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[born2late]

Am I the only one who has chronic back pain? I feel lonely. X-rays and MRIs have never shown anything other than clay shoveler's fractures and docs can't seem to do more than say, "That probably hurts. Take this pill." I'm miserable and need some company.

[msparticularity]

Ask, and ye shall receive ;).

Yeah, I have all kinds of back pain in a variety of locations. These days my neck and upper back are the most serious, but I've also had big-time lower back problems. X-rays don't show much on me, either, but an MRI on my smaller joints showed effusion, so inflammation is probably at least partly responsible. Mostly, though, I suspect it's my insistence on doing all of these back-and-neck-unfriendly activities: reading, grading, working on the computer, and so on.

I take Flexeril now and then, and get regular chiropractic adjustments and a range of so-called "manual therapies." This keeps it from escalating too drastically, but I'm still in a lot of pain a lot of the time. So good for one's personality!

[born2late]

Flexiril is my friend, except it dries my mouth out (really bad for a wind musician).

[annmarie]

I know that the source of back pain cannot always be identified.  Someday we will know more.  My sympathies.

[bread_pirate_naan]

I know that the source of back pain cannot always be identified.  Someday we will know more.  My sympathies.

We know this sort of pain is frequently related to emotional problems in type-A personalities or high achievers.

[volfan]

I feel your pain. Several years ago I threw my back out while clearing out a flooded basement. Eight weeks of physical therapy helped, but the pain comes back off and on. I think my next step is going to be acupuncture.

[shrek]

There's a book called "pain free" that has a number of exercises to do for your back. When I do them regularly it really seems to help. Of course this week I threw out my back (haven't been doing the exercises) which served as a reminder. If I could only reach the book...

[voxprincipalis]

Am I the only one who has chronic back pain? I feel lonely. X-rays and MRIs have never shown anything other than clay shoveler's fractures and docs can't seem to do more than say, "That probably hurts. Take this pill." I'm miserable and need some company.

Given your discipline, I assume you have already tried Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, etc.?

VP

[born2late]

Am I the only one who has chronic back pain? I feel lonely. X-rays and MRIs have never shown anything other than clay shoveler's fractures and docs can't seem to do more than say, "That probably hurts. Take this pill." I'm miserable and need some company.

Given your discipline, I assume you have already tried Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, etc.?

VP

Never anything "official." I've read up on things like Alexander Technique and have applied some of those ideas to my performance area. The problem is that these techniques don't alleviate the issues of having these small fractures. The breaks are not dangerous, according to my docs, but they still cause me pain from time to time. I also have terrible posture in general.
   A lot of it comes back to the way I sleep. If I fall asleep lying on my back and wake up in the same position, then I will be pain-free that day. If, like most mornings, I wake up twisted like a pretzel, then it's going to be a painful day.

[voxprincipalis]

Am I the only one who has chronic back pain? I feel lonely. X-rays and MRIs have never shown anything other than clay shoveler's fractures and docs can't seem to do more than say, "That probably hurts. Take this pill." I'm miserable and need some company.

Given your discipline, I assume you have already tried Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, etc.?

VP

Never anything "official." I've read up on things like Alexander Technique and have applied some of those ideas to my performance area. The problem is that these techniques don't alleviate the issues of having these small fractures. The breaks are not dangerous, according to my docs, but they still cause me pain from time to time. I also have terrible posture in general.
   A lot of it comes back to the way I sleep. If I fall asleep lying on my back and wake up in the same position, then I will be pain-free that day. If, like most mornings, I wake up twisted like a pretzel, then it's going to be a painful day.

But the Alexander will help with the posture, which will help with the pain. I strongly, strongly urge you to at least have a few table sessions with an Alexander therapist.

Alexander Technique is really not something you (generic) can apply in a "do-it-yourself" manner when you are a beginner, as you are likely to misinterpret/misapply the method and you could end up abusing the body in a worse way than when you started. You *really* need instruction, guidance, and manipulation by a professional, and IMHO a few sessions would really be worth it to see if you felt any relief.

Google "alexander technique" and "back pain" and you'll find a wealth of articles, including some that specifically address reduction or elimination of pain from fractures.

VP

[born2late]

Am I the only one who has chronic back pain? I feel lonely. X-rays and MRIs have never shown anything other than clay shoveler's fractures and docs can't seem to do more than say, "That probably hurts. Take this pill." I'm miserable and need some company.

Given your discipline, I assume you have already tried Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, etc.?

VP

Never anything "official." I've read up on things like Alexander Technique and have applied some of those ideas to my performance area. The problem is that these techniques don't alleviate the issues of having these small fractures. The breaks are not dangerous, according to my docs, but they still cause me pain from time to time. I also have terrible posture in general.
   A lot of it comes back to the way I sleep. If I fall asleep lying on my back and wake up in the same position, then I will be pain-free that day. If, like most mornings, I wake up twisted like a pretzel, then it's going to be a painful day.

But the Alexander will help with the posture, which will help with the pain. I strongly, strongly urge you to at least have a few table sessions with an Alexander therapist.

Alexander Technique is really not something you (generic) can apply in a "do-it-yourself" manner when you are a beginner, as you are likely to misinterpret/misapply the method and you could end up abusing the body in a worse way than when you started. You *really* need instruction, guidance, and manipulation by a professional, and IMHO a few sessions would really be worth it to see if you felt any relief.

Google "alexander technique" and "back pain" and you'll find a wealth of articles, including some that specifically address reduction or elimination of pain from fractures.

VP

I think I will try that. It's not as bad as it used to be, but sometimes the pain can get pretty bad. My discipline often requires me to carry multiple instruments and accessories to different rehearsals and performances on a daily basis. I've learned to carry and handle these instruments in a way that's more efficient and thus less painful.

[history_grrrl]

I'm going to recommend a book by David Sarno called Healing Back Pain that I think is worth reading. Sarno is a M.D. but has gone the holistic route. The basic argument is that most chronic back pain (which as he points out is a symptom, not a disease, though these days it often gets treated as a disease) comes from suppressed rage. He doesn't think the back pain is psychosomatic, though; he thinks there's a physiological basis for it that involves insufficient oxygen getting to the muscles. Part of his case is based on the fact that there's often very little correlation between people's actual back pain and what shows up on x-ray.

Years ago, when my mother was having a lot of back pain and unable to walk, she read the book and then sent it to me. She and I both have fairly serious structural back problems: she had scoliosis as a kid and was on her back in a brace for a year, and I have scoliosis which, unfortunately since I'm an adult now in middle age, appears to be worsening and may be entering the "severe" category. So we're not just prone to accept any ol' flaky argument about the cause of our problems. But honestly, I found the book not only fascinating but also quite convincing. My main disagreement is that Sarno disdains any kind of back therapy because he thinks it supports the false notion that you can get rid of the problem through exercise, etc., when what's really need is emotional work. Personally, I'm willing to do whatever physical exercise will ease the discomfort, even temporarily. But the rest of it is pretty interesting.

Also, I wonder if the OP has tried physical therapy? When I had a terrible back problem a few years ago and tried everything -- chiropractic, regular doctor, etc. -- PT was the only thing remotely helpful. Right now I've been doing PT regularly since August (fortunately I have unlimited coverage) and it is great. Those folks are just amazing. I wish I had gone 20 years ago.

[born2late]

David Sarno might be right about some people, but not in this case. The problem would multiple "minor" back injuries over the last 38 years that have caused several problems, including chipped vertebrae.

[bread_pirate_naan]

David Sarno might be right about some people, but not in this case. The problem would multiple "minor" back injuries over the last 38 years that have caused several problems, including chipped vertebrae.

I think Hgrrrl's post was excellent.

psychosomatic

psych=mind
soma=body

This word is used several different ways by experts and non-experts.  One is healing, the other is marginalizing.  Basically, it's not 'all in your head', because your "head" (mind) is all over your body.

Insufficient or restricted respiration is often a defense mechanism that is a symptom of psychological and/or physiological stress, or plain bad posture(structural weakness, asymmetry, and/or imbalance).  In our culture, psychological reflexes engage responses appropriate for more basic survival responses evolved for different social organizations(hunting, gathering, frequent combat/defense). 

Physiological rooted stress patterns almost always have psychological components, are more serious and may be diagnosed as PTSD.

Translation, most restricted breathing, postural problems and related heath issues in people who have not been traumatized often are psychosomatic.  This is true whether or not there is a history of injury.  (Scoliosis is structural and completely different, the reverse, in fact.  Some structural problems can impact psychological and emotional health due to restricted breathing or organ function.  It is also a mind-body, or wholistic experience.) 

Let chickens and eggs do their ontological dance.

People who write books for the mainstream often need to sound good and put people's minds at ease about things that are in other books, or common parlance.  That doesn't make them medically, scientifically, or terminologically accurate. 

Sarno's is an important and useful book, with a 'bedside manner' that is great for most general readers.

[cranefly]

I think a lot of us have back problems because we spend most of our days slouched in a chair. I have mild scoliosis, different leg lengths which has led to twisted hips, and deteriorating disks in my back. I tried everything--pain pills, physiotherapy (3 different physiotherapists), acupuncture, Alexander technique, chiropractic, osteopaths, etc. etc. Nothing helped (well, chiro helped somewhat). I cannot stress enough how much exercise has helped. When the muscles are strong, the spine won't have nearly as much stress on it. Make sure to work your entire core (abs, obliques, back, as well as up into your traps). It will also help your posture.

You may want to consider a back belt, too, which will relieve some of the work your back has to do during the day. I wouldn't wear it too much, but you could wear it while you're sitting to make sure you're sitting straight. I wore one when I was working retail while doing my PhD. Standing for 10 hour shifts just crippled me, but with the belt it was much easier. You may even think about wearing it sleeping to keep you straight. It's basically a strap-around belt that has metal or plastic rods inside to hold everything straight around your lower-mid back. Shouldn't cost you  more than $30 and you can probably find one at a pharmacy (I bought mine at Costco).