# Ouch! Some Relief



## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

2 1/2 weeks ago my back started tightening up. I figured no big deal, do what I normally do when this happens, Aleve and 1/2 to 1 Valium before bed.
Only this time it wouldn't go away. I had one particularly rough job to get done and that was the straw that broke the camels back. I couldn't get an appointment with the dr for a week and I had that 25deg lean when I walked.

Finally got to see the dr yesterday. Six shots in my lumbar, three up each side. I can stand up now, but no kind of lifting until he sees me in two weeks.

Luckily this happened right around the Christmas slow down.

I have to count my blessings. My BIL just had another set of bolts and rods added to his neck right after Thanksgiving. This is the second set, the first done 7 years ago.

He was an auto mechanic, but after this, now he is done at 59.


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## Robie (Feb 25, 2005)

I'd listen to the doctor but at the same time, try to stay limber with stretching, hot baths or showers...stuff like that.

Oh, and drugs......


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## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

I do the stretching EVERY morning.

Dr gave me a print out of exercises to do. I told him that I have been doing them all along.
Then he pointed out how many times I had to do each one.

Each exercise 10 repetitions, 10 times a day

Half my day is doing these exercises.


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## Jeremiah2911 (Jan 2, 2014)

Tim, 

2 weeks ago at the tender age of 26, I was diagnosed with sciatica Apparently, I slipped two discs or something. All they gave me was Ibuprofen and Valium. 

Acupuncture and Tai Chi are said to be helpful. Shoot, we can take the classes together!


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

Do all that, and buy a new firm pillow. It did wonders for my back.


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## Framer87 (Dec 27, 2014)

Try taking up swimming and defensive exercises such as yoga, works for me


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## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

VinylHanger said:


> Do all that, and buy a new firm pillow. It did wonders for my back.


Years ago dr told me since I am a side sleeper, sleep with a small pillow between my knees.


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## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

Framer87 said:


> Try taking up swimming and defensive exercises such as yoga, works for me




After the episode 8 years ago wife talked me into the pool.:thumbsup:


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## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

Jeremiah2911 said:


> Tim,
> 
> 2 weeks ago at the tender age of 26, I was diagnosed with sciatica Apparently, I slipped two discs or something. All they gave me was Ibuprofen and Valium.
> 
> Acupuncture and Tai Chi are said to be helpful. Shoot, we can take the classes together!



I went to an acupuncturist on Princeton-Hightstown road years ago.

It sort of worked, but not anything that really made a big difference.

The dr I am going to is the one that really got me right 8 years ago.
They are a sports medicine/ortho specialty group that mixes the benefits of chiropractic and drugs.

They are right in Lawrenceville if you don't get good results with your current dr.


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## mski (Apr 4, 2013)

TimNJ said:


> Years ago dr told me since I am a side sleeper, sleep with a small pillow between my knees.


After I herniated a couple disks a few years ago I started sleeping with a body pillow.
I'm a side sleeper also and using that pillow between the knees and hugging it puts my body in a semi fetal position which keeps my spine stretched out.
I aslo stretch every morning concentrating on the hamstrings.

Back problems run in our family. My younger brother spent Christmas in the hospital due to severe pain due to herniation of 2 disks. He has no idea how it happened.


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

Aleve, aleve, and oh yeah, aleve.


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## KAP (Feb 19, 2011)

All the drugs do is mask the pain and don't deal with the underlying cause...

Sports/Chiropractor deal with the underlying cause...

Personal experience... threw my back out trying to get into van, went from barely moving to mobile on first visit, extreme pain relief with no drugs, and two sessions later back to normal...

Wife slipped a disc, could not move without excruciating pain, had to get ambulance, went to ER, took film and told her about slipped disc, gave her pain meds, sent her on her way (limping) with instructions to follow up with family physician... went to Chiropractor, again, had her mobile on first visit, and much less pain, and a couple visits later, back to normal... she did a few follow-up visits after that for a week or two...

Her comment was she wished she had gone to the Chiropractor first... would have saved her a lot of pain...

.


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## Joasis (Mar 28, 2006)

Nothing like a hot tub right outside the bedroom on the patio. Just about every day. The soak in 104 degree water makes you feel so much better and relieves stiffness. 15 minutes can bring a lot of relief. 

I kno0w I need to lose 40# and that would solve most of my back issues.


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