painful.
6. Every once in a while, you'll lapse back. When that happens, start at step 1 again.

I'm convinced that stretching is one of the best things that you can do for yourself. Read up on it. There are a lot of positives.

If it doesn't help, try a cane. Being a tripod (or quadruped!) is more stable, and changes the tension in your back and sides.

And being a cranky old man with a cane means you've got a friend in the airport.

As someone who suffered from knife-in-the-back, nausea inducing, immobilizing back pain for years, I feel your agony. Like Blast said, Yoga is gold for the back. They often have classes devoted specifically to lower back therapy. I'd also recommend a good Osteopath. If you haven't already, I highly recommend you pinpiont the source of the pain and what brings on the muscle spasms or inflamation (usually something related to unstretched piriformis/hamstrings and unconditioned abdominal muscles). After years of debilitating pain, X-rays, top orthopedic surgeons, costly physical therapy, I was finally shown simple stetches and exercises that has kept my back spasm-free (pain free) for 4 years now. Good luck.

I got a Select Comfort mattress a few years ago. It helped enormously. I used to blink back the tears in my eyes when I tied my shoes in the morning. A couple of weeks to get the mattress dialed in and no tears since then. They are expensive, but worth every penny. I've heard the Tempur are also great.

Yes, the tempur pedic mattresses are great!!!!

Hang in there, benjammin. I also pulled something Friday, so I feel your pain. I'm flying to Asia tomorrow so I'm a bit worried about hauling my luggage around, plus that 12-hour plane ride across the Pacific (coach class). I'm feeling pretty good today, so knock on wood.

Yeah, Tempurpedic mattresses are great! It's sort of deceptive. When you lie on it, it feels like a firm mattress overall, but you do sink in at the pressure points so the support is very even and comfortable.

Good advice. I used to be good for one or two "immobilizing events" a year, until I started yoga. I do mine in the morning though, and the instructor is a guy, but it sure does work. Blast is also right that it will take a while for you to really notice the difference. This is more preventive maintenance than a cure for what currently ails you. Good luck on that airline seat.

Thanks OBG. That mental image going to haunt me!


Stretching is good. Get to the gym, strengthen your back muscles once you get over this current episode. Losing the paunch will help too, as you won't have an extra X pounds pulling the spine forward and out of whack.

Anyone out there ever seen a DO for osteopathic manipulation? It's not the same as chiropractics, but that speciality grew from osteopathy. Just wondering if what I'm learning in school works in the real world. (thanks!)

I don't know about ostepathy, but the member "kmat" is a doctor of chiropractics.

-Blast

Dr. Grey in Antlers Oklahoma. Highly recomended by most pro rodeo riders and and those of us that have broken our necks, and were lucky enough to find him.

MDindana,

We took our young son to an osteopath for cranial manipulation in an attempt to cure his colic/sleeplessness. I kinda thought my wife was a little strange to try it. He had not slept through the night for at least a year. One visit to the osteopath for a cranial manipulation treatment and my wife and I awoke the next morning to each other instead of a crying baby. We looked at each other and said "did you get up"? When we both answered no, we immediately thought he had died!! We rushed into his room to see him soundly sleeping in a very peaceful way!!

Somethings you just have to experience for yourself to see if they work for you.

A DO is who worked out my back issue. Wish the field was as popular as it is in Europe. For those interested:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteopath

I did a long time ago for a back injury in college. The pain was incredible. The DO manipulated my back and gave me a "diathermy"(?) treatment. I walked out of the office pain free. A second treatment about a week later concluded the treatment. One rare occasions, the old injury will still bother me, but nothing that motrin or tylenol can't handle.

Good Luck

Hmm, how did you know about the paunch?

Funny thing, I've been seeing a chiropractor for my neck and shoulder for about two months now. Since I had to leave town before I could get back in to see him, I will have to wait till friday.

If he can't make it better, I may have to look up an osteopath.

After getting it reasonably okay for travel Monday morning, I have been struggling to be able to walk upright. The snow here in Denver ain't helping my cause none.