Back Pain
(Extracted from Aikido-L)
Date: Sat, 23 Mar 2002 09:56:12 -0500
From: Scooterman
Subject: Re: OT- back pain
Anyone on the list had/has this & how do ya make it go away?
Last Jan, I caught a bad cough from my ex... Coughed so much & so hard, I ripped
all the muscles in my back [my bro says it's the gluteus minimus muscles] So I
got some drugs to turn off the cough...
But my back is KILLING me... still. Sometimes, upon waking up, the muscles will
spasm & cramp [which hurts like you won't believe].
Pulling my knees to my chest helps SOME. Sit-ups are out of the question.
Standing feet shoulder-width apart & touching the ground seems to help
stretch & loosen them enough so I can walk... some. I don't think it's
hamstrings cuz I can get my palms flat on the floor wid out bending my knees.
"Good Morning" exercises helps for a couple of hours.
Is this enough info so it sounds vaguely familiar? Got a way to get me back on
the mat [off for 2 weeks now].
[ * Moderator: Cut * ]
Scoot
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Date: Sat, 23 Mar 2002 08:29:40 -0700
From: Tygart
Subject: Re: OT- back pain
[ * Moderator: Cut * ]
The Back
I would honestly recommend a chiropractor, if the injury is old enough for the
body to have begun adapting, then a few spaced out adjustments should do it .
When the body gets altered it tries to readjust itself to carry on. So, you
stretch, it feels better, the muscles pull whatever it was in the first place
back to the out of whack position because the body thinks it's normal.
Ice/heat/ice/heat/,etc., does also work to ease the muscle pain and allow it to
heal.
I used to throw in highland events as an EXTREMELY amateur participant. The
learning curve being what it is, back injuries happen. My M.D. recommended
starting w/ a chiropractor, and if pain persisted x-ray. A $35.00 visit to the
chiropractor was easy, so I tried it. It worked okay but slow. Eventually, I
went out and bought a badly needed new bed set, (mattress and box spring), and
THAT did more than anything else. My back problems are basically as low as you
can get and still use the term back problem, so a hot shower is still required
every morning. It is true, low back pain is mostly due to low front weakness, I
could probably eliminate all or at least most of mine if I were a bit more
diligent with my PT. Consider the whole , rather than the symptoms.
Sorry, I probably did not help much. Pony up the money for a chiropractor, call
your MD for a referral if it makes it more comfortable. I was surprised to find
so many MDs now believe in them. A lot of them are trying to look at Chiro and
TCM as part of overall problem solving for the patient nowdays.
[ * Moderator: Cut * ]
Good Luck, Back pain sucks.
Jim
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Date: Sat, 23 Mar 2002 08:42:03 -0700
From: Jun Akiyama
Subject: Re: OT- back pain
Try reading "Healing Back Pain" by John Sarno. Interesting stuff.
[ * Moderator: Cut * ]
Jun
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Date: Sat, 23 Mar 2002 10:04:54 -0600
From: Evan Van Dyke
Subject: Re: OT- back pain
I havn't managed to put my whole back out yet, but a sneeze did take a minor
pain from a poorly executed maai ukemi and render me unable to move for a bit.
I stretched it periodically but other than the stretching I did as little as
possible for about three days(not hard when moving _hurts_). Oddly enough, even
though getting up from laying down hurt more than anything else, once it had
healed enough that I could once again train, one class did more to help than
anything else.
--Evan
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Date: Sat, 23 Mar 2002 18:05:28 -0500
From: Scooterman
Subject: Re: back pain 2-
That's IT Evan...
My Sensei said he threw his back out the same way as me by sneezing. [Also said
it took abt 6 months to get better].
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html has a bunch of exercises [inc the
"good mornings" I mentioned]... mostly under erector spinae.
I found another one I can't even begin to do [right now]... stand erect with
legs crossed, outside of feet together, bend over keeping rear leg straight &
touch your toes. yaright. That changes the pain from my back to my hip socket.
YOWIE!
[ * Moderator: Cut * ]
Scoot
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Date: Sun, 24 Mar 2002 07:40:58 -0500
From: Carol Shifflett
Subject: Back Pain, Knee Pain & Martial Arts Injuries Seminar
[ * Moderator: Cut * ]
Dear Achey Aikidoka,
Yes, indeed you can mess up some muscles by sneezing or coughing. The one that
causes ghastly lower back pain (and butt pain, hence gluteus minimus) is the
quadratus lumborum. It runs between the illiac crest of the pelvis and the lower
ribs. Gluteus minimus is in the referred pain area, but that's not necessarily
where the pain is coming from.
[ * Moderator: Cut * ]
Meanwhile, I forwarded Scoot's plaintive inquiry to Richard Finn who will be
teaching the seminar. See below. For details on these tests, movements and on
treatment, see Clair Davies' book "The Trigger Point Workbook." I'll be getting
a bigger/badder/more formal announcement out shortly.
Cheers!
Carol Shifflett
******************
The gluteus minimus is in the referral pattern of the QL that is fired off by
coughing. If standing up and reaching down touching the toes seems to help it
may be partly lower paraspinals also. They also fire into the glut but would be
stretched by touching the toes.
He can test the QL by sitting in a chair and seeing how far he can turn to
either side. If he sits in a position to touch his toes they can test for a
flat area in the lower back. I have no doubt it is. He can test the Medius and
minimis by laying on his back and having someone attempt to roll the inside edge
of his foot onto the ground. Hope this helps!
--Richard Finn
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Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2002 20:57:22 -0500
From: Scooterman269
Subject: Re: back ache
Well... thanks
Lots of really big words & doctor-sounding lingo in there All's I know is it
hurts & how to make it hurt & what I gotta do to make it hurt less... but still
no clue on how to make it better.
Standing, feet shoulder-width apart... I can touch my toes or go palms flat on
the floor... once I get past the inital creaky hurt of the inital bend & bounce
a bit to get stretched enough to actually end up with palms on the floor. Yeah,
ouch.
When it gets really bad [like now]... doing something really simple even
hurts.... like sit on the edge of this chair, lean forward & put my elbows on
the desk with my hands crossed over the other... like I'm peering at something
closely on the CRT. NOW... touch your chin to your chest. Even that makes the
small of my back hurt [weird, eh??]
Turning to either side? No problem. I can turn till I can look behind me with
both eyes. Lay on my back & turn the foot inwards till the arch is touching the
floor?? no problem again.
Sit in this chair & try to touch the floor behind me [reaching between my
legs]??? Ouch. Lay flat on the floor & bring my knees to my chest... so-so till
my back is completely flat on the floor & that's a BIG ouchie.
I dunno... on-line diagnosis is kinda like telling your mechanic that your car
goes ka-chunk when ya slip it into drive... usually. lol But I figure if I give
enough for-instances, the light bulb will go on & someone will say "Oh THAT...
do this for awhile & it'll go away in 3 months".
Scoot
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Last updated on 13 Sep 2002