Sam, Please feel free to reach out to me when you're in this situation. I'm more than happy to help provide reassurance and guidance <3. Big love to you.
Different things work for different people, for me personally I wouldn't be going to a chiro but you won't know if it'll help you unless you try. Same with GPs, they will often refer for a scan and give strong pain meds. An xray will pick up bone "issues" only. An MRI will be able to determine if there is some disc involvement, but often the same conclusion can be reached by ROM testing and describing symptoms.
The most important thing in this is, not to panic. It's easier said than done, but our thoughts going into overdrive catastrophise the situation, this can actually INCREASE the pain we feel.
An example of helpful thoughts is that I'm sore but safe. This is something I learnt at an Explain Pain Conference which was a game changer for my clinical practice. NOI - Neuro Orthopaedic Institute have some great resources. Another helpful one is pain does not = damage and the severity of the pain doesn't = the amount of damage if there is soft tissue damage.
You won't have to remove exercise completely, but the exercise you do may be a little different to what you are used to. The important thing and it's what helped me get through 18 months of rehab is, focus on what you can do not what you can't. Even still, I got myself through some things during the height of the pain, like climbing up the spiderweb at the park with my nephew on the day my pain came on, I also hiked gibraltar peak fire trail at the end of the first week of it when my foot drop was at it's worst. I couldn't squat, but I did the seated leg weight machines, seat pressing, got strong at pull ups. Anything my body allowed me to do I did. I went from struggling to put shoes and socks on and having a floppy foot to being the strongest I have ever been, with a slightly floppy foot.
Graded exposure is the way back to doing what you were doing before the pain came on. This means you gradually easy yourself back into activity and increase your tissue tolerance. After pain your base line tissue tolerance is lower and as you gradually get back into activities you will gradually improve your tissue tolerance.
Healing is not linear - we think it is, but it's not. Healing is a zigzag line. Some days will be better than others, but more pain does not mean you've aggravated it/made it worse or have a set back. it might be because you did more than you did yesterday and your tissues are adapting.
Suffering is less when we have something better to do, so throw yourself into tasks that you love and will take your mind off the pain you are feeling.
Oregon heath have a great online course on pain too https://www.oregon.gov/oha/hpa/dsi-pmc/pages/module.aspx. I completed it in 2020 and a friend of mine did it too and found it great. From memory it took me an hour to go through the content however you can branch off into the suggest resources which would take a bit longer.
Interesting that he didn't order a bone density scan as well. If there are any exercise physiologists or a physio that you've seen previously will be able to give you some guidance. Your body will tell you as well. It's likely still in protection mode so slow gentle movement is good. As suggested on insta, moving in the water might help. If you want to try hinge movements you can bend forward from the seated position to see if thats safe for your body. Sleeping with a pillow between your knees can take some of the pressure off too. If you're a stomach sleeper, a pillow under your pelvis can help as it takes you out of extension/hyperextension.
I actually feel ok now, just some random nerve pain in my left lower back and down my left leg. But I’m too scared to do anything until I hear more.
I’ve got no idea about any of this stuff so just trying to do as I’m told. I’ve been really bad at that in the past. Feel ok, exercise, feel worse the next day haha.
On your back, try pillow under knees. If it's uncomfortable then don't worry about it. The best position is a comfortable position. Your runs might be a walk for now. How far down your leg is it going? To knee? Foot? Toes? Any numbeness in toes? Some massage may help desensitise it a little, but it also will come good with time.
Rehabbing pain/injury isn't about being told what to do. You definitely have choice and control (although it doesn't feel like it when you have pain).
Pain will be worse at night because cortisol is at it's lowest.
Did your GP recommened any pain relief for you? I took voltaren for 3 days and it subsided my pain enough that I could actually sleep. (I was so desperate for sleep that I slept on the floor and got 3 hrs of unbroken sleep which was the most I'd had in the 2 nights before that 😂 but then after 3 hours the floor felt very uncomfortable 🤣.
At the end of the day there is no right or wrong, do whatever makes it feel better 🫶
It’s hamstring and calf. Feet feel a bit numb when I get up after sitting for a while.
Nah he said just to use nurofen and Voltaren. The pain isn’t too bad constantly, it’s just random spurts of pain.
I’m just hesitant to do too much until I’m told I can. I won’t last much longer though, haha. Surprised I’ve lasted this long to be honest. Must be newfound maturity through sobriety and getting old.
Fear of pain will do that to us all haha. I reckon you could try some seated light weights (basically anything that doesn't compress the spine until you have a review with your GP on friday). Low intensity cardio (walking, swimming, maybe try exercise bike with light resistance). Core exercises like pallof press. I did a lot of dead bugs and bird dogs too haha. I recall doing sled drags in my first week or so as well.
Well done on the 300. Like Brian Lara, just keep batting.
Good luck with the back. They suck.
That’s it, mate!
Thanks heaps!
Gday Sam, cant help too much with advice, just positive vibes, you got this
Thanks heaps, mate!
Sam, Please feel free to reach out to me when you're in this situation. I'm more than happy to help provide reassurance and guidance <3. Big love to you.
Different things work for different people, for me personally I wouldn't be going to a chiro but you won't know if it'll help you unless you try. Same with GPs, they will often refer for a scan and give strong pain meds. An xray will pick up bone "issues" only. An MRI will be able to determine if there is some disc involvement, but often the same conclusion can be reached by ROM testing and describing symptoms.
The most important thing in this is, not to panic. It's easier said than done, but our thoughts going into overdrive catastrophise the situation, this can actually INCREASE the pain we feel.
An example of helpful thoughts is that I'm sore but safe. This is something I learnt at an Explain Pain Conference which was a game changer for my clinical practice. NOI - Neuro Orthopaedic Institute have some great resources. Another helpful one is pain does not = damage and the severity of the pain doesn't = the amount of damage if there is soft tissue damage.
You won't have to remove exercise completely, but the exercise you do may be a little different to what you are used to. The important thing and it's what helped me get through 18 months of rehab is, focus on what you can do not what you can't. Even still, I got myself through some things during the height of the pain, like climbing up the spiderweb at the park with my nephew on the day my pain came on, I also hiked gibraltar peak fire trail at the end of the first week of it when my foot drop was at it's worst. I couldn't squat, but I did the seated leg weight machines, seat pressing, got strong at pull ups. Anything my body allowed me to do I did. I went from struggling to put shoes and socks on and having a floppy foot to being the strongest I have ever been, with a slightly floppy foot.
Graded exposure is the way back to doing what you were doing before the pain came on. This means you gradually easy yourself back into activity and increase your tissue tolerance. After pain your base line tissue tolerance is lower and as you gradually get back into activities you will gradually improve your tissue tolerance.
Healing is not linear - we think it is, but it's not. Healing is a zigzag line. Some days will be better than others, but more pain does not mean you've aggravated it/made it worse or have a set back. it might be because you did more than you did yesterday and your tissues are adapting.
Suffering is less when we have something better to do, so throw yourself into tasks that you love and will take your mind off the pain you are feeling.
Oregon heath have a great online course on pain too https://www.oregon.gov/oha/hpa/dsi-pmc/pages/module.aspx. I completed it in 2020 and a friend of mine did it too and found it great. From memory it took me an hour to go through the content however you can branch off into the suggest resources which would take a bit longer.
Thanks so much, Clare. My GP Wants an X-Ray because Dad had osteoporosis really young so he just wants to rule that out first.
I’m talking with him Friday so I’ll ask what I can and can’t do. I’ve gotta do something. Even if it’s just walking.
Interesting that he didn't order a bone density scan as well. If there are any exercise physiologists or a physio that you've seen previously will be able to give you some guidance. Your body will tell you as well. It's likely still in protection mode so slow gentle movement is good. As suggested on insta, moving in the water might help. If you want to try hinge movements you can bend forward from the seated position to see if thats safe for your body. Sleeping with a pillow between your knees can take some of the pressure off too. If you're a stomach sleeper, a pillow under your pelvis can help as it takes you out of extension/hyperextension.
I sleep flat on my back! Bloody hell!
I actually feel ok now, just some random nerve pain in my left lower back and down my left leg. But I’m too scared to do anything until I hear more.
I’ve got no idea about any of this stuff so just trying to do as I’m told. I’ve been really bad at that in the past. Feel ok, exercise, feel worse the next day haha.
On your back, try pillow under knees. If it's uncomfortable then don't worry about it. The best position is a comfortable position. Your runs might be a walk for now. How far down your leg is it going? To knee? Foot? Toes? Any numbeness in toes? Some massage may help desensitise it a little, but it also will come good with time.
Rehabbing pain/injury isn't about being told what to do. You definitely have choice and control (although it doesn't feel like it when you have pain).
Pain will be worse at night because cortisol is at it's lowest.
Did your GP recommened any pain relief for you? I took voltaren for 3 days and it subsided my pain enough that I could actually sleep. (I was so desperate for sleep that I slept on the floor and got 3 hrs of unbroken sleep which was the most I'd had in the 2 nights before that 😂 but then after 3 hours the floor felt very uncomfortable 🤣.
At the end of the day there is no right or wrong, do whatever makes it feel better 🫶
It’s hamstring and calf. Feet feel a bit numb when I get up after sitting for a while.
Nah he said just to use nurofen and Voltaren. The pain isn’t too bad constantly, it’s just random spurts of pain.
I’m just hesitant to do too much until I’m told I can. I won’t last much longer though, haha. Surprised I’ve lasted this long to be honest. Must be newfound maturity through sobriety and getting old.
Fear of pain will do that to us all haha. I reckon you could try some seated light weights (basically anything that doesn't compress the spine until you have a review with your GP on friday). Low intensity cardio (walking, swimming, maybe try exercise bike with light resistance). Core exercises like pallof press. I did a lot of dead bugs and bird dogs too haha. I recall doing sled drags in my first week or so as well.