Lower back pain,is the worst. It affects your physical activity along with adding mental and emotional suffering.
Why back pain, and how to help manage it.
Lower back pain is something that I always remember hearing peoples say as a kid, "Don't hurt your back, its the worst." Well I am here to say IT IS THE WORST!! I was only 16 years old when I first experienced back pain. Working as a CNA, I did a lot of lifting and one specific day was lifting a patient with 5 other CNA's when the lift sheet we were using gave out (the patient was not harmed.) I felt a sharp pain, but kept going. Later my Dad noticed that I was bending funny and that I had been icing my back. We later found out through an MRI that I had herniated my L4 L5 disk. "WHAT? I'm only 16, how could this be?"
Going forward 12 years I was an active Mom of 3 little boys. My youngest was 6 months old. When I bent down to get him out of his crib after a nap. I felt The most excriciating sharp pain in my back and down my left leg. Next thing I knew, I found myself on the floor with my baby on top of me. I was unable to move, I panicked. My sweet 2 and 4 year old boys brought me stuffed animals and toys. They tried their best to help, their helpless Mom. My husband rushed home from a youth camp he was helping with. We discovered I had another hernieted disc but this time it had torn on the way out.
My most recent injury occurred just two and half years ago and I once again found myself with severe back pain. With another MRI, we found the same herniated/ torn disk but multiple other disks bulging, and was diagnosed with Degenerative Disk Disease. (You know your back sucks when the MRI tech tells you your back looks like an 80 year old's back...)😒Being a Mom of 4 at this time, I was determined to get the pain under control, or at least manageable. I did not want to miss out on anything with my little crew.
My sweet husband also just experienced back pain for the first time this last year. He is a fit healthy man. So when I found him on the floor I knew something was wrong. We tried to manage it at home, but with little success. We ended up getting an MRI and found a hearniated and torn disk.😢 They gave him an awesome back brace and some steroid injections to help calm it down. He rested it, iced it and then with some hesitation started to use it cautiously.
Back pain is MISERABLE!, there are so many things that can help make it manageable. I'm so grateful for the knowledge in the medical world today.
Causes of Back Pain
Sometimes is seems like EVERYTHING!
Muscle or Ligament Strain
Bulging or Ruptured (herniated) disk
Arthritis
Osteoporosis
Risk Factors
Age
Excess body weight
Poor lifting techniques
Smoking
Weakness or weak core muscles
Psychological conditions When I'm stressed or more emotional than usual, I notice my back pain more. Crazy how our bodies work like that. "People prone to depression and anxiety appear to have a greater risk of back pain. Stress can cause muscle tension, which can contribute to back pain."
How to Help Relieve Back Pain
Finding a doctor that specializes in backs is important. Everyone is different and what works for me may not work for others. Having a doctor or physical therapist is very helpful though! (They can help you find what is best for you and know if more invasive treatment is needed)
Injections - Injections are never fun, but sometimes you just need that to help you get to the point that you are able to exercise and start strengthening your back.
Physical Therapy - I did many weeks of physical therapy. This helped me find what exercises worked best for me and I was able to learn correct form.
Exercise - I have found this to be my biggest help. I love to walk, and then do core exercises to help strengthen those main muscles.
Drink lots of WATER
Balance stress and emotions
Be cautious how you sit, stand, lift.
Helpful Exercises
Quadruped arm/leg raise (2 sets of 20 holding for 3 sec. each)
Pelvic lift (2 sets of 20)
Pelvic lift with march (2 sets of 20)
Cat and camel
Hamstring stretch
Looped elastic band hip abduction (I like to do 2 sets of 20)
Planks ( I like to do three, 40sec. planks.)
Heat or Ice
This is always a question you hear when someone is hurt. I remember hoping they would tell me to use heat. (I'm pretty sure I'm cold blooded... I'm always cold!) For back pain you can alternate heat and cold. Personally I have found that ice helps me significantly more. As much as I hate laying on an ice pack, I always feel like the pain is controlled more after. Ice is great for swelling too so it makes sense.
Other Things I Have Found to Help
This past year and a half we have been doing an addition to our house. We have done everything from digging the hole for the footings and stem wall with a shovel and a pick ax, to wiring, to sheetrock. So needless to say our backs have been pushed to their max. We have found that ice is our best friend. Motrin helps with swelling and pain as well. Staying hydrated is always important. We have also found that when we are doing heavy lifting a back brace helps us imensly. It helps give you that extra support you need along with helping your body stay in line when you are twisting.
A tens unit is another find that has helped. "A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) sends electrical pulses through the skin to start your body's own pain killers. The electrical pulses can release endorphins and other substances to stop pain signals in the brain. TENS can reduce pain." I like to put it on while driving in the car.
We also found that having a good matress is a huge help. If you wake up with a sore back you have a long day ahead of you. We love our Tempurpedic and the support that it gives us through the night.
We also invested in an Inversion table. And it is my best friend. I know this is not for everyone, but for me it helps me feel like I'm stretched back out and ready to go.
Don't Give Up!
Back Pain... SUCKS! I feel for any and everyone that has to deal with back pain. Never give up, I know first hand how easy it is to think that your back pain is never going to go away. and living in pain is always hard. But you got this! Keep trying every day. Consistency is key! I found that if i just take 20 min in the morning to do my exercises my day goes much better! I hope you are able to get to a place that you can function without pain interfering and are able to help your back heal.
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