Last Sunday it was really windy and when I walked outside the pool was full of leaves. I picked up the long-handled net and started removing them; a simple task. I must have somehow twisted something in my back because after I went back inside the house it started to hurt. By Sunday evening I could barely straighten up to walk after sitting for a few minutes. It has now been several days and the pain lingers, particularly when I've just gotten out of bed or up from a chair. It takes me a minute to "straighten up" and walk, though after a little while the pain mysteriously eases off. I keep thinking it will get better; I've used a heating pad and Advil. My husband has some muscle relaxers of indeterminate age in the medicine cabinet but I hesitate to use his prescription. Have you had back pain and what do you do for it? This is low on my back, just below my waist along my spine.
Sorry to hear that, Beth. That looks like a strain of some muscle to me. In such cases I use diclofenac ointment, sometimes in combination with an infrared heat lamp. It has always gone away.
I have done that before, one time I was just picking up a paper towel that fell on the floor. I felt a little pop in my back, but everything seemed fine, and I spent the morning outside, feeding the horses and doing the other farm chores. When I got a call from a friend, I went inside and sat down to talk to her, and afterwards, I couldn’t even get up off of the couch, and ended up squirming my way across the floor back to the phone and calling for help. I have found that changing my diet seems to help, and I think that for me, it might be a pinched nerve. I am careful about bending over, especially first thing in the morning before my muscles have had a chance to warm up. Just rest, hot showers on your back, or a hot pad seems to help. If you Iike pineapple, fresh raw pineapple is anti-inflammatory, and also has a natural pain inhibitor in it.
I have the same thing, and they diagnosed me with a lower arthritic back, also called lumbar back pain. Stretching exercises will help some, and I've tried a few things such as compresses, but there doesn't seem to be any long term solution. Taking a pain reliever with ibuprofen, such as Advil will help a little. I am thinking of trying something such as Sunbeam Heating Pad for Neck & Shoulder Pain Relief (which sells on Amazon for about $19) Any way, sorry to hear of your pain, and if you find something that works, let us all know.
When we lived in Colorado before, and before buying our first powerboat, we went fishing from shore at a local lake. I cast my rod/reel out one last time, bent over and put the rod/reel into a holder in the ground, but couldn't straighten back up. I just couldn't stand back up straight and it was very painful to try! My wife helped me over to the passenger seat and I was able to get in. She put the fishing equipment in our Durango and we went home. Still not able to stand up straight, I laid down on the couch and she gave me some Motrin. Later that afternoon, she took me to the local ER. An x-ray showed a strain, but nothing serious. I was told by the ER doctor to take the next 3 days off from work, relax on the couch and take Motrin. This happened on a Memorial Day Monday, but was able to go back to work on the following Wednesday. Had a similar thing happen to me when we were playing golf on our Wii Game. I swung the remote, like I would a golf club, and felt something in my lower back, as in pain,.........tailbone area. I immediately stopped playing, took some Motrin and laid down. The pain eventually went away. I've also had a back-strain on-the-job. This happened before the OSHA required waist belts for lifting. I now have a waist belt that I wear if I know I'm going to be lifting anything heavy.
@Cody Fousnaugh When working Sears Maintenance, we were all issued waist belts. My co-worker, Karl, claimed he never had any back pain before starting to wear the belt; he cast it off. I was in a similar situation, never having had any back pain despite a lifetime of heavy work and lifting, but tried the belt anyway. Very uncomfortable, I too cast it off.
Thanks, everyone. Sounds like I'm not the Lone Ranger when it comes to back pain. @Thomas Stearn , I'll have to try an ointment. Maybe something topical will help. @Hugh Manely , I've used the heating pad and Advil. Also standing in the shower with hot water on my back. It feels better temporarily but keeps coming back. @Yvonne Smith , thanks for the dietary advice. I don't have any fresh pineapple but I do have some canned. Do you think that would work as well? @Cody Fousnaugh , I have tried Advil but I might try a Naproxen if this doesn't improve soon. I feel fine when laying down or sitting, but when I try to stand up it really lights me up. I've been shuffling like an old lady first thing in the morning.
Canned pineapple does not have the natural enzymes that fresh pineapple has; so if it helps at all, it would be significantly less. I also use DMSO, which helps with back pain, and is not addictive or harmful . You can also get that in capsule form as MSM, which most groceries and drug stores carry for pain and arthritis medication.
@Beth Gallagher Sorry you hurt your back. As many suggested. Heating pad and good pain relief. Also if you have a massager use that also if possible. Take it easy a few days .
I've had this happen to me once. I was making my bed. I bent over, pulled up the corner of the mattress to pull the fitted sheet on it, and collapsed to the floor in a fit of pain and immobility. I don't recall how long it took to get better. It was a long time ago. Heat + NSAIDS. Reminds me of those fainting goats. Flailing on the ground ain't a great survival skill.
Beth - I have a severe back condition and the best relief I get is from the 'pain gone pen' - Amazon I get bursts of short relief from the pen as my condition is ongoing but for strains etc you should get full relief pretty quickly Take a look at the pen, if you do go for it - get the one that has a battery as the manual one is too fiddly - wish you well You can use the pen over clothing (not too thick) and application is 30 seconds each time
Thanks, @Patsy Faye . I must say I have a new appreciation for people suffering with chronic back pain. It is misery.
I hope you get over this soon. It is sometime difficult to emphasize with others unless you've felt their pain. But it's your pain now. Heating Pad, pain medication, as others have said, and a little time sometimes does it. Hoping this is short term.