My back hurts [Archive] - Lounge of Tomorrow

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tracilicious

11-07-2006, 10:40 AM

About a week ago I took a ton of advil (like 8) before going to bed. My wisdom teeth that are rotting away had really been bothering me at night and the first dose of four did nothing for it. I woke up the next morning with a killer backache. I must have slept wonky but not noticed because of the advil.

A week later my lower back is still killing me. Bending over and picking things up is a serious chore. I won't have time for a trip to the chiro anytime soon. I think it's more a muscle than a bone thing anyways.

I've yet to encounter anything I couldn't cure myself of, and I'm hoping this is no different. I was going with the wait it out method, but it seems to be getting worse. I slept weird again a few days ago, and I can't exactly avoid lifting 20 and 40 pound weights on a regular basis (named Jade and Indi) anyways.

I'm not posting this to complain, but rather because I'm hoping one of you smart swankers has the cure for what ails me. Are there stretches I can do, or exercises, or weird home remedies? Or just general advice? Alex, should I break out the arnica? I'm sure there is something. People have been getting backaches for eons, so I'm sure someone has devised a cure by now.

Snowflake

11-07-2006, 10:45 AM

Having just had lower back issues for the last 3 weeks.....

Heating pad did wonders for me at home on the couch. I've also walked around smelling of camphor for all the Icy Hot I slathered on my back. Also, 4 Advil 3 times a day (after eating to give your stomach a break) worked for me.

Others have advised that I alternate with 20 minutes ice, then 20 minutes off, which I did at the office and that helped a lot.

Sorry you are hurting. I know how you feel, this was my first brush with something physical that did not get over itself in a matter of days.

Not Afraid

11-07-2006, 11:05 AM

I've also had some major lower back issues recently that even my chiropractor wasn't helping. Ice for 20 minutes on/20 minutes off in combination with an anti inflamitory helps. I also stretch several times a day. There's a decent guide here (http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/back/lowback/weakback/mobility.php).

Howver, the thing that actually worked the best for pain management were some Lidocaine patches that I applied to my sciatic area. 2 12 hour patch session (and running around during MA) made the pain go away. Sadly, these patches are perscription only.

Make sure that your kidney's aren't hurting you from taking so much advil you should never take more than 800 mg at one time.

sleepyjeff

11-07-2006, 01:26 PM

Make sure that your kidney's aren't hurting you from taking so much advil you should never take more than 800 mg at one time.

8 ounces of water for every 200mg....minimum! My sister runs a dialysis machine for a woman who used to take advil on a daily basis but drank only enough water to swallow the pills:eek:

Scrooge McSam

11-07-2006, 04:13 PM

Thermacare (http://www.thermacare.com/lowerbackwraps.jsp)

Comfy warm heat for 8 hours and you can still move around.

Capt Jack

11-07-2006, 04:15 PM

Thermacare (http://www.thermacare.com/lowerbackwraps.jsp)

Comfy warm heat for 8 hours and you can still move around.

so VERY agree! love those. sleep with one if you can, the heat soak helps beyond belief

katiesue

11-07-2006, 04:39 PM

Thermacare (http://www.thermacare.com/lowerbackwraps.jsp)

Comfy warm heat for 8 hours and you can still move around.

I'm another Thermacare fan. And I've tried the generic ones, they seem to work just as well for a lesser price.

MouseWife

11-07-2006, 04:39 PM

I'm just curious, did you get your wisdom teeth situation fixed? I had the similar situation a couple of years back. I hate it because nothing helps. Can't sleep. I just want to take a sledge hammer to my own head. But, in reality, that wouldn't help either.

The back. Glad to read your tips, everyone. Not Afraid, I have a problem which sounds quite similar to yours. It hurts quite badly while sleeping so that I toss and turn. When I wake up, I am stiff and my lower back {center} hurts. But, in moving around, it slowly gets better.

So...anti-inflamitories?

Cadaverous Pallor

11-07-2006, 04:51 PM

EIGHT Advil??? Reminds me of the days when I heard of people taking upwards of 30 hits of acid. ;) I feel bad enough for my body when I take two Tylenol.

Strangler Lewis

11-07-2006, 05:11 PM

Due to some sloppy lifting technique some years back, I compressed a disc so that it affected a motor nerve controlling my right foot. This was revealed in an MRI. The doctors thought I would probably have to have surgery, but in the meantime I started stretching and got back into the pool. I fixed it.

One of these days I do have to get a decent office chair. It's only been six years.

blueerica

11-07-2006, 05:27 PM

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got from physical therapy was to not heat things all the time, in fact, it's probably more important that you keep it iced to reduce any inflammation.

Not to mention the wisdom teeth. Anything dentally ends up in tension headaches, which effects the way you sit, the way you sleep... take care of that - removing wisdom teeth is something you certainly can't do on your own, and leaving them in can hurt you in the long run (beyond the pain you're feeling now).

Jughead P. Jones

11-07-2006, 09:41 PM

This may or may not be a solution for you, but when I threw my back out in April 2004, I was in so much pain. I couldn't even walk straight. I was walking like I was slanted to one side, because if I tried to walk straight, I would literally wince in pain.

Eventually, I had to get a prescription for muscle relaxants to ease the pain while I gradually increased my activity. It took 2-3 weeks to get back to normal again, but it really seemed to help me out immensely.

Again, muscle relaxants don't work for everyone, but it was well worth it in my case. Sure beats popping Tylenol like Pez candy anyway.

Hope that you're feeling better soon.

CoasterMatt

11-07-2006, 10:12 PM

Now if only Tylenol came in cool character dispensers!

Jughead P. Jones

11-08-2006, 08:02 AM

Now if only Tylenol came in cool character dispensers!

DISNEY CHARACTERS!!! :D

tracilicious

11-08-2006, 10:49 AM

Thanks for all the tips, guys. Miraculously, my back feels much better today. It's as if just posting on the LoT cured it. ;)

Re: the advil. Yeah, I don't normally take that much. I took four about 11:30, then at 1am I was laying in bed and my teeth and head and ear and sinus were still killing me, so I went and took another four. It worked. That's a really good point about the water though. I avoid tylenol because of the liver damage, but the kidney thing didn't really occur to me. I normally don't take anything, but lately I've been taking it a lot.

Re: wisdom teeth. Yeah, I'm going to get them fixed. I just haven't gotten around to it. They don't always bother me. Only about one week out of every six. I'm not looking forward to the recovery as strong pain meds are out of the question (as Jade is still nursing).

Capt Jack

11-09-2006, 09:58 AM

when I had my wisdom teeth out, two of which were heavily impacted, I think I took one or two rounds of ibuprofen in the whole time I recovered. as many horror stories as I heard, mine never really bothered me enough to take the vikes they gave me. I'd get those suckers yanked iffin I were you. I doubt you'll need any of the heavy meds...but I surely understand your concerns.

my sympathies.

MouseWife

11-09-2006, 10:06 AM

Aw man. I am sorry, I didn't realize you were nursing. Hmm. I know my mouth hurt a lot after but I don't remember if I took a lot of pain meds for it. Face swollen as heck but I still went to the Del Mar Fair to see Maroon 5. And I still ate a bloomin' onion. So, maybe the pain would be the same or less if you had it done and then it would be over.

{meaning, maybe you could get by with just what you've been taking already?}

My sympathies as well.

tracilicious

11-09-2006, 11:45 AM

Oh, I'm not avoiding it because of the pain. I'm just a little sad that I can't take the vicodin. :p Really I just haven't gotten around to it. Everytime it hurts for long enough to prompt me into action, then it stops hurting the day before I call to make the initial appointment. I'll do it though.

MouseWife

11-09-2006, 12:27 PM