My Lower Back

[Traveler2586]

Don't let the muscle relaxers and anti inflammatory fool you into thinking your all better, it will take a while for your muscles to heal. Do the stretches and take it easy for a while.

 

Get well soon

[nick76]

That AndroGel is not all it is cracked up to be!  It never got my Testosterone levels up to where they needed to be.  I feel better on the injection every two weeks, but the beginning of my dose and the end of my dose can be a roller coaster. 

 

Glad to hear your back is just muscle.  Take it easy as the gym and get those core muscles more to help it from happening again.

[tomustang]

Follow what the doctor says brother, and I hope you have a speedy recovery

[retiredbosn]

Glad it was"just" a muscle injury, although painful it will heal. There are several back surgery survivors here who will all tell you the same thing TAKE IT EASY, the needs will have you feeling better before u are better.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

That AndroGel is not all it is cracked up to be!  It never got my Testosterone levels up to where they needed to be.  I feel better on the injection every two weeks, but the beginning of my dose and the end of my dose can be a roller coaster. 

 

Glad to hear your back is just muscle.  Take it easy as the gym and get those core muscles more to help it from happening again.

The andro gel was my resposne to his refusal to get me Test 250 or gorilla test. 250mgs a week for 9 weeks. Combined with some other things can make you enormous. I kid with him all the time that I am trying to quadruple my test levels above my normal level for a short time. Like I said this has been a running joke between us for 3 years now. Ive written papers to him on why I want what I want, and the positive affects of a well managed cycle. He in turn has given me countless articles and other stuff on the negative affects and health risk. We have debated this subject numerous times when he is having a slow day or has some extra time and I have an appointment. Its basically a game between us. He knows Im not interested in shooting up to get big. He has been helping me find natural supplements and other ways to "naturally" and more safely achieve my goals. Really Ive never even heard much about Andro Gels effectiveness. Im not sure it would have much effect for body building without using massive quantities of it. It could be useful for PCT or post cycle therapy. Which is what Im currently doing right now to prevent gyno. Even natural supplements can have draw backs when they increase your hormone levels.

My core muscles are about to be focused on extensively after this has healed up. I get to spend the next two to three weeks doing light weights at high reps.

[NorcalBassin]

Don't panic... I do not believe you have a ruptured disc like one may have mentioned...  Its possible but I would be much more concerned if you had any change in bowel/bladder, leg weakness, numbness/tingling, etc.    Make an appointment with your primary care physician... from there he/she will take an X-ray, send you to physical therapy (my job), from there you either get better if it is muscular, or if PT fails, they will send you back to your doctor who will then order an MRI and send you to a spine specialist...

 

Hopefully a PT can fix it..  if you have any specific questions feel free to PM me

x2. Intense localized low back pain may drop you to your knees, but there's literally no correlation to something in your back being damaged and how intense your pain is. Unless someone is unintentionally peeing their pants (or #2) or there's major muscle strength issues, there's pretty much zero reason to get an MRI within the first 6 weeks . If you don't have numbness/tingling below your knee and get to a well trained PT within the first couple weeks after symptoms, you should be fine within a couple weeks if not sooner. Surgeons do surgeries... unless that's on someone's wish list I wouldn't be in a hurry to go see one unless the issues above were present. Up to 2/3rds of the pain free population have disk bulges, herniations, disc disease, etc, and these MRI findings are generally not a big deal whether or not you have/do not have back pain. Just my .03.

[nick76]

I completely understand your running joke with your physician. I have a similar thing going with mine. I also have that kind of relationship with my Chiropractor. I was diagnosed with Low T 3 years ago. I tried the natural route and did not show much increase in my levels. I then trued Andro Gel for 18 months with very similar results. The only thing that would get me from danish school girl back go man levels was the injection. I am still on the low end of normal and I am not convinced that I am high enough. I am going to push here in a month or so for an increase in my dose. I don't want to be roid rage mean, but some energy would be nice. Heck, I would love to get off the stuff if they can figure out why it happened. So far no luck.

I was having leg issues, which then in turn led to lower back problems. Only way I could fix it was through Chiropractic care and then core strengthening. Finally strong enough to not have many problems now.

I have been hitting the weights more lately now that my cardio is in check. I just can't shake this layer over my abs. Ha e reduced my calories, increaed my protein, but still no go for the last 6 weeks. My weight has stayed the same, but my BMI has lowered. This sucks.

[Fishing Rhino]

Mr. Nation, the problem with Androgel is that in your situation it is counterproductive.  You need a muscle relaxer, not something that will do the opposite.

 

Glad to hear that it's muscular and not something more serious.  Take it easy and follow your doctor's orders.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Mr. Nation, the problem with Androgel is that in your situation it is counterproductive.  You need a muscle relaxer, not something that will do the opposite.

 

Glad to hear that it's muscular and not something more serious.  Take it easy and follow your doctor's orders.

Quite true. Decreased recovery time only works on rebuilding muscle not on unknotting them.

This is miserable. I swear the muscle relaxer and anti inflammatory is making it hurt worse. It feels like I have been beaten with a bat. Im doing good to even walk not stooped over. Plus I think the muscle relaxer has shortened my fuse. Im snapping at little things. If something doesnt give soon Im gonna have to go see my orthopedic before going out of town. Pain I can work with. Not being able to stand up straight and there for not being able to work I cant deal with. ARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! I cant even take out my pent up aggression. Im going to try a lidacaine patch and see how that works out. I will get back to yall in a bit.

[Fishing Rhino]

Our daughter had a bad back spasm a few weeks ago.  She made a misstep, and wham.  She could hardly move.  She leaned against the computer desk for nearly an hour before she would let us help her get to a recliner that was only a step away.

 

She managed to get onto the recliner, but got no relief from the pain.  We ended up taking her to the ER, where she works by the way.  After some preliminaries to make sure it wasn't a disc or some other structural problem they started her on muscle relaxers. 

 

She got some little relief after taking the meds, but it took a full day before she was able to get somewhat comfortable.  It took two or three days for her to get close to total relief. 

[Traveler2586]

Try laying on a heating pad that is wrapped in a towel; do a cycle of 15 min on with 30 min off and then your exercises, then repeat the cycle.  Or you can set in a hot bath for a while.  The heat will relax the muscles and ease the dis confront.  When doing PT they use wet towels, they say moist heat is better than dry heat; but DON'T wrap a heating pad in a wet towel - not a good thing to do.  I've gone through this many times; my doc would tell me to make sure to do the exercises.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Well it helped some. Not a lot though. We have one of those multi setting shower headsin the bath. Im about to go set that on high heat and the massage setting. Im thinking that may help. My Pops says the heat always helps him feel better. They had a jaccuzi tub put in especially for his back. Tomorrow morning we are going to go ul to the gym and lay in the Sauna fir a bit. I figure between the heat the stretches and the meds. Hopefully I can get it feeling right again.

It looks like Monday is gonna be out of the picture as far as work goes. I feel guilty about it, but I dont really have much of a choice. There isnt much of anythng I can do about it. Thanks for letting me vent and dealing with me over this. I will keep yall posted on my condition.

[Root beer]

Hot water always soothes soreness. I lay in a hot bath all the time for my leg.

[Joe Ung]

You can find real good massage parlors list on http://www.rubmaps.com

[fish-fighting-illini]

If you can find a heating pad that also has built in vibration I have found that to be the ticket.

My grandmother had one and one time I went from crawling on my knees to playing basketball in an hour.

(Yes I was a LOT younger then!) lol

I was always going to have her write me in for that in her will but never got around to it.

If I could find one now I'd probably buy one for peace of mind.

When I have checked before all they had was heated ones. That was some time ago and before the internet's current state of prominence.

[fish-fighting-illini]

P.s. I checked online and they have the combo but most appear to be soft.

This was more like a lightly padded backboard. I think that would force better contact with the muscles.

Then again a soft one would potentially have more surface contact so which is better is Tbd.

[deaknh03]

Our daughter had a bad back spasm a few weeks ago.  She made a misstep, and wham.  She could hardly move.  She leaned against the computer desk for nearly an hour before she would let us help her get to a recliner that was only a step away.

 

She managed to get onto the recliner, but got no relief from the pain.  We ended up taking her to the ER, where she works by the way.  After some preliminaries to make sure it wasn't a disc or some other structural problem they started her on muscle relaxers. 

 

She got some little relief after taking the meds, but it took a full day before she was able to get somewhat comfortable.  It took two or three days for her to get close to total relief. 

I have had the same exact episode happen a couple of times, when it hits, I'm immobilized for half hour or so, literally stuck in position. I found that rest is really the only cure.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

I'm not really having issues with it anymore. Every now and then my upper left hamstring will get knotted up. That's pretty much it though. I basically strained both of my upper ham strings and partially tore one last year while doing leg presses. It was beyond miserable. I swapped out the crappy pain killers and muscle relaxers they originally gave me for Valium and Fentanyl patches. That made all the difference in the world. Like I said as of now I am pain free and healed. It took about 6 months to happen though.

[sparky241]

Thats what Im thinking mine are. Ill know for sure once I get back in town and can see my doc. The pain is down below my spine and isolated to one side. It only starys hurting when I twist or shift on that side. Its not radiating or anything of that nature its just sharp dang pain in that spot.[/quote------ I just seen this is over a yr old

[fishinfiend]

It would help tremendously to lose 75 pounds or so. 

 

For the mean time you should ice it, stretch, and get a foam roller. 

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Hey man, there are doctors for things that don't improve in a few days.

 

Your back is nothing to fool around with.  It could be a bulging disc, or something else structural.  It could be muscular.  It could be a part of the nerve tunnel that is too small.  There is a reason they immobilize people who may have injuries that threaten the spinal cord.

 

See your primary care physician.  Let them evaluate what is going on, and refer you to a specialist based on their observations.  Do not fool around with back problems.  Do not let anyone "work over" your back.  You could end up in a wheelchair. 

 

They can replace hips, knees, finger and toe joints.  They can even swap out organs.  But there isn't a whole lot they can do for spinal nerves once they are damaged.

There really isn't much more to be said. Don't screw around with back problems.