HN Explorer

Ask HN: How do you tackle back-pain?

12 points by yati ↗ HN
I'm 24 and work as a developer in a startup, work out daily and am healthy overall. A couple years ago, probably due to bad posture, I started getting pain in the left upper back. I neglected it. The pain slowly increased and now if I sit for some time, I start getting pain in the lower left back, too(the lower back pain goes away when I walk/stand - the upper back pain is always there). An orthopedic had me do an X-Ray and concluded this was a condition called Myofascitis. I could see my upper few vertebrae compressed together in the X-Ray, and this could be irritating the myofascial tissues and nerves around that region, the doctor said, adding that this condition can't be "treated" and that I'll have to "manage" this pain by 1. fixing posture, 2. never riding a bike in my life(he asked me to get a car) and 3. getting regular massages for short term relief. He added that Vitamin D and Yoga have been known to help people with the same condition.

I'd like to hear from people who've been through this - What did and did not work for you? Are there any people here with knowledge in this area(spinal orthopedics) who can tell us more?

16 comments

[ 3.0 ms ] story [ 40.9 ms ] thread
pastaking
Hey I'm a 24yr developer as well and I used to have really terrible lower back pain from sitting too long. My worst was when I would feel this extremely sharp pain in my lower back when I thrust my hip in a certain way. The pain is so quick and intense it would paralyze me for a split second. I never went to the doctor to check it out, and fortunately now (6 months later) that pain is pretty much all gone. I got rid of it pretty much by stretching:

1. Simply sit up straight, it stretches your lower back the right way.

2. Get into pushup position and while keeping your body straight, try to reach forward as much as possible.

3. Lay on the floor belly down, lift your legs and chest off the ground, bind your hands behind your back and reach them as far back as possible. I found this great for temporarily relieving pain.

4. Do pullups: or if you can't do one, get on a bar and let your legs dangle and feel your back stretching out. This one feels so good.

Good luck!

yati
Thanks for the tips mate. Everyday when I hit the gym, I hang on to the pullup bar. Feels like heaven. Also, when I do back exercises like seated rows and pulldowns, the pain vanishes for a fair amount of time. I'll try your tips.
sime
Pilates really helped with my lower back pain - lots of stretching and building up core strength.Whether that would help your particular condition I can't say. I do my Pilates with a physiotherapist who knows my history which is also important if you don't want to make things worse.
maxerickson
Was it a good conversation with the doctor? I.e., did you discuss whether the bike riding would simply aggravate the inflammation or if it would cause damage that would make the condition worse? Did you discuss aspects of your working out that would especially aggravate it? If not, maybe talk to some more doctors.
yati
Yes, the doctor was very patient and made sure I understood what was going on. He has advised me to avoid heavy barbell exercises and use dumbbells instead while not doing things like 'cheater curls'. I am contemplating going to a chiropractor, but I'm unsure of the authenticity of chiropractic therapy.
mcv
My miracle cure for back pains has been riding a bicycle. Not hunched over on a racing bike, but upright, on a high saddle, preferably with no hands. Suddenly all your posture-related muscles have to work hard to keep your balance. While they can slouch while sitting in a chair or car, or even a bit while holding the handlebars, when you're cycling with no hands, those lower back and side muscles get a serious workout.

I have no idea if this is good against every kind of backpain, but it has helped me in a few instances where I woke up with a lot of pain. Riding a bike like that for 30 minutes completely fixed it.

yati
This one sounds fun. Going yo try it. Thanks!
dirktheman
I can imagine riding a racing bicycle is taxing on your back, but how about a 'normal' bicycle where you're sitting upright? Here in The Netherlands (one of the most bicyle-dense countries in the world...) these are the most common. See for instance http://www.gazellebikes.com/collection-bikes/city-bicycles/s... or http://www.batavus.nl/stadsfietsen/Blockbuster-7.htm.

It's perfectly normal to ride them in your business suit to the office. They're much, much more comfortable than a racing bike. By the way, have you considered alternative healing therapies like acupuncture? And are you sure your desk/chair is ergonomically adjusted to your body? Good luck!

codez
I've been in a similar place with back pain in my lower back. I also play a lot of sport. Simply a mixture of not stretching enough after sports combined with sitting for long periods of time and not being active enough during development hours can make your body really tighten up. My advice is to see a good physio even just for one session who will most likely be able to manipulate your back etc. and really help you out. That's what I did and it was the best thing to do. I'd left it til it got that bad I went to hospital because I thought maybe there was something really wrong... a few days later and one session with a physio I felt awesome. Riding a bike is great cardio for you and it shouldn't harm you. It's just making sure to stretch out all the right places after. It's amazing how many places will affect your back.
determinant
Get a better chair, better shoes, and a better bed. More money doesn't necessarily get you a better model. I know there's a bunch of other suggestions on here for other things to do, but sometimes the solutions are really basic.
anishkothari
I would recommend yoga. There are a lot of reverse/inverted poses that can help ease your back pain. Plus, you will be stretching out the muscles in your entire body which will alleviate some stress on your back.

My posture improved quite a bit by doing yoga. I would go to a class 2x a week and try to do it for 20-30 minutes every day that I didn't go to class. I only have experience with Hatha Yoga (the most traditional form) and would only vouch for that. Avoid the exercise-oriented yoga classes because they wouldn't necessarily solve your problem. If you try yoga, then ask if you can attend one class for free so you get a feel for it before putting money down. After a few months of going regularly, you will know the poses and will be able to do them on your own. Let me know if you have any questions.

adidash
A friend had lower back pain which almost made it impossible for him to sit more than 10-15 minutes. He couldn't run or even bend forward. He switched to a standing desk (nothing fancy - just a big box on top of his regular desk) and started freestyle swimming. Its over a couple years now - he can run at 4-6 mph (no sprinting) and even bend half-way forward. Hope that helps.
gbrhaz
Your body will always compensate to overcome weaknesses. It sounds like your lower back has been taking the strain because the rest of your core (abs and glutes in this case) weren't up to it.

Normally planks are the best solution to this, including side-planks. They may be a bit too much for you though, it depends how bad the pain is, and how poor your glute activation is. Do you have any Anterior Pelvic Tilt (APT)?

Extremely light yoga might be a good thing to start with, as others have said. Childs pose would be good to do. Also Cat-Cow (Cat-Camel is another name).

As you sit at a desk all day (I assume) you'll be tight along the front (hip flexors, quads mainly), and your posterior will be weak/inactive (glutes, hamstrings). You need to work on fixing those.

Honestly though, you're going to want to see an experienced physiotherapist who can examine you and give you exercises which are good for your current situation. Any advice from anyone on the internet - no matter how experienced - should be taken with a pinch of salt, purely because we can only speculate.

jilted
Diet also plays a part: hard-baked flour products such as crackers, cookies, and roasted nuts should not be consumed too-heavily if one suffers from certain back problems.

Men who are in their late 20's and early 30's often have the lower back area become somewhat 'fused' owing to over-consumption of these types of foods. Also, high salt content can also contribute to situation where lower spine becomes more contracted, and you can see this in certain people where their feet are splayed when they walk--indicating an inward pull of the lower spine.

isuraed
I'm 33 and started having back issues about 1 year ago. The root cause is sitting too much with bad posture. Now I force myself to get up and walk around every hour. I also do some back exercises in the morning and try to exercise at least 4 times a week.

Also stay away from drugs. Back pain is a million dollar industry and the causes are very easy to fix without medical intervention.

chsonnu
The exercises in the book "7 steps to a pain free life" by Robin McKenzie worked for me. For me the book was worth its weight in gold.