Back Pains/injuries?

[Natural Born Hitters]

Well it looks like its going to be another late night of no sleep due to my pains so I decided to make this thread. My L5 Disk in my lower back is herniated, which is causing nerve problems. [b]Feel free to post any injury or pain related stories of your own and advice is greatly accepted![/b]

I work at a garden Center, Where I mostly do a lot of heavy lifting, (Bird Bath's, Statues, Water Fountains, Mulch bags, Concrete Bricks/Blocks, Pavers, Bags of Sand, Rocks, Soils etc.) I actually had the nickname of being the Human Forklift from customers and fellow employees, as I am a 24 year old 6'5" 275 lb guy. I am the biggest/strongest employee among the rest of the employees at the Garden Center so I am the main lifter. So about 3 and a half months ago, I started to get some discomforting feelings in my lower back, I shrugged it off as a "temporary pulled muscle" that would eventually work its way out and all will be good.

Then I went on vacation for a few weeks, towards the end of the vacation the discomforting. feelings in my lower back was turning into pain. Not only was my back hurting, But I was getting shooting pains going up and down my left leg, and parts of my toes were going numb. So once I got back to work it was too late for me make a work mans comp claim. So then I dealt with the pain for about 2 more months until I was able to get Health Insurance.

From the first day that I was a member of the Health Insurance that was through my work (Was a Sunday). I immediately called and left an message to make an appointment to see a specialist. Then I went to the Emergency Room, The doctor offered an x-ray or an MRI and I told them I would just get one when I see the specialist, to save me money. I told him pretty much everything I typed up there. He prescribed me with orally taken steroids, and percocets. And they actually helped out pretty good. Though I was still having some pain down my leg, and a tingly feeling going up and down it, plus my toes were partly numb still.

So I finally get an appointment with my back specialist doctor. She gave me an X-Ray and looked at it, and revealed that my nerve in my L5 disk is pinched/damaged. So that is why I was having pain, tingling and numbness up and down my leg and feet. She then prescribed me for Hydrocodones, Skelaxins (muscle relaxer) and Cymbalta (anti depressant that helps with back pain related stress) and some other pill for my nerve and leg problem (cant remember). She also put me on Physical Therapy (Traction). Things started to get a little better as far as the numbness and tingling going away, and the Doctors said its better for me to be in pain then the numbness and tingling.

About 3 weeks later, My doctor finally decides to give me an MRI, and thats when she discovered that my L5 Disk in my back was herniated. She upped my pain medicines from Hydros to Percocets and set me up to get 2 sets of separate shots into where my disk was herniated. Each time I got a shot , it helped for about a week and a half, then it would wear off.

My doctor finally got me to go see a Surgeon, and he's told me he would do is only make an one inch cut in my back. Cut the bone away from where the Nerve is hitting the bone. Clean up the mess/debris and un-pinch my nerve. It will only take an hour to do, and I will be out of the hospital within 5 hours. He also says theres a 95% Success Rate, which is real good from what I hear. So I went ahead and got an appointment to get that done in 3 weeks.

I also have set up an appointment with Pain Management, when I was almost done making the appointment over the phone the nurse told me that I would have to get an urine sample. So that could go bad , If anyone has ever had any experience with this situation with Pain Management, say something and I'll PM you with some questions.

So thats all, theres no point to this thread really other then if you have no injuries or pains be grateful. I'm just tired and in pain and I can not sleep. The Cleveland Browns don't suck, Pain DOES!! Eh, actually they both suck...............must...............sleep!!!

GO RAVENS!!

[Moderator 2]

Pain Management is checking to make sure you are not taking self prescribed free lance pharmaceuticals because some of the stuff they give you could react really badly. Be honest with them, take your bottles with you to show the doctor/nurse. They will use a combination of topical stuff, anti-inflammatory drugs and low doses of antidepressants like you have already been on, but benzodiazepines do not play well with other muscle relaxers and antidepressants and people lie all the time. Benzo's are one of the most abused class of drugs out there and there are many others. No I'm not a drug addict but I am a nurse.

They do amazing things with back surgery now and they get you up and moving right away.

[Natural Born Hitters]

[quote name='Moderator 2' date='22 October 2009 - 01:20 AM' timestamp='1256188815' post='264481']They do amazing things with back surgery now and they get you up and moving right away.
[/quote]

Yeah, One thing I did not mention is that within 2-3 weeks after the surgery, I will be able to be back on my normal routine, like goto work, go out and stuff. I just got to take it slow and make good judgments. Can't go back to doing Keg Stands right away. Speaking of Kegs, Thats another story. With me being on pain meds all the time, I cant drink!!! I have been craving a beer for some time now.

[Moderator 2]

No you can't and while you have the ear of a physical therapist, get them to teach you how to lift using proper body mechanics, looks goofy as all get out, but in 25 years as a nurse, I never trashed my back at work--now my knees OTH are a totally different story.

[JEEPercreepermd]

I have a Herniated disk as well, i'm pretty sure it was the L5 It happened when I was playing hockey (i was a goalie) the next day I woke up and had pain shooting down my right leg ect.. well I thought it was just a pulled muscle or something so I didn't do anything about it bc I didnt have insurance until maybe 5 or 6 months later when It REALLY started getting bad.

I was pretty much in bed all day after work, and I was taking a lot of ibprofen just to get myself through band practice. I finally went to the doc, had an MRI and it showed that the disk was herniated pretty bad, I couldn't even walk from my jeep through a parking lot and into a store without severe pain that would leave me hunched over and I had a tingeling in my feet.

I went to physical therapy 3 days a week for a month, and after the therapy I'd say that my back was atleast 80% better. I was actually supposed to go to therapy for 4 months, then re-evaluate it to see it surgery was needed, but after a few weeks of therapy my therapist actually said that I really didn't need to come anymore.

That being said, I still get some pain and I'm thinking about going back to therapy for another month or two just to get better but It's not nearly as bad as it once was.

I had to do a bunch of excersizes on my own every hour or so, but it all helped a lot. From what I read the success rate of healing a disk injury with therapy is almost the same as you would get from surgery, although with surgery your pain is releived much quicker

[JEEPercreepermd]

BTW, my doctor for some reason prescribed me a muscle relaxer for my back, I took it once and will never take it agian! It didn't help with the pain at all and made me sleep all day. Pain killers take the pain away temporarily, but I have found that the best thing for my back pain is 800mg Ibprofen that my doc also prescribed It reduces the inflamation that presses on your nerve and causes sciatica

[FlaccoFlicker]

[quote name='JEEPercreepermd' date='22 October 2009 - 12:58 PM' timestamp='1256230735' post='264650']
BTW, my doctor for some reason prescribed me a muscle relaxer for my back, I took it once and will never take it agian! It didn't help with the pain at all and made me sleep all day. Pain killers take the pain away temporarily, but I have found that the best thing for my back pain is 800mg Ibprofen that my doc also prescribed It reduces the inflamation that presses on your nerve and causes sciatica
[/quote]
That's pretty much what I take ,I have 2 discs screwed in my back,from a car accident that a drunk driver caused,and inch lower i wouold have been in a wheel chair for the rest of my life......Was on our way to a scouoted indy-wrestling gig.....was hoping to go to ECW for my step to WWE...welll that didn't happen now i'm lucky on days i have no pain or enought to walk around and play with the kids.

[Moderator 2]

Muscle relaxants are the devil! I pulled a gluteal muscle GOK how, but they gave me Flexeril--took 1, lost 3 day's and never thought about it until I was in a car accident. My husband swore you could see my personality change in 20 mins--insta witch needless to say I will never take that crap again.

[thewarden86]

I've had back problems stemming from my Marine Corps days. I've found that arch supports help tremedously. I also try to strenghthen my abs (stronger abs means stronger back). The back unfortunately is one of the most incapacitating injuries you can have, but laying around in recovery is also probably the worse thing you can do.

I don't suffer from a herniated disc necessarily (mildly herniated), but I've found that you can pick a 100 lbs bag of anything and be fine, but then lean over to tie your shoes and be on your knees in a heart beat. It's just the way it works. Any doctor worth his 6 figures would tell you that surgury is the LAST option.

I know that's not much, but I hope it helps.

Again, support your feet (good "tires and shocks") with arch supports; Strengthen your abs and don't veg on the couch too long when the pain sets in. I learned some really good back stretches and I'd recommend those too.

Good luck.

[JEEPercreepermd]

[quote name='Moderator 2' date='22 October 2009 - 03:44 PM' timestamp='1256244290' post='264759']
Muscle relaxants are the devil! I pulled a gluteal muscle GOK how, but they gave me Flexeril--took 1, lost 3 day's and never thought about it until I was in a car accident. My husband swore you could see my personality change in 20 mins--insta witch needless to say I will never take that crap again.
[/quote]
Agreed. The doc gave me Flexeril as well, the next day I flushed those things! I fell asleep during my band practice mid song, that's how bad those things are!

[K-Dog]

Spent many, many years working in live concert production. Lots of heavy lifting and what not.
Smoked my back a few years ago and walked crooked for almost a week. Had to use wire hangers to put my shoes and socks on and dont even ask me what crazy technique I had to implament to wipe my self.

Chiropractic care did the trick. Took a wile but back to normal.

[Natural Born Hitters]

Jeeper, Your lucky man, I have been in Physical Therapy for about a month and a half close to two. And I have had SOME progress, but not as much as you from what you say.

[thewarden86]

[quote name='Ravensfan410' date='22 October 2009 - 07:28 PM' timestamp='1256254097' post='264871']
Jeeper, Your lucky man, I have been in Physical Therapy for about a month and a half close to two. And I have had SOME progress, but not as much as you from what you say.
[/quote]


Physical Therapy is where I learned those stretches I mentioned earlier. They definitely helped me.

[BloodRaven]

Get your spine re-aligned by a specialist.

[Natural Born Hitters]

Warden, I have a list of stretches that I do on a normal daily basis. Blood Raven, believe it or not, My Orthopedic Specialist says I have an very strong and healthy spine, despite my herniated disk.

[thewarden86]

[quote name='Ravensfan410' date='22 October 2009 - 08:41 PM' timestamp='1256258507' post='264939']
Warden, I have a list of stretches that I do on a normal daily basis. Blood Raven, believe it or not, My Orthopedic Specialist says I have an very strong and healthy spine, despite my herniated disk. [img]http://boards.baltimoreravens.com/public/style_emoticons/default/34853_brickwall.GIF[/img]
[/quote]


You don't have flat feet by chance do you?

The reason I ask is because I do and I know it's a contributing factor. I actually haven't had problems in a while, but if I was to go out tomorrow and rake leaves ro do anything else that entails repetitive strain on my back I'll start feeling it immediately.

[Natural Born Hitters]

I don't know for sure really. May be a silly question. How can you tell? I know you Marines are particular about maintaining your feet.

[JonM229]

I had some back problems working in landscaping. I had severe back pain and my leg would go numb. I went to a chiropractor and he told me I had "muscle guarding" where the muscles around my spine were tightening up and pinching a nerve. After some adjustments and 15 minute intervals with some electrodes (my favorite), the pain eventually went away.

Right now I'm dealing with a knee injury from last February. I'm pretty sure I partially tore my meniscus during a football game. My knee swelled up huge the next day and I could barely walk for a week. I rested and iced it for two weeks and started playing football again (with a brace.) A few games later, the same thing happened, only the pain was a lot worse. Since then, my knee will pop (usually when I'm twisting that leg while putting weight on it) and I'll be incapacitated for a few minutes. The pain doesn't last too long and there's rarely any swelling, but once I get health insurance at my new job, I'm going straight to a doctor and getting it looked at.

[thewarden86]

[quote name='Ravensfan410' date='22 October 2009 - 09:41 PM' timestamp='1256262116' post='264989']
I don't know for sure really. May be a silly question. How can you tell? I know you Marines are particular about maintaining your feet.
[/quote]


Hmm. Well if you're standing bare foot there should be a small gap between the floor and insides of your feet. If you step out of the pool and onto the concrete you should NOT see an entire foot.

[img]http://www.empowereddoctor.com/library/photo/image001.jpg[/img]

[thewarden86]

[quote name='JonM229' date='22 October 2009 - 09:50 PM' timestamp='1256262652' post='265002']
I had some back problems working at the Blue Oyster Bar[/quote]


TMI Dude! TMI!

[LilyRaven]

Knock on wood but no back injuries. My chronic pain all comes from osteoarthritis caused from living life like I was indestructable. My knees and right shoulder ache daily and my hands and toes (of all the dumb things) only at certain times. Oddly enough, when my big toe aches, it's the worst. That's the pain that will keep me up all night and completely wreck my day. I [i]so[/i] empathized with JO.

Fortunately Aleve and heat work for me most of the time. I also take glucosamine chondroitin msm to keep it from getting worse. I second what the warden has to say, exercises can really make a difference. Keeping my quads strong reduces strain on my knees.

[Dan The Man Ravens #1 Fan]

[quote name='Ravensfan410' date='22 October 2009 - 12:50 AM' timestamp='1256187033' post='264477']
Well it looks like its going to be another late night of no sleep due to my pains so I decided to make this thread. My L5 Disk in my lower back is herniated, which is causing nerve problems. [b]Feel free to post any injury or pain related stories of your own and advice is greatly accepted![/b]

I work at a garden Center, Where I mostly do a lot of heavy lifting, (Bird Bath's, Statues, Water Fountains, Mulch bags, Concrete Bricks/Blocks, Pavers, Bags of Sand, Rocks, Soils etc.) I actually had the nickname of being the Human Forklift from customers and fellow employees, as I am a 24 year old 6'5" 275 lb guy. I am the biggest/strongest employee among the rest of the employees at the Garden Center so I am the main lifter. So about 3 and a half months ago, I started to get some discomforting feelings in my lower back, I shrugged it off as a "temporary pulled muscle" that would eventually work its way out and all will be good.

Then I went on vacation for a few weeks, towards the end of the vacation the discomforting. feelings in my lower back was turning into pain. Not only was my back hurting, But I was getting shooting pains going up and down my left leg, and parts of my toes were going numb. So once I got back to work it was too late for me make a work mans comp claim. So then I dealt with the pain for about 2 more months until I was able to get Health Insurance.

From the first day that I was a member of the Health Insurance that was through my work (Was a Sunday). I immediately called and left an message to make an appointment to see a specialist. Then I went to the Emergency Room, The doctor offered an x-ray or an MRI and I told them I would just get one when I see the specialist, to save me money. I told him pretty much everything I typed up there. He prescribed me with orally taken steroids, and percocets. And they actually helped out pretty good. Though I was still having some pain down my leg, and a tingly feeling going up and down it, plus my toes were partly numb still.

So I finally get an appointment with my back specialist doctor. She gave me an X-Ray and looked at it, and revealed that my nerve in my L5 disk is pinched/damaged. So that is why I was having pain, tingling and numbness up and down my leg and feet. She then prescribed me for Hydrocodones, Skelaxins (muscle relaxer) and Cymbalta (anti depressant that helps with back pain related stress) and some other pill for my nerve and leg problem (cant remember). She also put me on Physical Therapy (Traction). Things started to get a little better as far as the numbness and tingling going away, and the Doctors said its better for me to be in pain then the numbness and tingling.

About 3 weeks later, My doctor finally decides to give me an MRI, and thats when she discovered that my L5 Disk in my back was herniated. She upped my pain medicines from Hydros to Percocets and set me up to get 2 sets of separate shots into where my disk was herniated. Each time I got a shot , it helped for about a week and a half, then it would wear off.

My doctor finally got me to go see a Surgeon, and he's told me he would do is only make an one inch cut in my back. Cut the bone away from where the Nerve is hitting the bone. Clean up the mess/debris and un-pinch my nerve. It will only take an hour to do, and I will be out of the hospital within 5 hours. He also says theres a 95% Success Rate, which is real good from what I hear. So I went ahead and got an appointment to get that done in 3 weeks.

I also have set up an appointment with Pain Management, when I was almost done making the appointment over the phone the nurse told me that I would have to get an urine sample. So that could go bad , If anyone has ever had any experience with this situation with Pain Management, say something and I'll PM you with some questions.

So thats all, theres no point to this thread really other then if you have no injuries or pains be grateful. I'm just tired and in pain and I can not sleep. The Cleveland Browns don't suck, Pain DOES!! Eh, actually they both suck...............must...............sleep!!!

GO RAVENS!!
[/quote]

Just wanted to wish you well. I have been layed up for four and a half months now with deteriated/herniated discs 4 and 5. I find out my surgery date this coming Monday. I am having both discs removed and fusion done. Not real excited about it but as long as the pain goes away. I too have pain running down my right leg, associated with siatic nerve. The pain in my back and leg is so intense. I am currently using the Spine Center for my pain management. If I can be of any help just send me an Email. Good Luck!

[JonM229]

[quote name='thewarden86' date='22 October 2009 - 10:27 PM' timestamp='1256264834' post='265038']
TMI Dude! TMI!
[/quote]
Gotta pay for college some way.

[thewarden86]

[quote name='JonM229' date='23 October 2009 - 10:17 AM' timestamp='1256307475' post='265181']
Gotta pay for college some way.
[/quote]


Well the world needs ditch diggers too son.

[img]http://www.classicrockforever.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/smails2.jpg[/img]

[BloodRaven]

Well, maybe you need to get surgery first to reliev the pressure, then second to fuse the disks together. You won't be 6'5" anymore but you can still play guard or centre

[thewarden86]

[quote name='BloodRaven' date='23 October 2009 - 02:15 PM' timestamp='1256321730' post='265272']
Well, maybe you need to get surgery first to reliev the pressure, then second to fuse the disks together. You won't be 6'5" anymore but you can still play guard or centre [img]http://boards.baltimoreravens.com/public/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif[/img]
[/quote]


X-NAY on the URGERY-SAY!!!!!

[Natural Born Hitters]

[quote name='BloodRaven' date='23 October 2009 - 02:15 PM' timestamp='1256321730' post='265272']
Well, maybe you need to get surgery first to reliev the pressure, then second to fuse the disks together. [b]You won't be 6'5" anymore[/b] but you can still play guard or centre
[/quote]

Ha, Well thats good I guess. I can't even count how many times I have hit my head on things due to my height!! And my football days ended when I broke my right Femur bone. I played 7 years of football, One day I goto play Frisbee with some friends and I break my femur bone. Geeze!

[Moderator 2]

Usually the really stupid injuries cause the most grief! I've popped my ACL getting out of bed.

[thewarden86]

[quote name='Moderator 2' date='23 October 2009 - 05:42 PM' timestamp='1256334142' post='265419']
Usually the really stupid injuries cause the most grief! I've popped my ACL getting out of bed. [img]http://boards.baltimoreravens.com/public/style_emoticons/default/34853_brickwall.GIF[/img]
[/quote]


*keep your comments to yourself Warden!!!*

Oh well. Nevermind. lol

[Moderator 2]

[quote name='thewarden86' date='23 October 2009 - 05:59 PM' timestamp='1256335150' post='265436']
*keep your comments to yourself Warden!!!*

Oh well. Nevermind. lol
[/quote]

Get your mind out of the gutter, my leg got tangled in the sheet--I also need to add I am blind as a bat without glasses so I did not see the sheet and I was half a sleep until the "Crack pop" and shooting pain did not realize there was a problem. I have bad knees anyway so it does not take much.