Bad Backs

[MuteBanana]

"I had a bad back once. My back was bad. If you had what I had you wouldn't have left the house. But I left the house. I broke it in four or five places. I broke it near my arse." - Morrell, A Room For Romeo Brass.

When do you know if you've got a bad back and when you've got a BAD back?

I seem to get a lot of pressure on my lower back from standing around for no more than 20-30 minutes. I've suffered from it for several months. Just in the kitchen cooking or washing up. I then really feel it when I'm carrying a plate of food in one hand where I can feel it all pushing down on my lower back.

It's not sharp or wincing type pain. Just an ache. But after half an hour up and doing stuff I need to sit down.

Anyone got any similar problems? Should I take it seriously or do I just need to stop slouching and take a few hot baths?

[small_world]

See a doctor.

I get the same. I can run or walk, but doing standing-up-things gives me a bad back.
I injured mine last year at the gym. I kept pulling it then about six months ago I REALLY pulled it.
Up until I REALLY pulled it, I'd damaged some small muscle in my back, and I was relying on tendons and supporting muscles to do the work. I hadn't let it recover and so finally even the tendons/supporting muscles gave up. The next few weeks was agony, I couldn't bend much at all. And something like leaning over to eat was horrible. 
I've since had it diagnosed as a prolapsed disk. While it remains as a nagging pain, I no longer have any real pain from it, unless I bend in certain ways, or as mentioned do standing up things for prolonged periods of time.

I do know though, that the core of the issue is down to sitting for long periods of time. And that I really should do more standing and stretching.

[Desi Rascal]

 Yeah go get a physio's appointment

http://www.youtube.com/user/posturedoc

[MuteBanana]

Thanks.

Yes, I am guilty of sitting for long periods also and without any support on my back either. It's completely self inflicted really. I guess in the past I've suffered from aches and pains from doing strenuous work and I feel like I've been telling myself it will pass or it will be better in the morning. But seeing as I haven't been doing that, I really should have done something about it sooner.

[weaseldust]

whenever my back feels bad i just twist around and my spine pops all the way down satisfyingly

[Space ghost]

not being able to turn over in bed without involuntarily crying out in pain = a BAD back.

bit achy from standing = being a ponce

cheers

[Zero Gravitas]

Dr Kanaga, the evil Prime Minister of San Monique from Live and Let Die.

[small_world]

See, from that YouTube video, I'm alright flexibility wise. I can touch my toes, the floor and even put my feet on my ears. I can do a full squat, and sit with my legs crossed for hours.
My trouble is this...
http://stronglifts.com/lordosis-why-it-causes-lower-back-pain-how-to-fix-it/

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

In my nice swanky pad in Leeds everything was great except my bed where the mattress was so firm I used to wake up around 6/7 every morning in agony and be lucky to get another half an hour of agonised sleep after that. Bad beds really are a fucking plague and it's arguably more important to have that part of your house in good condition than having electricity and running water. There's nothing like a good night's sleep to improve everything.

Other than that, I only get back pain through standing in queues or waiting for the band to come on at a gig. The last time I remember having back pain was standing in a queue at JFK for 2 and a half hours after having just been on a plane for 8 more. By the last 100 metres i was pretty much crawling on all fours.

[Johnny Townmouse]

You may have done something to the squishy shit that seprates your vertebraes from each other. I have squishy shit sticking out and it hits the nerve in the lumbar part of my spine. When it spasms my back moves to one side so I look actually wonky.

And then I get sciatica which makes me roll around on the floor screaming in agony. My doctor said "it is the same pain as being shot in the leg."

Then you get addicted to coproxamol.

[Baltimora]

I have this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankylosing_spondylitis - thus I win. Luckily I managed to find a doctor who got me on anti-TNF treatment so I now feel much better than I used to. Mute Banana, you should definitely see a doctor. A simple blood test should be able to find out whether its a mechanical issue or something else.

[Johnny Textface]

I seem to get a lot of pressure on my lower back from standing around for no more than 20-30 minutes. I've suffered from it for several months. Just in the kitchen cooking or washing up.

It's not sharp or wincing type pain. Just an ache. But after half an hour up and doing stuff I need to sit down.

Anyone got any similar problems? Should I take it seriously or do I just need to stop slouching and take a few hot baths?

I get the exact same thing. I can't stand for much over 15 minutes without needing to either sit for a bit or touch my toes / bend forward (this will help for approx 3 minutes and then the ache comes back).
I've been to see a doctor about it and he thought, without any blood tests or xrays, that I have premature athritis (I was 33 at the time.)
I think he prescribed some cocodomal / ibroprofen and sent me on my way.
Later that year I pulled my back trying to lift a double matress and this really fucked me. I coudn't stand even - just had to lay on the floor for a couple of days. I rang the NHS to try and get some physiotherapy but the waiting list was about 3 months. So I decided to go to an ostiopath privately. This cost about £150 for two half hour sessions. And it seemed to do the trick!!
For a while.
Eventually the NHS rang to say I could get in at physio now, so along I went - but my back was fine then - so she was like 'I'm sorry but because there are no symptons, theres not alot we can do now." yeah cheers. She did say that there was no way that I could / should have been diagnosed with arthritis without having a blood test or xrays etc.. and that it likely wasn't this. So that made me feel abit better.
Anyway its come back now and its fucking shit. Everytime I go to the docs they just want to give me painkillers.
Not sure what to do.

I bought one of these recently but doesn't seem to be doing much.

[Johnny Textface]

MuteBanana - please let me know how you get on.

[Baltimora]

Johnny I would just go back to the doctor, explain that this had been a recurring problem and does not seem to be getting better by itself, and ask for an x-ray and blood tests to look for autoimmune markers. I've had to deal with a lot of doctors over the years and generally if you are stubborn and won't be fobbed off they will (eventually) investigate properly.

[sirhenry]

The best back pain is a slipped disk. Well, not at first obviously, because you can't move at all without blinding pain shooting up your back and causing muscle spasms that then make it worse. But after a week or so you can move again and it doesn't hurt as long as you don't bend or try to hold something heavy like a cup of tea.
But...
The body has its own medicine, some form of endorphin that numbs the pain which kicks in after a second or two and lasts 30 seconds or so. It's a form of morphine so it makes you feel wonderfully floaty and relaxed, lovely. And once the body has learned the response you can trigger it long after the slipped disk has healed. For about three months, when I was feeling down all I had to do was stamp one of my feet and a second later smack attack! Happy daze.

[Ginyard]

Later that year I pulled my back trying to lift a double matress and this really fucked me. I coudn't stand even - just had to lay on the floor for a couple of days.

I once had to drag an Kurzweil K250 in a flightcase across a very large muddy field and fucked my back so much I couldn't play the bloody thing. I lay in the back of a transit van all night long and had to suffer and agonizing journey back to Blighty in the rattling smelly bastard. And the van stunk too.

[Johnny Textface]

Johnny I would just go back to the doctor, explain that this had been a recurring problem and does not seem to be getting better by itself, and ask for an x-ray and blood tests to look for autoimmune markers. I've had to deal with a lot of doctors over the years and generally if you are stubborn and won't be fobbed off they will (eventually) investigate properly.

Thanks for this - I've booked myself in.

[shiftwork2]

Not much to add except to say a friend of mine went to see a chiropractor for help with his bad back.  The guy spent 20 minutes rubbing between his arse cheeks.  So the moral of the story is, if you go to see a chiropractor, make sure he's got certificates on the wall.

[surreal]

Sorry, I have a cold.

[Cambrian Times]

A few years ago I had an excrusiating back injury. I couldn't stand up properly let alone walk. I ended up going to hospital where they pumped me full of drugs, tramadol, diclophenac and industrial strength paracetamol. I had to take a week off work. That first night I felt like Bez. Occasionally I get a twinge in my back if it's cold or raining, or I sleep wrong but I'm usually fine.   

[The Boston Crab]

Sorry, I have a cold.

Really good gag.