my back hurts.......does yours?

[micro]

:mad:

about a week and a half ago.......

i was great, young for my elderly years and nothing worse for wear........

then awoke the next morning after an "unremarkable night of work as a nurse".........and my whole right back (upper) has just hauled up and claimed itself as another country in this old body of mine...............

and i am tough and know that i am not a workman's comp girl ..... so i chuck it up, exercise, take ibuprofen and walk it off......but it has not went away.........

so today.........i make the first call to my doc......."I don't want to come see you, but maybe some muscle relaxant or something.....you know the stress of being a nurse........?????

so, all are your backs hurting you...........

and what are you doing about it.............

:p

[BadBird, BSN, RN]

Sure does, I have a herinated disc L5-S1, steroids only worked for a short time and I am actually looking forward to surgery so I can heal and get back to normal. I did not hurt my back at work, I am very conscious of proper body mechanics bur gardening is another story. I miss working now and can't wait to get back to normal.

[Sleepyeyes]

Chiropractor helps me....

other than that, I ice it when I know I've stressed it, and take ibuprofen on my days off and just rest.

Curiously.....

now this is REALLY weird.....

when I was doing Jazzercise, my back began to improve and I was actually stronger and more flexible after a couple months.

But I had a great instructor--- former ICU nurse :chuckle:

[Tookie]

Long term back pain - do lots of things to ease it -

deep remedial massage is great -

have someone to do 2 hours of cleaning ie bath etc once a week (I am working - l desearve it l recken)

[Tookie]

Sorry - l pushed the wrong thing then

As l was saying do lots of things for my back management -

1 - massage

2 - Someone else cleaning

3 - good heating in the house during the winter months and a firm bed- with a wollen underlay to keep my back warm

4 - take medication as needed when it spasms - ie muscle relaxant, panadol (or stronger as needed)

5 - My car is not so low to the ground therefore dont hurt my back when l get in and out.

6 take all the time celebrax - when l try and cut it down l know with in 24 hours and it takes that long to build it up again.

7 - Now working in a predominately administration/management type job - after too long lifting

There are probably a number of other things as l have had back pain for a number of years now its automatic and l have supportive husband who thinks and buys things for me that will help me relive my back pain (I am lucky) he goes crook when ever l try and move soemthing tpoo heavy at home)

what l need to do in honesty - Loose weight, be far more active - have been putting off going for a swim or a walk for a while now - get a better attitiude - it worries me so much that l will live for many years and l may not be mobile - l know what l have to do but it is hard to do it.

Never mind l believe the best thing that l do now is that l try and teach others the importance of using the equipment that is provided to not use your back (or other areas) to be wise in the way we lift and to warm up before we start work - I wish now that knew then what l do now - l would do a number of things differently - that could be a good thread

Anyway bad back - life long now, l am sad to say.

Tookie

[prn nurse]

Saturday night at work, an aide asked if I would help her pull up my patient in the bed. I said , "Sure".....well, the patient is 32 years old and weighs 270 #. I got the hubby to help and we hitched her up in the bed. When I got out in the hall with the aide....I told her....."We never pull patients' up in bed who were walking in the malls yesterday." You have to consider your back and this particular patient would lie there and allow us to pull her up and repostion her every hour and I know from admitting her she spent four hours at the mall yesterday.

I think we need to think before lifting. I plan to not hurt my back...I will get 3 more nurses to lift, snag male respiratory and lab techs, if available...otherwise a obese patient lays there.

[Huganurse]

My Doc knows I'm a nurse. When I visit him, he asks, have you ever hurt your back? I look at him and say, what do you mean? Of course! I'm a nurse! Then he looks at me like I'm crazy or something! Like, the nursing has nothing to do with my back pain. Geesh!

[micro, RN]

you got that right.........hug

back better for micro, yee haw.....

now just back to my calcium and prempro.........

yeehaw!!!!!!!!!

walk, walk, walk and look like a goof stretching all over the place as I walk along the river........

[Rottie1]

I have had occasional back strains while on the job, but they have always seemed to work themselves out, with a little help from ibu and hot baths. But now it seems that my back is always achy and sore, can't remember any one particular thing that I did to cause this. I did just turn 39 last week, maybe I am getting older and my body is telling me to stop working so hard- either that or I just need a new mattress. :chuckle

[karenelizabeth]

just got back to work today after 12 weeks off with a bad back.

NOW THIS WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH!!!:chuckle

Its quite funny how I did it now I was putting on my trousers at work (thats pants to you americans) shook my leg cos they were cooched up and sonething went PING , That was it ! I was left standing there one leg in one out no shoes, unable to move. it took me 20 minutes to put them on and to leave the changing room.

After taking some brufen then not being able to get out the chair without help I couldnt work so went to lie down on the floor in coffee room (its happened before and sometimes I can "pop" it back by curling into a ball). It didn't work I couldnt even lift my leg off the floor let alone pull my knees to my chest. They found me on hands and knees trying desperatly to stand using the coffee table as leaverage. Geraldine took me home in the car I cycle to work but there was no way I could get on it to go home. She had to help me down the hall like an old woman help me in and out the car. I went to bed wearing shoes and trousers cos I couldnt take them off.

Luckerly I dont work on care of the elderly any more but standing and sitting have been a major prob and babies in cots and incubators need alot of that. My boss has been brilliant, I think if nobody had seen it happen it would have been hard to believe, I still get coments about getting dressed. I have never done anything at work to cause it though its just there aparently.

But I'm new fighting fit and back if only part time to start with

So what helped?

Hot baths (once I cound get my trousers off and get in)

Hot waterbottle alot more portable than the bath

moving frequent position changes, took up swaying if I had to stand (found my self still donig it in the pub last night pain free)

gentle walk became mode of transport as unable to mount bike sit on bus, in car etc.

Osteopath streightened me out (chiropractor or physio also helpful if you have one recomented)

Drugs Brufen/volterol codydramol etc helped with alcohol

not a good idea I know but needs must.

this is suposed to help too

[TIREDmidnightRN]

LOL! Too funny, but I can relate! I was once sitting on the floor watching a Tiger's baseball game.the thing went into double overtime and I started to get a little 'crampy".so I stretched..just a normal stretch there on the floor with my back against the couch....same "pop" and I was consigned to the floor (couldn't get up into the bed) for several weeks.....on muscle relaxers and pain meds..was soooooo groggy during that time....but I do remember that my birthday came and went and my dear hubby had PLANNED to take me out to dinner for it.so, since I was "floor bound" he took the kids instead.left me alone on the floor...staring at the ceiling fan..no card, no cake ("well, how could you even blow out the candles?")..started feeling sorry for myself and ......UGH! Crying.there on my back...the stupid tears ran into my ears...very cold and uncomfortable...made me wanna cry more....couldn't reach any tissues.....all because Sparky Anderson wouldn't pull Hernandez and go to a relief pitcher!!! I have never forgiven him!!!!!!

[micro, RN]

alone on the floor staring at the ceiling fan.........

think there is a country song in there.......

twang'

[Aussienurse2]

Six feet two inches, nursing mostly aged for last fifteen years

* Mechanical hoists, if you have 'em use 'em

* Tai-Chi, I swear it has saved my life

* Always wear good shoes, not just at work (Colorados don't know what there like in U.S. but I have ten pairs)

* A Good chyro.

* After injury, heat,ice,heat,ice,

* Always stand with your knees slightly bent.

* Use legs to lift NOT back!!!

And if all else fails? a triple Vodka, PRN.