Back issues really suck and I'm sorry this has happened to you. I was diagnosed with two herniated discs in my lower spine a couple of years ago. Similarly it felt like it came on over a period of...
Back issues really suck and I'm sorry this has happened to you.
I was diagnosed with two herniated discs in my lower spine a couple of years ago. Similarly it felt like it came on over a period of about 6 months with gradually increasing periods of pain and fewer periods of feeling ok.
I don't know what the root cause was because my spine was significantly more degraded than it should have been at my age - possibly I was genetically predisposed, likely it was not helped by bad posture, lots of bending down over the past 5 years raising a small child and also a lot of yoga vinyasas.
I had an MRI, I did a few of months of physiotherapy, I saw a neurosurgeon to make sure that the affected nerves were not going to need surgery imminently. After finishing up the physio i found that I was still in a lot of pain daily, even with the prescribed regular exercises. I was having to use heated pads and ice pads consistently just to stay mobile.
So I did some looking around online to see what else I could try. I found the McKenzie stretches mentioned on a couple of sites and bought the book on a punt. The approach to posture and the stretches were transformative for me. Over time I no longer needed the hot and cold pads. It is now to the point where although I am always aware of my back, I almost never need to take pain medication for it and it has a minimal impact on my day to day life.
I suspect everyone has to figure out what works best for them, but here are some of the things that made the biggest impact for me. Aside from the stretches the McKenzie book is big on posture. I have never been able to maintain a good seated posture, even after reading the book and working on it.
So when i do need to sit, for example to eat or to drive, I use a lumbar roll. I work from home and I picked up a cheap standing desk converter (sits on the top of a regular desk). This took a while to get used to, and I had to alternate between sitting and standing while I did, but now I find standing to work to be natural and comfortable. I recently picked up a floor mat which makes it easier on the feet and would definitely recommend that too.
I avoid sitting to relax where possible. Either I will lie on my front or my side. It looks weird, me lying on the floor on my front to chill out but my family got used to it!
For sleeping, one of the tips my doctor gave me which helps a lot is side sleeping with a pillow between your knees. Sometimes I need a further pillow behind me to dissuade me from rolling onto my back in the night.
For exercise I had to make significant changes. Running is out, anything which jars the spine is no good for me. Swimming is fantastic. Walking also works well for me. In the gym for cardio I find the elliptical to work well, because it doesn't jar my spine. I like to do interval type training at home and I built a routine of core-focussed exercises (strengthening the core helps reduce stress on the spine) that don't mess up my back - squats, mountain climbers, pushups etc.
I still have good periods and bad periods, but it's so much better than before I got it diagnosed and before I figured out what works for me.
I hope this gives you some ideas and the sense that things will get better as you figure out what works best for you.
I'm not in the same boat but sitting all day ling, this may catch me as well. Thanks for the exercise info, it can probably help even to people who are not diagnosed (as a prevention). if you...
I'm not in the same boat but sitting all day ling, this may catch me as well. Thanks for the exercise info, it can probably help even to people who are not diagnosed (as a prevention).
if you don't mind - how old are you and how long have you done your IT sitting job? You can PM it if you don't want to say it publicly. Or not tell at all, I can respect that.
This may not be appropriate for you, but in my experience these have worked in order over time (not all in one workout/day, but rather months/years): Stretching, lie on stomach and raise your...
This may not be appropriate for you, but in my experience these have worked in order over time (not all in one workout/day, but rather months/years):
Stretching, lie on stomach and raise your torso up to arm/elbow length so your back curves toward the ground, it's in most sciatica stretch videos
Cycling
Rowing machine
Back extensions
Deadlifting
Now I just lift, deadlifts (carefully!) and squats help a lot.
My very general advice is to try everything you can think of carefully and slowly that you think might help. If it makes you feel worse, stop.
Doctors told me to stop everything, and just walk, like you. It didn't help. Cycling saved me, and made me realize careful exercise was a far better fix.
I can deadlift ~160kg and squat ~130 kg decades after my back issues started at almost 100kg bodyweight (with a pretty shitty back, those numbers are pretty decent).
Back tweaks are much rarer for me and take 2-6 days to recover now, vs almost every 2-3 months and 1-2 weeks for full recovery before.
I haven't had a back injury, but I'll say it's absolutely crucial you stay active (with caution) and ensure the muscles stabilizing the lower back don't atrophy. You don't want nerve impingement...
I haven't had a back injury, but I'll say it's absolutely crucial you stay active (with caution) and ensure the muscles stabilizing the lower back don't atrophy. You don't want nerve impingement to lead muscle atrophy/discoordination to lead to further nerve impingement.
Seconded. This happened to me, with an acute injury in my back. "I'll just take it easy and it'll be fine" for a few months, and I developed chronic pain in my hip due to those supporting muscles...
Seconded. This happened to me, with an acute injury in my back. "I'll just take it easy and it'll be fine" for a few months, and I developed chronic pain in my hip due to those supporting muscles atrophying. Focusing on rebuilding those and being careful while doing exercise but not stopping doing exercise seems to be the most important thing and has very clearly improved my situation since I started PT for this.
Best of luck. No exercise suggestions other than listen to your doctors, to a point anyway. I've been seriously injured a few times, and doctors have told me to be careful. I spent 18 months in...
Best of luck. No exercise suggestions other than listen to your doctors, to a point anyway.
I've been seriously injured a few times, and doctors have told me to be careful. I spent 18 months in and out of crutches and wheelchair when I was younger with serious knee issues. I've had many other breaks, sprains, and orthopedic issues. I competed in open martial arts tournaments and did a lot of climbing and mountaineering without being careful of my joints like I should have. I also injured my back rowing master crew. Ah, youth.
After the surgeries, losing weight and regular, non-exacerbating exercise has kept me going ever since. I figured out what activities I can do without hurting my injuries, including the ones that hurt me in the first place. You can do quite a bit if you can control the movements, and keep yourself fit so the stabilizing muscles protect everything. Now, if I stop exercising the pain comes back, especially the back and knee pain.
So hang in there. Just because doctors are telling you something doesn't mean you can't find a way to manage your fitness and health to do the things you enjoy.
That said, being deliberate about what you enjoy, what you are capable of, and what choices maximizes your joy in life is part of aging gracefully. If you really can't do something without hurting yourself further, find a new joy that you can.
I knew a 30-something guy that went from walking with a cane to walking normally after following the DDPY yoga series. Yes it seems ridiculous that Diamond Dallas Page, the wrestler, has an...
I knew a 30-something guy that went from walking with a cane to walking normally after following the DDPY yoga series. Yes it seems ridiculous that Diamond Dallas Page, the wrestler, has an effective physical therapy program, but I knew this guy pre- and post-cane so it clearly worked for him.
It's actually a great program, I used it to lose a godly amount of weight after it first came out. I planning to get back into it now that I'm fully recovered from my triple disc fusion in my neck...
It's actually a great program, I used it to lose a godly amount of weight after it first came out. I planning to get back into it now that I'm fully recovered from my triple disc fusion in my neck 2 years ago. Im in the process of finding a new doctor after moving states and plan on consulting with them first before attempting it which is why I haven't yet.
Diamond Dallas Page's personality, makes you want to do it and I find it one of the best "as seen on tv" workout programs on the market from someone that has tried half a dozen.
I’m sorry to hear that. My husband has a back injury so I understand how that can affect you. But the doctors are right; the only thing that is going to help you is exercise. You need to build up...
I’m sorry to hear that. My husband has a back injury so I understand how that can affect you. But the doctors are right; the only thing that is going to help you is exercise. You need to build up the muscles that will take the pressure off of your spine. You should also try to lose weight if it is healthy for you to do so, for the same reason.
A little more personally, I also worked a very sedentary job, and at my least healthy I was starting to get regular back pains. I tried to correct for posture and that helped a little but it tended to hurt my back in a different way at first from using those neglected muscles. And with my heavy weight it probably just meant shifting onto another vertebrae instead of actually fixing the problem. Over the past few years I have focused on health, lost a lot of weight, and started exercising. Now my back pain is mostly gone. An ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure.
Wow - I'm close! I have a pars fracture at level 2 after years of sitting at a desk job and some unfortunate falls in Capoeira. I have flare ups from time to time and 8 months ago, I really...
Wow - I'm close! I have a pars fracture at level 2 after years of sitting at a desk job and some unfortunate falls in Capoeira.
I have flare ups from time to time and 8 months ago, I really thought that I would be in terrible shape forever. Like, couch bound when doing my job.
For me, a good deal of time and progressive ab exercises helped to bring it back. I should also champion dry needling from a physio for when the issue was super acute. It did take 6 or so months of give and take exercise, pain, pulling back then repeating, but I'm in good shape now.
Also, I wouldn't want to undervalue the benefit of a treadmill desk (Go Lifespan FWIW) If that's of interest.
These days, I do regular back exercises and stretches during the lunch hour and sit like I always have for the rest of the day. I hope that despite your issue being more advanced than mine, that there's a routine that gets you back to some level of normalcy.
I also sit at work all day (CAD), but I walk to work every day (50 km per week) in that upright posture you described sans the arms behind the back. I also do these exercises as much as 4-5 times...
I also sit at work all day (CAD), but I walk to work every day (50 km per week) in that upright posture you described sans the arms behind the back. I also do these exercises as much as 4-5 times per week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfSCZbb9MOY
It certainly helps and I always keep this mantra in my head "exercise so it doesn't hurt". A simple motivator.
Not anywhere near your situation, but I'm in the process of recovering from my back going out 3 days ago. And since getting to the point where I can walk at more than 1-2 paces per second, I find...
Not anywhere near your situation, but I'm in the process of recovering from my back going out 3 days ago. And since getting to the point where I can walk at more than 1-2 paces per second, I find that if I try to stand up straight and lock my hands against the lower back, the walking is faster and much less painful. It improves something about the balance of the upper half over the spine. I've had poor posture all my life, so standing up like a lieutenant seems unnatural but is apparently needed at this time. I wish you the strength to hang in there and hope for the best outcome.
Behind my back I hold one hand near the wrist and smush the back of the holding hand into my back just below waist level, using the held hand to push. Almost like I'm pushing myself forward as I...
Behind my back I hold one hand near the wrist and smush the back of the holding hand into my back just below waist level, using the held hand to push. Almost like I'm pushing myself forward as I walk. I'm glad you said the physio suggested it, because I just started doing it with no clue if it was a safe thing to do, only that it gave me relief.
I have been (am still, I guess) in the same boat. The PT I've gotten, if adhered to, has worked wonders. Basically, gradual and consistent core and glute exercises. Sit as little as possible - lay...
I have been (am still, I guess) in the same boat. The PT I've gotten, if adhered to, has worked wonders. Basically, gradual and consistent core and glute exercises. Sit as little as possible - lay down or be upright instead. Work in some low-key stretching into those little moments throughout the day. It will never go away, and you should always be on guard with posture and lifting techniques, but you can recover some use and comfort.
I have something similar, and I’ve been given surgical options (fusion and disc replacement). Have you spoken to a surgeon? Sometimes physiotherapy has limits that surgery can exceed.
I have something similar, and I’ve been given surgical options (fusion and disc replacement). Have you spoken to a surgeon? Sometimes physiotherapy has limits that surgery can exceed.
I'm in the same boat, but a few years ahead of you. I also sit most of my waking life, and I also had a slipped disc. It pressed on a nerve and now I have some permanent nerve damage. It's not bad...
I'm in the same boat, but a few years ahead of you. I also sit most of my waking life, and I also had a slipped disc. It pressed on a nerve and now I have some permanent nerve damage. It's not bad at all, just some numbness, and I can't lift my left foot as high as the right one, but this doesn't intervene with my life at all.
I got surgery to remove the pressure on the nerve, which was the right decision in my case. Everything felt and worked better just hours after I woke up after the surgery.
My lower back hurt for years before the disc blew out, and now I think it only got worse because I thought I had to exercise my lower back muscles if my lower back hurts. Only after the damage was done did I learn that's exactly wrong: You need stronger abs to relieve and stabilize your lower back. Your back muscles usually get enough exercise from daily movements (e.g. sitting down and standing up, tying shoes, pick something up from the floor, etc), but modern humans don't use their abs as much as they're supposed to. I've been doing planks regularly, and that seems to have fixed my back. I don't think you can break anything if you're doing too much planks (if you do them correctly), so that's my main advice.
Another thing that seems to help me is to sit inclined backwards. I know, you're supposed to sit with your spine straight and at a 90⁰ angle to your legs, but that has always felt very uncomfortable and my back starts to hurt after maybe 20 minutes. Slouching is much more comfortable and seems to also be better for my back. Maybe I'm a freak, I don't know.
Just move. there is no secret to it. move. try everything. do it very slow and low intensity at first, but keep on moving. never stop. rest when you need it or when you overdid it. find the...
Just move. there is no secret to it. move.
try everything. do it very slow and low intensity at first, but keep on moving. never stop. rest when you need it or when you overdid it. find the balance, but dont stop moving. movement not only builds the muscels that give you stability, it also expands the "resoulution" with which you feel your back, keeping you save from bad moves and informing you about when you need to rest and how much.
I hurt my back when i was still quite young. was hurt for years, could not really do anything until i understood that. now i work construction, lift heavy stuff all the time and i love it and it helps a lot keeping the pain away.
also, hamocs. best way to rest. keep in mind hamocs do have a learing curve :-)
I had a triple disc fusion in my neck at 39 (41 now) and I have two herniated disc in my lower back. I feel your pain. Desk jockey/IT for 20+ years and gamer/basement nerd 10+ years before that....
I had a triple disc fusion in my neck at 39 (41 now) and I have two herniated disc in my lower back. I feel your pain. Desk jockey/IT for 20+ years and gamer/basement nerd 10+ years before that.
One thing I'll say that has helped me tremendously is a great mattress. I switched to a purple mattress a couple of years ago when I was having back pain and spasms hard enough to knock things of my nightstand. I'm finally able to get a full night sleep and feel rested again.
I recently switched out of IT different career, I'm now a a Diesel Field Service Tech, the adjustment from sitting all day to standing for 10+ hours was rough at first, but now I'm mostly use to it. I feel better because I'm moving, I still get sore and I slow down a lot from the soreness/pain at about 3:00pm but I work with a great group of people who know that my body is broken.
The other thing that helps, is diet, actually eating 4-6 small meals/snacks a day helps not only keep your energy but I find I don't hurt as much on days I'm actually following my diet vs days where I'm so busy I miss most of the meals.
Very sorry to hear that. Just wanted to let you know that there has been relatively recent developments when it comes to back surgery that might not be that well spread yet. An acquaintance of...
Very sorry to hear that. Just wanted to let you know that there has been relatively recent developments when it comes to back surgery that might not be that well spread yet.
An acquaintance of mine got a similar diagnosis (from what you wrote, I’m not a doctor though) and thought their back would be shot for life. But they managed to find a hospital specialised in back injuries, and performed disc transplant surgery where they replaced two broken discs with implants.
This caused my acquaintance to completely regain mobility in their back, and they could keep up with their athletic career. The discs apparently have to be replaced after 25 years.
Not sure this is at all applicable to you, but might be worth checking up.
[https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/lumbar-disk-replacement](Not sure if this is the exact same surgery they had, but this link might help you look for further information).
I've had a desk job for around 10 years now, let's not include the time as a teenager at a desk. I've not had back problems, my shoulders get tight, but I am concerned about doing damage in the...
I've had a desk job for around 10 years now, let's not include the time as a teenager at a desk.
I've not had back problems, my shoulders get tight, but I am concerned about doing damage in the long term.
For those who have had back problems, did you see it coming? Was there pain or discomfort leading up to the damage?
I'm asking because, in the grand scheme of things, I really don't have issues with my back. I choose a very ergonomic chair and desk combo and spent a fortune on a good mattress which feels like bliss.
However I know I don't exercise enough, I really should do more and I could use the kick to start.
Back in 2018 I got back from an uncomfortable drive home to LA from Vegas; for a few days after, a sore lower back turned into an awful stiff pain (couldn't really stand up straight and walk). It...
Back in 2018 I got back from an uncomfortable drive home to LA from Vegas; for a few days after, a sore lower back turned into an awful stiff pain (couldn't really stand up straight and walk). It got better, but ever since, sitting down was now always accompanied with this burning pain in my lower back. I didn't even categorize it as "pain" back then, just really annoying how hot my back would feel. It got to a point where I was trying to treat it with stuff like Biofreeze or Permatex cream, which honestly felt like a shitty bandaid on a problem that wasn't going away. The only thing that worked was using prescription lidocaine patches, except it got to a point where I could absolutely not function without them and they were leaving some ugly marks on my back. I got a standing desk and that helped a lot; walking and standing felt great and I could sit for short periods, but sleeping was where the real issue was. I've never been a good sleeper but it was truly hellish being kept up for hours, not able to find a sleeping position that didn't hurt after 5 minutes.
And I, being foolish, 24, and deathly allergic to making appointments with the specialists I was referred to, avoided actually getting my back checked out seriously until 2023. I discovered after a year or so that heating pads provided a lot of relief when lying down, so I used those instead of going to a doctor. (In my weak defense I was also really discouraged when I was reapetedly told that I couldn't possibly be rating my pain at a 5 or 6 if I could walk perfectly without pain. What do I know) And I only went because I looked in the mirror one day and realized I've been lowkey burning my lower back with the heating pads.
I had my highs and lows with the physical therapy I was prescribed. I definitely felt better while sitting after the stretches, but it didn't seem like anything was changing when I was lying down. I did end up getting an MRI done and the solution was still... just strengthen my core muscles. But the specialist did mention that the disc bulge was something that would take years to fix - something like maybe 1 mm a year. At this time I had only done the daily exercises from my therapist for... 7 months? So that really helped me mentally (that, plus the Voltaren I was prescribed...), because he said yes, me experiencing this pain was not me being crazy, and that I should expect this to be a years-long endeavor and not be too discouraged if I wasn't seeing noticeable results from the several months of physical therapy.
I don't even think my diagnosis is anywhere near as bad as yours (though who knows, I never did get my back checked out when I first had the issue years ago). I'm still occasionally reaching for the drugs, but I'm definitely doing better than I was at 24, which is sad to admit but I for one am happy to not be crying myself to sleep at 3 am. So, IDK, recovery-story-in-progress...?
Back issues really suck and I'm sorry this has happened to you.
I was diagnosed with two herniated discs in my lower spine a couple of years ago. Similarly it felt like it came on over a period of about 6 months with gradually increasing periods of pain and fewer periods of feeling ok.
I don't know what the root cause was because my spine was significantly more degraded than it should have been at my age - possibly I was genetically predisposed, likely it was not helped by bad posture, lots of bending down over the past 5 years raising a small child and also a lot of yoga vinyasas.
I had an MRI, I did a few of months of physiotherapy, I saw a neurosurgeon to make sure that the affected nerves were not going to need surgery imminently. After finishing up the physio i found that I was still in a lot of pain daily, even with the prescribed regular exercises. I was having to use heated pads and ice pads consistently just to stay mobile.
So I did some looking around online to see what else I could try. I found the McKenzie stretches mentioned on a couple of sites and bought the book on a punt. The approach to posture and the stretches were transformative for me. Over time I no longer needed the hot and cold pads. It is now to the point where although I am always aware of my back, I almost never need to take pain medication for it and it has a minimal impact on my day to day life.
I suspect everyone has to figure out what works best for them, but here are some of the things that made the biggest impact for me. Aside from the stretches the McKenzie book is big on posture. I have never been able to maintain a good seated posture, even after reading the book and working on it.
So when i do need to sit, for example to eat or to drive, I use a lumbar roll. I work from home and I picked up a cheap standing desk converter (sits on the top of a regular desk). This took a while to get used to, and I had to alternate between sitting and standing while I did, but now I find standing to work to be natural and comfortable. I recently picked up a floor mat which makes it easier on the feet and would definitely recommend that too.
I avoid sitting to relax where possible. Either I will lie on my front or my side. It looks weird, me lying on the floor on my front to chill out but my family got used to it!
For sleeping, one of the tips my doctor gave me which helps a lot is side sleeping with a pillow between your knees. Sometimes I need a further pillow behind me to dissuade me from rolling onto my back in the night.
For exercise I had to make significant changes. Running is out, anything which jars the spine is no good for me. Swimming is fantastic. Walking also works well for me. In the gym for cardio I find the elliptical to work well, because it doesn't jar my spine. I like to do interval type training at home and I built a routine of core-focussed exercises (strengthening the core helps reduce stress on the spine) that don't mess up my back - squats, mountain climbers, pushups etc.
I still have good periods and bad periods, but it's so much better than before I got it diagnosed and before I figured out what works for me.
I hope this gives you some ideas and the sense that things will get better as you figure out what works best for you.
I'm not in the same boat but sitting all day ling, this may catch me as well. Thanks for the exercise info, it can probably help even to people who are not diagnosed (as a prevention).
if you don't mind - how old are you and how long have you done your IT sitting job? You can PM it if you don't want to say it publicly. Or not tell at all, I can respect that.
Keep going strong!
This may not be appropriate for you, but in my experience these have worked in order over time (not all in one workout/day, but rather months/years):
Now I just lift, deadlifts (carefully!) and squats help a lot.
My very general advice is to try everything you can think of carefully and slowly that you think might help. If it makes you feel worse, stop.
Doctors told me to stop everything, and just walk, like you. It didn't help. Cycling saved me, and made me realize careful exercise was a far better fix.
I can deadlift ~160kg and squat ~130 kg decades after my back issues started at almost 100kg bodyweight (with a pretty shitty back, those numbers are pretty decent).
Back tweaks are much rarer for me and take 2-6 days to recover now, vs almost every 2-3 months and 1-2 weeks for full recovery before.
I haven't had a back injury, but I'll say it's absolutely crucial you stay active (with caution) and ensure the muscles stabilizing the lower back don't atrophy. You don't want nerve impingement to lead muscle atrophy/discoordination to lead to further nerve impingement.
Seconded. This happened to me, with an acute injury in my back. "I'll just take it easy and it'll be fine" for a few months, and I developed chronic pain in my hip due to those supporting muscles atrophying. Focusing on rebuilding those and being careful while doing exercise but not stopping doing exercise seems to be the most important thing and has very clearly improved my situation since I started PT for this.
Best of luck. No exercise suggestions other than listen to your doctors, to a point anyway.
I've been seriously injured a few times, and doctors have told me to be careful. I spent 18 months in and out of crutches and wheelchair when I was younger with serious knee issues. I've had many other breaks, sprains, and orthopedic issues. I competed in open martial arts tournaments and did a lot of climbing and mountaineering without being careful of my joints like I should have. I also injured my back rowing master crew. Ah, youth.
After the surgeries, losing weight and regular, non-exacerbating exercise has kept me going ever since. I figured out what activities I can do without hurting my injuries, including the ones that hurt me in the first place. You can do quite a bit if you can control the movements, and keep yourself fit so the stabilizing muscles protect everything. Now, if I stop exercising the pain comes back, especially the back and knee pain.
So hang in there. Just because doctors are telling you something doesn't mean you can't find a way to manage your fitness and health to do the things you enjoy.
That said, being deliberate about what you enjoy, what you are capable of, and what choices maximizes your joy in life is part of aging gracefully. If you really can't do something without hurting yourself further, find a new joy that you can.
I knew a 30-something guy that went from walking with a cane to walking normally after following the DDPY yoga series. Yes it seems ridiculous that Diamond Dallas Page, the wrestler, has an effective physical therapy program, but I knew this guy pre- and post-cane so it clearly worked for him.
It's actually a great program, I used it to lose a godly amount of weight after it first came out. I planning to get back into it now that I'm fully recovered from my triple disc fusion in my neck 2 years ago. Im in the process of finding a new doctor after moving states and plan on consulting with them first before attempting it which is why I haven't yet.
Diamond Dallas Page's personality, makes you want to do it and I find it one of the best "as seen on tv" workout programs on the market from someone that has tried half a dozen.
I’m sorry to hear that. My husband has a back injury so I understand how that can affect you. But the doctors are right; the only thing that is going to help you is exercise. You need to build up the muscles that will take the pressure off of your spine. You should also try to lose weight if it is healthy for you to do so, for the same reason.
A little more personally, I also worked a very sedentary job, and at my least healthy I was starting to get regular back pains. I tried to correct for posture and that helped a little but it tended to hurt my back in a different way at first from using those neglected muscles. And with my heavy weight it probably just meant shifting onto another vertebrae instead of actually fixing the problem. Over the past few years I have focused on health, lost a lot of weight, and started exercising. Now my back pain is mostly gone. An ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure.
Wow - I'm close! I have a pars fracture at level 2 after years of sitting at a desk job and some unfortunate falls in Capoeira.
I have flare ups from time to time and 8 months ago, I really thought that I would be in terrible shape forever. Like, couch bound when doing my job.
For me, a good deal of time and progressive ab exercises helped to bring it back. I should also champion dry needling from a physio for when the issue was super acute. It did take 6 or so months of give and take exercise, pain, pulling back then repeating, but I'm in good shape now.
Also, I wouldn't want to undervalue the benefit of a treadmill desk (Go Lifespan FWIW) If that's of interest.
These days, I do regular back exercises and stretches during the lunch hour and sit like I always have for the rest of the day. I hope that despite your issue being more advanced than mine, that there's a routine that gets you back to some level of normalcy.
Happy to talk about it further.
I also sit at work all day (CAD), but I walk to work every day (50 km per week) in that upright posture you described sans the arms behind the back. I also do these exercises as much as 4-5 times per week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfSCZbb9MOY
It certainly helps and I always keep this mantra in my head "exercise so it doesn't hurt". A simple motivator.
Is there any chance of getting a standing desk at work?
No, not that kind of company.
Not anywhere near your situation, but I'm in the process of recovering from my back going out 3 days ago. And since getting to the point where I can walk at more than 1-2 paces per second, I find that if I try to stand up straight and lock my hands against the lower back, the walking is faster and much less painful. It improves something about the balance of the upper half over the spine. I've had poor posture all my life, so standing up like a lieutenant seems unnatural but is apparently needed at this time. I wish you the strength to hang in there and hope for the best outcome.
Behind my back I hold one hand near the wrist and smush the back of the holding hand into my back just below waist level, using the held hand to push. Almost like I'm pushing myself forward as I walk. I'm glad you said the physio suggested it, because I just started doing it with no clue if it was a safe thing to do, only that it gave me relief.
I have been (am still, I guess) in the same boat. The PT I've gotten, if adhered to, has worked wonders. Basically, gradual and consistent core and glute exercises. Sit as little as possible - lay down or be upright instead. Work in some low-key stretching into those little moments throughout the day. It will never go away, and you should always be on guard with posture and lifting techniques, but you can recover some use and comfort.
I have something similar, and I’ve been given surgical options (fusion and disc replacement). Have you spoken to a surgeon? Sometimes physiotherapy has limits that surgery can exceed.
I'm in the same boat, but a few years ahead of you. I also sit most of my waking life, and I also had a slipped disc. It pressed on a nerve and now I have some permanent nerve damage. It's not bad at all, just some numbness, and I can't lift my left foot as high as the right one, but this doesn't intervene with my life at all.
I got surgery to remove the pressure on the nerve, which was the right decision in my case. Everything felt and worked better just hours after I woke up after the surgery.
My lower back hurt for years before the disc blew out, and now I think it only got worse because I thought I had to exercise my lower back muscles if my lower back hurts. Only after the damage was done did I learn that's exactly wrong: You need stronger abs to relieve and stabilize your lower back. Your back muscles usually get enough exercise from daily movements (e.g. sitting down and standing up, tying shoes, pick something up from the floor, etc), but modern humans don't use their abs as much as they're supposed to. I've been doing planks regularly, and that seems to have fixed my back. I don't think you can break anything if you're doing too much planks (if you do them correctly), so that's my main advice.
Another thing that seems to help me is to sit inclined backwards. I know, you're supposed to sit with your spine straight and at a 90⁰ angle to your legs, but that has always felt very uncomfortable and my back starts to hurt after maybe 20 minutes. Slouching is much more comfortable and seems to also be better for my back. Maybe I'm a freak, I don't know.
Hope you get better soon!
Just move. there is no secret to it. move.
try everything. do it very slow and low intensity at first, but keep on moving. never stop. rest when you need it or when you overdid it. find the balance, but dont stop moving. movement not only builds the muscels that give you stability, it also expands the "resoulution" with which you feel your back, keeping you save from bad moves and informing you about when you need to rest and how much.
I hurt my back when i was still quite young. was hurt for years, could not really do anything until i understood that. now i work construction, lift heavy stuff all the time and i love it and it helps a lot keeping the pain away.
also, hamocs. best way to rest. keep in mind hamocs do have a learing curve :-)
good luck to you and fast recovery
I had a triple disc fusion in my neck at 39 (41 now) and I have two herniated disc in my lower back. I feel your pain. Desk jockey/IT for 20+ years and gamer/basement nerd 10+ years before that.
One thing I'll say that has helped me tremendously is a great mattress. I switched to a purple mattress a couple of years ago when I was having back pain and spasms hard enough to knock things of my nightstand. I'm finally able to get a full night sleep and feel rested again.
I recently switched out of IT different career, I'm now a a Diesel Field Service Tech, the adjustment from sitting all day to standing for 10+ hours was rough at first, but now I'm mostly use to it. I feel better because I'm moving, I still get sore and I slow down a lot from the soreness/pain at about 3:00pm but I work with a great group of people who know that my body is broken.
The other thing that helps, is diet, actually eating 4-6 small meals/snacks a day helps not only keep your energy but I find I don't hurt as much on days I'm actually following my diet vs days where I'm so busy I miss most of the meals.
Very sorry to hear that. Just wanted to let you know that there has been relatively recent developments when it comes to back surgery that might not be that well spread yet.
An acquaintance of mine got a similar diagnosis (from what you wrote, I’m not a doctor though) and thought their back would be shot for life. But they managed to find a hospital specialised in back injuries, and performed disc transplant surgery where they replaced two broken discs with implants.
This caused my acquaintance to completely regain mobility in their back, and they could keep up with their athletic career. The discs apparently have to be replaced after 25 years.
Not sure this is at all applicable to you, but might be worth checking up.
[https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/lumbar-disk-replacement](Not sure if this is the exact same surgery they had, but this link might help you look for further information).
I've had a desk job for around 10 years now, let's not include the time as a teenager at a desk.
I've not had back problems, my shoulders get tight, but I am concerned about doing damage in the long term.
For those who have had back problems, did you see it coming? Was there pain or discomfort leading up to the damage?
I'm asking because, in the grand scheme of things, I really don't have issues with my back. I choose a very ergonomic chair and desk combo and spent a fortune on a good mattress which feels like bliss.
However I know I don't exercise enough, I really should do more and I could use the kick to start.
Thanks for the reply, appreciate it. I'm sorry to hear about your back by the way!
Back in 2018 I got back from an uncomfortable drive home to LA from Vegas; for a few days after, a sore lower back turned into an awful stiff pain (couldn't really stand up straight and walk). It got better, but ever since, sitting down was now always accompanied with this burning pain in my lower back. I didn't even categorize it as "pain" back then, just really annoying how hot my back would feel. It got to a point where I was trying to treat it with stuff like Biofreeze or Permatex cream, which honestly felt like a shitty bandaid on a problem that wasn't going away. The only thing that worked was using prescription lidocaine patches, except it got to a point where I could absolutely not function without them and they were leaving some ugly marks on my back. I got a standing desk and that helped a lot; walking and standing felt great and I could sit for short periods, but sleeping was where the real issue was. I've never been a good sleeper but it was truly hellish being kept up for hours, not able to find a sleeping position that didn't hurt after 5 minutes.
And I, being foolish, 24, and deathly allergic to making appointments with the specialists I was referred to, avoided actually getting my back checked out seriously until 2023. I discovered after a year or so that heating pads provided a lot of relief when lying down, so I used those instead of going to a doctor. (In my weak defense I was also really discouraged when I was reapetedly told that I couldn't possibly be rating my pain at a 5 or 6 if I could walk perfectly without pain. What do I know) And I only went because I looked in the mirror one day and realized I've been lowkey burning my lower back with the heating pads.
I had my highs and lows with the physical therapy I was prescribed. I definitely felt better while sitting after the stretches, but it didn't seem like anything was changing when I was lying down. I did end up getting an MRI done and the solution was still... just strengthen my core muscles. But the specialist did mention that the disc bulge was something that would take years to fix - something like maybe 1 mm a year. At this time I had only done the daily exercises from my therapist for... 7 months? So that really helped me mentally (that, plus the Voltaren I was prescribed...), because he said yes, me experiencing this pain was not me being crazy, and that I should expect this to be a years-long endeavor and not be too discouraged if I wasn't seeing noticeable results from the several months of physical therapy.
I don't even think my diagnosis is anywhere near as bad as yours (though who knows, I never did get my back checked out when I first had the issue years ago). I'm still occasionally reaching for the drugs, but I'm definitely doing better than I was at 24, which is sad to admit but I for one am happy to not be crying myself to sleep at 3 am. So, IDK, recovery-story-in-progress...?