Anyone with Back Problems??
Anyone here have back problems? If so, how do you cope with sitting most of the day?
I slipped a disc (common term i know; more specifically had a bulging disc in my L5 vertebrae) from extensive heavy weightlifting.
Made working insanely painful as sitting was almost impossible. Went to the chiro and the injury is mostly better by now, but I am still looking for ways to make working more comfortable in the future. I try to still do a decent amount of my work while standing up but its a huge pain in the ass.
i don't have anything as severe as what you do...but I used to have severe back pains from sitting at work all day. After a lot of research and a lot of pain I realized it was because my chair was not set up for my "sitting habits".
Follow these steps ( http://www.spine-health.com/wellness/ergonomics/office-chair-how-reduce… ) as preliminary measures, but ultimately you probably want to look into ergonomic chairs ( http://www.spine-health.com/wellness/ergonomics/office-chair-choosing-r… )
hope this helps
Nice.
First, invest in a good chair. CXO, Herman Miller, etc. -- different for each person, but it is important that you get proper support. Get one for home and work.
Second, do PT of some kind. Swimming is the best option to strengthen the muscles around your vertebrae. You have to stop weighlifting -- you cannot put any more axial load on your discs. PT will do an amazing job of mitigating the pain. You cannot skip this.
Third, be very mindful of your posture. Head over shoulders; no stooping or slouching.
Lastly: plenty of people have this problem so you aren't alone. After the age of 25, most people have disc bulging or other kinds of age-related decay, but some are symptomatic earlier than others.
I actually have been suffering from back pain from a bulging, herniated, ruptured disc etc... since 2006. I recently opted for surgery this past October. Mind you - I took short-term disability and was receving full pay, so it made my decision a lot easier. At the end of the day, doing a simple task of running for more than 5 mins would cause severe pain was enough for me. I went through all the PT, injections etc.. and opted for this surgery. Best decision ever. I'm still in the process of recovering but not having sharp pains ripping down my leg is the best non-feeling ever. Motion is a tad restricted but I've been told 6 months after surgery - depending on being healthy you should be at almost 100%
Lifting heavy weight can cause back pain. You have to avoid this. There are few other reasons that you should know that is poor posture, injuries, working on desk long time, bad sleeping and sitting position, slouching and hunching, too much stress, etc. You have to maintain good posture in every activity of your life and do some back exercise like Yoga. For more advice, consult your orthopedic doctor or surgeon. I found a helpful inforgraphic about possible causes of back pain that might be helpful for you https://www.mattressinsight.com/causes-of-back-pain/ . I learned a lot of causes of back pain from this infographic article.
Hey I have the same problems as you. Even the L5. Interesting.
Anyway here’s what I do and I only have muscle spasm pain in my lower back 2-3 times a year for 2-3 days at a time. Not bad if you’re going through the pain consistently honestly.
I don’t lift heavy weights anymore. That’s just done with. I really swim and box for working out (but don’t box yet until after you read below).
I REALLY work on my core workout. Not six pack aesthetic core. Like deep tissue core workouts that get you really strong. Befriend a PT to help you with that. Once that’s strong you can box occasionally. I still can’t even golf though.
I stretch my hip flexors and other muscle groups every morning. Your body is all connected (feet to calves to hip flexors to back), so focus on getting flexible. Maybe try yoga? I haven’t but want to.
Feel free to PM me with any questions too. I know how much it sucks.
Used to have back pain when sitting. I found that putting a tennis ball at the point of pain helped.
People saying dont lift heavy are wrong. Deadlift more often. Start with low weight and work yourself up. If the muscles in your back are not strong, your vertebra will never be stable.
I too have a ruptured disc in my L5. Worst of the pain was back in the 1990's, for several years I actually stopped attending movies or any sort of seated theater scenario unless I could sit in back row so that I could stand when the pain from sitting was too much.
Anything that helps with strengthening/stabilizing my back as well as my core has really helped me. Rowing works out as well as stretches most of the major muscles that I don't use while sitting, a good way to combat bad posture and a great reminder of how you should sit upright and breathe deeply. I also do yoga - for stretching, lengthening and for helping with balance - you would be amazed how often you've got to engage your abs and core to maintain certain poses.
Also if you'd got spare weight on you, especially in the gut area, work on reducing it. My chiropractor told me that for every pound you carry at the waistline, it's 7 lbs of pressure on your back.
I have a standing desk at work. Definitely make a point of clenching/engaging your abs when you stand. Also, you can try alternating standing on one foot, it doesn't have to be obvious, just lifting it a few inches away from the floor, you'll engage your abs to maintain your balance.
We own an inversion table at home which helps with all sorts of neck, spinal, leg/hip tightness. Hubby swears by it, stretching out on it in the morning before work and then again when he gets back home. I don't use it as often, but it definitely helps when I do.
When I do get the rare flare-up, I alternate between heating pads and ice packs. I avoid pain pills. I've been prescribed Percoset for the worst of the pain, but they make me dizzy and nauseous - Alleve works better for me, but I still avoid it unless I'm terribly uncomfortable. I get better pain management from exercise/stretching and my precious MaryJane.
Good luck!
I've heard the Percs give you a nice high. But I'm sure there's at least some good street market value in that prescription
Yeah, I definitely know folks that use them to get high, but they just make me loopy and nauseous. When Hubby was younger, he was pretty big into mescaline and pills like Seconals, Tuinols, Percs, etc.
I usually hand them off to a friend who used to wrestle in high school and college and has been contending with recent neck surgery from the years of abuse his neck and spine took.
The yoga really works. Lots of planks too.
There are also specific stretches for the hamstrings and butt ( which help mend the L5 pain).
I developed a small lipoma from sitting so much over the last 9 months. While it doesn't hurt, it still freaks me out even through three separate doctors have said its not something to worry about. I'm getting it out in april.
I had a disc replacement surgery done about 5 months ago on my L5 S1. I had a degenerated disc, which usually comes from wear and tear. This may be normal for someone in there 60s but I am only 25, so this came as quite the surprise haha.
Anyway, post-surgery my back is doing much better. I can now sit down without being in pain, I can go to the gym again, and I can play tennis again (the biggest reason for doing the surgery).
My doctor says it is incredibly important to strengthen my abs and back to support to my lower and reduce pain/aching. So now I do just that by going to the gym regularly to lift weights, I do ab exercises, and I play tennis.
Prior to the surgery my life was hell. I was getting very depressed from being in pain constantly, and not being able to live the active lifestyle I wanted (hell I couldn't sit in a car for more than 30min without pain). Now I am doing much better thanks to the surgery.
I have a very similar injury to yours from a long time ago (herniated l4/l5 and l5/s1). I never did any proper PT but just took a very extended time off of lifting (not recommended btw; if this is a recent injury you should look into PT and take his advice on how long to stay out of the gym).
I don't lift heavy on certain things now and base a lot of my training around my back. I don't do conventional DLs or back squats any more but trap bar DLs and front squats can be good substitutes - again, would not recommend if this is a fresh injury, and when you do get back to it start far lighter than you think and work up to higher weights slowly. No standing OHP or anything similar if this is recent; basically avoid axial loads for now as another poster mentioned.
I also incorporate these into my training, the "big 3" low-back rehab exercises: https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-…
Oh, and I do yoga, which is something I never would've imagined but here we are.
I used to have severe back problems. One time my back seized up when I was driving and I thought I was going to crash. Other than the normal stuff that everyone recommends, I would definitely recommend stretching your hamstrings and quads. You'd be surprised at how the tightness of these large muscles can affect your back. Stretching those muscles has done wonders for me.
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