# Bad back suffering



## Milzy (11 Oct 2021)

For the last 4 weeks my middle back has been really painful. I used to work with a guy who had to do 3 day weeks when his was so bad. I said you must be able to have an operation or something & he said the only thing that helps is rest. 
Is it worth seeing a specialist? Weirdly riding the bike I don’t feel it but in general life I do. Sometimes it hurts just laying on it. I don’t want to take painkillers either as they will stress the liver.


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## fossyant (11 Oct 2021)

Welcome to the club. Bits missing from my spine. Worth getting it looked at. My discs are top notch for my age, but bones missing bits. I would seriously avoid surgery unless the pain is unbearable. 

I avoid pain killers now


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## mistyoptic (11 Oct 2021)

Worth seeing an osteopath. Mine helped me tremendously with my back problems. No experience of chiropractor so not sure if there’s a difference


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## slowmotion (11 Oct 2021)

Go to your GP, explain your symptoms carefully to him, and he may refer you to a specialist. Some back problems really shouldn't be ignored because they can get a lot worse without treatment. Don't just try and tough it out.

Good luck.


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## Slick (11 Oct 2021)

I've had back problems for what seems like forever. I don't go near my gp as pain killers don't touch it but have been to lots of chiropractors, osteopaths and physio's with some great results and instant relief. A lot of my current issues are coming from my legs rotating the pelvis, one going one way and one the other. One of the few times I don't get pain is when I'm on the bike. I'm stretched out on the bike, so makes sense and gives a clue to what I need to be doing a lot more of to avoid back pain. Tonight I had to lie on the floor with one leg on the couch and face down. Mrs Slick then presses down on the lower back where the pain is until there is a release. Its instant relief and I think its my S.I joint that keeps getting stuck.


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## fossyant (11 Oct 2021)

Lots of back issues can be caused by poor hip/pelvic flexibility. The guy at work is an expert on all this. Worth going to a good physio for a check up.


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## Slick (11 Oct 2021)

fossyant said:


> Lots of back issues can be caused by poor hip/pelvic flexibility. The guy at work is an expert on all this. Worth going to a good physio for a check up.


Certainly my issue at the moment but I'm really guilty of not putting the work in.


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## fossyant (11 Oct 2021)

Slick said:


> Certainly my issue at the moment but I'm really guilty of not putting the work in.



There is a dead easy exercise you can do from your chair. Its a bit like doing a salsa but not getting up. The guy is really good. He always asks how I'm doing. I find constantly moving, or exercising the best. Even back on the road bike now.


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## slowmotion (11 Oct 2021)

A large number of things cause back pain, some muscular, some skeletal, and some neurological, and some even more sinister. There is no single solution.
My mother was an anaesthetist and had seen a large number of back operations in her long career. She warned her children that 30% of them made no difference, 30% made people a bit better, and 30% made matters worse. When a surgeon wanted to put me under the knife for a badly prolapsed disc, I resisted and continued with physiotherapy which worked brilliantly after three months. That was just my personal experience and will not apply to many other people.


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## Slick (11 Oct 2021)

fossyant said:


> There is a dead easy exercise you can do from your chair. Its a bit like doing a salsa but not getting up. The guy is really good. He always asks how I'm doing. I find constantly moving, or exercising the best. Even back on the road bike now.


I noticed you were back on the road bike, well done. 

I got one particularly good stretch from YouTube but I am really lazy and find getting Mrs Slick to free it when it becomes stuck just as easy.


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## vickster (11 Oct 2021)

Get some swimming, stretching and pilates in your life…after seeing a physio


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## vickster (11 Oct 2021)

Slick said:


> I noticed you were back on the road bike, well done.
> 
> I got one particularly good stretch from YouTube but I am really lazy and find getting Mrs Slick to free it when it becomes stuck just as easy.


You can also lie on floor on back, pull knees to chest and rock gently side to side, great self massage


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## Slick (11 Oct 2021)

vickster said:


> You can also lie on floor on back, pull knees to chest and rock gently side to side, great self massage


Massage isn't cutting lately. Seems to be the connective tissue around the hip thats fizzing and that seems to be rotating half the pelvis. Nobody really keen to tackle this one for me except one young physio who taught me how to do it at home. I think your earlier advice about swimming and pilates would suit me to a T.


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## fossyant (11 Oct 2021)

Ride a mountain bike. Your back will be the least hurty thing after a ride.


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## Chief Broom (12 Oct 2021)

Having suffered with sciatica for years the most important thing for me is a hard surface to sleep on. A supersoft 'comfortable' mattress would leave me in agony, i use a thin camping mattress which doesnt allow the spine to 'slump' at any time- works for me


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## T4tomo (12 Oct 2021)

mistyoptic said:


> Worth seeing an osteopath. Mine helped me tremendously with my back problems. No experience of chiropractor so not sure if there’s a difference


Defo Osteopath. they work with your muscles to pull everything back into line, and give you exercises and stretches to keep it that way. A Chiropractor will click stuff quickly back into place, which doesn't address the underlying issues, and you'll be back to them shortly with the same problem.


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## kingrollo (3 Nov 2021)

Short term I would reconsider the pain killers. The problem with pain is that your body tries to compensate - this results in spasms. Which are a lot worse than they sound.! (A+E one night the pain got so bad)

The pain killers allow you to do some basic stretches - which slowly and to a limited extent help.

I've had steroid injections and nerve ablation. The latter made my back feel like I was teenager again !!!!! .

Pilates and yoga help. But don't go mad !


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