My dad's back is so bad that some days he can hardly move. I'm 46 and mine is just now starting to hurt. What can I do now to avoid crippling pain 30 years from now?
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posted by crapples
on Apr 16, 2013 -
28 answers
Can someone explain why old age or bone loss causes older people to have a hump in their upper back or neck? I think its called dowager’s hump.
posted by john123357
on Feb 21, 2013 -
16 answers
I've had recurring severe pain in my upper back and neck for the last four years. I don't know what to do next. Several years ago my brother saw a physiotherapist-type dude (other side of the country sadly or I'd be beating his door down) who cured his crippling shoulder pain. Do you know of someone in North London who can do this for me?
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posted by greenish
on Feb 20, 2013 -
0 answers
I'm a mid-30s female, and I am finding my back is becoming less and flexible over the years while my core and upper body are getting weaker. How can I fix this?
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posted by wingless_angel
on Jan 14, 2013 -
20 answers
I am a 47 year old female & have a office job where I sit at a computer all day. I started having back pain in my middle back right between my shoulder blades after lifting some boxes down from a high shelf about a month ago.
I have always noticed my lower back is curved, if I stand up against a wall I can not press my lower back against it. When I exercise doing pilates I really have to concentrate on keeping my lower back pressed down and not arching.
I bought a lumbar back support cushion for my office chair so I can sit back and have support in my lower back. What kind of exercises could I do to help with this constant ache in my back?
posted by just asking
on Nov 28, 2012 -
15 answers
Back pain and swallowing difficulty - is the shoulder pain causing the swallowing situation or the other way around? Your experience wanted as I wait for my doctor visit.
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posted by Frowner
on Aug 31, 2012 -
10 answers
YANAD - On tonight's episode - Back Pain, specialist claims it's osteoarthritis, but I am 37 and have absolutely zero history in my family (even extended) is he wrong? What else could it be? Minor snowstorm inside.
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posted by UMDirector
on May 23, 2012 -
10 answers
YANMP (perinatologist) and I will call them but first can someone describe what back labor feels like?
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posted by ramix
on Apr 13, 2012 -
16 answers
I've recently started doing a sitting meditation, and when I do it in a cross-legged position sitting on a cushion, I'm having pain and sort of a numbness in my right mid back. I don't want to stop doing the sitting meditation--I'm finding it easier to meditate in a sitting position--but it hurts, and I'm worried I'm going to injure myself.
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posted by supercoollady
on Mar 30, 2012 -
25 answers
I appeared to have developed a bad back here in my 20s. What can I do? Will it get better and how?
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posted by strekker
on Mar 16, 2012 -
22 answers
Advice and a crash course regarding ergonomics (and, to a lesser degree, posture) needed for a young web worker with a Macbook Pro and some signs of RSI.
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posted by Ash3000
on Jan 16, 2012 -
13 answers
Have you had Botox injections for back/neck spasms and pain? Tell me about it.
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posted by Ollie
on Jan 14, 2012 -
2 answers
Can you help me cope with my utterly terrible back and leg pain? I'm at my wits end, so I'm looking for any and all suggestions - physical or mental.
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posted by youngergirl44
on Dec 7, 2011 -
43 answers
Help! I think twisted my back out of alignment again after a chiropractic adjustment and they're closed for the weekend! Also, any advice about constant lower back pain?
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posted by ad4pt
on Oct 8, 2011 -
15 answers
Yesterday, as I was bending over to plug something in, I sneezed really hard and popped about 4 vertebrae all at once right in the middle of my back. Right in the spot where I carry all my tension. It felt absolutely amazing and a little dangerous. Is it possible to safely and regularly replicate that release of tension on my own, say once a day? How?
posted by carsonb
on Sep 13, 2011 -
21 answers
Help me prevent long term low pack pain/sprains with activities more fun than typical stretching and exercise.
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posted by 4Lnqvv
on Aug 22, 2011 -
6 answers
If you've tried Alexander technique or acupuncture for neck or back pain, did they work?
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posted by Ollie
on Jul 28, 2011 -
12 answers
I'm a 25 year old guy and quite tall (6'6). I often sit down for much of the workday. I also bike and walk everywhere (I don't drive). In recent weeks I've been experiencing some back pain. This evening, upon leaving work, I began experiencing the worst sustained back pain I've ever felt. Hard to bend over, painful to walk, or do much of anything. It has been hurting for 3 hours now. I'm going to call the doc tomorrow, but does anyone know of a good mattress to buy for such an ailment? (Mine is awful, sags in the middle, etc.) Or anything else I can do?
posted by LeonBernstein
on Jul 19, 2011 -
19 answers
Why does my lower back hurt and what can I do about it? I took a trip to Asia 2 days ago, and now while laying down my lower back (and hips) is incredibly painful, but other times it doesn't hurt. It feels like it's being pulled apart when I lay down in ANY position. It seemed like the plane trip is somehow what aggravated it.
posted by Patrick Leo
on Jun 7, 2011 -
10 answers
Last Thursday and Friday I had really bad pain in my back on the right side, in the middle – just about where the ribcage ends. I had a low-grade fever on Friday evening. On Saturday morning I decided that the pain was bad enough to necessitate a trip to an Urgent Care facility, as my doctor does not have weekend hours.
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posted by sleepykitties
on Apr 26, 2011 -
11 answers
I have pain in my neck/shoulder. It's partially from computer use but becomes most intense when I draw. I need advice on better ergonomic setups as well as safe exercises I could do to strengthen those muscles, or anything else I might do to reduce this sort of pain.
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posted by NoraReed
on Mar 27, 2011 -
16 answers
Hey, for the third time in the last ten years or so the same part of my upper back has decided to cause me a spectacular amount of pain and discomfort for the last five days or so. The pain is all on the right side of my upper back, going up my neck to the base of my skull, accompanied with numbness in my shoulder and all down my right tricep, sometimes all the way down to my fingers. Along with the pain I'm nauseous half the time, possibly as a result of the pain itself. Sleeping, working and doing anything at all beyond moaning is really difficult, and the application of heat and cold has only helped temporarily.
Last time I just took over-the-counter back meds for a week until I could get off the couch, and then a bit later went to a chiropractor who identified a problem in my upper spine and assured me he could fix it if I came around every week for the next 20 years and signed over my paycheque. This time I'm going to go to a proper doctor, but can anyone take a guess at what may be wrong and what sort of doctor I should try to see?
Thanks!
posted by Antexit
on Mar 24, 2011 -
10 answers
I am looking for a web site or book that someone here can recommend detailing ALL major stretches for the hips and lower body that also shows anatomical diagrams of exactly what is being stretched by the stretches. I have seen some good stuff on the net, but i am looking for a complete list with anatomical diagrams. If it is only hips, thats OK too. Thank You.
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posted by StUdIoGeEk
on Dec 28, 2010 -
5 answers
Lower achy back pain: something actually wrong with the spine or something with the kidneys? I know YANMD and I AM frantically trying to get an appointment, just...anyone else experienced this?
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posted by Kitteh
on Oct 21, 2010 -
16 answers
Intense lower back pain, and he's going to be flying out of town and standing all day (teaching) in a relatively new job all next week. It's Saturday, and he leaves for Rochester tomorrow. What can we do?
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posted by amtho
on Sep 11, 2010 -
27 answers
Hey everybody, I asked about my leg pain/sciatica and got a lot of helpful answers last time. This is a followup on the same topic. I recently got an MRI back that says I have "There is a large extradural mass extending posterior to the L4-5 or L5-S1 intervertebral discs most likely L5-S1. This likely reflects an extruded disc fragment from a disc herniation. There is extensive effacement of the right S-1 nerve root. This extends up to the level of the L4-5 disc. Diffuse central disc bulging is present at L3-4. No compression fractures or other bony abnormalities are identified." My chiropractor said that I have the next to worse kind of herniated disc and that it is "leaking" and putting pressure on the nerve. He was anti-surgery last time, but after seeing the MRI said that is pretty much my only treatment option at this point for relief. I am having horrible leg pain and am on pain killers pretty consistently. I am mildly freaked out about surgery, but I need to get back on track with my life. Please help me get a better understanding if you have any experience. Thank you!
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posted by gibbsjd77
on Jun 8, 2010 -
20 answers
Help me find a doctor in Seattle to go to about my back pain. Difficulty: someone covered by my Premera Blue Cross insurance.
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posted by Cogito
on May 16, 2010 -
7 answers
I just threw my lower back out picking up my baby. Lots of pain in the lower back generally. Didn't hear a pop...it just seemed like my muscles seized up suddenly. This has never happened to me before, and need information on what I need to be doing.
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posted by murrey
on Apr 15, 2010 -
25 answers
Help me fix my ugly back and upper arms. And gosh why are these pushups killing my lower back?
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posted by kthxbi
on Mar 7, 2010 -
16 answers
Medical question: I'm a 17 year old male and last night my rib cage and upper back began to hurt like never before. I thought a night of sleep of help, but it hasn't. Should I be worried?
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posted by Taft
on Dec 12, 2009 -
27 answers
Can you tell me about your experiences with pilates or yoga in regards to lower back pain? DVD or CD recommendations especially helpful.
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posted by rosethorn
on Oct 26, 2009 -
18 answers
MattressHackingFilter: I recently upgraded from a fairly firm queen sized mattress to a king-sized soft pillow-top (Simmons Beautyrest). While laying down feels noticeably different (and pretty damn comfy), I do wake up with some back pain, most notable a tightness in my upper back and in the shoulders towards the neck. Are there any quick-and-cheap solutions (besides returning it) that can alleviate the pain? Is this just my body adjusting or am I S.O.L.?
posted by miasma
on Aug 24, 2009 -
10 answers
For the past few months, I've been experiencing a lot of back pain during sleep and when I wake up. I've tried many solutions - sleeping on top of a bunch of blankets (to make my firm mattress softer), sleeping with a pillow between my legs (helps a little but not much, it seems), putting a towel under my hips, sleeping on my back, sleeping on my stomach, sleeping on my side. In a nutshell, I'm losing it and really could use some help. Anyone with a super-sensitive back who has found a comfortable way to sleep??? I have scoliosis, so that's one thing to keep in mind. Also, if one of the strategies I mentioned above worked for you, pleae don't hesitate to mention it - maybe you tried it in a different way than I did! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
posted by bross12
on Aug 7, 2009 -
22 answers
Where should I start - a chiropractor, a sports massage, an orthopedist, acupuncture or what?
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posted by bunnycup
on Feb 19, 2009 -
11 answers
