Done my Back!

[Oola]

I was out clearing up the debris left over from Rich's kitchen ceiling plastering session, and filled a few of those rubber tub trugs up. I went to pick one up and said to Rich that I couldn't lift it, and opted for the much lighter one. However, I've been having a few probs with my back anyway and then must have picked up the trug awkwardly - my back went and I yowled.

Luckily for me, my cousin who lives not more than a 2 or 3 min walk from my house is an osteopath, so I'm seeing her tomorrow. I'm doing everything she said to do, although I'm not supposed to sit still for too long....bit difficult as I have work to do!

I've had a history of back trouble ever since I was 14 - I managed to jump on a hard floor (as instructed by the PE teacher) and landed funny, squashing a couple of vertebrae together. I've also got postural problems with the vertebrae inbetween my shoulder blades going funny every now and then, not that you could tell to look at me! My cousin and I have nicknamed the most problematic vertebrae "the beast"!

So, just as I was about to embark on some serious digging on my new massive veg plot, fate has other ideas! Maybe it's a sign that I really should hire in a mini digger or a rotavator....

[franbee]

Poor you, you need to look after yourself, you're too young to have to suffer with back problems.

[Oola]

I've had it for over a decade so I should be used to it. I come from a family of cheap backs!

[Crocus]

Goodness Oola, I hope it will be better after you've seen your cousin tomorrow! You'll have to watch what (and how) you do with your back very closely. Best wishes!:)

[Healing Hands]

Oola I hope your back is feeling better today. I do know what you are going through as I suffer too, but since seeing a chiropractor I am getting better. Look after yourself.

[dinger]

Oh Oola I must sympathise with you I have got killing backache too . Having a job to sit on computer much today .I dont usually suffer with my back but jerked it badly so am suffering for it now .as the saying goes WHAT A PAIN . Hope yours is soon better xx

[jazzactivist]

I hope that the visit to your cousin sorts out your back, Oola. I beleive form my osteo that the vertabra in between your shoulder blades is known as T4 and is mostly affected by stress and using a computer, and you can have a whole range of work done on just this one. My neighbour, the osteopath, has one of those spades that has a kind of spring attachment that helps you to dig so that you don't have to bend and strain your back. She says that it works very well. You can get a bulb/potato planter too. Maybe one of those would suit you?

[dinger]

How is your back today Oola . Boy am I struggling with mine .

[Oola]

Hi all...jazz yes I've had allsorts done on that area! It does get exascerbated with working on the computer, but apparently it's just something that's common within our family.

dinger my back is much better today after the treatment, i've been putting frozen peas on the area and it's feeling less tense. I slept better last night but it's still painful to lie down.

Have you considered getting treatment? My cousin works in Clophill (just up the A6 for you I think) if you're interested.

[mrsj]

Hope it repairs itself fully soon! A bad back is awful! xxx

[Pippa]

Can I join the bad back club please. Was working in garden this morning, just lightweight stuff and suddenly cannot move. Crawled on all fours up to the house, the cats seemed to think it was some sort of game. My daughter called in later with two sorts of painkillers which have taken effect and can move slightly but still in pain so off to bed with hottie.

[dinger]

oh Pippa I feel so sorry for you as I now know how very painful it can be .Hope you soon feel better .xxx

[Oola]

Argh Pippa, welcome to the club, poor you! I've got to go back for some more treatment, it's better but still not right.

You should try putting hot and cold on the trouble spot if it's muscular - I use a pack of frozen peas! 5 mins cold then 5 mins hot 5 times in total. I also take 1 co-codamol and two ibuprofen to help with the pain.

[dinger]

Hi Oola and Pippa hope there is some improvement with the backs this morning .We are all starting to come out in sympathy with one another i think .I did'nt imagine it could be so very painful as i don't usually let pain get me down but it restricts so much of what you are able to do .xx

[Oola]

Absolutely, I've not been able to do what I wanted in the garden this past week. I've got loads of jobs lined up but I've been told not to do any bending (digging would be the worst possible thing I could do). And now with my allotment, I feel frustrated that I can't get going with it. Luckily Mum is helping me so we should make at least some progress. But even now I think people underestimate the impact it can have when you say that you have a bad back or back problems. Even just simple things like affecting your sleep patterns make a huge difference to your overall wellbeing.

[Pippa]

My sciatic nerve is now playing up, can lie flat or stand but nothing in between and like you Oola feel very frustrated at not being able to go out into the garden and lying on the floor can see all the dust on the skirting.

[dinger]

Turn a blind eye to the dust Pippa just do what makes you feel better .I just said blow everything it can wait.xxx

[Redstart]

Poor you Pippa - hope you're feeling a bit better today. But leave that skirting board until your 100% recovered!

[dinger]

Worried about you Pippa hope your pain is a bit better.x

[dinger]

Pippa are you still suffering .missed you on site xx

[Oola]

Pippa you should get to an osteopath if you haven't already! My back is still not right, I have hardly any flexibility from my hips if I bend to the left. Hopefully going back to see my cousin for another treatment, get those muscles untightened and supporting my back properly again!!!! :)

[dinger]

Was hoping your back was better now as well Oola .I feel so sorry for you I know now how painful it is .x

[Pippa]

I visited an osteopath yesterday Oola and do feel less pain today and can SIT which I have not been able to do for 10 days. This guy is also a Homeopath so have remedies to take. He used all sorts of odd sounding m achines, things that walk up and down your back, to try and relax the muscles. My daughter was in the waiting room and could hear all vibrating and clonking but as no screams assumed all was well. I will go back next week, he says I have one leg longer than the other and a twisted pelvis. Trust me.

[dinger]

How are the backs Oola and Pippa .Hope much better .xx

[Pippa]

I am totally peed of. Lot of pain down left leg, sciatic nerve I guess so hope osteopath gets it right on Tuesday.

[Oola]

My back has been bad again too Pippa, but probably my own fault from digging loads of manure of a big manure pile yesterday, then wheelbarrowing it through a really muddy field. My knee keeps giving way too. Pippa - I also have the problem of a twisted pelvis, it's something to do with the muscles in my lower back tightening on one side and pulling it around I think. Then of course everything else gets out of alignment...

My cousin always tells me to put hot and cold on the afflicted area. 5 lots of 5 mins cold, 5 mins hot on the same spot. Seems to help the inflammation and relaxes the muscles too. If you're not happy with your osteopath you could always try someone else. My sister did that and was a lot better for it - she was in such bad shape that she took about 20 mins to cross the road and was being sick from the pain...I'm glad to say although in the past I've had problems walking and been in a heck of a lot of pain, I've never been that bad.

Hope it gets better for you Pippa. dinger how is your back doing?

[dinger]

You poor things . my back is much better now but am being very careful .one wrong move thats all it needs is'nt it. Do hope the pain soon eases for you both soon .xx

[Redstart]

Yes, and remember to keep your backs warm - don't ask them to do exercise when cold.

My threatened to go on Saturday (shifting a heavy bed) but I've gone back to my long thermal vests and gave it a hot soak in the bath and later wrapped up well and went for a walk (walking is good for lumbago). So I've so far managed to avoid it becoming lumbago and today it feels back to normal

[dinger]

How are the backs ladies .

[Pippa]

I am progressing well thankyou. Do not have to see osteopath for a fortnight which is a relief as £30 a time and have been going for 4 weeks now. Have cut right down on painkillers and have done little light gardening, just wish it would warm up a bit.

[Oola]

Funny you ask - I fell down the stairs today and have done a bit of damage. Our house is late edwardian with really steep stairs. I was at the top and in my socks slipped and my feet when from completely under me. I landed about halfway down having managed to grab onto the bannister (scuffing my arm on the bannisters) and landed smack on my back and bum, send a huge jolt right up through my back into my chest. So not in such great shape tonight! Hopefully it'll wear off in a few days.

[Crocus]

My goodness Oola! You already have such backproblems! Is it better now?

[dinger]

Oola you poor thing that won't have done your back any good . I bet today you will have bruises in places you never knew you had as well as it must have really shocked you . I do hope you will soon feel better .

[Katelb]

How do you feel today Oola? I have only just picked up on your fall.Do hope nothing too serious happened ,it sounds horrendous from you account of it.
Take more water with it next time!!....No I know it's not funny,and hope you are soon on the mend with little or no damage.

[jazzactivist]

Hi Oola, sorry to hear about your fall, on top of all your back troubles. Sometimes a fall doesn't do as much damage as you think that it has though and it is just a lot of bruises. I agree with your encouragement of Pippa with the osteopath. My neighbour is a very good one, and although some of the movements and clicking and crunching is a bit alarming, it did work very well whe I had a misplaced vertabrae. Don't worry Pippa, I only had to see mine for 6 sessions and then she gave me some very useful exercises to do by myself. It has really helped the problem, and I haven't had any problems since. So the financial sacrifice should be worth it. Good luck to you both.

[Oola]

Pippa I'm with the HSA and the plan I'm on means I get half the money back that's spent on osteopathy, I'll also be able to claim for my upcoming dental appointment (and any work they do) as well as my new glasses I've just had to get. I pay £18 a month (will be stopping soon as can't really keep affording it unfortunately) but in the past when I've had ongoing osteopathic treatment it's really paid for itself.

Today I have a bit of a crick in my neck and my hip is really sore, must have landed quite funny as the pain in my neck is the opposite side of the gammy hip! Bum and elbow are really bruised too lol! I'll probably get my osteopath cousin to take a look and see if there's anything that needs sorting. The problem is that I have disc damage so the way I landed might have niggled the problem. Annoying thing is that I was doing ok, doing my stretches were really helping (I have crap mobility stretching side to side, although the other way flexibility is great - I can bend over with legs straight and touch the floor with the palms of my hands) and I was feeling less twisted and tense!

I did have a bit of a shock, I cried like a baby straight after it happened - haha! I always feel like a 5 year old child when I cry from shock. I was fine a few minutes later though. I really thought I was going the whole way down - I'll fallen backwards down these stairs before and it's quite scary!

[Redstart]

Poor You Oola, I've only just found out! Try rubbing arnica gel on your bruises, it really does help.

[Pippa]

Sorry to hear about your fall Oola, I would have cried too. I used to be with HSA when the children were younger as we all wear specs. but I cannot afford the monthly premium now but so pleased with my progress, I am happy to pay.

[sheddie]

Oh Oola I did this once a long time ago wearing platform heeled shoes and fell from top to bottom of the stairs, it reallly shakes you up and shocks you. I do hope there will be no lasting damage. But as my Mum would say " Get some slippers on your feet". X

[sheddie]

How are you today Oola? X

[Oola]

Hello, had some treatment yesterday and cousin confirmed that I shunted everything when I landed, there's some bruising and swelling but it should all settle down now. It's slowly feeling better day by day, even today when I've done some digging yesterday.

[Oola]

Urgggghhhh in pain AGAIN!

Don't know what I've done, but I reckon it's all tied into my lack of activity and working too much on the computer. My neck is agony. Can barely turn my head without pain. TYPICAL! Another trip for some treatment...and I really need to get swimming.

[Crocus]

Hi Oola, don't you think it's perhaps all the digging you've done in your garden? Goodness, I hope it gets better soon!

[Oola]

No it's not that, I think it's a combination of working at the computer and just bad luck. It's got worse tonight, I can't move my head left or right without lots of pain. Looking up makes me feel really sick! Whoops. Better give my cousin a call...

[Crocus]

Goodness Oola, it sounds quite serious! My mum had something similar, and it turned out that the nerve kind of got pinched, if you like, between the vertebra in her neck. She also couldn't move her head left, right or at any angle really. I hope you can get some kind of relief Oola! Keep us posted please? Best wishes!

[dinger]

So sorry you are suffering again Oola . You don't seem to be free from pain in your back long . Have you had it checked at hospital it must really get you down .Hope it soon eases up for you.

[Katelb]

Yes Oola,is your back any better today? Do take care,and let us know how you are.

[sheddie]

Been wondering about you Oola, let us know how you are. X

[dinger]

Hope your pain is easier today Oola x

[Oola]

Hi all, thanks for your good wishes :) I got some more treatment on my neck today and it's SO much better. Really sore from the treatment but I can tell that it's a lot looser and going to feel more normal over the next few days. I've still got pain from where I fell down the stairs, but this is basically how I am, always something niggling away in my back! It's just a case of managing it. I'm going back swimming soon which will definitely help.

[dinger]

Pleased to know it is feeling a bit better Oola .I feel for you as since I hurt my back know how painful and uncomfortable it can be.