I'm going INSANE. And getting no responses from previous questions about injury in lower back?

Question

So this is the second time I have hurt my lower back by either bending wrong or working out too hard. I normally workout 5 days a week and do some type of circuit training workout but I don't use heavy weights-- 12 pounds is the heaviest I have. 2 weeks ago I started having what felt like a pinched nerve in my lower spine so I skipped working out and the next day it was a little worse and the next day worse and so on until I saw my doc and got muscle relaxers. It was very painful, painful to walk and take a deep breath. I also have sciatica down my right leg. The doc said I probably have a slipped disk and gave me pain killers and muscle relaxers which I ONLY take at night. It's been 2 weeks and I'm only going for tiny walks because it starts to feel tight and kind of hurt when I walk more than 10 minutes. I can't lay around the whole time. I really want to do some squats with NO weights but am not sure if I should try. I don't know what to do to keep moving but not over do it. I guess I haven't found my limits because I am scared I will end up back at the beginning with massive pain. This morning my lower back is mainly just tight. I will do ice then heat and then go for a small walk I guess. I miss working out and I am going nuts (mentally!) Working out was mental medicine. Anyone else gone through this and what did you do to get back to normal? I am married with 3 kids so you can see it's hard to not over do it but walking around the house and squatting down to pick things up shouldn't be over doing it... I wouldn't think.

Update:

Rescued-- My doc didn't tell me how to treat it. He just prescribed me meds and gave me a pamphlet on stretches (which I already do and know about) He said "don't over do it, but don't lay around"

that frustrates me because i dont' know what over doing it is. i was hoping to get advice from people WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS. i can't afford physical therapy. i haven't had a response from someone who actually went through this and they told me what they did to recover. maybe some advice from an actual physical therapist.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I don't aim to be mean by saying what I'm going to tell you BUT you are always in here asking health related questions that need doctor's attention.  You get told over and over by many of us to seek a doctor's advice.  Why do you ignore intelligent answers such as these and continue to ask questions of people who do NOT have medical degrees?

You're not getting any responses because we have all answered your questions to the point of distraction when you don't do what is right.  This time you went to the doctor ... good for you!  Now listen to him and do what he has told you to do.

EDIT:  Please accept my apology ... I was experiencing quite a bit of pain myself when I answered your question.  That is no excuse for rudeness.  Will you please forgive me?

Actually your doctor did tell you how to treat it ... "He just prescribed me meds and gave me a pamphlet on stretches (which I already do and know about) He said "don't over do it, but don't lay around"

Take the medication as prescribed and do the exercises he recommended with the suggested number of repetitions per exercise.  Don't over do it ... if it causes more pain than necessary, then stop the activity immediately.

I've been through PT a couple of times.  First off you will want to apply heat to area but defuse it not directly on the skin.  The best is moist heat like a hydroculator and wrap a thick towel around it before applying maybe even two.  Use for 15-20 minutes to relax muscles.  After doing the exercises, you may want to apply cold to the same area for about 10 minutes before doing your daily activities.

? · Answer

It's really important to make sure you know what is actually wrong with your back.  If it's something properly wrong (some kind of spine injury like a slipped disc etc) then the treatment and care are very different to what they would be if you just have a weak back - the doctor shouldn't guess they should do an MRI.  If you just have a weak back, then really focus on core strength (do a lot of pilates) it will help to support your spine while you're doing other training.  If you have a damaged spine then you need to get some proper medical advice - core strength will still help but you need to be quite careful when you're starting to train again, think about working with a physio for a while who is properly medically trained to know what you can do and how quickly.

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I'm going INSANE. And getting no responses from previous questions about injury in lower back?

2 Answers