Lower back muscle spasm help

[Marbles]

Well, I feel a little jinxed by this thread. I have not had moderately sever lower back pain in over a year. Yesterday I threw a 60 pound sand bag on my Seek Outside frame and decided to try it without the lumbar pad. This was the first time I have tried the combination of an unstructured load and no lumbar pad. With the pad, I have no issue with and sand bag and without the pad I have no issue with a toddler carry frame beween the pack frame and pack bag. The combination of no lumbar pad and sandbag resulted in the frame trying to pull the curve out of my lower back.

The result is that today it hurts my back to walk, or brush my teeth, Etc. I have been forcing myself to pace the house, which is slowly loosening it up. Stretching helps it relax, but as soon as I start moving it hurts again. Not real pain as I know no damage is being done by moving. But, the discomfort is enough that I really want to lay in bed and not move. Years ago (and nothing to do with back pain at the time) I was advised to learn the difference between pain (actively destroying body structures) and discomfort (everything else) and to listen to pain, but ignore discomfort. Granted, that takes knowledge beyond just how something feels. Anyway, looks like I'm going to have to take a healthy dose of 'don't be a bitch' today. It has been a while and it feels like the little bitch inside me is not so little anymore from a lack of beatings.

 

[zacattack]

Well, I feel a little jinxed by this thread. I have not had moderately sever lower back pain in over a year. Yesterday I threw a 60 pound sand bag on my Seek Outside frame and decided to try it without the lumbar pad. This was the first time I have tried the combination of an unstructured load and no lumbar pad. With the pad, I have no issue with and sand bag and without the pad I have no issue with a toddler carry frame beween the pack frame and pack bag. The combination of no lumbar pad and sandbag resulted in the frame trying to pull the curve out of my lower back.

The result is that today it hurts my back to walk, or brush my teeth, Etc. I have been forcing myself to pace the house, which is slowly loosening it up. Stretching helps it relax, but as soon as I start moving it hurts again. Not real pain as I know no damage is being done by moving. But, the discomfort is enough that I really want to lay in bed and not move. Years ago (and nothing to do with back pain at the time) I was advised to learn the difference between pain (actively destroying body structures) and discomfort (everything else) and to listen to pain, but ignore discomfort. Granted, that takes knowledge beyond just how something feels. Anyway, looks like I'm going to have to take a healthy dose of 'don't be a bitch' today. It has been a while and it feels like the little bitch inside me is not so little anymore from a lack of beatings.

Man I feel for ya and hope you get better.

What’s the reasoning on removing the lumbar pad? This just seems like trouble waiting to happen.

 

[Marbles]

Man I feel for ya and hope you get better.

What’s the reasoning on removing the lumbar pad? This just seems like trouble waiting to happen.

Curiosity, I just wanted to see if it would work for me without it. Clearly it does not, and the pad will stay on from now on.

 

[Jedgar]

Two things come to mind. Tens unit, I have buddies that have them installed permanent I just use the pads and zap it till it goes away. 2nd is core strength, I wrecked my back A few years ago and vowed never again, a device called a stealth trainer made planes suck a little less and seriously strengthen my core. Worth taking a look at both.
Im the old man at “work” and run circles around all the 20 something kids. Will be breaking some of them off tomorrow am.

 

[kylegreulich]

Been reading through this thread here and there are a lot of good recommendations. I am going to come at it from a little different angle. I had a disc injury, and was looking for ways to help fix it. There are a couple smart minds in the fitness world who, instead of standard cardio, use walking lunges to replace it. They are a little more on the bodybuilding/powerlifting side, but it worked wonders for me. I don't think this is a replacement for slow state cardio, but in terms of a complete exercise to help all supporting muscles for the lower back and posterior chain, it did absolute wonders for me. I did 400 meters on a running track, knee touching on each rep, 4-6 times a week after i hurt my back. It does an amazing job of building quads and glutes, while stretching out the hamstrings on every rep. At first it would take me around 16 minutes to do the 400, but i worked up to around 12 minutes. It's an amazing, low impact exercise and i still do it a couple times a week in addition to more traditional cardio. Once you are feeling a bit better i would give it a shot.

Kyle

 

[zacattack]

Been reading through this thread here and there are a lot of good recommendations. I am going to come at it from a little different angle. I had a disc injury, and was looking for ways to help fix it. There are a couple smart minds in the fitness world who, instead of standard cardio, use walking lunges to replace it. They are a little more on the bodybuilding/powerlifting side, but it worked wonders for me. I don't think this is a replacement for slow state cardio, but in terms of a complete exercise to help all supporting muscles for the lower back and posterior chain, it did absolute wonders for me. I did 400 meters on a running track, knee touching on each rep, 4-6 times a week after i hurt my back. It does an amazing job of building quads and glutes, while stretching out the hamstrings on every rep. At first it would take me around 16 minutes to do the 400, but i worked up to around 12 minutes. It's an amazing, low impact exercise and i still do it a couple times a week in addition to more traditional cardio. Once you are feeling a bit better i would give it a shot.

Kyle

Thanks.

I’m going to see a doctor of osteopath thursday. Hoping for some help there.

 

[CainGang]

So a few years ago I had a muscle spasm in my upper back, about a week ago I had one in my lower back. Holy moly these things hurt. X-rays shows I have straightening of my lumbar vertebra, which could be the cause of the spasms or caused by the spasm, they didn’t know which of course from just one X-ray. Unfortunately it’s about 2 months or more to get into the specialist around here. So, anybody ever had these and got any advice or exercises that might help?

This a not a fun problem to deal with, sorry to hear you're going through it! I would recommend trying to get into a regular old Physical Therapist before they send you to go under the knife if that is what they are looking to do. A little PT can work wonders!

 

[zacattack]

This a not a fun problem to deal with, sorry to hear you're going through it! I would recommend trying to get into a regular old Physical Therapist before they send you to go under the knife if that is what they are looking to do. A little PT can work wonders!

The doctor today said surgery was a last ditch option and he has a lot to try before we got there. So that made me feel good. He basically stretched me to try and make space for the disk to go back in. He thought it was possibly bulging.

 

[CainGang]

Good to hear that the doc doesn't want to funnel you straight to the operating table. A lot of folks end up getting cut way before it is absolutely necessary. Keep on whatever they recommended and be persistent!