Replies

1. 
   blue_eyed_devil_ | Apr 30, 2000 02:59pm | #1

   *
   Bob, the desk job would cefinitely be the worst thing that you could do for your problem back.

   They did a study abot back pain, and the treatments that exist.

   The first group was ordered to bed rest for 6 weeks. The second group was ordered to rest, with therapy.
   The third was told to keep up normal activities including work.

   The third (the active working group) healed the fatest.

   I could have had surgery twenty years ago. I have learned to deal with my bad back, and still rough frame houses. Start studying what you are doing different. Bending more? Wearing a different toolbelt? Swinging a different hammer?

   If you do the surgery, find out if there is a surgeon in your area that can perform it through the stomach. It's a new procedure that doesn't damage the muscles that support the spine.

   blue

1. 
   Ed_Lee | May 07, 2000 03:08pm | #2

   *Bob - I've been working with significnt lower back problems for about the past ten years, and the only thing keeping it under control is my doing Iyengar-style yoga two or three times a week, with emphasis on stretching my hamstrings. When I do the yoga, my back doesn't hurt. When I stop for a week, it hurts. I still have to be careful around the jobsite and I avoid a lot of heavy lifting and such.From everything I've read, back surgery is a last-ditch effort that is often (like 70% of the time) a failure! Doctor's recommend it because they don't have anything else to recommend.There's a good reprint available called "Living With Your Lower Back" from the Yoga Journal. It's written by a pathologist who also practices yoga and she outlines the reasons for back pain and methods to alleviate it.Lee

1. 
   FredB | May 08, 2000 04:12am | #3

   *Rules from my Orthopedic Surgeon:1. Learn an do Back and Abdomen exercises daily. Exercise to work, not work as exercise.2. Never, never let anyone do surgery until you can't move. The odds are against you on even the best of surgical days.I followed this and now, 20 years later, no surgery, occasional pain, and full mobility.

1. 
   Creature | May 09, 2000 06:59pm | #4

   *15 years of rugby and jumping out of airplanes in the military, combined with our back unfriendly profession of building finally caught up with me. My back hurts!! I went to the Ortho first...he of course wanted to shoot me full of corotzone and then said I would need surgery within the next couple years. No way, I thought, there must be something better. And how simple it is. I looked back at my activity and saw that my attention to daily physical fitness had slipped...especially stretching. I went to a PT and a Shiatsu massage guru who taught me some great stretches for my lower back and hamstrings. This combined with good ab workouts has kept me virtually pain free. I still hit the massage therapist once a month or so..if nothing else its great relaxation. So, my point is you can get by without the surgery...just put some time into maintaining your body. Dave

1. 
   Jeff_J._Buck | May 10, 2000 03:07am | #5

   *There are exercise tapes by a guy named "Tony Little" that have a complete routine based on low inpact back exercises. The guy was a body builder that was hit by a car and broke his back. He developed a system to lift weights safely. The best thing for a strong back is strong stomach muscles. And my chiro! Jeff......loaded drywall all day and going to the Chiro first thing tomorrow morning BEFORE I get stiff. Jeff

2. 
   blue_eyed_devil_ | May 10, 2000 05:47am | #6

   *You can survive with a messed up back. I pitched sand for 13 hours in the last two days, and humped and set 12" block for another 6 hours.My back feels great.But if I lift one thing wrong, I will be hurting.Lift it right, especially when your back is healthy..I'm warning you, you whippersnappers!blueps and sit up straight an erect too while driving and pecking away on your ivories.

3. 
   Bob_Vogel | May 14, 2000 04:02pm | #7

   *Thought I'd say a word or two thanking you all for your posts and email with personal stories and methods of dealing with this. Your advice is really encouraging and very much appreciated!Bob

4. 
   arlen_zook | May 20, 2000 03:57am | #8

   *8 years ago today I fell out of a fourth story windowdoing something really stupid, we were almost done with the job. I crushed two vertebrate spent 5 months in bed. The doctor told me to get a desk job the sitting hurt worse than a day of physical work. the best thing for me is to keep the stomach muscles TIGHT always, suck it in and go. also try an inversion table you might want to check with your doctor, I got one last year spend 5-10 minutes on that after work and I feel like new again.

5. 
   Jeff_J._Buck | May 20, 2000 04:48am | #9

   *Had a new one yesterday. Fixed my spare tire carrier on the van with the big, bulky 16in. full size spare. My back felt tight and I figured I'd get to the Chiro in a few days. Woke up that nite with pains when I breath.Turns out I had popped a rib out of place,never happened before! The Chiro just moved it around a bit then popped it right back. Made a good,loud crack and felt like nothing ever happened. Two days of loadind drywall, and the stupid spare got me! Probably was tired and not paying attention on how I lifted. Jeff

6. 
   blue_eyed_devil_ | May 22, 2000 04:09am | #10

   *Jeff, it probably was the two days of loading drywall.about ten years ago, I spent two days loading drywall. Finally we started installing it. My back (and the rest of me) was tired but I was managing. I bent over to screw a bottom screw and when I straighteded up, it pinched a nerve like I've never been pinched before. I would shoot myself before I'd live with that pain. Immediate aspirin (anti-inflammatory) and ice helped keep my recovery time to a month. I never missed any work, but was stiff and sore as hell.blue

2. 
   Bob_Vogel | May 22, 2000 04:09am | #11

   *
   I've been self-employed now for about 4 years in residential remodeling, loving (almost) every minute of it. I'm 43 and have stayed physically fit my whole life but the last 8-9 months or so I began to feel lower back pain that steadily worsened. Just walking across Eagle hardware floor hurt. Went in and got an MRI to find out what the problem could be and found out I'll probably need surgery to "trim" a compressed disc - spinal stenosis they called it. This is a wakeup call causing worry that my time in paradise may already be up. Is there anyone else out there who may've had a similar experience - and has successfully dealt with it? Or could there be a desk job in my near future? Would love to hear some good news.