Preventing Back Pain

[Douger]

I thought it would be useful to start a thread on this. Here's what I've learned:

 

1) Divide your weight between your shoulders and your waist.

You can do this in a couple of ways. One is to purchase a waist pouch/lumbar pack in addition to your chest pack or vest. The bulk of the weight should be on your hips. Another way, and the route I've gone, is to use a waist/lumbar pack and attach suspenders. I learned this from my uncle, who is a police officer. He suffered back pain for years at work and his chiropractor suggested that he wear suspenders in order to reduce the stress on his lower back caused by carying his gear (baton, Maglight, etc.) on his belt. He says it really helped. I got a waist pack from Bass Pro that holds what I need, and went to Mark's Work Wearhouse and bought wide suspenders. I'm a skinny guy, and weight is always a concern. I was out the other day for 12 hours with no back pain. On the other hand, I bought a chest pack to try out and wore it around the house filled with what I would normally carry. I could feel the strees on my upper back, neck and shoulders after only an hour. I returned it.

 

2) Put one foot up on a rock.

Instead of normal standing, with both feet at the same level, get one foot a little higher. Put it up on a rock, log, or even a bump in the ground. I don't know exactly why this works, but it's a standard pratice and is a common suggestion found in workplace health & safety brocures.

 

3) Stand straight & don't slouch.

 

Does anyone else have suggestions?

 

-d-

[ccmtcanada]

The slouching thing it HUGE for me...I have to make sure to keep proper posture. I also try to make sure to shift my weight from foot to foot if I dont have a rock near by. When all else fails, I take some anti inflammatory drugs when I begin to feel pain.

[Zib]

Drink plenty of water.

[charlied]

you need to strengthen your stomach and mid section core......this is huge to prevent bad back pain!

[Daplumma]

you need to strengthen your stomach and mid section core......this is huge to prevent bad back pain!

Core srtength is key.Those love handles and beer belly will not help either.There is a book by Dr John Sarno on back pain.If you are having back issues and it is affecting the way you live it might be a good read.Best of luck.

Joe

[Pigeontroller]

Don't "sit" on your wallet. Having your wallet, especially a thick one, in your back pocket while sitting for long periods can twist your Sacrum and lower vertebrates.

[Weeds]

Good shoes make a difference. Not that I can afford them mind you, but then again, I got the back pain.

[Terry]

drink lots of booze

 

 

it doesn't prevent back pain..

 

but you don't give a damn

 

 

and in the morning your head hurts so much

 

you forget your back

[irishfield]

Go on a BOQ trip with Dano and Terry. The adrenalin will take care of it for you until it's time to go home.... Well that and the muscle relaxers!

 

Seriously, I've lived with it for decades, born with an incomplete L4.

 

Wallet in back pocket is a big one as Pigeontroller points out. Sit upright, not slouched over. If you are working in your shop have rubber mats down around your work area and if you stand as a machine operator at work or similar be sure to ask for the same. Your employer will more than likely buy you some matting , vs the WSIB pier rate increase that will go on next years payment rate on everyones gross pay after you've claim WSIB.

 

I'm terrible for neglecting my back...but the less you do the worse it actually is in most cases so keep active.

Edited April 9, 2007 by irishfield

[Headhunter]

Zib hit the nail on the head! I suffered back pain for years and after an operation in the mid 90's, it has been mainly good and stable. One of the things I learned from my surgeon was that the body steals required elements from itself, in order to perform what the brain tells it. If you don't drink enough water, the body will "steal" water from areas it preceives as being "non-essential", with one of the biggest areas being our discs. Our discs are made up of material which is similar to crab meat in texture. When the body is starved for water, it will draw water from your discs and cause you limitless trouble. The discs become more "brittle" and will quickly degenerate.

Keep you fluids up, proper exercise and posture and you will be off to a great start.

HH

[Moosebunk]

When the body is starved for water, it will draw water from your discs and cause you limitless trouble. The discs become more "brittle" and will quickly degenerate.

Keep you fluids up, proper exercise and posture and you will be off to a great start.

 

Drugs, shoes, mats, braces... they're all aids.

 

Above, what HH said, is the most true and effective approach.

 

Also, the lower back muscles do sooo much but are really quite small in comparison to other major parts. These muscles when fatigued or injured tend to also need the most recovery time. Circulation here is often poor as, HH eludes the body will steal from this area often for things as simple as digestion and other metabloic functions. This can slow healing in itself.

 

Ever notice when spending a day in the boat, or, a long time on the ice on a cold day how the back stiffens unless you continue to nourish with fluids and food. Same if working hard in general. More than any other part, if I miss eating and drinking, I feel this.

 

Proper posture is impossible it seems for 99% of us. Right now most of us our slouching I'd bet. Like blinking, it's not something people think about.

 

Exercise seems to bother people initially, but over time and initial pain is the key for greater endurance of the parts. Get fishing.

 

And last, stress is the silent plague to us all. Healthy mind - healthy body. Get fishing even more then.

[Markd]

That's very interesting.. about staying hydrated. I can think of some times when I have starved myself or not cosumed enough liquids, while also noticing some incidental back pain. That is some good information to know.

 

I myself had back surgery 3 years ago due to a cracked vertibrate sustained from a football injury. I have found that the ONLY real way to eliminate back pain is to go to the gym and strengthen my entire core. Various excercies that work my lower back, obliques, and abs are essential. I then continue to do a full upper or lower body workout, which in itself provides more of a workout for your core. It is important to have proper posture WHILE doing any excersies and to properly utilize your core muscles. The way I look at it, if I don't go to the gym, my back will again become sore within a few weeks, so its a GREAT incentive to keep me going back 3 times a week.

 

In any serious motion that your body does, whether lifting a heavy weight, preparing for a hit(hockey or football), your core muscles 'fire' and hold your core for the most part in one place. An example my personal trainer gave me is like a pop can... where before the can is open, the pressure of the liquid and gas keeps the whole thing very rigid (this compares to your core muscles firing and keeping your core solid.) If the pressure is lost (as if your muscles are weak or give out) the rigidity is lost and there is no support, therefore putting pressure on your spine and back. It is vital to keep this muscles strong and make sure that they don't go unused from day to day.

 

Something that goes hand in hand with going to the gym and strengthening muscles is STRETCHING. Not only the muscles in your back, but your legs as well. Your muscles are connected in a 'chain' all the way from your ankles to the back of your head. Some people with back problems may feel this, as for example you bend your neck forward to your chest and you can feel something pulling on your lower back. It works the same way with your legs. You must stretch often to make sure that not even ONE muscle in this 'chain' is tight or the rest of the connected muscles will have to compensate. This problem is common as most of us sit in an office chair all day. This commonly causes some muscles to become tight and make others overcompensate, really wrecking our posture and causing problems. This all sounds like a lot, but simple lower back and leg stretches will really help. Look up a set of streches for people with back problems.

 

Like a lot of us, we have these conditions or issues that we simply have to live with for the rest of our lives. I figure that instead of complaining about it I just deal with it and look for the best possible option to make things better.

 

Thanks for all the input, I hope mine helped.

 

Mark

Edited April 11, 2007 by Markd

[Hooked]

drink lots of booze

it doesn't prevent back pain..

 

but you don't give a damn

and in the morning your head hurts so much

 

you forget your back

 

Terry, you are the Zen of back pain remedy, that was awesome!

[Dabluz]

Another thing is to keep your back warm. Fishermen like to fish with their back to the wind. You must have something that cuts the wind and insolates the back.

 

Even keeping the body warm all over helps. When we start to feel cold, we have a tendancy to tighten our muscles.

 

I'm lucky. I rarely have back pains....even after a couple of hours picking nightcrawlers. However, I have noticed that if I don't keep my back warm, it does stiffen up. I'm sure that a sudden bad move and I could sprain a muscle.

[Mattitude]

I wanna say Percocet , but I heard Yoga does wonders