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I have been having increasingly strident low back pain for a couple of years. What the old-timers used to call "the lumbago". I fell on my tailbone hard, on concrete, and things gradually came on since then. Any pressure on my tailbone hurts. And the lumbar region in general is tight and produces constant pain and occasional "zingers". I am still able to function reasonably well but not with any level of comfort.
I've had the pain clinic take a look and findings are kind of non-specific. I have one pair of vertebrae slipping a little bit against each other but a lot of people have that incidental finding in X-rays and they have no symptoms either. I've had an exploratory peripheral nerve block with inconclusive results. The neurosurgeon says he has no options to offer because the pain doesn't extend to my legs or produce numbness there. And that's fine because I don't trust back surgery not to leave me worse off than I am.
All signs point to physical therapy and back / core strengthening exercises as what I need. So I'm signed up and starting in a few days with PT.
I am a software developer so not terribly active. I walk daily, weather permitting. I have taken up some stretching exercises of late as well. I am maybe 15 pounds overweight (down around 90 pounds from what I was many years ago, and have stayed there, and still inching my way down to "normal", mostly via improved diet). I am 67 years old, with well controlled type 2 diabetes and no other significant physical issues.
I would appreciate tips / recommendations from people who have either overcome or had significant improvement in low back pain -- with that being the objective. I understand that improved back stability generally, improved core strength, better BMI, are all great things, but my interest is in becoming pain-free.
I use very cold packs from the freezer to numb my lower back for pain. I have osteoarthritic lower back pain that is made worse by standing for a while (especially on concrete) or stooping to do weeding or planting. That's an issue since I have extensive gardens. After a gardening session I use a large freezer pack on my lower back - it's pure bliss for me. I also use Voltaren gel as a prophylactic measure, but it takes repeated applications to really work.
I use very cold packs from the freezer to numb my lower back for pain. I have osteoarthritic lower back pain that is made worse by standing for a while (especially on concrete) or stooping to do weeding or planting. That's an issue since I have extensive gardens. After a gardening session I use a large freezer pack on my lower back - it's pure bliss for me. I also use Voltaren gel as a prophylactic measure, but it takes repeated applications to really work.
Hm, for some reason I haven't tried either cold or heat. Now that you mention it, it seems rather obvious. I will experiment.
Also, funny timing but my wife literally just handed me a tube of Voltaren today that she was using before her knee replacements last year and I seem to respond quite well to it. Never heard of it before today.
If you're going to see a physical therapist, I'd suggest deferring to them.
Aside from that, focus on neutral spine core exercises and stay away from spinal flexion. Examples of these would include planks, and then progressing to something like stirring the pot. Band work is also good (i.e. anti-rotation, circles).
I've also found that many people with low back pain don't have very good internal rotation on their hips. Lying in a bridge position and dropping your knee into adduction (while trying to keep the hip on that side down) will help with that.
Thanks for the recommendations, although I'm going to have to look much of that up, lol. My stepson will be of some help in translating, though; he works out more than the next ten people, including a weekly session with a personal trainer, and his gym equipment takes up the entire garage. I certainly have no lack of equipment at my disposal!
I know, I know -- I'm a brain in a vat. Typical software developer. My body has always served me, and now in my dotage, I'm condemned to serve it, I guess.
I have had a back and neck problem for years from being in a few car accidents. I see a chiropractor once a month, get a monthly massage, use deep heat cream on both areas and walk 8-10k steps a day. Sometimes I have muscle spasms or can hardly move and then I take muscle relaxers for a few days. I recently started taking chair yoga and that’s helping too.
I have been having increasingly strident low back pain for a couple of years. What the old-timers used to call "the lumbago". I fell on my tailbone hard, on concrete, and things gradually came on since then. Any pressure on my tailbone hurts. And the lumbar region in general is tight and produces constant pain and occasional "zingers". I am still able to function reasonably well but not with any level of comfort.
I've had the pain clinic take a look and findings are kind of non-specific. I have one pair of vertebrae slipping a little bit against each other but a lot of people have that incidental finding in X-rays and they have no symptoms either. I've had an exploratory peripheral nerve block with inconclusive results. The neurosurgeon says he has no options to offer because the pain doesn't extend to my legs or produce numbness there. And that's fine because I don't trust back surgery not to leave me worse off than I am.
All signs point to physical therapy and back / core strengthening exercises as what I need. So I'm signed up and starting in a few days with PT.
I am a software developer so not terribly active. I walk daily, weather permitting. I have taken up some stretching exercises of late as well. I am maybe 15 pounds overweight (down around 90 pounds from what I was many years ago, and have stayed there, and still inching my way down to "normal", mostly via improved diet). I am 67 years old, with well controlled type 2 diabetes and no other significant physical issues.
I would appreciate tips / recommendations from people who have either overcome or had significant improvement in low back pain -- with that being the objective. I understand that improved back stability generally, improved core strength, better BMI, are all great things, but my interest is in becoming pain-free.
You made a good decision to start going to a physical therapist. A few 'tips,' that you might try are to hang from a bar (get a doorway pull up bar) and hang, you can keep your feet on the floor at the beginning. You could also get an inversion table to hang upside down if you don't have any problems that would contraindicate upside down hanging.
You do need to strengthen you core which includes your abs, your transverse abdominis, the obliques, the lower back. And I disagree with the advice one of the other posters said about staying away from spinal flexion. The 'cat/cow' movement is good for the spine though there may be some cases in which you shouldn't do it. Ask your physical therapist.
You can also get advice from physical therapists online concerning treating lower back pain.
And stay hydrated so that your spinal discs don't dry out.
You made a good decision to start going to a physical therapist. A few 'tips,' that you might try are to hang from a bar (get a doorway pull up bar) and hang, you can keep your feet on the floor at the beginning. You could also get an inversion table to hang upside down if you don't have any problems that would contraindicate upside down hanging.
Thanks Michael.
I have a pull up bar at my disposal in the garage, just the right height. I will give that a try. Excellent suggestion.
Unfortunately I do have a contraindication for inverted positions -- an aneurism at my aortic root. It is checked annually and is stable (apparently congenital, as my mother had it and at least one sibling has it) but I'm advised not to do anything involving having my head below my heart on a regular basis for any length of time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Way
You do need to strengthen you core which includes your abs, your transverse abdominis, the obliques, the lower back. And I disagree with the advice one of the other posters said about staying away from spinal flexion. The 'cat/cow' movement is good for the spine though there may be some cases in which you shouldn't do it. Ask your physical therapist.
I will go with the PT recommendations on this but I agree that avoiding flexion may be more for people with ruptured disks or other specific injuries that might be worsened.
I'm also going to try steroid injections to the tailbone area prior to a couple of lengthy planned car trips to ease that particular discomfort and also to see if interrupting whatever unvirtuous cycle of inflammation or pain might be feeding upon itself might have lingering / longer term effects.
Of course with any luck, PT alone will help a lot in its own right.
I have had a back and neck problem for years from being in a few car accidents. I see a chiropractor once a month, get a monthly massage, use deep heat cream on both areas and walk 8-10k steps a day. Sometimes I have muscle spasms or can hardly move and then I take muscle relaxers for a few days. I recently started taking chair yoga and that’s helping too.
My wife has suggested chair yoga and I will try to feather that into the rather overwhelming array of New Things, lol.
I did see an osteopath for a month or so but found it unhelpful. Outright massage would probably be better but not covered by insurance. But if you find only a monthly session helpful, maybe it's worth a shot.
I have a pull up bar at my disposal in the garage, just the right height. I will give that a try. Excellent suggestion.
Unfortunately I do have a contraindication for inverted positions -- an aneurism at my aortic root. It is checked annually and is stable (apparently congenital, as my mother had it and at least one sibling has it) but I'm advised not to do anything involving having my head below my heart on a regular basis for any length of time.
I will go with the PT recommendations on this but I agree that avoiding flexion may be more for people with ruptured disks or other specific injuries that might be worsened.
I'm also going to try steroid injections to the tailbone area prior to a couple of lengthy planned car trips to ease that particular discomfort and also to see if interrupting whatever unvirtuous cycle of inflammation or pain might be feeding upon itself might have lingering / longer term effects.
Of course with any luck, PT alone will help a lot in its own right.
Hopefully the PT will minimize or completely rid you of the pain. Strengthening the core may even stop the disc slippage. Just be sure to do the proper exercises and avoid the improper ones. The Therapist will help you with that. Good luck.
The symptoms you describe might be lumbar stenosis, a narrowing of the spaces where spinal cord nerves pass through various channels in the spine. It’s often a chronic condition and does not “get better” by itself. One way to tell is a MRI that will show where the nerves are being pinched.
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