May 13, 2009 at 11:00 am
Hi Steve, like many others I've had a situation similar to you and the others. I won't go into detail, but if you'll trust me on this - it usually makes people cringe when I tell them. However there is one machine that actually worked to stop the muscle spasms and fix my back, called a vivatek machine. You'll have to call them to see if one is in your area, but honestly, it was worth the effort.
It really did work when nothing else would. You lay on it and it massages spinal muscles (only) and sends radio waves of some sort to repair the damage. My injuries weren't severe, but several of the other patients around me were (as in 8 and 10 millimeter bulging disks). I'm not a doctor so I can't tell you more, except everyone I knew that used it, felt better.
Take care. 😉
May 13, 2009 at 11:02 am
If I had spare time I might dedicate it to getting chiropractors disbarred from the AMA again. Seriously, how we can allow them them practice when every educated medical practitioner agrees they do more harm than good is beyond me. I grew up with two Kinesthesiologists in the house, so maybe I am a bit biased.
Anyhow, sorry to hear you are getting old :-P. I have really abused my body and I really feel it some days and I am not quite as over the hill as you, so I can only imagine what it is going to feel like in a few years. I found that low impact forms of yoga seem to help a lot with both the stiffness and building up the muscles to reinforce my skeletal structure. I think the most overlooked part of this whole equation is diet. I go to the gym 3-5 days a week, but am still holding a lot of excess weight, because I eat inconsistently and like crap when I do eat. Additionally, if I am like the rest of my family, I am gluten intolerant (I am pretty sure I am due to digestive issues), so if I don't clean up my diet I am looking at intestinal cancer in a few years. That aside, diet is the hard one for people in our feild to correct, because of the odd hours and sometimes long stretches of being stuck in the office, followed by either food binges or fasts. The real key to a good diet, seems to be eating on a consistent schedule and sticking to it. Coffee and a bagel in the morning then not eating anything till 8PM is a sure way to pack on the pounds. I have really been trying to buy small little things that I can take with me and eat throughout the day. I still eat out way too often, but I am moving in baby steps.
Incidentally I discovered that my family was gluten intolerant when a couple of us started on the South Beach diet and our health improved substationally (beyond just weight loss). Up to that point my brother who is 6'1 and weighed about 125 pounds had been to a slew of doctors who couldn't explain him eating like horse and being emaciated. In my case when I eat gluten, I pack on weight (so one of us ended up fat and eat nothing, while the other is skinny and eats a tonne; I wonder who won in that flip of the coin). Anyhow, several tests later my other family members confirmed my research and now I am being told by the medical side of family to stop eating bread and everything that has gluten. I don't smoke, rarely drink and don't do drugs, but all I do require is french bread, cheese and salami. Taking that away seems too cruel, but I have found that in the past couple of years since I diagnosed my family, many people are discovering this allergy that effects roughly 1/3 of all Europeans. They do make gluten free bread, but it's expensive and tastes like crap. The only way to get decent gluten free bread is to make it yourself and the goes back to the time issue (yes bread machines take time). I just put this out as an FYI, because I have recommended to two people who were diagnosed with MS to see if they were allergic to gluten, in both cases they were and a change of diet reversed their symptoms.
May 13, 2009 at 11:55 am
Remember: You are only as old as who you feel. :w00t:
ATBCharles Kincaid
May 13, 2009 at 11:57 am
Gilles Willard (5/13/2009)
Don't mean to sound like a wild-eyed proselytizer, but THE way to both prevent back trouble and take care of it when you already have it is yoga.I had a few minor back and joint problems in my twenties (due mostly to stress and lack of exercise), took yoga classes for several years and never had a problem again. I'm now in my fifties. :crying:
A few people here have mentioned yoga. For me it's pilates. I'm an avid tennis player and was always hurting my lower back. Strains, ruptured disks. After a few years of rigorous mat work I (hopefully) no longer injure myself during sports. I still get freak injuries while doing seemingly nothing but you can't have everything I suppose 🙁 Core strength; every athlete, every person should have it. Our instructor tells us you're only as healthy as your spine.
Anyhow, in some ways office workers have an advantage over laborers. If I have a match or workout with someone who's been outside all day, they're often worn down already while I'm chomping at the bit to get going 😀
Stay healthy,
Ken
May 13, 2009 at 12:20 pm
I think my track and field coach told me to that my core was the most important part of my body to keep strong, when I was in High School, and that has stuck with me. Even when I have gained a lot of weight, I still kept a regimin of crunches and back exercise that has allowed me to not appear as fat as I was and not have the back injuries that I probably would have had. I only wish that my knees weren't so shot, that is something that you never seem to get back no matter how much work you put into strengthening the muscles around patella.
May 13, 2009 at 12:54 pm
I've had people suggest chiropractors, but I used a couple years ago for my neck and didn't think they helped.
Acupuncture helped my legs a couple years ago. If this went on another week or so, I would be trying that again.
May 13, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Charles Kincaid (5/13/2009)
Remember: You are only as old as who you feel. :w00t:
Uh oh....
May 13, 2009 at 4:37 pm
I so understand your back pain Steve and everyone else here. I have a hypermobile spine which means that it can move and crack when I stand up, roll over in bed, do any innocuous movement really. Stress can also cause knotted muscles which can actually pull my spine out of alignment. I have had a slipped/bulging disc in my lower spine 3-4 times in the last 10 years. I currently see an excellent chiropractor who is also an exercise physiologist. He gives me exercises to do between visits to help keep my spine healthy. My chiropractor also works with physiotherapists and massage therapists. They all work together to provide excellent care.
One big issue is core stability. My chiropractor is always talking to me about it. Apparently my core stability is still not brilliant after having my daughter. Core stability refers to the muscles surrounding your spine from your rib cage to your pelvis, front, back and sides. I second others here that yoga and pilates in particular are excellent for spinal health as they really improve your core stability and reduce stress. I just have to find the time to go and someone to babysit my daughter! Any volunteers? 😉
Nicole Bowman
Nothing is forever.
May 13, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Good advice Steve. After straining my back a few weeks back, I have been trying to be quite a bit more careful with body mechanics.
May 13, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Hi there
Started out feeling sympathetic, then read that you achieved your agony doing Karate. No more sympathy here...!
My 2 cents worth - agree, yoga/pilates are marvellous preventatives, but sometimes not possible when you are already suffering. Having spent too long in a chair at work, my experience is that the chair is key. Rather than spend squillions replacing it, I always seek the type of chair with 4 legs and nothing flexible. All that rotating and spinning on those ergonomic wonders really knackers the lower back - comes back to stability of the spine.
Stability and good posture is also helped by hamstring stretches and any form of strenghtening of the stomach, which also corrects excessive curvature (Lordosis - see Wikipedia); excessive curvature from poor posture results in excessive pressure on those poor old discs, and we all know what that results in - AMA members recommending spinal surgery.
Hope this helps someone... C
May 14, 2009 at 1:55 am
HI Steve Jones.
I feel with you because I know how hard such pain can be. I got the diagnostic in december last year that i have got a big herniated disc and had months before december much pain but at that time I did'nt know what is the reason of the pain.
Now I feel very good have only sometimes pain and I think its getting better.
What me helped to recover was doing McKenzie calisthenics(on myself) every morning and evening for about half hour every session and sitting on a gymnastik ball in company. I also do up to now calisthenics which sustain my lower back and my abdominals this is very important. I go about two to three times a week to fitness center and train whats good for me and sit also a half hour on a hometrainer in sitting position. Whats also very important ist streching.
Maybe this helps you but professional information you can only get from a doctor or physiotherapists.
I hope you recover very good and find your way to kombine sport with your working:)
Good Luck.
Yours Frank
May 14, 2009 at 2:22 am
Well being 30 does not put me in the old people list nor do i have any health issues. Since IT is a sedentary form of work i decided to hit the gym so as to keep myself healthy and also to avoid health issues later on as much as possible. I work out for nearly 80 mins 6 days a week and benefits have been great. I feel healthy,look good and have more energy.
Plus i play table tennis in my office in my free time.
"Keep Trying"
May 14, 2009 at 5:55 am
Hi Steve,
I've recently taken up full time alpaca farming. I've noticed a significant improvement in my general well being and have lost a lot of weight. Not sitting in front of a computer all day has made a big difference. I now feel better than I have for a long time.
Regards
Steve
May 14, 2009 at 9:05 am
I hear alpaca spit, is that true? Probably pretty hard to handle when their frisky too. :w00t:
May 14, 2009 at 10:31 am
srowley (5/14/2009)
Hi Steve,I've recently taken up full time alpaca farming. I've noticed a significant improvement in my general well being and have lost a lot of weight. Not sitting in front of a computer all day has made a big difference. I now feel better than I have for a long time.
Regards
Steve
How's business with alpacas? We have considered this. Well, my wife has... I am still unsure about the viability.
Viewing 15 posts - 31 through 45 (of 57 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply