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Just got back from the chiropracter and (ommits long story) it was the first time anyone has had anything positive to say about my back in 2yrs! ---Nick is happy ;)
Now I finally appear to be on the mend I've resolved to stop sitting like an idiot (legs crossed, half off the seat etc) and force myself to sit properly.
I'm guessing that we in our industry suffer from back pain alot right?
Is it a hard habbit to break, and is it worth it?
Nick
Nice to hear your on the mend. I don't think I should comment on this as I have two titanium rods fused to my spine and I'm missing ALL disc's.
Chris
Just posted my income tax forms. Almost 50 K in medical and surgery fees related to my back as deductible. Good news? Not exactly. It is hard to figure how much is worth the PAIN in the balance.
My advice, buy a darn good chair and sit thight. ;)
Come to find out that it was due to my seating arrangements. Nick, I too did the legs crossed half off my chair thing. No more! Now I have to get up at least every 30 minutes, stretch, walk around and then come back for another 30. No more 6, 8, 10 hour stints sitting behind the computer without taking a stretch break.
I was fortunate enough to bypass the surgery, even after two emergency room visits, morphine and lots of pain killers. I had to crawl on my hands and knees for almost two weeks, not fun!
get a good chair, check lighting and sitting position. can a walk every hour or so.
DaveN
just going to get a coffee
oooooh yeah, I can almost feel that! - Glad you're back! ---pun intended ;)
My doctor recommends swimming front or back-crawl and nothing like jogging while you're on the mend. Too high impact.
I'm not well yet, but we've seen 'progress' and I'm happy that at least it's not the same old "see ya next week nick" - This time I go back in 2wks! ;)
Nick
The thing that worked most for me was therapy. I was going twice a week. The deep tissue massage and the electronic stimulation did wonders. The Sciatic nerve caused all of the muscles in my butt and leg to go into spasms. At one point, I had a Charlie Horse from the right butt cheek all the way to my toes for about 36 hours.
Exercise, stretch, and appropriate seating should help to alleviate these problems in the future. Sit-ups and anything that strengthens the mid-section and back area. All this Internet marketing stuff leads us into a sedentary lifestyle which has its risks.
In my case it is just because I don't get enough exercise.
Once I start doing a bit more walking the back trouble goes away.
What on earth is that?
under breath - bloody americans, mutter grumble, whinge... ;)
Nick
One piece of advice I can give you all. In regards to back pain have one 3 hours swim every week. You should swim at a nice comfortable pace for 30 minutes then just float and relax for 15 minutes. Keep repeating this cycle and it cures and prevents most back pain.
Chris
I used to work out 4/5 times a week, haven't been to the gym in 2yrs now!
Nick
8 mm bulges
Horse Charlies
no disc's
titanum rods
How about a lesion on the forth vertebrate? Which aggravates the nerve, if untreated causes inflammation and subsequent Sciatic nerve probs – leading to 3 – 5 days in bed at a time. Can’t compete with Pageone and Chris_f – titanium rods? What were you doing?
However, I recently went to a new Chiro who has given me a set of exercises and do they work, as long as I don’t sin and forget to do them (daily) + a bit of exercise no probs. (Uncrosses legs for the 30 time, forgets and crosses again)
Rich
A charlie horse is a muscle cramp, usually associated with banging the muscle hard on something... like when somebody punches you in the arm. When I was a kid, we had a game to see who could give the other a charlie horse that was the most painful... the first person to give up lost.
Kind of defeats the object but my back feels better :)
get up at least every 30 minutes, stretch, walk around
Before you get in a plane seat, before you get in a car, before you sit down to watch a movie... Touch those toes! (if you can...)
I was disabled for a while, and Docs couldn't "cure" me or offer good advice, until I saw a Physical Therapist who prescribed stretches and exercises (He was from Denmark, too).
It's a lifelong affliction but with proper stretching (for me), it's quite under control.
Oh, and s*x is one of the best exercises for it.
(im not joking)
4eyes - our little jaunt around Boston/Cambridge made me realize how little walking I've been doing lately. Don't know if it was noticeable but I was pretty lame on the left side by the time we got back.
Can't decide if this thread is depressing me or inspiring me. ;-)
>>Charlie Horse
>
>What on earth is that?
>
>under breath - bloody americans, mutter grumble, whinge... :)
Yeah, I felt the same way about German "Muscle Tomcats."
Sit up, good chair, keep the weight off your midsection, get up for a stretch and a walk every 60 minutes, and keep the stomach muscles strong. Works for me...
Jim
Stay in good shape. Sit ups and swimming are great!
Stretch BEFORE you get out of bed. Bring your knees to your chest and hold them there for a minute or so. Then get out of bed and grab the door handle with one hand and pull away from it(while bent over so that your back is close to parellel with the ground). Do that for both sides of your back and really stretch.
Sit straight at your desk and keep your chair as high up as possible.
When I do throw my back out of whack I go see a Naprapath. It's kind of like a chiropractor. They manipulate your muscle and deep tissue to properly align things. Not as much bone cracking!
Best of luck!
I've resolved to stop sitting like an idiot (legs crossed, half off the seat etc) and force myself to sit properly.
Ok, have you bugged my desk? I never really even considered it. Guess I better take a hint now before I am forced to consider it.
This paper was sent to each person in the engineering dept where I worked at the time... it was a precise method for the optimal heights and distances of each engaged item.
I have followed the general guidelines for these years and attest to their usefulness.
It is basically a ground up approach using the measurements of your particular body.
Unfortunately standard desk, table and monitor stand measurements are not close enough for most people to avoid back, wrist and neck problems.
It goes about like this (feet to eyes):
1) Seat height set to exactly where feet are flat on floor with knees at 90 degrees.
2) Table height set to exactly bottom of elbow height, when back is straight or perpendicular to thighs.
3) The mouse and keyboard are on this table at elbow height.
4) Monitor is an inch or two below eye level so head is ever so slightly tilted down.
5) Frequent breaks as reminded by popup window timer.
I did a quick search of MS's site and did not find the paper, but will share the link if I manage to locate it.
Luckily I don't have back problems (I'm still young enough not to) - but my wrists are another matter.
Get well everybody!
<edit>typo</edit>
Got into weight lifting because I have a lower back issue. Back extensions were recommended to me at first.
I just progressed. Went from pain every day and worrying about a muscle spasm to being able to pick up 2x bodyweight.
Now, if I could only fix the hunched forward shoulders from hovering over the keyboard since I was 15yrs old.
AW
"Mind Over Back Pain", by Dr. John Sarno, M.D.
There's a connection between emotions and back pain in a vast majority of cases. Address the emotions and the pain goes away. It's that simple in most cases. Even those with herniated, swollen, subluxated, oversized, undersized, blah, blah, blah discs. (I know, "The X-rays show..." and "The Dr. said: ...")
If emotional connections sounds too new-agey for you, google: Pete Egoscue go to his site or Amazon.com and get one of his books. You should experience substantial or complete relief in the first session of exercises. You will find instructions for those exercises in his books.
Applying the information in either book will "fix" most backs. Working with both techniques would be ideal.
The only exceptions to what I have written would be those cases who have already had surgery or when free fragments of bone or tissue are present and mucking things up. Still, even those individuals might realize substantial improvement.
You may be able to locate the books at your local library. I don't have any financial interest in either book.
It is not my intent to come off as superior in knowledge to you or your doctors. I'm certain your doctors are very good at what they do and that you are above average as far as intelligence goes.
That said, those of you who suffer have been offered non-answers by the medical community at large, wouldn't you agree? Now, you are offered resources where you can obtain solid answers about which, I will not argue. One book from each technique, (total of two books), will cost you less than one office visit to your doctor.
I only wish you well.
Peter
The insert you might find relief from using it is one with a transverse metatarsal arch support. It's simply a support or lump that runs crosswise to the length of the foot, under the front pad and slightly back.
There are 26 bones in the foot, (isn't that interesting). Combined with the ankle structure, well, it's a wonder we walk at all - full body weight dependent on a stack of small bones. To some degree, the foot shapes itself to the platform it is on. Alignment from there up depends on that shape being correct. Blah, blah, blah... Get the support from a shoe repair shop or drug store. The support just helps to maintain the work done from the exercises in the books I mentioned in my post above.
Peter
