back pain

[Yorksman]

I've had reoccurring instances over the years caused by doing mundane things, one time just coughing..... I would say if you need to get a prescription that maybe Naproxan my be better than Ibruprofen that's what the Doc gave me and they were good....

Coughing and sneezing have been known to crack ribs! Naproxen has taken over from Diclofenac but, as with all these drugs, including prescription strength Ibuprofen, they can have side effects, such as high blood pressure, so you need to ask the GP.

 

[Yorksman]

I have just increased my dosage of ibuprofen to 800mgs this morning and this seems to have helped a little but that is twice the recommended dose!....do you think that is safe? I will prob take 600 this evening....

There is a reason why they didn't sell me one box of 400mg and one of 200mg. It is recommended to ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to take this medication if you have:

• a history of heart attack, stroke, or blood clot;
• heart disease, congestive heart failure, high blood pressure;
• a history of stomach ulcers or bleeding;
• asthma;
• polyps in your nose;
• liver or kidney disease;
• systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE);
• a bleeding or blood clotting disorder; or
• if you smoke.

Even GPs can be in serious trouble if they 'self medicate'.

 

[vickster]

@runner Go see a doctor. Large doses of ibuprofen can rot your gut among other things

 

[citybabe]

Ibuprofen needs to be 600mg for the anti inflamatory bit to work, but you need a prescription for that.

No you don't.
I've just been using Nurofen 684mg and I had to get them over the counter but they're not prescription

 

[ayceejay]

Tight hamstrings will reduce the effective mobility of your lower back, unless you stretch after a ride/run your hamstrings will be tight. What this means is that when you bend to pick something up or stand from a seated position your spine will not be aligned properly or supported as it should be leading to ijuries like yours.
Lay on your back on a carpet and pull your knees up to your chest. now gently GENTLY rock back and forth, don't do any toe touching until the pain has gone away.

 

[Cold]

I had a bad back from the age of 15 up until my late 30's when it was really bad I was on 1000mg Ibuprofen tablets from the Dr which I took twice a day.I've had naproxen, Chiropractors all sorts of other wierd and wonderful things to help and it wasn't until I joined a gym and started doing squats with some weights that the pain went completely and I now rarely have a sore back.

 

[Dayvo]

I had a go with one of these http://eu.paingenie.com/ last week and I've been fully free of pain/discomfort for the first time in many years.

 

[jazzkat]

Firstly, go to the doc's. As much as I like most folks on here I wouldn't trust any of them for medical advice
I had what I thought was a bad back last year, i thought I'd slipped a disc pulling the roots of a shrub out in the garden. Weiredly I was fine riding the bike but had to sit down to put my socks on, I couldn't bend down as I was in so much pain.
After a long time of hoping it would get better on it's own I went to see my physio and they told me it was a common problem in people that sit down a lot (I drive a lot as part of my job and then sit when at work), it was a weakness of the glutes that can cause spasm in other muscles as they support the weakened glutes. Anyway, after a few months of exercises I've got rid of it and am back to normal.
Moral of the story......get a professional opinion.

 

[Bewar3them00n]

On Friday I sat on the loo (as we all do!) and when I got up had a spasm in the lower back. I was walking like a very old man...you know bent over...it lasted through Saturday..into Sunday...stopped me running today. I know we are not a medical forum but again this is prob an injury that most of us had had at sometime or other. The funny thing is cycling does not seem to make worse. I am taking ibuprofen and rubbing deap heat into the area but the question is how can just "getting up" cause such a painful muscle spasm. I hope that tomorrow it will be on the way out...

I used to suffer badly with running, then I heard about the barefoot technique,it made an instant difference.
I went for a run on my Puma trail shoes, had to bail, due to back pain, knee pain after about a mile, I bought a pair of Vivobarefoot trail shoes which arrived the next day, went for a run, ran twice the distance, without stopping, no back pain, have used this technique ever since, it does take some time to transition, as the calf muscles take the strain, not the heel and shoes, I find it more efficient, there are many shoes out on the market, Nike do plenty, my Kuga Zoom trail shoes are chunky, but quite flat, cushioned, but not much of a wedge, good for mid foot to forefoot running, larger toeboxes also help those with wider feet, NB do a minimal range, but some of those are like wearing socks! ( they are great for flying as they are so comfortable)
I don't do a great deal of running, I prefer to cycle, but the minimal and flatter barefoot shoes have also helped with walking, where I used to suffer with back pain even then, might be worth looking into

 

[NorthernDave]

I had pain through my lower back, hip and leg down to my knee that could come on at no notice. On one occasion the pain was so bad that I ended up in A&E as I couldn't breath properly due to it.
They said it was probably lumbago and gave me diazepam. After seeing my GP he though it more likely to be sciatica. I found using an exercise bike helped considerably while waiting for further tests.
Xrays and an MRI eventually showed it was wear on the hip - nothing to do with my back at all!
Now I've bought a bike I've had virtually no further problems with it and my GP has stated that cycling is one of the best forms of exercise for it.

 

[runner]

Well I have taken some action in the last week and bought a new mattress (the old one was 20+years old)...so are me and the wife sleeping better?...yes I suppose we are and the back is not quite as bad....lets see what is like in the long term...

 

[howard2107]

Not wishing to tread on anyones feet here, nor am i in anyway anything medical, but........... I had exactly the same experience as the OP whilst lifting a small suitcase out of the car, at the time i was about 35. It got worse and so i was pointed in the direction of a Physio, and to be fair it was about as much good as a chocolate kettle.
So he sent me to a Chiropractor, this fella was a real magician, he got me on the mend in 30 minutes. I saw him over several weeks initially, and over time my visits reduced to about one very 2 months, i haven't been for over 2 years now. What was the cause? Bad posture/lifestyle/ car seat not set up properly/lack of exercise, his words, not mine, but he was right. Apparently over 90% of back pain is self inflicted, and i can tell you if you are having these twinges now, if you don't take action it will develop into sciatica, and boy does that one really hurt. I now have no back pain whatsoever just by following his advice. Drugs will only mask the pain it wont fix the problem.

Cheers.............Howard