Advice on back pain

[TexasOutlaw]

I need some advice. I really want to play, but my lower back is acting up (prevailing back problem). Should I take a few days off, or play anyay? For those of you that know the physics of throwing, can I further injur my back?

 

[roadkill1]

Talking a few days off would be wise.

Ice therapy if the pain has resulted in the past 36 hours
Heat therapy if the condition is over 36 hours old
Stretching is good
-Cobra Stretch
- Mad Cat Stretch
-Knees to the chest stretch

And of course ibuprofen and plenty of water

For me sleeping with a pillow between my knees also helps.

Good Luck!

 

[jamsisjams]

Anybody care to give advice on shoulder pain?

 

[mothrows1]

Talking a few days off would be wise.

Ice therapy if the pain has resulted in the past 36 hours
Heat therapy if the condition is over 36 hours old

I never can keep straight when to use ice and when to use the heat.

 

[Will1]

friend of mine who works construction always told me to stretch the legs and you will never have back pain. Hes been doing it over 15 years and swears by it so it must be doing him good. Might not do you any good, but its a possibility.

 

[roadkill1]

friend of mine who works construction always told me to stretch the legs and you will never have back pain. Hes been doing it over 15 years and swears by it so it must be doing him good. Might not do you any good, but its a possibility.

That's because tight legs leads to the back compensation when bending and lifting. Hamstring stretches are probably the most important leg stretches to help prevent back problems.
Strong abdominal muscles, consistant stretching, proper lifting/bending and good posture are all tenants for a healthy back.

 

[matchu]

I do a yoga stretch someone showed me, normally after the fact

 

[TexasOutlaw]

The doctor recommends heating pad for whatever I have and Ibuprophen. I avoid pain killers because they are narcotics.

And he's also discussed stretches with me. I think I remember that I'm supposed to stretch my hamstrings.

What I don't know is if I can further aggravate it or play through the pain.

 

[roadkill1]

Based on the doctor's orders it seems you must be dealing with tightness as well as pain.

It depends on the severity of the muscles spasms whether or not you could play. I know you don't want to recoginize it but your body would be better off if you took a little time off. I've been there many times. Your mind wants to play, your body wants rest. When you play tight you can't play your best and you increase the chance of causing more injury. When you tee off it's a violent weight shift and torso twist. The back spasms are your body's tools to immobilize your injured muscles and you (we) want to go out and participate in activity that will likely prolong the healing time.

Do what you want but I know from experience that if you play hurt you'll remain hurt for longer than if you took your medicine and took time off. Besides that you could develop new injuries trying to perform actions that are hindered by tight muscles.

I had a three week injury that is now in its 16th month and on top of it I've developed new injuries all because I thought "it's okay, I'll just take some ibuprofen and get through it."

 

[matchu]

I got a new pillow top mattress last summer, and the first morning after sleeping on new mattress all my back pain was gone. true nuff

 

[jist313]

Back pain is nothing to laugh at. I work in shipping and have messed my back up many times. Preventing pain is the best way to deal with it, of course if your talking about it then its already too late, but for others reading. Drink plenty of water to keep muscles hydrated and healthy, always stretch before you play or work. Yes, stretch your legs too. After you have been hurt, it takes time and sometimes a long time. Some light exercise and light tosses with the disc helped me when I could do it, until it hurt too much. Don't over do it, take some time off from really competitive play and let your back rest. medicine helps cover the pain but you can really hurt it more if your not careful, then you will be out for a while. Heat helps to loosen muscles and get them moving again. Continue to stretch all day, whenever you have a chance. I always tell myself, You only get one back, if you do get a second one then its plastic. Hope this helps.

 

[domromer]

try yoga, I've had backpain ever since high school. Nothing worked but lots of pain pills. I got sick of being doped up all the time, so I tried yoga. I haven't had to take any pills for over a year now. Its not cured, but it is a lot easier to live with.

 

[TheBigKahunaNC]

I suffer from chronic back pain...lower back specifically. There are a few simple yoga stretches you can do to really help keep your back loose. I can play two rounds, and my back only gets sore from bending and picking up discs and my bag. The throwing does no hurt my back oddly enough. The most beneficial stretch I do invloves sitting on your knees, resting your rump on your heels, and leaning forward like your worshipping some idol...hands extended as far forward as you can reach...keeping your butt on your feet. You'll feel it pull your lower back muscles. This simple excercise done daily, has helped keep me from pulling my back muscles for over 2 years. I used to pull them 2 or 3 times a year.

Another good one involves strengthening your trunk muscles. Kneeling on all fours, raise your opposite hand/foot shouder level...right leg, left arm, and vice versa alternating. Lower and raise your hand and foot for 10 reps, then switch to the opposite hand/foot and repeat for 10 more reps. Increase the reps until you can do 50 per hand/foot. You should only be moving the hand/foot about 6" each rep. Do it slowly. You should be resting on one hand, one knee and balancing each lift. Do this until it starts to get tiring/sore. This and the stretch above really work for me.

 

[discmonkey42]

I've been looking for a good yoga routine for core strength, flexibilty, and overall stretching that would be beneficial to disc golf. Unfortunately I can only really find books or vids that are yoga for weight loss or other things I'm not interested in. Any suggestions or links?

 

[Glock231]

Anybody care to give advice on shoulder pain?

Both of my shoulders are jacked from sports when I was younger. I have bursitis and a lot of pain in my shoulders and neck. When I went to the physical therapist a few months ago, he gave me the best advice I have gotten. ICE. Ice it until it hurts, and then keep icing. The extreme cold causes you blood vessels to expand, and helps move some of the acid out of those areas. They vessels shrink initially, but then get to a point where they think you are being deprived, and expand very quickly. This takes atleast 7-8 minutes of icing. It has really helped with my movement and inflamation. I also have chronic back pain from a broken vertebrae in my lower back, and it has helped with that as well. Also, get some of those power bands and strech with those. They will help the shoulder pain and range of motion. If you need to use heat, just make sure you ice it after the heat, and if you can get someone to massage the sore area, it can help push the acid and pain out as well. My .02

 

[TexasOutlaw]

Common sense tells me to take some time away (yet more time away), but I have a few days off coming up.

I definately need to learn yoga. I have what some of you were describing: chronic lumbar pain. Normally sticks around for a week or 2 then gets better. It's actually down to a dull throb, so I think I'm on the upswing.

I went walking yesterday (running aggravated me a little), and I did okay. Any suggestions for yoga literature or links? Or should I find a local person? I know a bartender that does yoga maybe I can hit her up for some lessons/pointers.

 

[domromer]

After having bad back pain for so many years I was not flexibile at all. I went to a yoga class and couldn't do half the moves they were doing. I got a book called yoga for wimps. It's really good. It has a entire section on moves for backpain.

http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Wimps-Poses-Flexibly-Impaired/dp/0806943394

 

[The Clergyman]

Careful with the stretching. Seriously.
I have chronic lower-back pain ... actually HAD. So I guess it's not chronic anymore.
I thought I would have to live life always wondering if I could pick up my daughter or not, if I could drive a car for more than 3 hours or not, and so on. I'm in my late 30's and I was just getting depressed.
Here is my advice and I will tell you in advance that it has saved my life.
Get the proper mattress for your bed. That's crucial.
Second, go buy Mark Verstegen's book called "Core Performance." In it he describes how to strengthen your core muscles (they are interior and not show-ey ones). You need to discipline yourself to actually do the excercises (about 45 minutes a day) but if you are anything like I was, no price is too high to pay for a pain free and stronger-than-ever back. You won't just recover and maintain, you will bring up the strength of your back to places you never thought possible.
Along with this comes the advice I learned about stretching. I used to stretch out the hamstrings almost daily and certainly before exercising. Now that is almost a no-no for me. It all depends on what the issue with your back is. It sounds like the opposite of what makes sense but for me if I stretch the hamstring I am aggravating the disc that gives me trouble. Instead, I need to do the opposite stretch. Part of this involved hyperextending my back (that is to stretch - not to cause damage). BUT before you start doing this kind of stretching, or any stretching, go to either a chiropractor or a physical therapist (neither of those types like the other and I would recomend you to the chiropractor first).
A year a go there was nothing in my life that I could simply "do." EVERYTHING I wanted to do had to be thoroughly considered or else my back could lay me up for up to a month or MORE at a time. My life is changed because of CORE activity. Do this.
BTW when developed, these interior muscles will add considerable distance to your tee shot.
Let me know how it goes.

 

[TexasOutlaw]

Thanks Clergy.

I'm ahead of you on some of these. I have a matress that was recommended by my doctor. Chronic means it returns I believe. That's what I have: on occasions my back flares up.

I'm actually feeling very good today and intend to play on Saturday. The doctor normally tells me to stretch my hamstrings, prescribes a pain killer (which I don't take), and prescribes Motrin 800 (2 pills). He advises that I avoid the pain killers as much as possible, but to take them if the pain gets unbearable.

But i find that my Ibuprophen with a beer normally makes the pain bearable.

THANKS FOR THE WELL WISHES, EVERYBODY!

 

[roadkill1]

A couple comments on some of the prior posts:



Yoga- I've attended a few yoga classes and some of what they do is good while some of it can harm your back worse. My doctor told me I need to keep my lower back in either a concave (arched inward) or neutral (straight) position never in a convex (bowed outward) position. One of the stretches common in yoga is where you're in a standing position and you bend over at the waist and place your palms on the floor near your feet. This type of stretch and many similiar to it put the lower back in a convex position which stresses the discs in the lower spine.

Books-
I own both Core Performance and Yoga for wimps.
I think Core Performance is really suited for highly competitive athletes and by that I mean those who's 40 hour work week primarily involves their sport. Professional athletes and Division 1 athletes on an athletic scholarship. Not that the exercise plans are impossible for a working stiff to do but they are very ambitious, pretty complex and intense.
Yoga for wimps is a very well written exercise book with plenty of photos and is primarily written for exercise novices but there are so many stretches and exercises designed for people of different conditions and abilities that there is plenty there for everyone.
Both are excellent books. I just think that realisticly only a minute percentage of people have the dedication to follow the strict plan outlined in Core Performance. Yoga for wimps is much less intimidating and is written with a great sense of humor. If you can afford both get both books and pick and choose the exercises you want.

Hamstrings-
These are the largest and most powerful muscles in the body. Keeping these stretched and limber is very important in preventing injuries in the legs and the back. The big thing is to know how to stretch them properly without puting any undue stress on the lower back. The best and safest way is to lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet about 7-8 inches from your butt and your lower back pressed flat against the floor. Then pick one leg up, loop a towel or strip of elastive latex over the ball of the foot. With your backpressed flat on the floor, extend your foot up and outward gradually pulling back on the towel with your hands and straightening your leg slowly. Stretch for 15 seconds per repetition . Ten reps per leg. By keeping your lower back flat on the floor it is supported and there should be no pain if done correctly. This stretch was prescribed to me while I was seeing a physical therapist for my back problems.