Lower Back Pain - Chicago,IL

I do this every once in a while. For me, it won't get better until I go to the chiropractor and have the stuck rib/bone moved loose.

When I was in high school physics, we did a calculation to see how much strain is put on the low back when we bend over to pick something up. The amount of weight that you pick up is increased exponentially. So, it doesn't have to be anything you did differently, it could have been that you just moved and a nerve got pinched.

I have had this happen, done the doctor thing, physical therapy, Epsom salts, anti inflammatory meds, etc....for over 2 months, and nothing worked. I went to the chiropractor, and walked out free from pain for the first time in months!

You're getting older ...

Seriously, I never had anything like that with normal activity (including working out with free weights, white water rafting, etc...) until I hit my 40s. Starting around age 40-42 I started noticing that I could bend over to take clothes out of the dryer and bend wrong and pinch something.

It doesn't take nearly as much these days. Particularly since I do not do the specific exercises to strengthen my core, like I used to do in the old days. Being active isn't exactly the same as having a strong core.

When I do something like that, I take it easy, try to lie flat (on my back or side, with no pillow, and not reclined on pillows to read or anything) when I'm resting or sleeping, and I take ibuprofen. You could ice/heat. But I'm not a fan of doing that usually. Have you used any ice or heat? Or advil?

I'm no doctor, so I don't know if you can safely take ibuprofen (I assume you do know, however).

My suggestion would be to see a Dr to get a correct diagnosis.

I currently have a pulled rib and no idea how I did it. Along with that, I'm getting over a flare up of gout and my ankles ache.

I do not carry extra weight at all, I do have bad bones.. Inherited ( yeah!)

Currently I've found comfort with a spa day massage ( I don't do that regularly but may start!) I do take a supplement of turmeric (SAFE and natural and recommended by my Dr.) which is a natural anti inflammatory that helps and regular Epsom salt soaks help a lot.

I hope you find some relief!

Do you work your back as much as you work your abs? A lot of women make the mistake of not keeping it balanced. Try some stretches on a balance ball.

Google "yoga exercises for lower back". After suffering for months, I cured myself by doing those exercises twice a day. It took about 2 wks for the pain to go away. Feel better.

Find a good chiropractor - ask your local friends for a recommendation. Whenever I tweak my back doing absolutely nothing (or something like cleaning or shoveling snow) I drop everything and get to my chiro as soon as they're open and get immediate relief. I'm normally functional within a day or two and completely healed and ready to workout again in a few weeks. It takes a few sessions but they're worth every penny!

Are you taking ibruprophen? You should be. There's inflammation in there that needs to be dealt with.

Go to the doctor and make sure that you haven't done something to a disc. There is always chiropractic or acupuncture. My son's physical therapy department with a big orthopedic hospital has a PT who uses acupuncture. I watched the guy put a lot of needles in one patient...

Back pain is cumulative.
It's not what you did today, it's all of the things added over time.
Ibuprofen
Warm bath.

Try a hot bath or heating pad (or a liniment).
That might help if it's muscular.
Some gentle yoga type stretches might help.
If you can find a chin up bar (or something to hang by at a playground maybe) you can try just hanging by your arms for awhile to decompress your spine.
It sounds a bit like sciatica.

http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/guide/sciatica-symptoms

you might have also pulled at the sciatic nerve and having done that myself, it can take a week or longer to get back on track.. not to mention, IF your lower back is tight in general, then that will make matters worse.
have you tried an epsom salt bath? those really have helped me.. afterward, arnica oil, sombra, tiger's balm.. either one has been effective for me..
Also, when you do your stretching... definitely stretch your legs a lot.. if your hamstrings are really tight (from working out) they will tug on your lower back.. I know mine do..in yoga, there is this pose, the pigeon pose, you can google it and check out the images, gotta say, that pose is great because it really helps to stretch the lower buttock area and when that area is tight, it can wreck havoc on the lower back.. give that a shot and see if it works.. but go slowly.. so as not to bring more pain to your back..

good luck

First and foremost, I think it's time to visit with your doctor. It's been over a week and you're still having pain. Be sure that you are not more injured than you think.

Once you get the inflammation and pain taken care of, please consider working on core strengthening exercises, which will protect your back from future injury. I agree with J. S. All too often we focus on our tummies, but not on the fact that our abdominal muscles wrap all the way around our torso and connect to our lower back. It's easy to tweak these muscles if we don't put forth the effort to keep them strong.

I suggest planks, pushups, and yoga, as well as weighted lunges, dips and squats (which work stabilizing muscles). Using a stability ball for crunches is good too.

I hurt my back in a similar way almost 20 years ago. It was my sciatic nerve and for several weeks it hurt to do anything. I still have random flare ups. Sometimes I know what caused it, sometimes I don't.

For personal reasons I won't go to a chiropractor. I usually self treat with ibuprofen and heat and ice. Start with ice and then alternate between heat and ice. I have also used the adhesive ice/heat pads that you can buy. They work for days when I have to be at work. I have also used Doanes pills for back ache.

I did go to my medical doctor at one point and he referred me to physical therapy, but that was after a month or more with extreme back pain and limited mobility. He told me that a chiropractor would have done little for me because it was a muscular injury. (That pain started after I nursed my son one day.) The PT gave me exercises to do at home (core strength and shoulder strength are very important) and also did some massage therapy and used the Tens unit (electric shock). It was the best relief. I have used massage (not from a PT) but it doesn't really help.

Be sure you are wearing shoes with good support. Be careful with lifting even small things (lift with your knees). Be careful with how you turn at the waist. Whether you see a medical doctor or a chiropractor, if it isn't better in another week or so go to see someone. If it isn't treated correctly it can be a life of back pain. I deal with back pain on an almost daily basis now if I'm on my feet for too long.

40's or up? It could by sciatic nerve.

Try soaking in epson salt for 20 minutes. I have nerve damage in my foot from my back damage. I soaked it in the epson and it reducted the tingling feeling. I was amazed, since I had surgery 5 years ago and just live with the tingles and pain.

Soft tissue injuries are tough - they can take a while to heal. They can occur with very simple motions - bending over to spit out the toothpaste, that sort of thing.

If it's in your butt and maybe going down your leg, it may well be sciatic nerve pain - but that can be affected by a number of back muscles and SI injuries.

Stop stretching for right now - do ICE! 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off. Try an anti-inflammatory, either over the counter or a SAFE natural alternative (not just anything that says "natural" is safe or wise). Rest. Lie down with the small of your back into the floor, knees bent.

My husband just went through this - and he is extremely athletic, in shape, etc. But he did some exercises the wrong way, without proper support, and that's all it took. He did medicinal doses of anti-inflammatories plus a natural product that does not conflict or have side effects. It took about 10 days. He did use a prescription muscle relaxant for a few days, per the doctor.

If you don't rest, this could take a lot longer. Let the cardio go for right now, even walking - if you keep reinsuring yourself, you'll take forever to get well. The more you increase the inflammation, the worse you're going to make this. And the pain often moves because when you are hurt, you either consciously or unconsciously adjust your posture and carriage and activities to favor the injured area - and that puts strain on new muscles. You're better off just really healing up, and trusting that you will regain your cardio benefit and other muscle development/workouts (as well as letting your floors go a week or two) if you just wait it out.

Hot hot shower and so stretches while in there. Stay out of bed. Worst thing for backs. We humans walk on two feet, hence the back pain. Aleve is great. Two in the morning and you are good to go.

well.....to be honest? It might not be a pinched nerve. Your lower back is where your kidneys and liver are.

What color is your urine?
Does it smell any different?

If your urine is dark or smells funky? You need to see a doctor - today. Heck - it's been a week and nothing has changed? You need to see a doctor either way.

IF you have strained a muscle - either latissimus dorsi or obliques? It takes time to heal.

The thing that bothers me the post about your post? Is the "back ache" and you feel like you're pregnant. That's not a muscle thing to me - that's a kidney, liver issue. I hope I'm wrong! I hope it's just a pulled/strained muscle. Either way? Get to a doctor, it's been long enough.