Back Pain Support Group

Back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical care. In fact, about 3 in 4 adults will experience back pain during their lifetime! The term back pain includes pain affecting the neck, midback and low back. Acute back pain may begin suddenly with intense pain but typically lasts fewer than three months. Usually, chronic back pain is persistent, steady, and...

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Alonedadof2 02/16/2020

Hello everyone! I'm a male, 50, and have had chronic back pain for more than 25 years. I started weight training when I was 11 and it developed into bodybuilding.

Unfortunately a few injuries and the wear and tear of heavy lifting has left me pretty banged up. I have ddd which I know is very common. I was told my case was worse than normal.

For years when the pain flared up I'd just fight through it. Didnt even take time off training. Over the last decade I've started really listening to my body.

I've seen several doctors and my current on has me going to a back pain specialist for injections in my lower back and neck.

There 10 to fifteen per weekly session and I've been 11 times now. It isnt working and lately I seem like I'm getting worse. I've been off work for almost 4.5 months now. I work a 12 physical job and I cant do it with this amount of pain.

Just looking for advice?

Thanks!

GenuineMystery 02/17/2020

The number of injections sounds excessive. Beyond that, sorry, I don't know. Back pain is hard to treat.

Alonedadof2 02/17/2020

Thanks! I'm at a loss too!

Vanyel 02/23/2020

Hi. Sorry to hear of your back problems. It is a nightmare with no really good solutions. In western medicine. Attempts to manage the pain seem to be mostly unsuccessful. Have you had PT for it? Regular exercises that help your particular issues can be enormously helpful Tried chiropractor? I found the most help from chiropractic over time. They can make a huge difference. Acupuncture can also help a lot if you can afford it. Tai chi or qigong can be great for some. Massage therapy as well. Beware too many injections of steroid. It will weaken the joint structures. Heat or ice can be helpful. Pain patches of lidocaine have helped me a lot too. CBD oil balm has been some help. Sadly we all think we are invincible when we’re young and do all sorts of damage unknowingly which comes Back to bite us when we age. Surgery is a very last resort and outcomes are not that good so I would try to avoid that at all costs unless you have spinal cord compression or a clearly defined nerve impingement. It often makes things worse. And one must honor their limitations and not push their backs beyond what they can handle. Very hard to have limitations and not do stuff that will hurt you especially if you are used to being the strong one. Living with pain all the time sucks.

Alonedadof2 02/23/2020

I've tried just about everything except chiropractic which I cant afford and surgery. I went for chiropractic treatment years ago but my coverage runs out pretty quickly and I cant afford it without coverage. Cbd didnt help. I use ice and heat and it helps very temporarily. I do exercises and stretches daily which have limited affect.

Vanyel 02/24/2020

Have you had MRI of
Back? I hear you about can’t afford it. I’m in the same boat largely. I now am losing function of right arm and getting weak. They want to do surgery but I am terrified. Have you tried a TENS unit or similar? Helps some for me. What kind of injections are they doing? Have they done any nerve blocks? . There are some new laser or infrared light treatments I have seen advertised but don’t really know anything about their efficacy. I wish there was some magic. I am 60 and been fighting this for 35 years. Too. Presently off work 2 months and counting. Do they have a clear diagnosis of your pain? So many times they don’t and are just shooting in the dark. I wish I could think of something more to suggest. Have you seen neurosurgeon? Or orthopedic spine specialist? Sorry if I’m being nosy. More information might inspire more thoughts.

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