Back Pain

[Chris & Nean]

My backs gone, its been plaguing me since last Monday morning, it’s a horrid pain in the lumber region, I aint hardly been able to move all week, aint had this kind of pain down there in my lower back for at least 20 years, since I was working in the pits.

Did the bike cause this,? I was out on the Monster on Sunday all day and although there was a bit of tight manoeuvring in narrow back streets on really steep hills (we was in the village of Iron bridge) and with additional weight off Nean on pillion I don’t remember any problem at all, but next day I was in agony, can only just hobble about now and its been a week, if its that stretch to the bars and being seated on the bike with curved spine over the tank,!!! Well I wont be able to ride anymore, the only other thing I can think of was the considerable effort getting around those switchbacks on the hillside in Iron bridge that needed paddling with the legs, any ideas or predictions on this folks?? This sucks big time I tell you.

[Didge]

Lots of things can bring on the back pain, 'specially if you're prone to it like me.
I'm just getting over a fairly mild attack, which came on when I bent down to pick something up.
My back went once, a few years ago, when I sat down on a chair. Real sciatica job it was, and laid me up for 5 or 6 days. Another time my back went as I sat on the bog. Not funny.
All you can do, is rest it as much as poss, recognise that your back can go at anytime, and do things accordingly.
Such as squatting to pick things up, don't lift things in an awkward manner, and definately do NOT lift anything that is too heavy.

[Didge]

Oh, and twisting awkwardly in a chair can bring it on as well.

[Chris & Nean]

Your description of your experiences of lumber problems reminds me of mine Didge, but mine was always up in the higher spine regions, where it actually hurts to breath after its gone twang, luckily my lumber regions been free of this curse for years, I’m wondering if ridings brought this on or if it at least increases the tendency for attacks, it’s depressing if that’s the case,! another price to pay for something I like to do,

[logyk]

Go see a chiropracter as soon as possible. Should be able to sort the problem rather than just masking it as you will do by merely resting.

[singletrack]

I had back pain a few weeks ago for the first time in my life.
It was a result of pulling the Monster out of the garage and turning it in an awkward direction.
Thankfully mine soon cleared up. I really sympathise with people who get this problem frequently.
I hope yours sorts itself soon - or you always could swap the Monster for a hypremotard which means you do not need to stretch so much over the tank :look:

[gremlin]

Try some heat in the offending area. I have loads of problems due to various injuries but heat does relieve it a bit. I know this sounds daft but try hanging upside down it, relieves the pressure. My aikido sensei used to pick me up by the head (hands along jawline) so there was no pressure on my spine and everything used to click into place again. It looked pretty weird and I must admit was a little disconcerting but it worked. Chiropracters are good but you need to go while injury is still fresh, unfortunately I didn't realise how much damage I'd done till I had really bad symptoms and by that time it was too late to do anything because everything had set. I now have morphine substitute but ibuprofen used to work well for general twinges.

[kathb]

Some form of psychopath attacking your back should help. I swear by/at the osteopath for my back problems, though I usually have to wait to get to see her.

Check out www.osteopathy.org for a local registered osteopath.

Kath

[Chris & Nean]

I’m a bit scared of chiropractors and osteopaths and especially any sort of quackery or homeyopathy, but then I’m absolutely terrified of my GP hee hee. Things clicking in too place sounds like heaven to me right now gremlin; but I’m getting better slowly, I bet it’s just a one off thing and I will soon have forgotten all about it. singletrack you have a point there on the HM, even more sensibly maybe the Multistrada.

[Gimley]

Id still go see a chiropractor or a sports injury clinic. They can put you in some wierd and wonderful positions and it is a bit disconcerting when your back clicks when they are putting their full weight onto you with your legs wrapped twice around your body and your knees behind your head :eyepopping:
But
It did work for me.
May also be a good idea to see someone about some abdominal exercise which will strengthen up your main muscles for posture which is a cause for a lot of back problems. (I am allowed to mention exercise on here arent I :look: )

Obviously because of your back probs it would be best to talk to a sports injury person or a personal trainer to give you exercises that wont cause you any more probs in the lumbar region.

G

[squiffything]

One of the girls here in the office had severe back probs she went and had some electrotherapy it's something to do with zapping your pain area with electrodes which wipes out the muscle memory. Apparantly the muscle memory remembers what causes the pain and brings it on each time a movement that it remembers occurs. Zapping it causes the muscle to lose that memory and hey presto the pain goes.

Just don't use on your head! Always use beer for that area :)

[NEAN&chris]

Try some heat in the offending area. I have loads of problems due to various injuries but heat does relieve it a bit. I know this sounds daft but try hanging upside down it, relieves the pressure. My aikido sensei used to pick me up by the head (hands along jawline) so there was no pressure on my spine and everything used to click into place again. It looked pretty weird and I must admit was a little disconcerting but it worked. Chiropracters are good but you need to go while injury is still fresh, unfortunately I didn't realise how much damage I'd done till I had really bad symptoms and by that time it was too late to do anything because everything had set. I now have morphine substitute but ibuprofen used to work well for general twinges.

hm sounds a good idea, ill hang him up and shake him, maybe his money'll drop out of his pockets:o

[Chris & Nean]

As soon as ur ready Nean

[Chris & Nean]

dont forget the wip n masks n stuff :devil:

[nambduke]

Having experienced lumbar pain over many years, then severe sciatica, unable to walk further than 10yards without pain, I've had 3 lumbar decompressions/discectomy operations over the last 16yrs in the classic L4/L5 disc location!

My injury was caused by years of playing rugby, squash, skiing and golf.

The problem was, it started as an ache, developed into severe stiffness, eventually restricting me walking and generally living come to think of it!!

Here's the advice I was given - which generally worked until I become incapacitated....

First plan of attack on lumbar pain was a few days simple bed rest with pain relief and ibrufen or similar. Then a regime of walking to build up the muscles again in the back.

Next I had to go a bit further and went to a physio. Seemed to work for about 3/4 years.

Next was the bone doctors for a bit of realignment and manipulation. Again worked for a number of years, but it never got any better, only relieved symptoms for a few weeks before had to go back.....

Eventually, after arguing with an orthopedic consultant (w$nker), I paid for a scan myself and the disc rupture/hernia was diagnosed. That was about 16yrs ago and the operation (done by a neurosurgeon - top guy!!) that followed was very successful. I went back to skiing and golf, but was advised to drop the squash/contact stop start sports....I was only off work for 4 weeks!

Then 2 years ago I had a relapse - general stiffness in my back and a weak right leg and weak ankle. This resulted in another scan and another 2 operations (with the same neurosurgeon) - the first operation was ok, but another piece of disc broke away and lodged against the sciatic nerve - most pain I've ever experienced in my entire life which went down my right leg into my foot/big toe!!!!!!! (I did cry it was that bad) - meant another operation to remove that fragment from the nerve root. This even meant I was 6months off work - fortunately on full pay!! This resulted in a slight loss of strength in my right leg and some slight numbness in my big & second toe.

Since then though I've been skiing, golfing and biking on the Monster!!!!.....just need to be careful now (no extreme skiing anymore) - but don't we all??

Advice.....build up back muscles to support ligaments with daily exercises, walk and exercise generally every day, don't do any manual lifting - decline on every ocassion - After that, physio - first call. Osteopath - it did work for me to a point. Operation - absolutely last resort because I was told, a third get better, a third stay the same and the remaining third are worst off.......with the pain I experienced, operation was my only choice!!

Hope this was of use....

Regards,
Mark Nambduke

[gremlin]

There was a whole article on back pain in the Daily Wail yesterday. Acupuncture came out tops for sorting it out, chiropractors were way down the list due to the violence they use! I'm too much of a wuss to have needles stuck in me voluntarily, I've had to have so many for blood tests and various hospital visits, but Mr G said it worked on his arm when he got RSI type thing. I've built up the muscle in my back and stomach to compensate for shot spine, (most of my discs in my neck are ruptured etc due to whiplash and the base of my spine is knackered from riding accidents and the bit in the middle is beginning to curve apparantly). Heat works but I do have the advantage of being able to kill all pain with my morphiney things, the problem is that I then do more damage because I can't feel it and I'm in zombie mode until they wear off. Shiatsu is good too. Just take it easy try too build up the muscles in surrounding areas and things should be ok, although I'm now worried I'm going to find I can't ride wee beasty because of the riding position, my last bike was fairly upright. Ho hum more morphine!

[makemdan]

I suffered severe back pain from about 30 year old, injury during gardening, felt the twinge at lunchtime, kept at it till dusk, couldn't walk next day. Went to see Chiros and Physios, waste of time but I think it depends who you see. Eventually saw a good Physio, tracked it down to tight hams and calfs from running/cycling causing muscle/tendon shortening putting strain on the back. When it was bad I couldn't bend to get washed and had to lie on me back to put me socks on. Its doesn't take much imagination to guess what else it scuppered!
Anyway, as well as stretching (yoga excercises) my physio suggested swimming, front crawl working up to 1 KM 2-3 times a week. I know this time consuming but it transformed my life after about 3 months and I can now get away with less time in the pool . I get a bit of aching 1st thing but nowt like before. Physio reckoned it was the best form of excercise with minimal stress on the joints. Get medical advice first though!

[spacemonkey]

I had really bad back pain episodes about 18months ago. I gave in and found a really good chiropractor who eventually sorted me out, and re aligned my pelvis (now both my legs are the same length..) and after about 9 months of pain and treatment, it went. He managed to get me to such a state that I could actually exercise without too much pain, and that was the magic point. Once i could exercise, it got better. Previous to that, I could barely move, yet still had to work being self employed, and my job involves lifting a lot of 'dead weight'.. Still get the odd twinge, but nothing nasty anymore. Last Easter I managed to get the bergen back on and hit Brecons again, and haven't looked back. I find riding my bike actually helps...

[Chris & Nean]

Thanx all, for sharing your harrowing stories, some of you have obviously had it real bad and the determination shown to keep going in spite of it is inspiring, my backs cleared now except for some residue niggling pain, but it aint just the back its painful hip joints and general achypainy feeling everywhere, it turns out I got gallstones and apart from this being really painful and causing huge weightless it seems the condition knocks the **** out of you as well, or is it just this damn weather? I hope Im fit for Malory though, wouldn’t want to miss that!