Back Problems - Treating With Advil

[simple girl]

You might also try Yoga. I herniated a disc with my second pregnancy and my physical therapist had me do the "cobra" position as often as I could --worked wonders.

Our local Y has "yoga for pain relief" and "yoga for a healthy back" -- both designed to address chronic pain or back pain.

Works miraculously for me, probably because it stretches and tones those muscles without putting alot of strain on them.

Good luck!

Yoga is awesome. It has helped me significantly. However, a word of caution. Some poses may be contraindicated depending on your diagnosis. For example, repeated forward bends may very well aggravate a disc herniation. Just an FYI to discuss this with your physical therapist first.

 

[SteveR]

Sorry to see you are having some back problems. It sucks! I have had to have back surgery 4 times; three on the same disc. Long story short. I don't take Tylenol or any other product like it. I found that ibuprofen works better for me. I also take other medication daily to help with the pain and spasms. Speaking of spasams. The best think for that seems to be alternating ice and heat...20 mintues on...30 minutes off then switch hot for cold or cold for hot; repeat.

DW has two damaged nerver in her spine that go down her leg. Her pain is unbelievable. She is a walking drug store and HAS to have a deep massage weekly to keep moving.

Exercise to stregthen the core (trunk) muscles seem to be the best. Abs and lower back muscles; upper chest and upper back. Stretch out the hamstrings. Tight hamstrings will kill you back. (Got em and it does).

I have not had a day without pain in over 20 years. Now I have narrowing in my neck which is causing more pain and stiffness. Someday I will have to have it fixed or suffocate. Nice.

That said I still shovel snow, carry heavy boxes, swing hammers, lift furniture etc. I just use my legs and arms and not my back now.

Golf is out as the torqing of my spine was not good. It was a blessing anyway the way I played.

Traction also might help. The inverted swing helps some folks by opening up the disc space and getting them to retract a bit. Hydration is very important too. The spine has a lousy vascular supply so it takes a lot to get pain meds there or even water.

Good luck. I know all too well what price we pay to be upright animals. I hate to fly over a couple of hours unless I can get up and walk around. I would rather drive. In fact I bought the car I have for the seats. It just worked out the rest of the car was also what I wanted. Airlines are cutting way back on pillows and without one I am in major pain the whole flight...so I pack an inflatable one now. It helps a lot but does push me knees forward and that is another story.

 

[megacorp-firee]

Sorry to see you are having some back problems. It sucks!

Ditto ... and great advice ... adding emphasis so others can benefit from our pain

Exercise to stregthen the core (trunk) muscles seem to be the best. Abs and lower back muscles; upper chest and upper back. Stretch out the hamstrings. Tight hamstrings will kill you back. (Got em and it does).

AMEN Steve, ... especially the tight hamstrings... I'm working on those.
Anyone with back problems should work on these especially.

I have not had a day without pain in over 20 years.

I hope I got to it early enough... I have a friend who is [-]a martyr [/-]has a high tolerence for pain... and she waited too long... She has suffered for over 15 years and is still working on it. Moral: Don't suffer back pain for a minute... get medical attention ASAP. It will NOT get better, ... it only gets worse... and if bad enough very tough to heal.

I hate to fly over a couple of hours unless I can get up and walk around. I would rather drive.

Try this for plane trips: 1st Class Sleeper As well as the 'butt wedge'.
I don't get on an airplane without them. I was able to survive a 14 hour trip to Asia with it.

p.s. googled cobra yoga position and am adding that to my exercise routine. Thanks all.

 

[TromboneAl]

I took my device to a gig last night, and also took three ibuprofen pills.

Still pretty painful, but I think it was a little better than last gig.

It makes me sit up straight if I'm paying attention, but when I concentrate on the music, I still slouch over a bit. That is, even though the surface slants down, I can still sit with my thighs parallel to the ground.



Still, it might be worth building a bench with an adjustable slant to it.

One gig tomorrow and two next week, but other than that I will do no practicing to give it a chance to heal -- hey, what am I gonna do all day?

 

[simple girl]

T-Al, here's another possible tip for ya. Get some skin tape (i.e. for putting bandages on, so it doesn't irritate the skin). Sit up with extra good posture, shoulders back. Now have someone else use two strips of tape to make an "X" across your midback (between shoulder blades).

Every time you slouch you'll feel the pull of the tape which will remind you to stop slouching.

 

[simple girl]

p.s. googled cobra yoga position and am adding that to my exercise routine. Thanks all.

This is a great stretch. However, it is not for everyone. Those with spinal stenosis will often find that this position aggravates their symptoms.

There are multiple causes of back pain, and not all treatments work for everyone, and what helps one person's pain may aggravate someone else's. Just trying to keep anyone reading this from potentially aggravating their symptoms.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I thought I should help the moderators at this juncture by noting that posting of naughty stick figures will not be acceptable, unless of course they're really good ones.

 

[megacorp-firee]

This is a great stretch. However, it is not for everyone. Those with spinal stenosis will often find that this position aggravates their symptoms.

There are multiple causes of back pain, and not all treatments work for everyone, and what helps one person's pain may aggravate someone else's. Just trying to keep anyone reading this from potentially aggravating their symptoms.

I do have spinal stenosis and I tried it... and I find I don't have the mobility to keep my stomach on the ground and get any height when I stretch backwards. My lower back and legs (I think the hamstrings) feel REAL tight. I will gently try this and see if I get any additional mobility.

What about spinal stenosis makes this stretch aggravate the symptoms?
Thanks for the warning.

 

[megacorp-firee]

I took my device to a gig last night, and also took three ibuprofen pills.

Still pretty painful, but I think it was a little better than last gig.

It makes me sit up straight if I'm paying attention, but when I concentrate on the music, I still slouch over a bit. That is, even though the surface slants down, I can still sit with my thighs parallel to the ground.

View attachment 3296

Still, it might be worth building a bench with an adjustable slant to it.

One gig tomorrow and two next week, but other than that I will do no practicing to give it a chance to heal -- hey, what am I gonna do all day?

T-Al, seems you may want to get a little more height on your piano bench so that your feet are flat on the ground. This should prevent your thighs from being parallel to the ground. ?

 

[megacorp-firee]

Aleve instead of Advil

I just took inventory. I am overseas and am running low on my Advil supply. I also brought some Aleve. Can I safely replace Advil with Aleve, or are there some cautions that I should be aware of?
I could go out and buy some more Ibuprofen here, I guess, but I do have a whole bottle of Aleve with me here.
Thanks.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

In my experience, advil seems to have a small bit more punch to it than alleve, but alleve lasts twice as long.

I think its bad to mix them in the same dose.

If something is really sore, I take advil. If I want something to last all night (quit laughing), I take alleve.

 

[megacorp-firee]

In my experience, advil seems to have a small bit more punch to it than alleve, but alleve lasts twice as long.

I think its bad to mix them in the same dose.

If something is really sore, I take advil. If I want something to last all night (quit laughing), I take alleve.

Aren't you confusing one blue pill for another?
Thanks CFB

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Slow and easy, right over the plate.

Just the way you jobless old farts like 'em...

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Ibuprofen and naproxen are both NSAIDs (non-steroidal antiinflammatories). Their efficacy is the same, given equivalent doses. Ibuprofen is a bit gentler on the stomach but most people don't notice a difference. Naproxen lasts a bit longer - read the directions closely.

If you can find naproxen (Aleve and others) I'd be surprised if you can't find ibuprofen.

 

[Insanity]

T-Al, seems you may want to get a little more height on your piano bench so that your feet are flat on the ground. This should prevent your thighs from being parallel to the ground. ?

It might also make it harder to work the pedals, though.

 

[chinaco]

I am continuing to have chronic back pain. It's now a tightness in the lower back, upper buttocks area. Sometimes the tightness moves to the lower thighs (sometimes one side, sometimes the other).

Sorry to hear about that. Hope you get better.

DW is having similar problems with the upper back and shoulder lately. She has been to multiple specialist. They spotted some minor problems. For her shoulder, she has a minor problem with a rotator cuff and a small bone spur. The Doc indicated that is was (relatively minor... surgery not recommended) inflamed and gave her a cortisone shot. Her shoulder is better. But now her upper back is having problems. We (Doc and me) believe it is because of the stress and she was so tense due to the shoulder that the back pain is the result of favoring her shoulder for several months. We have confidence that it will get better. But for now she is nagged by it daily. She is doing some exercises and taking advil.


She had similar pain about 10 years ago and it eventually went away (took several months).

Good luck. Hang in there.

 

[megacorp-firee]

Ibuprofen and naproxen are both NSAIDs (non-steroidal antiinflammatories). Their efficacy is the same, given equivalent doses. Ibuprofen is a bit gentler on the stomach but most people don't notice a difference. Naproxen lasts a bit longer - read the directions closely.

If you can find naproxen (Aleve and others) I'd be surprised if you can't find ibuprofen.

I brought a bottle of Aleve with me too. So as I run out of the Advil, I will subsitute with Aleve. Waste not want not ...
Thanks.

 

[megacorp-firee]

Sorry to hear about that. Hope you get better.

DW is having similar problems with the upper back and shoulder lately. She has been to multiple specialist. They spotted some minor problems. For her shoulder, she has a minor problem with a rotator cuff and a small bone spur. The Doc indicated that is was (relatively minor... surgery not recommended) inflamed and gave her a cortisone shot. Her shoulder is better. But now her upper back is having problems. We (Doc and me) believe it is because of the stress and she was so tense due to the shoulder that the back pain is the result of favoring her shoulder for several months. We have confidence that it will get better. But for now she is nagged by it daily. She is doing some exercises and taking advil.


She had similar pain about 10 years ago and it eventually went away (took several months).

Good luck. Hang in there.

Thanks Chinaco, I had 3 epidural cortisone shots too... didn't do a thing for me... 'Dr. Pain' sent me to a physical therapist. 3x week for 14 weeks.
I have followed up with daily (well almost) exercises that I learned from the pt. If I skip too many days of exercise I really FEEL IT.
You may want to see if pt might be helpful for your DW. Hope she gets better too.

 

[simple girl]

I do have spinal stenosis and I tried it... and I find I don't have the mobility to keep my stomach on the ground and get any height when I stretch backwards. My lower back and legs (I think the hamstrings) feel REAL tight. I will gently try this and see if I get any additional mobility.

What about spinal stenosis makes this stretch aggravate the symptoms?
Thanks for the warning.

Well, when you have stenosis, essentially the space where the nerves come out from the spine has narrowed. When you extend the lumbar region of the spine (i.e. bend backwards, like the cobra position), you narrow that space even further, and may end up placing even more pressure on the nerves and the soft tissues (ligaments, etc.) in that region. The result is often increased pain, numbness in the legs, etc., depending on how severe the stenosis is.

On the other hand, flexion biased exercises tend to relieve the symptoms, since this movement increases the space between the vertebrae where the nerves come out. I would suspect your PT has given you these types of exercises (single knee to chest, double knee to chest, etc.) in addition to your hamstring stretches.

The situation is typically reversed for someone with an acute herniated disc; flexion based exercises typically worsen their symptoms as the pressure on the disc from flexing the spine tends to push the herniation out farther. (Note I said typically...interventions vary depending on how acute the symptoms are, if they have a lateral shift, etc., etc....there are often many other factors to consider.)

Of course, the typical patterns I've described above are not always the case, as some individuals do not present with classic symptoms and treatment is never black and white. If it were, treating back pain would be a breeze! That is why exercise prescription is individualized and one person's physical therapy program may look quite different from another's.

I hope this helps!

P.S. guess I should give the usual disclaimer that the info provided above is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as personal medical advice. Consult your own PT for specific advisement, etc. ,etc.

 

[megacorp-firee]

I hope this helps!

Yes it does. Thank you.

 

[TromboneAl]

T-Al, seems you may want to get a little more height on your piano bench so that your feet are flat on the ground. This should prevent your thighs from being parallel to the ground. ?

Well, I've already got it too high.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Leg shortening?

(no, its not a product used for frying)

 

[megacorp-firee]

Well, I've already got it too high.

? guess it's time to pick back up the Trombone then?

 

[TromboneAl]

Today I was starting on making a piano bench that would have an adjustable tilt. I was going to use the legs from my existing bench, and I suddenly realized that if I turned the bench 90 degrees, and let one leg be longer than the other, I'd be all set. I'll try it on the next gig.

​

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Wow, those are some enormous headphones...