I went swimming yesterday, I went down a water slide that gave me a bit of a rough landing. I carried Finn around quite a bit. But I didn’t obviously injure myself in any way. Yet, while I was standing around in the kitchen last night, I felt a weird spasm on one the vertebrae in my upper back. And it has been getting worse and worse ever since. I woke up in agony and I can’t get comfortable. It’s radiating pain around my upper back and causing my neck muscles to cinch up. Lying down is nearly impossible and standing up isn’t much better. I’m going to get some better pain medication and see if I can get back to a more functional state. I hope this clears up in a couple of days without the need for MRI’s or other astronomically expensive health care procedures. I also hope you all are having a better day.
About The Author
BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
I have chronic back pain/spasms and the only thing that works and also prevents (besides losing weight) is the following yoga warm up. When I’m really hating, I take a hot bath, then do the warm up, then I lie across an ottoman we have that supports my whole torso with my knees on the ground and (hopefully) get my wife to give me a quick massage. It’s all about relaxing the area and keeping it relaxed for long enough for the spasm to stop, otherwise it will keep happening, even making it worse.
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Oh, so sorry to hear that! Back injuries are terrible, so I hope it’s something that will ease up on its own.
I pulled a muscle or did something to my lower back last year when I lifted a big new tub of kitty litter up and out of the trunk of our car. I felt that zing as soon as I did it, and the next day I couldn’t even stand up straight. We don’t have insurance, so I hobbled around for a few days and eventually it went back to normal. But the pain was excrutiating.
Hope yours is something minor!
Very sorry to read this today. I’m not a fount of health tips or info, but one thing I have heard is that whatever you can do to keep inflammation down is going to be about the best thing you can do. Ibuprofen is good for that, but also large doses of vitamin C spread out throughout the day is also said to be both a very effective anti-inflammatory agent as well as a decent pain reliever. Ice packs and etc can’t hurt either.
Oh. And cherries.
Any which way you go, my very best wishes for a rapid and complete recovery go with you. Try to avoid those MRIs–as you’ve noted, they can be ridiculously expensive.
Ouch! Sorry Booman. I’ve done may back in several times during rescue operations with the fire dept. and once lifting a log back when I was building cabins. Luckily, none required more than several days rest and mild pain meds. Hope you’re back in shape soon.
Oops – “my” back.
I’ve had back problems since I sustained an injury back in 1985 or so. My condolences.
This happened to me almost two decades ago. I went to the doctor where he told me I was walking around like a caged animal, took pity on me to prescribe a small amount and I do mean a small amount of a powerful muscle relaxer. The pain medication wouldn’t touch it but this did the trick. I went for the MRI and was told by the experts that doing nothing was the best treatment. I lost some weight, changed my activities to prevent further damage and spent some time sleeping on the hard surface of the floor. It went away. Important thing is to get to the doctor as soon as possible.
Ouch. Best wishes for speedy (and inexpensive) relief.
My wife has gotten relief from acupuncture for the discs she popped while on the job as an EMT. If you have someone near that is an expert it is worth a try….It works for her.
Hopefully you’ll be feeling better soon, BooMan. Back pain is awful.
Euchh — probably want to get it checked out, but it sounds like a muscle spasm. I get these from time to time too. The back muscles clench, causing pain, which causes them to clench more, and around and around we go. You can break the cycle with rest, heat pads, muscle relaxants, and/or deep massage (done carefully). It can take a couple of days to unclench.
Chiropractors are our friend
Go to your doctor. It is serious when you have that type of back pain. You could have done damage.
IMO Booman this is very good advice. Get yourself checked out, and I hope you feel better soon!
A similar thing happened to me decades ago — in a car accident, everything fine, then 3 days later, boom. I was in another state, so my doctor said to take 4 advil four times a day until I could get back and see the doctor.
I was able to return home and see the doctor after 4 or 5 days. They gave me a prescription for ibuprofen and said the best thing they could recommend was seeing a chiropractor. FYI the prescription ibuprofen they gave me didn’t work as well as the 4 advil caplets, so they had me go back to that. And the muscle relaxants didn’t help me at all. I just felt really weird but it didn’t help with the pain. Just take the advil with cheese or something to help you tummy. I used chocolate pudding. 🙂
I also agree on the vitamin C — have someone get you the time release capsules from the health food store — and while you’re at it, have them pick up 100% tart cherry juice, which is great for inflammation. (It’s really tart but mix it with water and you’ll be fine. It’s amazing stuff.)
Also have them pick up something called “Arnica Rub” at the health food store, and have someone apply it to your back where it hurts.
If what you did is a “soft tissue” problem, all these things will probably help.
Now when I hurt my back or do something to tweak it that I know won’t be good, I jump right into the routine — 4 advil, cherry juice, arnica montana, and arnica rub. If it’s really bad, like after I fell on the ice, I go back to the chiropractor.
Happily, those things always resolve the problem for me.
Obvious disclaimer: I am not a doctor.
you feel better BooMan.
take care of yourself and get better.
I had a back strain years ago that left me incapacitated for a day. Finally, I listened to those more expereinced, and solved it so I could at least move around.
Alternate heating pad and cold packs.
In a few hours the muscles will loosen up, though you may be walking with a bend in your back for a day or so.
Kept this in mind ever since. Its no fun being paralyzed on the living room floor.
R
I was stupid enough to go on a sled about 6 years ago, and injured the hell out of my coccux (tailbone). It was very painful for a period.
Have your wife carefully inspect your back in the region of pain. I have no idea what to look for, but specific bruising, contusion, etc would be helpful in thinking of what to do next.
I know someone who slipped on ice and broke her tail bone. She said the pain was unreal.
Yes, what the hell I was thinking about, but sliding on a sheet of plastic down a slope sitting on my ass was not a good idea. Even more amazing is that I slid 5-6 feet, not even very far – there was a root or rock or something.
Dumb, dumb, dumb.
Now that my 60 th birthday is next Wed, I am going to learn to ski next winter….
Skiiing is great fun, but mind that snow-plow maneuver. Great way to…never mind. Your knees will be just fine.
Sorry to hear about this, – feel better. Lots of good advice on this thread that I hope works!