Back Pain

[Bokertal]

I figured a buncha GS addicts might know something about chronic pain, bet at least half of us have some form of RSI. I have the most uber state of the art ergonomic workstation on the planet. I swear I feel like an astronaut or something. But I still get neck and back pain.

Couple weeks ago the middle of my back started hurtin, I hurt for a week, called the Doc and he said to wait another week. I'm goin in today to see him and I'm sure it's going to be here take these Vics or these Percs and call me in the morning. I don't like Opiates.

I've tried chiropractic, massage, yoga, acupuncture, regular work outs nothing works. They have takin films and say that my spine is normal. Maybe I just need a new job/life.

Any of you with chronic pain? How do you manage it?

[BigWorm]

It's just like any other problem; with enough opiates, alcohol, and happy endings, it goes away.

[DeV]

*Pain Management Center
*Relaxation & Meditation

That's all I've got counting what you've already mentioned.

[Allereli]

perhaps you're not working out correctly. I don't see physical therapy on your list, I would start with a few sessions and learn some basic exercises and continue on with those, rather than just "go workout regularly" and not really know what you're doing. Maybe get a trainer, too.

How's your bed? It might be too soft or too hard

[BigWorm]

Posture

[Bokertal]

perhaps you're not working out correctly. I don't see physical therapy on your list, I would start with a few sessions and learn some basic exercises and continue on with those, rather than just "go workout regularly" and not really know what you're doing. Maybe get a trainer, too.

How's your bed? It might be too soft or too hard


I see a trainer three times a week and get evaluated by a physical therapist every three weeks. I'm in a work sponsored therapy program.

I have one of those custom memory foam beds, suppose to be good.

[Bokertal]

Posture

A lot of time in the military, I still stand pretty straight.

[CrystalTears]

Is your job very stressful? Do you have to sit for long periods of time? Those contribute to back pain.

And if you have big boobs! :D

[Gan]

*Pain Management Center
*Relaxation & Meditation

That's all I've got counting what you've already mentioned.

^^^

I would try finding the problem instead of simply addressing the symptoms.

If the pain is chronic as you say then it has a source. If the source is physiological then try to have it treated so the pain will not reappear. No source = no pain.
I would say that your following choices represent treatment of the source.
Chiropractic
Acupuncture
Massage
SurgeryIf the source of the pain is not treatable then you're going to have to resort to masking the pain (opiods and or other pharma) or condition the mind to block the pain out (relaxation/meditation etc.)
These choices fall into the masking scenario:
Opiates
Alcohol
Other
Meditation
Accupuncture could fall into this category too if you want to get technical.

[Sean]

I take a bunch of ibprofin and beer and ignore it until it goes away.

[Allereli]

If you really need to resort to drugs, I spent about two years using Lydocain patches, lyrica and ultracet on my hip. The side effects were minimal, but I was really careful about mixing it with alchohol.

[NocturnalRob]

work on your core. strong core = less stress on your back.

[AnticorRifling]

I don't get alot of back pain but when I would come out of the field I used to let the chiro crack my back it was heaven.

[NocturnalRob]

health insurance with small co-pay for "specialists" = win

[AnticorRifling]

health insurance with small co-pay for "specialists" = win Now is that a right? Wait, wrong thread.

[NocturnalRob]

Now is that a right? Wait, wrong thread.

hahaha...nah. privilege. i worked hard to get this job. i should reap some of the benefits before my company goes under.

[Allereli]

hahaha...nah. privilege. i worked hard to get this job. i should reap some of the benefits before my company goes under.

I have a crappy job and I have that, too.

[NocturnalRob]

yeah, but i blame affirmative action for that one.

[Allereli]

yeah, but i blame affirmative action for that one.

PIG!

[NocturnalRob]

oink oink!

[Bokertal]

Is your job very stressful? Do you have to sit for long periods of time? Those contribute to back pain.

And if you have big boobs! :D

Stress is a huge factor, working on it.

My man boobs are pretty firm, don't think that is a factor.

[diethx]

I only get back/neck pain when I have an exam coming up. It's not from stress but from studying. When I sit down and make up my review sheets, I tend to hunch and slouch and crick my neck to the side while i'm writing. And I slouch when i'm typing them up. So yeah, I have crap posture when i'm studying and my trapezius muscle gets really sore from it. I have J massage me though and sometimes I use a heating pad (although heating pads fucking suck because it never stays on your neck right unless you hold it there and then you can't use both hands to work).

[Malvadere]

How about back strengthening exercises, stretching (you said yoga, good!) and losing weight for a change?

Dear America:
You're fat and unhealthy and the answer isn't in pill form.

[NocturnalRob]

that's why i said to work out...

[Stretch]

Where do you work, Rob?

You kind of look like this douche bag I know at JPM, which doesn't really have anything to do with anything except for the fact that all white people look the same to me

[NocturnalRob]

Where do you work, Rob?

You kind of look like this douche bag I know at JPM

that cuts deep, man. so deep.

channel capital group--hedge fund information and marketing

edit: also, that douche bag probably pulls so much tail

[Stretch]

that cuts deep, man. so deep.

channel capital group--hedge fund information and marketing

edit: also, that douche bag probably pulls so much tail

He likes pp

But he did pull a lot of nookie in college before he came out!

[NocturnalRob]

He likes pp

But he did pull a lot of nookie in college before he came out!

you DID recognize me!!

so i remind you of a gay guy? well...is he a sharp dresser at least?

[Bokertal]

So I went to the Doc yesterday and of course the usual 3 minute visit ended with the typical take these pills....

Vicodin
Methocarbamol
Nabumetone

Now I'm all jittery/spacey and my frickin back is still killin me. Damn drugs are not even touching it.

[Allereli]

So I went to the Doc yesterday and of course the usual 3 minute visit ended with the typical take these pills....

Vicodin
Methocarbamol
Nabumetone

Now I'm all jittery/spacey and my frickin back is still killin me. Damn drugs are not even touching it.

yeah I don't agree with the opiate approach. I would take a careful look at your workout habits and the type of excercises you're doing.

[Miss Ismurii]

Massage ftw.

Luckily right now I pretty much get one everyday but I graduate soon so that's going to change ):

[Stanley Burrell]

Uh. Aside from the ergonomics, are you waking up in the morning and doing deadlifts before you're even half-awake, or at least half-asleep? Apparently, you're not supposed to do this, or run on the treadmill barefoot...

But lazy exercise ftw.

[Ravenstorm]

I get a massage every 3-4 weeks in order to be able to walk and move relatively normally with a minimum of pain. Massage fixed a problem in my back that physical therapy didn't. So I strongly recommend it to everyone with muscular problems. That being said...

Not every therapist is created equal. Some will be better than others. Some will be wrong for you. There's a lot of different techniques and therapies. You need to find a licensed massage therapist with the right techniques who can use the proper therapy on you.

Personally, I swear by deep tissue massage with trigger point when and where needed. It's painful but effective at treating muscles that are in spasm.

[Tsa`ah]

Did the doc just throw drugs at you ... was there an exam? X-ray? MRI? Any previous leg/knee/ankle/foot/hip injuries?

Being in the military and standing/sitting straight doesn't mean much ... too much rigidity can be as bad as slouching.

Get the MRI/X-ray. Until you know the cause, it's pretty impossible to suggest anything beneficial.

[Allereli]

Personally, I swear by deep tissue massage with trigger point when and where needed. It's painful but effective at treating muscles that are in spasm.

finding a good trigger point therapist is hard, research before you commit to one

[Tsa`ah]

Eh ... re-read and saw "films". If that's just an x-ray, it's just going to conclude there isn't an alignment or deformity problem. It's not going to reveal any soft-tissue problems if there are any.

Nabumetone is good for arthritic inflammation .... but just as a suggestion, on your next visit ask for a corticosteriod, say prednisone. If that relieves the pain, get an MRI.

Also get some acid reducers/inhibitors such as prilosec or you're not going to be able to sleep due to the heartburn.

[Bokertal]

Massage ftw.

Luckily right now I pretty much get one everyday but I graduate soon so that's going to change ):

Massage everyday = win, you suck. ;)


Uh. Aside from the ergonomics, are you waking up in the morning and doing deadlifts before you're even half-awake, or at least half-asleep? Apparently, you're not supposed to do this, or run on the treadmill barefoot...

But lazy exercise ftw.

Not doin hardcore workouts right now, mostly low impact strengh and flexibility with a trainer.


Did the doc just throw drugs at you ... was there an exam? X-ray? MRI? Any previous leg/knee/ankle/foot/hip injuries?

Being in the military and standing/sitting straight doesn't mean much ... too much rigidity can be as bad as slouching.

Get the MRI/X-ray. Until you know the cause, it's pretty impossible to suggest anything beneficial.

Films have been taken and re-evaluated. Spine is supposedly normal. I've worked hard and played hard for a long time. But there is not any evidence of disc dammage or arthritis.

This is not an injury, it's chronic. I know I should be posting at something like "painmanagement.com" or some such place but hell folks are asking for portfolio advice here so what the hell. Haha.

[Tsa`ah]

Films have been taken and re-evaluated. Spine is supposedly normal. I've worked hard and played hard for a long time. But there is not any evidence of disc dammage or arthritis.

What films? Did this include an MRI?

[Bokertal]

What films? Did this include an MRI?

No just xray so far, i'll squak in a couple days as the drugs continue to be ineffective.

[Tsa`ah]

No just xray so far, i'll squak in a couple days as the drugs continue to be ineffective.

Then there's no way they can determine that it's not soft tissue. It's just an assumption.

My advice is to get an MRI and ask for the steroid. If the pain goes away with prednisone .... it's likely soft (disk) tissue/nerve damage/inflammation.

[Garnet Doyle]

I don't like Opiates.

Damn. I love those when I can get them. "False sense of euphoria" is the greatest side-effect i've ever seen for a drug. EVAR.




Any of you with chronic pain? How do you manage it?


Pot helps. Seriously, if I suddenly couldn't keep my mini-farm growing enough for myself, i'd probably be insane by now. I got gallstones, which (for me anyway) means that I feel hungry, I take a bite or two of food, and suddenly I feel SO full, like i'm going to puke, yet i'm still hungry. If I eat much more (like more than half of a half of a sandwich), I go and throw it up.


I get my 420 goin' on, and suddenly my stomach feels fine, I can eat whatever I want, no barfing, no pains, no nothing. The only problem with that is the trees cuts off my 'you're full' sensation, so I've got to remember not to eat like a horse that got loose in the green bin.

[diethx]

Pot helps.

Yeah, my step dad had three back surgeries and all they did was get him addicted to oxy and other hardcore pharmies for years, and he was on such ridiculous dosages because they barely worked for the pain after long. Pot took the edge off the agony, especially when he was trying to ween himself off the pills.

[Liagala]

I won't ever recommend drugs, but definitely work out and watch your posture. I know you said you have a military background and stand straight, but it bears repeating anyway. Also, keep harassing your doctor until you find out what the problem really is. Different issues need different methods - we can spout all the advice in the world, but it isn't going to do you any good if we're advising on the wrong problem.

[Miss Ismurii]

Trigger point will def help a lot. I love working trigger points on my clients, but I HATE being worked on for trigger points.

[Bokertal]

The dang drugs have not barely touched it. I'm going to a Chinese clinic this week. Before anyone freaks, they are real MDs, just do massage, acupuncture and herbs in addition to modern medicine.

[AnticorRifling]

The dang drugs have not barely touched it. I'm going to a Chinese clinic this week. Before anyone freaks, they are real MDs, just do massage, acupuncture and herbs in addition to modern medicine.

And happy endings?

[Miss Ismurii]

STFU Anticor!

[AnticorRifling]

Okayyyyyyyyyyy

[Bokertal]

And happy endings?


STFU Anticor!


Okayyyyyyyyyyy

:rofl: Fuckers laughing hurts!

[Bokertal]

Pot helps.


Could not smoke even if I wanted to. Well if I wanted to loose my job, we get tested this is a zero tolerance place. Also, still attached to the Navy even though inactive.

[Ravenstorm]

If you're looking for a good massage therapist, one thing you can try is calling local sports and racquetball clubs. Many of them have a therapist working on site and have a lot of experience in treating muscular problems. That's how I found the one who fixed my back.

[Garnet Doyle]

I'm going to a Chinese clinic this week. Before anyone freaks,

Curse my lack of internets skill. I'd splice in a photo of cartman and butters from this week's south park.

[Garnet Doyle]

Could not smoke even if I wanted to. Well if I wanted to loose my job, we get tested this is a zero tolerance place. Also, still attached to the Navy even though inactive.

:hang:


That blows. I'm one of those 'pot isn't a drug, it's a fucking herb, like TEA' types. Then I get the urge to compare it with alcohol side by side and i'm sure everyone's seen how lopsided that column is.


Plus nobody ever died from it..... maybe from lung cancer from smoking, but they were probably heavy into cigarettes as well anyway.

[AnticorRifling]

:hang:


That blows. I'm one of those 'pot isn't a drug, it's a fucking herb, like TEA' types. Then I get the urge to compare it with alcohol side by side and i'm sure everyone's seen how lopsided that column is.


Plus nobody ever died from it..... maybe from lung cancer from smoking, but they were probably heavy into cigarettes as well anyway. It takes less time to just say "I'm a pot head."

[Asile]

I don't have time to read all the posts, but if you can get physical therapy for your back, and aren't afraid of the water, I whole-heartedly recommend aqua therapy. I sprained my back a few years ago, and my PT was 2 sessions of aqua therapy and 1 massage a week for about 6 weeks...best stuff on earth. I had some exercises I was supposed to do at home, too, but those were stiff and painful; once I got in the water, I could start moving again.

Sometimes, when the back is acting up again and I can get to a pool, I still do some of the stretches I learned from that therapy. It makes a HUGE difference, especially in warmer water.

[Tea & Strumpets]

It takes less time to just say "I'm a pot head."

Alcohol is worse and hemp is a really strong fiber good for jeans, narc (that is slang for narcotics, not for the jugs poster).