I am 25 years old and have suffered from chronic back pain and hip pain since I was 18 years old. I’ll be the first to tell you that it is not easy to go through, not at all. For me the morning is the absolute worst. I get out of bed and the soreness and stiffness in my lower back is unbearable, and through the years I have had to find ways to help myself because I am weary of surgery because a brother of mine had it and actually came out worse off. My problem is that I have two herniated disks in my lower back and a hip that is slightly higher on the right side, which causes great discomfort.
In the morning I have found that taking glucosamine the joint lubricators which can be bought over the counter helps a lot. I also do a regular set of stretches and exercises. I do two 30 min sessions of toe touches and back stretches. By the time I finish up the aches and pains aren’t completely gone of course but it really helps out with the stiffness and soreness, that is for sure. I also highly recommend sitting in a lumbar chair or with a rolled pillow behind the back when sitting for any period of time which helps to re-align your spine as it is naturally. Millions of people suffer from back pain and the doctors have told me they don’t attribute it solely to herniated disk because some people have herniated disk and no pain while other have severe pain. Along with the exercises icy hot rub is one of the best things to get blood flowing in those back muscles and help with the sore stiff feelings. All of this combined and used every morning and every night before bedtime is a great temporary relief which is well worth the little effort which will be put into it.
Another option which cannot be overlook is prescription pain medication. I have been on several prescription pain medications from Codeine, Tramadol, Hydrocodone, & Percocet, and all have their benefits and drawbacks as well. The Percocet and Hydrocodone 10mg both work great for me. However one of the drawbacks to them is that in the morning before you take the meds the pain is a lot worse than ever before, and after taking the meds the pain leaves so I tend to skip the exercises and go on about my day. This tends to leave me stiff and causes that extra aching in the morning. So all in all I would recommend for you what I am currently doing which is a combination of physical therapy of my own style of exercises and stretching, followed by taking the pain relievers afterward. This allows stiffness in the muscles to be worked out and then the icy hot allows increased blood flow around the affected area. It is a wonderful combination for me at this point in my life, and I do not need to give up the stretching at all due to the fact that my muscle in my legs are drawing tighter and tighter as I get older .
One thing I would like to mention is something that I have recently found out about called inversion. Inversion is where you use a special inverter to actually turn yourself upside down and you are suspended in the air, during this time all the pressure on your spine and disks is relieved because gravity is allowing them to stretch upwards. This allows them to relieve stress and increases blood flow in the spine while relieving tension. I really do think this is a revolutionary new product in back pain relief, however the drawback for me is the price. The cheapest inversion unit I have found runs in the $300.00 range and that is without the $50.00+ shipping rate. But if its in your price range I’d say buy it because I have tried one at a showroom and after only two five minute sessions my back felt better than it had in years and I was interested right then. But after hearing the price I decided it wasn’t for me yet at least until the price comes down but I still want one I mean this thing is magnificent it’s called a Teeter Hangup.
After suffering so many years these are the things I have found to help me with my particular back pains, I also sometimes wear a brace to help keep my spine aligned but it doesn’t do much except during exercise and stretches. I have also been to physical therapy and chiropractors as well and all I can say is that as a person with no insurance the cost totally out ways any benefits, and personally the exercises done at home on your own will be just as beneficial if taken seriously. One other word of warning which I am sure you are aware of is to be very careful what you lift and how you lift it. It’s better to not lift at all but for some of us that is just about impossible. So here are a few ways to help you lift safely, remember to keep you back straight and bend you legs like you are squatting and then take a hold of the object you wish to lift and simply stand up. This way all the weight is transferred up through your legs and not to you back muscles or spine.
I hope this information has been beneficial to you and you back pain situation and I sincerely do hope you get better and recover fast. Remember where there is a will there is always a way, and I will keep fighting this problem until I find a way to completely overcome it. I hope you do the same.
