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? [more inside]
posted by Taft on Dec 12, 2009 - 27 answers

Is the subway causing my body to hurt? [more inside]
posted by airguitar2 on Nov 20, 2009 - 17 answers

Can you tell me about your experiences with pilates or yoga in regards to lower back pain? DVD or CD recommendations especially helpful. [more inside]
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

Why does my back always hurt when doing the dishes? [more inside]
posted by bdoop21 on Aug 8, 2009 - 24 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

lower back pain after lifting legs in the gym. [more inside]
posted by l2yangop on May 26, 2009 - 12 answers

what is going on with my shoulder blade and neck muscles? [more inside]
posted by figTree on Feb 26, 2009 - 5 answers

Where should I start - a chiropractor, a sports massage, an orthopedist, acupuncture or what? [more inside]
posted by bunnycup on Feb 19, 2009 - 11 answers

Hoping someone can help diagnose what my lower back pain is. [more inside]
posted by Christ, what an asshole on Feb 7, 2009 - 5 answers

My fiancée has been experiencing severe upper back and neck pain for about the last two months. Our GP is finally going to refer her to a rheumatologist. How can we work best with the rheumatologist to diagnose and resolve this pain as quickly as possible? Way more details inside. [more inside]
posted by Nelsormensch on Oct 23, 2008 - 10 answers

The left side of my upper back and neck are consistently crick-y, cracky and tight. Once in a while it's painful, but at all hours of the day, I can stretch the muscles and bones in the area and get some clicky sounds. Can you recommend ways that I can alleviate this? [more inside]
posted by k7lim on Jun 6, 2008 - 11 answers

Sometimes when I stretch my back, it kind of pops and hurts sharply, what's up with that? [more inside]
posted by T.D. Strange on May 22, 2008 - 3 answers

A friend has a serious back injury and I want to help him negotiate the maze of advice he will face. [more inside]
posted by mecran01 on May 16, 2008 - 8 answers

Are there alternatives to the lotus position for classic meditation that don't leave the back unsupported? I've found that sitting in an unsupported position, or in a chair that doesn't have a seat back, ends up making my back ache rather strongly. I've thought about investigating meditation (and looking into the more classical, early practices), but have wondered if there's a "kosher" (accepted in the discipline) way of doing the more classical meditations while having your back completely supported (by lying on the ground, or doing it in a chair, or what have you).
posted by WCityMike on Apr 24, 2008 - 17 answers

Intense lower back pain on the left side. It's also painful down the side of my left leg. After being stiff and mostly inactive this winter I was doing some deep knee beds and intense hamstring stretches, now I'm in a huge amount of pain. My health insurance has a hefty deductible and am hoping to avoid the doctor's office. Any ideas on what to do to relieve the pain?
posted by huxley on Apr 14, 2008 - 19 answers

My mother recently traded in a 2004 Subrau Outback and bought a 2007 model of the same car a few weeks ago. She loved the car when test driving and was very happy with it for the first few weeks. Now she is finding that it is aggravating her back problems and causing her extreme amounts of pain. She has tried adjusting the seat in all ways and even called her doctor (who wasn't much help, so she's going to try to talk to someone else) [more inside]
posted by kfs27 on Mar 5, 2008 - 12 answers

Is intense back pain when I sneeze an indicator of a serious spinal problem? [more inside]
posted by high0nfire on Mar 4, 2008 - 9 answers

Does anyone have any experience using inversion tables to treat back pain? Do they work? Bonus: any credible studies you know about or can find discussing the use/pros/cons of inversion tables? [more inside]
posted by leahwrenn on Dec 19, 2007 - 8 answers

Help me with this mystery pain (long post, sorry) [more inside]
posted by Becko on Nov 27, 2007 - 11 answers

What are your experiences with non-surgical alternatives to a herniated lower back disc? [more inside]
posted by sociolibrarian on Oct 18, 2007 - 12 answers

I hurt my lower back playing tennis. Help! [more inside]
posted by corpse on Sep 10, 2007 - 14 answers

I seem to have had kidney stones continuously since January. Should I be going to my doctor? And how do you manage to collect them for analysis? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 23, 2007 - 8 answers

Does anyone know of a back cushion that heats the entire back rather than just the lower back? [more inside]
posted by dino terror on Jun 19, 2007 - 3 answers

How can I learn to sleep better, so I don't constantly wake up with back pain? [more inside]
posted by catatethebird on May 22, 2007 - 23 answers

What is wrong with my back? It hurts MUCH during the night, gets better during the day. Yes I will see a doctor. [more inside]
posted by davar on May 8, 2007 - 13 answers

Let me preface this question by saying that I work in retail. More specifically, I work in a slightly smaller than K-Mart national chain big-box store specializing in low quality clothing and home crap. Anywayz: I fell at work. Actually what happens was that the entire back wall of the checkout lane I was using fell as I was leaning against it and took me with it. Yes. Best day ever. What do I do? [more inside]
posted by chichimimizu on May 5, 2007 - 19 answers

Help me find some relief. Injured my back years ago in a bicycle accident and the chronic pain is getting old. Long explanation inside. [more inside]
posted by ganzhimself on Mar 30, 2007 - 10 answers

Should I keep this ergonomic chair or return it? [more inside]
posted by underwater on Mar 1, 2007 - 9 answers

Weird, pinch-y lower back pain. What's causing it and how can I make it go away? [more inside]
posted by Brittanie on Feb 25, 2007 - 10 answers

Back Pain - It's a weekend, and my chiropractor only works tue/thurs in my area filter. I have no idea what I did to deserve this, but I went to the gym for the first time in 2 mos last wednesday (I had been going religiously m/w/f for 8 months working up my running.. i was doing 10 minute miles for 30 minutes before..) because I broke my toe at a company event. I did a decent workout (2.2 mi in 30 min, rest, stretch, then free weights). I felt fine afterwards - no pain, no problems at all. [more inside]
posted by SirStan on Oct 14, 2006 - 14 answers

Looking for people who have experienced forward head posture problems. [more inside]
posted by yorick on Sep 3, 2006 - 13 answers

does anyone out there have any experience with the swopper chair? [more inside]
posted by zzztimbo on Jul 27, 2006 - 5 answers

How can I reduce back pain while driving? [more inside]
posted by benjh on Jul 21, 2006 - 11 answers

Is the Alexander Technique useful for posture and back pain? [more inside]
posted by rwatson on Jun 6, 2006 - 10 answers

I fell on slipper stairs and hurt my back. ouch! [more inside]
posted by freudianslipper on Dec 17, 2005 - 13 answers

Wondering if anyone has herniated a disc in the lower lumbar spine. If so, how long did it take to heal? What did you do to alleviate the pain? I have had pain for 2 years now and am wondering if I should have surgery, or what other routes I should take to get rid of the pain. Any suggestions?
posted by Maishe on Apr 20, 2005 - 13 answers

Why do my lower back muscles contract when I am cold? It is uncontrollable and often causes pain. Is there anything I can do to train the muscles to relax? Would having a stronger lower back make it worse or better?
posted by will on Dec 31, 2003 - 3 answers