About a month ago, I started experiencing back pain. It gradually got worse and I told Art we needed a new mattress. He was reluctant just because it's such a hassle to figure out which mattress to get.
I decided to try sleeping on the twin bed in the guest room. We have one with a really firm (hard) mattress and one with soft.
It didn't work.
I still got up moaning and groaning with pain as I gingerly sat up.
Initially the pain would go away midday. Now it hurt throughout the day as a dull ache.
I decided to try using this low frequency electrical stimulation machine that we bought in China a few years ago.
Our part time tour guide, Charlie was actually a Chinese doctor of western medicine. I wrote about meeting him here. He sold this machine to us for $40.
OK, OK... I was dubious.
I showed the machine to my physical therapist here in Hawaii when I was having my shoulder treated.
He said they do use something very similar, but much more expensive in their clinic and saw no reason why I shouldn't try it.
Well, I tried it on my back and it did feel good. Would it do anything other than feel good? I don't know.
I tried a heating pad in the morning and that felt good too.
Would it do any good? I don't know.
The English translation on the box says I need to use the machine for a half hour each day for 7 days.
We'll see.
Have you ever had back pain? What do you do?
POSTSCRIPT: After three days of using the electrical stimulation on my back, it does feel quite a bit better. I'm surprised and hopeful.
It didn't work.
I still got up moaning and groaning with pain as I gingerly sat up.
Initially the pain would go away midday. Now it hurt throughout the day as a dull ache.
Our part time tour guide, Charlie was actually a Chinese doctor of western medicine. I wrote about meeting him here. He sold this machine to us for $40.
OK, OK... I was dubious.
I showed the machine to my physical therapist here in Hawaii when I was having my shoulder treated.
He said they do use something very similar, but much more expensive in their clinic and saw no reason why I shouldn't try it.
Well, I tried it on my back and it did feel good. Would it do anything other than feel good? I don't know.
I tried a heating pad in the morning and that felt good too.
Would it do any good? I don't know.
The English translation on the box says I need to use the machine for a half hour each day for 7 days.
We'll see.
Have you ever had back pain? What do you do?
POSTSCRIPT: After three days of using the electrical stimulation on my back, it does feel quite a bit better. I'm surprised and hopeful.
We purchased a machine. It's probably similar. It does seem to give some relief.
ReplyDeleteAs for beds and backs, I think once you're at that stage, there's no bed that will work perfectly. At least in my little experience.
Sigh... I think you're right.
DeleteMy doctor sent me to PT. Now a year later, I still do the exercises in the hot tub at the Y.
ReplyDeleteMy mother had back pain and had a MRI (not X-ray) done at Kaiser. They found a tiny fracture in her vertebra. The surgeon injected some kind of cement into the bone and her pain disappeared. You should ask for a MRI. An X-ray would be inconclusive.
ReplyDeleteTerry had shoulder pain. The dr sent him to therapy and now he has a series of exercises to do that keep the pain away. I had sciatica a number of years ago. Started doing exercise, and do them faithfully every morning, and no more pain. Same thing for my rotator cuff problem. I truly believe that unless something is actually broken or cracked that exercise is your best bet for recovery.
ReplyDeleteI go to the chiropractor...lol!
ReplyDeleteMy back pain is low back pain, from scoliosis and spinal stenosis. I can barely move in the morning if its cold, however, once I move about a bit (through the pain)) it eases and after a while I feel much better. Movement is the key with arthritis. Also salonpas on my torn rotator cuff, and Celebrex twice a day, and two Tylenol at bedtime once in a while.
ReplyDeleteI have lower back pain, no arthritis. I've put a lumbar spine back cushion in every chair in the house. It works for me.
ReplyDeleteGood work! Both of us have bad backs. I bought myself a knee chair for sitting. It is great!
ReplyDeleteOh no Kay, I hope things work out for you.
ReplyDeleteI generally do not suffer from achy back unless I get it into my head to move all the furniture or something, but exercise has helped in the past.
ReplyDeleteThe worse thing I have is the cough I brought home from Conference.
ReplyDeleteOkay, this is the opposite of a Helpful Hint: it's true, but I doubt if it will help you. However, you asked if we had had back pain. All my intermittent lower back pain disappeared after my hip replacement ten years ago. My theory is that I had grown slightly "kapakahi" (crooked) over the years and was out of balance. I had seen an x-ray of my spine and it was pretty obvious that a lot of wear, tear, and compressing of the discs had occurred over the years.The surgeon was careful to make my legs exactly the same length and, voila!, no more back aches! This was not the goal of the operation, but a very welcome side effect.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in college, a doctor told me that my spine was crooked and would give me problems when I got holder. I guess he was right. I don't think this could be corrected though. I'm so glad you were able to get "fixed" though.
DeletePoor thing! I don't have back pain, but if I did, I would go see a chiropractor. A good one. It is good that you are getting relief from the pain but it would also be good to find out the cause of the pain. It could be posture, or maybe a Zumba move is tweaking you the wrong way, or you twisted yourself while doing your renovations and you need an adjustment. I used to have very bad neck and shoulder pain, and having adjustments to my upper cervical helped me greatly (though the series is quite expensive but worth every cent to me).
ReplyDeleteI hope your body gets back into condition and you can enjoy your summer with the kids!
I hope it continues to work.
ReplyDeletegreat solution
ReplyDeleteI hope this treatment works. But if the problem persists, find out why. Go to a doctor, get an xray, to see if it is spinal or muscular.
ReplyDeleteAs you know I have had back problems. Mine was a malformation of the spine, spondylolisthesis, that could only be fixed surgically. The fix has been wonderful. But other things can still go wrong. I an pretty careful now so as not to injure any other portions of my spine.
With my last backache... I tried cold packs, heating pads, some little thing that administers teeny electric currents, wearing a magnetic back brace, seeing a chiropractor, paying a ridiculous sum to see my doctor, and gave serious consideration to taking a bath face down in the water. Hope you fared better than I did...uh... do. I still have back pain that keeps me from rising and shining in the morning. I sort of gasp, and grip the end table, and roll over making odd noises that worry the neighbors before I can get my body in an upright position. Anyway.... its Caryn. It's been years and I just wanted to drop in and say "Hi".
ReplyDeleteHi Caryn! It's so nice to see you back again! Yahoo! Ahhh... So you've tried these electric current things too.
DeleteI've had lots of lower back pain. A physio therapist told me that it was small muscles that were tearing and that I should stretch. Once I was convinced and started stretching often, I've had very few spells of pain. Yes the hot pad helps.
ReplyDeleteBack pain is the worse; it rates right up there with tooth pain. I'm glad you are finding some relief. Hope it is 100% gone very soon!
ReplyDeleteI do hope it gets better soon. It sounds like the pad will help, but I've found that back pain, for me at least, comes and goes. My sister is immobilized with back pain right now and can barely move. Hope yours continues to improve. :-)
ReplyDeleteI have some now and then. I just take a ibuprofen
ReplyDeleteOi poor Kay. I sure hope the pain goes away. I have no advice to give you, only sympathy and love.
ReplyDeleteI think muscles can get tense, and anything that relaxes them can help with making the pain go away.
ReplyDeleteI have neck and shoulder pain and I have a TENS unit. Something like you have and it works wonders!
ReplyDelete