Back Problems - Can't sit, can't Stand, can't play tge guitar

[jammybstard]

Just came to moan and ask for any suggestions. I've badly put my back out for a few weeks now and I'm feeling pretty useless.
One of the most annoying things is I can't stand up or sit down i.e. in a normal guitar playing position for more than a few min before the pain gets too much.
I've tried playing on my back but it's really not working too well.
If i get better I'm not going to take my back for granted ever again!

If anyone has been here before and found a way, I'd love to hear about it?

 

[nvilletele]

Bob Dylan switched to piano when he started having back problems.

(Yeah, I know. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful here.)

 

[FenderLover]

Sounds like taking a break and getting healthy might be a good option. As an aging gentleman myself, arthritus in my shoulders prevents me from sleeping longer than 2-3 hours at a time. At least I can sit and stand. Just thought I'd rub it in.

 

[ClashCityTele]

Brandy & codeine works for me!

 

[Leonardocoate]

Go to a doctor and find out exactly what's wrong. Don't mess around with it. Prescription NSAIDs and rest

 

[StuH]

The doctor idea is a good one.
Slipped discs are no fun ...... took a year for mine to heal but I was not as bad a shape as you sound.

 

[Intubator]

I woke up with unexplained acute lumbar pain one morning, it went on for three weeks before I finally found a treatment that worked. My symptoms were sharp bilateral lumbar pain that radiated down into my posterior thighs. I bought an inversion table and spent about 10 minutes a day for about two weeks in varying degrees of inclination, minimal at first and worked up to about 80 degrees. It took care of the problem and so far permanently, no pain whatsoever and I'm very active. I began to feel results after about a week of doing it, four years pain free at this point with no medications ever. This not medical advice. There are precautions and contraindications for the use of inversion tables. FYI. Best of luck to ya!

 

[catdaddy]

I'll join in with others who've suggested seeing a doctor. It's really important to get a diagnosis before trying to treat the condition yourself. Once you've done, that you might consider a regular regimen of stretches and exercises to help maintain good back health. I've found The Mayo Clinic's suggested back exercises to be invaluable in helping me in this regard. You can check it out here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/multimedia/back-pain/sls-20076265

 

[Mjark]

I had a bad episode the other morning but it more or less subsided. See an orthopedist or neurologist, have a MRI and get a plan started.

I have a bad disc. I’m going back to physical therapy.

 

[SPUDCASTER]

Appears it's affected your typing too. Sorry.

You need to define the problem. Discs or just muscles. The back is nothing to mess with if you're not treating the true problem properly. Seek professional help.

 

[String Tree]

Just came to moan and ask for any suggestions. I've badly put my back out for a few weeks now and I'm feeling pretty useless.
One of the most annoying things is I can't stand up or sit down i.e. in a normal guitar playing position for more than a few min before the pain gets too much.
I've tried playing on my back but it's really not working too well.
If i get better I'm not going to take my back for granted ever again!

If anyone has been here before and found a way, I'd love to hear about it?

Been there, done that, a couple of times in my Life.

My Back had to work itself out at it's own pace.

Stay Away from Prescription Pain Killers.
Nerve Pain is the Worst and those pills can make things worse for you, much worse!
~ST

 

[Powdog]

Bad disc? Pfffft.

 

[Billy3]

I just had back surgery 3 months ago. Lumbar fusion. My nerve was so badly compressed that I couldn't move without practically crying. I was literally on the floor for over a month. My family had to basically do everything for me. I did crawl to the bathroom. That's about it. I did however play quite a bit, on my back. I had no choice. What else was I going to do? Not play? Hopefully your issue will resolve itself. Otherwise the Dr and a MRI will be a good idea. Is your issue muscle or bone? That's a big difference.

 

[Billy3]

Bad disc? Pfffft.

View attachment 1070173

Ouch!

 

[ce24]

Massage first to loosen up muscles…..then start with the heels of your hand and work down from between shoulder blades to small of the back…2x…..then do the thumb one at each vertebre….2x…do this weekly or every couple of weeks….i use to goto the chiropractor 2-3 times a year…since weve been doing this ive been once in 20 years….

 

[tele12]

Just came to moan and ask for any suggestions. I've badly put my back out for a few weeks now and I'm feeling pretty useless.
One of the most annoying things is I can't stand up or sit down i.e. in a normal guitar playing position for more than a few min before the pain gets too much.
I've tried playing on my back but it's really not working too well.
If i get better I'm not going to take my back for granted ever again!

If anyone has been here before and found a way, I'd love to hear about it?

A reclining chair.
I used to have one and it was super comfortable to play sitting on that chair.
My back wasn't in bad shape at the time , but I think it would help.

 

[pdmartin]

I have numerous damaged discs, degenerative bone disease, spinal stenosis, a previous fractured vertebrae, and a just generally screwed up back from work and a couple motorcycle accidents. I tried my son’s inversion table on a lark and had greatly reduced pain. So much so I bought my own. Some days it makes the difference between walking normally or crawling around the house. Some doctors say they are ok and some advise against. It works for me is all I can say.

 

[jackinjax]

If you're experiencing a continuous throbbing pain down one or both of your legs (sciatica) along with your lower back pain you're in for a long recovery, be it surgical or sessions with a chiropractor. The disc at your L5 vertebrae has compressed the sciatic nerve. Excruciatingly painful.
I went the chiropractic route without surgery and it took almost two years of treatments and at home exercises. That was nearly twenty years ago and I will occasionally have a flair up, but, I learned some stretching exercises that, along with rest, generally works until the next flair up.
My best friend had a few surgeries. Pins first and then fusion of more than one vertebrae. It's taken a few years for him, too.
Hope you get some help and start on the road to recovery soon. Good luck!

 

[Joebanjocolo]

I am with the folks that say a trip to the doctor is what you need before you get to carried away with exercises. I was in a pretty big car wreck just out of high school and have had 5 back surgeries trying to put me back together. I had a MD tell me once that back injuries are Gods way of teaching patience If you do get the ok for therapy and such I recommend getting with a therapist that is experenced in pool therapy. Being in the water takes the weight off of the spine and improvement can be pretty dramatic. Good luck, I hope things work out and it's just strain

 

[Milspec]

I have a curvature in my spine between the shoulder blades and slipped a disc shoveling in my lower back about 20 years ago. I fought with that pain for 2 years. When I finally thought it was over, doing things like running a circular saw or just changing a lightbulb would trigger severe spasms.

I tried the inversion table, but it gave me bad headaches. Out of total frustration, I decided that I needed to get back into fighting shape and started working on pull ups again. The first time I mounted the bar, my back cracked and popped from the middle of my shoulder blades down to the tailbone on pull-up number 3. My whole back felt fantastic afterwards.

Since that eureka moment, I start every day with the pull up bar. I can't do very many these days, but even just hanging there with my chin over the bar has been enough to align my spine after about 15 seconds. I haven't had a single back problem since starting that morning routine.

I would strongly suggest you see the gourd shakers (some call themselves doctors) to rule out any serious conditions and to get some muscle relaxers until you get some movement back. Then consider the pull-up bar...it might change your life like it did mine.