It Hurts

[Magicman]

To pretend that you are not old and try to straighten up.  OK, I could have labeled this;

"Oh My Aching Back"

I helped 'tailgun' some heavy slabs Monday and Wednesday's sawing didn't help.  That plus I will go this afternoon and finish Wednesday's job.

This is the first time in several years that I have had to deal with a hitch in my git-along.  The heating pad and Advil helps, but for now I'm walking humped over like an old man.  :-\

[Iwawoodwork]

lyn,  might try a peel & stick patch called Salonpas, I use the large 3.5x5.5 when i get those aches in my lower back. they seem to give some relief.  Have one on right now.

[Dan_Shade]

Back pain is miserable.

Tight muscles are awful and when your spine pinches a nerve it's even worse. 

Hope that you feel better soon. 

[Jeff]

I suffered with back pain for years. Hate it. My problem was from sitting in a sawbooth.

[Chuck White]

Lots of things get to be more difficult as we get older!

This is one I have issues with, when is the last time you saw the bottom of your feet?

It gets tough to file off the callouses along the edges, makes me want to call in a farrier! 

[Don P]

That's part of why I'm playing at home, aside from it blowing snow and 18. My partner is down in the back bad. I took over more of that stuff while doing machine repairs and am not feeling too froggy either. I don't know how you guys up north make it, I'd be all gelled up.

[sawguy21]

This getting old bs is sure not for sissies! Ty 3 is my closest friend and constant companion, if I try to overdo it the pain in my lower back almost levels me. It's mostly my own fault. I did a lot of lifting and other stupid stuff when I was young and bulletproof and am now paying for it.

[Southside]

X2 on the Salon Pas. They really do help.

[Raider Bill]

Inversion table is my go to.

[WDH]

You can get prescription Lidocaine patches too, and they do help. 

[Magicman]

I think that my main problem is "Lack-O-Luke" :. 

[kantuckid]

My Magic cure for Magicman: Seriously! 
Look up either of these stretches that can do your back a huge favor:
 McKenzie #3 (NZ version) which in YOGA is called the Little Cobra-they are exactly the same. 
A Marine might call them girly pushups?  :D but in reality, you don't try for reps it's a controlled stretching thing that restores spinal curvature and some peace of mind. I had zero results from chiro spine stretching and so on.  
They have done me well for many years now since a PT lady put me onto them. In my own case back wise, it's either that or back to the neurosurgeon and leave with a fused spine. 

In todays world athletic trainers, chiropractors and PT's will all also use electro simulation therapy. I'm doing shoulder PT now and they use the same thing there on my shoulder as I mention here. I bought an Amazon stim device for under a $100 thats about the size of a compact cell phone, has same 4 electrodes as my PT place yet provides the same variable stim treatments. it's USB rechargeable and actually works. It's not a cure, but treats symptoms in the world's best athletes and old farts like me as well. Our sons got the same treatment in the 1990's via their high school athletic trainers. 
Try it at home or in a PT session! 

On the road some times I improvise and use a handrail, countertop or whatevers available and lean outwards facing the support and allow my spine to go into a controlled sag. The terminology is to restore the natural curvatures of your spine called lordosis. As I sit here typing in lots of snow and very cold digits outside, I'm using a lumbar roll behind my lower spine to help the same thing happen while sitting too long. 
Ibuprofen, use of gel packs from freezer and heating pads with a moisture layer all can help symptoms. 
I'd say welcome to the club but that's not a nice thought is it.  

[kantuckid]

Inversion table is my go to.

Inversion did zero for me. Just adding my own experiences here, glad it helped you.
 Honestly, you're the first person who I've heard say that inversion helped but all chiros have them now (computer controlled vs, the Sears and Roebucks ones) as they lean more toward machines and gizmos and natural pills they sell and less toward manipulation. Same thing with DO's they rarely do manipulations nowadays. 

[mike_belben]

When a vertebrae shifts all the muscles contract to stabilize the structure.  First 3days are the tightest then its lactic acid soreness.  

Anti inflammatories help but arent great for you long term.


Try holding a low rafter or standing on a crate to reach, and letting your legs go limp so your spine elongates.  Youve got to increase the disc space to unpinch the nerves and have any hope of realignment. A foam roller always pops a few back in place for me.  Hamstring and lower back stretches too.

Without spinal elongation, the fluid in your discs doesnt get nutrients and dies.  "Degenerative disc disease"

[TroyC]

My go-to when I overdo it is ice and ibuprofen. Went thru back issues years ago and finally found a doctor that recommended that instead of pain pills which only mask the symptoms. Works for me but as I've seen on here somewhere- "your mileage may vary". 8)

Seriously, hope you get better soon!

[BradMarks]

From experience I speak. You'll know soon whether it's just aches/pains from overwork or if there is actual damage. Band-Aids are just that.  Hopefully it's only the aches.  I went six miserable months before corrective surgery, 11 yrs ago.

[Andries]

Great advice from lots of people MM! 
It shows how universal a bit of age and ages of labour can add up.
Ibuprofen, 200 mg per day, and finding that sweet spot between doing too little or too much is what keeps my motor running.
That, and hydraulics. They are our best friend as we get older. Luke can't always be around but pressurized oil can be. Lumber, logs, concrete, dirt and gravel. Really? After long spells of what you're going through, mark me down as a slow learner, but if a clever machine can do it, then I'm not gonna be doing it. 

[kantuckid]

Ibuprofen, and other NSAIDS, as hard as they might be on kidneys are an actual benefit for many joint issues. Back pain and many spinal issues are part of that. It's far more than a bandaid, pain cover up & reduction approach. Do as you wish but know that it reduces inflammation and more.
My shoulder doc recently, among several others over the years prescribed it for various things I've had or still have, like arthritis. He said go from your two pills early and two late, to two midday as well until shoulders better. When I was pre-CTS surgery my hand doc had me on a far stronger NSAID than Ibuprofen or Aleve called Relafen. I was also on blood monitoring for safety of my kidneys. I'll add that the use of ones hands is a nice touch to life that it gave me. CTS release surgery came soon after and ibuprofen still. 200 mg doesn't touch my back FWIW. The two 200mg pills taken at bedtime get me to around 4-5 hours of sleep then as they have worn off I sort of tolerate the rest of each nite. I'm in need of no sympathy but the facts matter on anyone's back and I'm stuck with my own realities.  
The important thing is to do what's safe and to seek professional help as needed. Be your own best friend pills or no pills. Those among us who suffer loss of sleep, work or general quality of life owe themselves to do the most you can to keep on keeping on.
Ibuprofen does work for what it helps but like any drug the dose matters. I get renal panels done each 6 months as kidneys are a silent danger. 
Seek an xray and or an MRI to know whats going on once you've reached as far as OTC and such takes you. Too many times I've gone to a general practitioner when I needed an orthopedic doc.  

[Runningalucas]

I know pain...  I've somewhat learned to mitigate it though.  The patches mentioned above do work; at least for me.  As far as NSAIDs, I take natural pine pollen; reduces inflammation, and also gives a little pep.  A while back, bought an inversion chair, and it works for me; mainly because it helps me feel where muscles are tighter on one side, or another. 

Aside from that, and other stuff, I do daily calisthenics, and stretching; I think this is the hardest part of my routine to stay up with, but the most effective at reducing aches, pains, and symptoms. 

Will be praying for you, and sending healing thoughts 8)

[beenthere]

Lot's of ideas and remedies.
I'll toss mine in the mix.

In my early thirties, lower back pain would put me right to the ground and tried to deal with it with suggestions from others for exercises. Happened when making firewood by hand (chain saw, splitting maul).

What worked for me was starting to do 50 pushups at least once a day. Heard that weak abs caused lower back pain. 
Over a period of time, the lower back pain went away and I was still actively using my back.

A hint of lower back pain will occasionally return if I stay leaned/bent over for a period of time. When that back pain shows up, I get down and do 5-10 pushups and that pain goes away. Now I just do 40 pushups a day.

Have not convinced anyone that it works, but know it works for me.
Been 50 years now that I've not had lower back pain that amounts to anything. I'm fine with that.

[kantuckid]

Little doubt that being in good physical condition works.  
To be blunt, there are several back issue older guys who come to the same PT place locally, where I'm rehabbing my shoulder (when the snow hasn't shut things down ;D) now. Not one of them could, can, or will be doing a true pushup anytime soon. One cannot get up on a PT padded bench, he's a chairs only. He asked me if I remembered placing him in machine shop back when and given the masking thing I said "I'm not sure"?  He pulled down the mask and then I knew him. He's that guy that cannot get on the bench now and about the same age as our youngest son's who play golf, run and exercise often in mid-40's. It's really sad as, back aside, he'll have shortened his life if the doesn't take charge of his health.  
Hope you get er going soon Magicman! Active lifestyles work wonders, keep things chin up. 

[Bruno of NH]

Sorry to hear about your back Mr Lynn

[Old Greenhorn]

Lynn I have said this before and I'll say it again. Find yourself a good chiropractor, I did, and it (he) changed my life. I could never do half of what I am doing now, were it not for him. I only go once a month for a tune up but man he does me good. Gets everything balanced out so I can recover much faster from those 'rough days' whereas before it would take a week, now it takes 12 hours and a few beers.
 Talk to some of your hard working buddies and find out if there is one that comes recommended. My guy used to work in construction before he got hurt bad and spent years recovering, so he gets it for sure.
 The problem is you get hurt and recover, but things are out of line from that time on and the next time it is even easier to get hurt. Getting everything lined up, and keeping it that way makes you a much happier guy. I never would have believed it either if I hadn't gone through it when I hurt my back so bad that I couldn't walk without 2 canes.
 You are in great shape but you will bounce back better with an alignment job.
 Good luck and feel better.

[Magicman]

Maybe I was feeling a bit sorry for myself and for that I apologize.  Remember that I am a lean, mean, fighting machine.  Advil and a heat pad has worked for me in the past so I am still kicking.

I sawed this afternoon. 

[Dan_Shade]

We have a tens machine from CVS.  It helps when my back cramps up.

Stretching and maintaining core body strength seem to be good preventative measures.