Living with Back Pain

[Cletus]

Four years ago I had arthroscopic knee surgery, on my left knee, to repair a torn meniscus. One of my passions is mountain biking, and I was able to bike without any knee pain. So my knee was very healthy going into surgery and I recovered quickly. However, about six months later I started having lower back pain. The pain is located about three inches off the spine on the right side in the lower part of my back, right above my arse. There's very little doubt that I was trying to take care of my knee by over-compensating on the right side of my body and did something to my back.

In an effort to alleviate the pain I stopped all activity for about two months. I gained weight and became slightly depressed because I wasn't biking, hiking, or skiing, and yet the pain persisted. I had several sessions with a massage therapist, seven sessions with a chiropractor, and a few visits to my orthopedic surgeon for help with the back pain. I was prescribed two different muscle relaxers and vicodin. None of these therapies helped. Finally, after a few months I said "FU" to my back and started biking again. Wow - - immediately my attitude improved and the depression subsided. However, to this day, the back pain persists. On a scale of 1 to 10 I probably have about a 5 on my worst days. On most days the pain is probably a 2 or 3. Sitting in my office chair for too long will exacerbate my pain.

My current therapy is pain meds and alcohol. When the pain is at its worst I take a couple of Aleve with some vodka or gin and this gives me the same relief as a muscle relaxer.

Anyone else have lower back issues? What did you do to deal with the pain? My orthopod doesn't think surgery is an option and I really don't want to go that route.


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[madurolover]

I was in a car wreck about 18 years ago that messed my lower spine up. Sometimes i will go to bed at night and the next day I can't get out of bed. The pain in my lower back is so severe it will bring tears to my eyes. Sometimes I will be ok later that day and sometimes it will hurt like that for a month. I just learned to live with it.

[MattB]

I'm really sorry to hear both those stories. I love to mountain bike myself so I'm glad you were able to get back in the saddle and felt better (however small relief that is), if I couldn't get out (even if it is only a couple times a week sometimes) I don't know what I would do. I hope things look up for both of you guys.

[Cletus]

Originally Posted by madurolover

I was in a car wreck about 18 years ago that messed my lower spine up. Sometimes i will go to bed at night and the next day I can't get out of bed. The pain in my lower back is so severe it will bring tears to my eyes. Sometimes I will be ok later that day and sometimes it will hurt like that for a month. I just learned to live with it.

18 YEARS!!! Wow. I'll take my 4 years of minor pain and go sit in the corner now. I could not imaging dealing with pain that severe for so long. No surgical possibilities?

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[SMOKE20]

Sorry to hear about your back. I take advil for pain sometimes but I go to a chiropractor once a week and it has reall improved my back and posture. Pain has been very little

[madurolover]

Originally Posted by Cletus

18 YEARS!!! Wow. I'll take my 4 years of minor pain and go sit in the corner now. I could not imaging dealing with pain that severe for so long. No surgical possibilities?

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Everyone I have ever met who has had back surgery has ended up regretting it so I opt not to do it.

[Strick]

I have that lower back right side pain I have been living with for years. Some days good others well I just deal with it. If I irritate it like lifting something I should not the wrong way I can't lay down to sleep it hurts so bad. Sometimes I just sleep in my recliner. Ibuprofin is all I take and it helps...

[jason23]

Thank you

[jason23]

Sorry to hear about your back pain. I just wan to share my experience with you as it will be useful for you. I too had the same back pain issue for past couple of years but I was unable to get cure from it completely. I have got treatment from no of orthos, chiropractors etc. Then my colleague recommended me to get treatment from irehab.com . I got some customized back pain relief treatment from them online now really I feel great.

[Cletus]

Originally Posted by jason23

Sorry to hear about your back pain. I just wan to share my experience with you as it will be useful for you. I too had the same back pain issue for past couple of years but I was unable to get cure from it completely. I have got treatment from no of orthos, chiropractors etc. Then my colleague recommended me to get treatment from irehab.com . I got some customized back pain relief treatment from them online now really I feel great.

I didn't realize Spam would cure back pain!?!?


(Forgive my cynicism if this is a real post -- I'm jaded from too many years on the interweb)


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[bimmian]

Originally Posted by madurolover

I was in a car wreck about 18 years ago that messed my lower spine up. Sometimes i will go to bed at night and the next day I can't get out of bed. The pain in my lower back is so severe it will bring tears to my eyes. Sometimes I will be ok later that day and sometimes it will hurt like that for a month. I just learned to live with it.

Man, I'm SO sorry to hear that. I recently injured my lower back, but it was only a muscle strain and not the spine or discs, thank God. In the one year that has passed since it has recurred once, but the pain meds and rest took care of it. I know what it's like to not be able to do even simple activities because your back will spasm and cripple you with pain, but I can't begin to imagine your pain and the toughness it must take to get through it w/out narcotic meds.. On that note:
BEWARE the magic pills! I took 7.5 Hydrocodone/750 APAP mg. vicodin as prescribed for about 3 months after my second injury and found myself physically dependent on them.. Worst week EVER! It can happen in a second and the worst part is, get this - back pain is a symptom of withdrawal! So I was taking them even when I didn't need them! Luckily, I found this out and noticed that my pain would return around the same time every day, but the spasms were gone, and I put 2 and 2 together and quit cold turkey.
For Cletus, have you tried physical therapy? I went and they showed me stretches and excercises that helped me out immensely. Now I stretch and flex the way I learned every day and so far, it's feeling much better. This won't help as much if it's a spinal injury, but if it's the muscle, it's definitely worth a shot. Talk to your Dr. and see what he/she thinks. It's probably even covered by your insurance if it's recommended by your physician. If not, and I didn't say this, but, you could lift something heavy at work, say it happened then, and get it covered under workman's comp. Whatever the price, your back is worth it. It sounds like it may just be a little strained from over exertion on the one side. Take care of it now, before it turns into an injury! Once you injure it for real, it will NEVER be 100% again. Best of luck!

[madurolover]

Originally Posted by jason23

Sorry to hear about your back pain. I just wan to share my experience with you as it will be useful for you. I too had the same back pain issue for past couple of years but I was unable to get cure from it completely. I have got treatment from no of orthos, chiropractors etc. Then my colleague recommended me to get treatment from irehab.com . I got some customized back pain relief treatment from them online now really I feel great.

I hear that smoking cigars helps! Have you ever tried that?

[Snomoskier]

It's my neck that bothers me sometimes but if my back was bad I would try that thing I've seen on TV. You lay on your back with your legs resting on the device and it rocks you in a circular motion. I'm pretty sure it has a free trial period and if it works it would be well worth it. They say the releif is pretty immediate. I am kind of a sucker for infomercials though. Good luck to you guys.

[FN in MT]

I had an on duty crash back in 1990 ....got hit from the back while parked by a car doing about 70. LUCKILY I was belted in, but my back was never the same. Lower back pain for years and years despite re hab , no weight issues and exercise.

A few years back we bought a Sleep Number bed and my pain has TOTALLY subsided. I know it sounds like a SN Bed commercial but it worked for me. I keep it hard at 85 to 90 and it has really helped me.

Recently visited my mom back east for two weeks and was subjected to one of her old mattreses...pain returned in four days.

Sleep Number bed...worth a try IMHO.

FN in MT

[Strick]

Nothing against the SN bed (I have one and it's nice) but when my back is acting up none of the settings fix the problem....