<p>Back pain is epidemic. Everyone has a story, everyone has their own personal solution. Most doctors prescribe drugs for a living, so they prescribe drugs. Surgeons do surgery for a living, so they recommend surgery. </p>
<p>I suffered for years - have similar stories to those told here by others. I bent over, sneezed, back just “snapped”, was in bed for days, crawled to the bathroom, terrible spasms, couldn’t stand up straight, did very little sports for years, these episodes recurred periodically,doctors diagnosed bulged disc… yada yada yada…</p>
<p>I was completely cured and have been pain free and fully active (yes, I even do sit ups) for about 25 years now. I recommend reading, “Mind Over Back” by Dr. John Sarno. Much cheaper and less invasive than surgery, drugs or most of the common remedies. If it doesn’t work for you, then you have an extra paperback book on your shelf and learned about a different approach that has been a “miracle” cure for others. If it does work for you, then you will have saved yourself a lot of money and misery.</p>
<p>Physician here. Good that he has the doctor’s appointment. He needs the proper diagnosis to know which treatments are suitable- something we can’t know here on this forum. Back muscles? Disc? etc. Once a professional has figured out the cause he can go from there.</p>
<p>I’ve been dealing with various treatments for back pain (sciatica) for a year. Ice, 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, advil and careful movement should help until you get to the Dr. in the morning. Listen to the professional, but get a second opinion if no improvement aftera reasonable period of time. For me, it’s been a combination of acupunture, chiropractor and stretching.<br>
Good Luck to both of you, I know I am not the easiest person to live with when in major pain.</p>
<p>This just happened to me. Herniated disc in my back. Happened 7 hours from home after a looong drive! Ugh! It stunk. I had to go to a clinic. They gave me a pain reliever and muscle relaxer. The pain reliever made me nauseous. I couldn’t sit and had to stand or lie down. Ice helped also.</p>
<p>It’s getting better but I still have periods of pain. I have found that stretching my back and walking help alot. I started walking as soon as my back felt better and anytime it hurts a good walk is the best thing I can do. I take a muscle relaxer when the pain is bad and usually feel better in the morning.</p>
<p>Same thing happened to my BIL and his S. Both happened after a long trip and prolonged periods of sitting. I wonder if there is a correlation.</p>
<p>He is moving this morning which is an improvement from yesterday. Getting into the SUV was tricky this morning, but his appointment went well and because his mobility increased so much overnight, our doctor and my husband have chosen to take a wait and see approach and we will revisit on Thursday morning. If the pain is still there, MRI is on the table and then of course we will know much more. My husband is a pretty holistic guy and will do whatever he can to avoid treatment and therapies that may or may not do the trick so his wait and see attitude does not in the least surprise me. The doctor did give my husband a prescription for inflamation in hopes that if it is a pulled muscle it will keep things at bay. Husband did mention he thought it was best if he didn’t run or do his core training today…um…you think?</p>
<p>Running isn’t going to do him any good IF he has bulging or herniated disc(s). He may want to swithch his exercise regimen over to doing laps in a swimming pool instead of running. If he plays golf and/or tennis, this may also be aggravating his back. It sure was the culprit for me.</p>
<p>What did the doctor tell him? I was told to lay off ALL running and heavy lifting, just walking and some gentle stretches, asong as the pain was not worsening. I’d give the doctor a call. If your H got any leaflets and papers from the doctor’s office, I’d consult those, too.</p>
<p>OP-
My experience…more holistic: Chiropractor and Acupuncture. The latter deals with the pain in a way that allows one not to rely on drugs.
I hope your DH is doing better every day.
~APOL</p>
<p>Friend of ours resisted chiropractor until it was so bad she would try anything short of surgery. We told her bout ours and after about 6 weeks of visits all was well. He also told her to loose weight and tone the core. The strength in her legs was overbalancing the core. Now if she feels a twinge she goes right in and gets it taken care of in a few visits. She also does the exercises that work on toning and strengthening the core.</p>
<p>Just for reference…we are pretty big on chiropractic care. Our daughter has been under the care of a chiropactor for years and he literally has saved her life. My husband will go see him if it gets to that point. It is certainly part of the plan. He also core trains like me and my daughter. We use medicine balls, balance balls, weights and bands. No boot camp like push ups and sit ups here. I really think he just pulled a muscle that is giving him fits. I am hoping it will relax. He knows he can’t run right now, but when you are used to a high level of physically activitiy, he is simply climbing the walls.</p>
<p>Well, as other have said…we all have our stories and ways to cope.</p>
<p>You’re going to think I’m insane in this hot weather, but…</p>
<p>For me the very best treatment is a dry heat sauna. I do swim first, but when things were bad, I couldn’t. So, just get wet first in a shower or pool and then spend 10-15 minutes lying down in a sauna. For me, it helps more than anything else for all those sorts of problems.</p>
<p>It could be a muscle problem, or could be an anular tear, which is a precursor to a herniated disc. I dealt with these for years before I actually completely herniated 4 discs. My daughter is showing signs of going down the same path. It’s a common problem, and very frustrating.</p>