Screwed my back up

[searay]

This started happening to me 30 yrs ago in my early 30's. For me I have 1 hamstring shorter than the other and if I do not stretch properly it pulls my spine out of alignment, a disk bulges and eventually hits a nerve and down you go. Until the swelling disk goes down you will be in agony. The disk is like a jelly donut that separates each vertebrae, so you have vertebrae-disk-vertebrae. Each corner of the vertebrae has a tiny tendon that attaches to the vertebrae above and below it. If you do not keep your spine aligned by proper stretching one-two of the tendons will tighten causing one-two of the other tendons to stretch and cause the disk to bulge. Once it bulges enough to hit a nerve down you go. Only time, rest, icing, heat, anti-inflammatory meds, will speed up the healing process. You will be in pain until you get the disk off the nerve and the spine realigned. A disk hitting a nerve doesn't just happen, it is caused by a series of events and then you cut a fart and BAM, down you go!!! I have seen every type of back practitioner and the one you want to go to for success is a good osteopath. When this first started happening to me I luckily had a very good Primary care Dr. who happened to be a DO. I would highly recommend having a DO as a primary especially for what we do. He taught me how to stretch where you lie on your back, swing your rt leg over to your left side and attempt to touch the floor with your foot. Then swing your lft arm to the rt rotating your shoulder with it. You may beable to hear a pop in your lower back which is great news as it is a sign of your back aligning. The sound is from one of the tendons stretching to its proper position which puts the disk where it belongs and reversing any bulge that may have been starting. The feeling is awesome and you will check your crotch for a big wet spot as you'll thing you just blew a huge load. It will be more effective if you have a partner who can push on your knee and shoulder at the same time which really helps with the twisting motion and really helps get that POP. Once you have stretched in one direction do it in the other direction. if you have got the POP with the first stretch it is doubtful you will get it going the other way. If you have a heated vibrater, it will be a good idea to warm your lower back up first. Have fun!!!!

 

[rawdeal]

How's it going?

op was 07/29, a few posts in here the next day, a coupla others in another thread, and nothing since.

I've been pretty lucky so far but had a bad leg injury in 2015 that required surgery in a "real" hospital followed by 2 weeks in an inpatient rehab hospital where they kept my leg immobilized so it could heal. The other thing they did was teach me how to avoid re-injuring a healing leg for when I went home but the leg still needed to be immobilized and non-weight-bearing.

Wtf does my leg have to do with your spine? Another thing the rehab place did was issue me a coupla devices to help me do routine everyday things ... like your account of needing your wife's help with shoes + socks. One was designed specifically to help with shoes + socks only. I didn't like it, so I tossed it and of course that's the one I don't remember much about. BUT, the other one was multi-purpose, and I use it to this day when my stupid dog gets his ball someplace I can't reach.

They called it "the reacher," aluminum shaft about 3' long, handle at one end with a trigger, a pincer or forceps gripper at the other end, all connected by a cable. Big enough to grasp a tennis ball, or a shoe, sock, or anything else not too heavy. Works without a wife or any other 2nd person.

These things ought to be available in medical supply stores or websites that sell walkers, wheelchairs, etc. if you're still somewhere between the op and a total recovery.

 

[gunslinger]

How's it going?

op was 07/29, a few posts in here the next day, a coupla others in another thread, and nothing since.

I've been pretty lucky so far but had a bad leg injury in 2015 that required surgery in a "real" hospital followed by 2 weeks in an inpatient rehab hospital where they kept my leg immobilized so it could heal. The other thing they did was teach me how to avoid re-injuring a healing leg for when I went home but the leg still needed to be immobilized and non-weight-bearing.

Wtf does my leg have to do with your spine? Another thing the rehab place did was issue me a coupla devices to help me do routine everyday things ... like your account of needing your wife's help with shoes + socks. One was designed specifically to help with shoes + socks only. I didn't like it, so I tossed it and of course that's the one I don't remember much about. BUT, the other one was multi-purpose, and I use it to this day when my stupid dog gets his ball someplace I can't reach.

They called it "the reacher," aluminum shaft about 3' long, handle at one end with a trigger, a pincer or forceps gripper at the other end, all connected by a cable. Big enough to grasp a tennis ball, or a shoe, sock, or anything else not too heavy. Works without a wife or any other 2nd person.

These things ought to be available in medical supply stores or websites that sell walkers, wheelchairs, etc. if you're still somewhere between the op and a total recovery.

Went to the Dr. and had a few tests. Apparently it was the spinal Erector strain and a pre-existing sciatic nerve problem. A few pain meds, time off and a couple trips to the physical therapist and I'm feeling much better. Still not 100% but so much better I can't even complain. They have also recommended some stretches to prevent this happening again hopefully. I likely wont be rolling at full capacity for a minute though. I'm gonna get back into the gym this week be nothing bending or overhead and going super light.