Viewing 21 posts - 1 through 21 (of 21 total)
  • Anyone good with back injuries?
  • legend
    Free Member

    NOTE: I Am Not A Doctors allowed.

    As mentioned in the stupid crash thread, I went OTB on Saturday and cripped by back (+ neck + head) a bit. Sitting here right now, it’s basically ok with just minor twinges every so often (although my neck has decided to play up instead this morning – meh.). However, in the wee hours every morning I’m waking up in a load of pain and there’s nothing I can do to get rid apart from get out of bed and after an hour or so’s moving around (whilst quietly wimpering to myself) it’ll start dying back down again.

    Have any back pain pro’s got any tips for sorting this out? Strap on a heat pack before going to bed perhaps? 5 nights of rubbish sleep is starting to take it’s toll.

    Cheers,

    Mark

    Northwind
    Full Member

    IANAD; I’d go and see a doctor. Or physio but for me, doctor first, backs are useful things.

    slackalice
    Free Member

    Go to a physiotherapist would be my call.

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    ajantom
    Full Member

    Based on the recovery from my fracture coccyx – One of those microwaveable hot water bottles works well, try and get some double strength ibuprofen (my arthritic mother in law sorted some out for me!)
    Depending on how bad it is, in a few days try some gentle stretching, and hot baths worked wonders for me.

    legend
    Free Member

    Cunningly, I know the good stretches for it already…. due to many other previous physio visits 😕 They definitely help, it’s the 7-8hours of inactivity that are killing me right now

    and may I also add “Based on the recovery from my fracture coccyx” – ouch!

    kiddaclo
    Free Member

    Ice on for 15mins then off for 15 repeat up to 3 times. If you’re waking up with pain might be worth trying a different sleeping position see if it helps.

    Iburofen and paracetamol taken at the same time.

    This helps me when it’s really acute: lye on my front on the floor deep breaths in through the nose out through the mouth and concentrate on relaxing the back muscles. bit hippy but helps me!

    Oh yeah and as above find a good osteopath or physio in my experience doctors will just palm you off with strong pain meds.

    KEEP MOVING

    olddog
    Full Member

    I would go to the docs – TBH I’d be tempted to go to A&E, they at least will be able to some proper diagnostic tests (although I’d find a time it wasn’t very busy.

    Before anyone tells me off – I think coming off mountain bike and suffering spinal pain comes under the Accident bit of A&E

    jambalaya
    Free Member

    Definitely the doctor, try very hard to get him to recommend you to a specialist. GPs aren’t specialists.

    I would think ice pack is better than heat. Back/neck muscles are big and they can spasm/lock and of course you have the potential swelling locking everything in place.

    I have back issues and have various stretching and strengthening excesizes but until it stops hurting you should be doing them (note my gf had a serious neck injury from a wake boarding fall and the specialist doctor and physio where very forecefull in their advice of don’t excersize if it’s hurting)

    Drac
    Full Member

    GP for you or a minor injury/walk in centre.

    If you’re in pain like that you need checked before seeing a physio. No not A&E, yes you came off your bike but that was a few days ago so no acute.

    totalshell
    Full Member

    MTFU or paracetamol.. a & e will laff when you tell them you did it the best part of a week ago A = recent accident ie measured in hours not days/weeks E= life threatening

    its just stiffening up by laying inactive for a few hours.. keep moving before bed keep warm in bed and pain killers if its that bad that it wakes you.

    gp will just send you to someone else and in three weeks they ll send you to a physio than 3 weeks later they ll send for you and by then it ll be gone..

    klumpy
    Free Member

    You have at least damaged the muscles in your back. (You might have done more, which is where a doctor comes in.)
    Up to a point they need rest, after that point they may need physio to restore them to a proper operating state. Finding that point means talking to a professional.

    (Note that needles, chi, auras, and subluxation adjustments do not build muscle or aid flexibility, if they did then gymnasts wouldn’t bother with all that difficult exercise and stretching.)

    olddog
    Full Member

    Ok, fair enough – MIU not A&E is the correct advice

    In my defence the last time I went to an A&E it was 25 years ago, before MIUs existed as separate units and so they did deal with this kind of thing.

    Drac
    Full Member

    No they didn’t you went to your GP.

    toby1
    Full Member

    I’m not one for rushing to the doctors, but if you landed as badly as it sounds like you did and you are not sleeping as a result of the pain if day go see someone, a professional, not just anyone 😉

    Just in case there is some serious damage you are not aware of yet.

    andermt
    Free Member

    Not sure about the usefulness of going to see your GP, when I did my back in and could hardly move he just prescribed some painkillers and said to go home, keep moving, and if it was still bad in a week or so come back.

    Didn’t bother waiting a week just fired up the company healthcare and went to a physio. Found a really good one close to home and after numerous weeks I’m back on the bike without any pain (mostly).

    sheafy
    Free Member

    I ain’t a doctor, but I went to one, and did these things – sorry it is a long post, but this stuff really helped me, it might help you as well. Having been through it I wished someone had just told me what to do!

    I also went OTB, whilst manualling down a few successive big rocky drop-offs – I landed on my spine on the edge of a rock, and broke my L1 vertebrae. Basically, I was a tool and I broke my back.

    Biggest bit of advice is to take it seriously and not to push it to soon – your back is supported by lots of soft tissue which gets damaged easily and doesn’t heal well, and if you don’t give it the time it needs it may never get back to what it once was. Never riding again is not a risk worth taking – don’t be a hero. See a doctor and find out for sure what is going on in there.

    I slept on the floor for about 6 months, as this was the only way to get more than an hours kip at a time – on the bed I woke up after an hour or so hurting like hell, I could not stand it. After about 2 months of this I started using my thermarest, rather than just the carpet, then back on the bed. I now have to lie down with 2 pillows between my knees – that REALLY helps with getting decent sleep, but with this I’m sleeping fine now.

    Soft tissue recovery – learn some yoga; downward facing dog, stuff like that which stretches your back out. I still spend up to 30 minutes everyday stretching my back out. Do lots of core exercises too, which are good for you anyway. I also find lying on 2 tennis balls, 1 either side of my spine, is incredible – use your weight to roll them up and down and to put pressure on painful bits of muscle, it works wonders. Also work on your posture – sit up straight all the time, no slouching. I still get bad pains and aches almost weekly, but the tennis balls sort that out.

    Drugs/medicine stuff – ibruprofen is an anti-inflammatory which will reduce some pain and help it heal a bit faster; they helped me. I tried the heat patches too but they didn’t do me any good. If you go to a doctor and moan you’ll get some decent pain killers, and lots of it – I’ve still got some codeine left over!

    Lastly, if you haven’t already, take some time off work – I didn’t at first and it put another month at least on my recovery time. You have to stay active to prevent muscle degeneration around your spine, but I found I couldn’t do 1 thing for more than about 10 minutes before the pain got too much. Being off work allowed me to do stretches, or sit, or stand or whatever when I needed to.

    I couldn’t ride at all for 2 months. After this, I stared riding on roads, gently, mainly because walking hurt more. After about 3 I was back on smooth singletrack-type stuff, 4 months and I was on the technical stuff again. I’m still trying to work up to the bigger jumps, and slowly accepting that it isn’t going to work for me anymore. Sh*t happens – like I say, don’t risk it.

    Good luck to you!

    mountainman
    Full Member

    I use a good osteopath,or a chiropractor,worth the £40 or so to get a professional opinion.n treatment ,oyu might get your GP to refer you but waiting lists can be long.

    monkeysfeet
    Free Member

    Hi Mark. I am currently off the bike due to an over the bars crash resulting in a back injury.
    The symptoms I had were/are a sharp pain down my left leg after being seated for a few minutes. Saw my own physio as nhs was a 12 week wait. Anyway, i had a bulged disc which was aggravating my sciatic nerve. Was told 4 months to get better, but after seeing physio, doing stretches and plilates after 2 months a huge improvement.

    My advice, docs, ibupropen and see if you can get to a physio asap. (£35 -40) per session near me

    Hope its better soon mate.

    highclimber
    Free Member

    I use a good osteopath,or a chiropractor,worth the £40 or so to get a professional opinion.n treatment ,oyu might get your GP to refer you but waiting lists can be long.

    If you want to risk being paraylised go to A chiropractor – they are up there with accupuncturists, reiki masters and psychics only a lot more dangerous.

    dpfr
    Full Member

    If you want to risk being paraylised go to A chiropractor – they are up there with accupuncturists, reiki masters and psychics only a lot more dangerous.

    I’m not sure you can generalise. I have used a chiropractor for a good few years now and he has sorted out a bunch of long standing back, neck and shoulder problems. However, I did a lot of asking around before choosing and the one I go to looks after quite a few top flight sportspeople, including footballers, rugby players and cyclists. Some chiropractors are certainly charlatans but I’d recommend mine to anybody.

    wanmankylung
    Free Member

    GPs aren’t specialists.

    Yes they are, they’re specialists in general practice.

    As for the OP, get it checked out by a professional who knows what they’re doing.

    If you have any of these I’d be going to A&E because that’s where a physio would send you:

    The pain is in the upper part of the spine (thoracic spine).
    You have developed problems in the nervous system, for example numbness, loss of power, disturbed walking (gait) or bowel/ bladder disturbance.
    You have had cancer in the past or at present.
    The pain is constant and getting worse.
    The pain follows a violent injury, such as an RTA (road traffic accident).
    You are on steroid medication.
    You are misusing drugs, or have HIV.
    You are generally unwell in yourself or have an unexplained fever.
    You have lost a significant amount of weight.
    You are continuing to have great difficulty bending forwards.
    If you are younger than 20 or older than 55 when you get back pain for the first time.
    You have developed a structural deformity of the spine.

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