Dealing with Back Troubles.

[SteveMcD]

#5782

I know from conversations here I am not the only one. I have two worn vertebra in the L3 & L4 section of my lower back. My Orthopedic Surgeon says this is common for those of us with arthritis. So when it comes to hunting I am no slouch, I backpack most of the time no matter how far I am going.

Question I have is.. Does anyone use a rib cage bandage or lower back brace when hunting?

I hate pain killers and I refuse to stop doing what I love. So searching for preventive options.

[David Petersen]

#44505

Steve — Our two “tradbow docs,” Don Thomas and Dave Sigurslid, both are gone at the moment (Don practices medicine one week a month on a MT Indian reservation, and Dave is in MN to compete in a major long-distance x-country ski race). Both will be back soon and I’ll let them know of your question. I think Dave will say that you should get over your rejection of pain killers, as there are many that don’t affect your alertness, etc. Before he had massive back surgery a couple of years ago, Dave would eat 4 ibuprophens each morning before going out hunting. I too enjoy spinal arthritis and mostly just “eat the pain.” But when I know I’m in for a tough day, like elk hunting or cutting firewood, I’ll eat two ibuprophens in the morning and they really help. Pain pills in that category work much better taken as preventives rather than after the pain starts. I admire your tenacity. dp

[SteveMcD]

#44562

Hey! Thanks, Dave… I usually do the Aleve. But maybe Ibuprophen would be better. Sometimes.. you know the drill, pain jsu takes over… and the Valium & Percocet cocktails are great, as long as you don’t mind being a vegetable!! 😆 Not a great solution though.

[FUBAR]

#44766

Ibu. usually works for me. A couple years back, I threw my back out right before bow season. I used one of those back wraps that fasten in front with velcro. Another thing I have used is those disposable heat wraps you can buy at drug stores. They offer support plus heat on the back. I’ve used them in bitter cold weather, just for the heat

[Homer]

#45008

While awaiting our doctor friends’ input, I will offer the caution that I’ve heard from what seem reliable sources that ibuprofen and alchohol are a deadly combo for the liver. Take Advil in the morning and have your drinks at night, they say, but keep the two separate. I’ve done that for years and hope not for nothing. So, I’ll appreciate knowing what the professionals say about this. Homer

[SteveMcD]

#45014

Fubar… interesting. I was thinking along those lines as a course of action as well. we’ll see.

[Larry O. Fischer]

#45356

Steve,
I have dealt with back pain since High School. In 1997 had my back fused (L3-L4), wish I had done it years sooner. However surgery is not guaranteed. Here are some tricks I learned over the years, and since the surgery to keep me upright. Wear good shoes all of the time, replace them before they wear out, for me that means 6 months. Rotate shoes, daily, if you are working or walking on concrete. Keep your core strong, crunches and leg lifts daily. Stretch before you start any project and use a pair of walking sticks when packing heavy loads.
Good hunting boots are a must, I find that Bean style, or any rubber boot with poor arch support tend to get me down in a hurry.
Good Luck and if you have to have surgery, make sure your surgeon is the best around.

[SteveMcD]

#45610

Thanks, Larry.. good advice. The surgery part scares me off. I know one firend who had it done, and it left him more crippled than before. Had an in-law that had it done, and advised me two years later after resorting back to a walking cane, that the first two years were great, but tha started back to where he was. I can suck it up and understand it is my lot in life, but I will also accept and appreciate any and all advice I can get! But I firmly believe staying actice is key.

[Don Thomas]

#45771

Low back pain is a common, frustrating problem that can arise from a number of mechanisms including uncomplicated “wear and tear” arthritis (osteoarthritis) at various sites, nerve root entrapment (sciatica), and central nerve compression (lumbar stenosis, to name the most common. Proper management depends first on a precise diagnosis of cause, since these problems may be treated somewhat differently. Without knowing all the details, I’ll have to address the matter in general terms. Back braces are generally NOT a good idea. A visit with a good physical therapist to review a home back exercise program would be worthwhile. Avoid surgery if possible and consider it only if there is a precise abnormality on MRI that correlates well with your symptoms. (Almost all of us over 50 have some degree of disc degeneration, for example.) In general, about 85% of people who have low back surgery improve, 10% stay the same, and 5% get worse or have significant complications, and you do NOT want to be one of that 5%! Ibuprofen and naproxen (alleve) are both good anti-inflmatory pain killers that are quite safe for otherwise healthy patients when taken in recommended amounts. All can cause stomach problems, including ulcers, in a dose dependent fashion. Opioids (percocet) should be avoided, and used sparingly only for pain that persists at rest and interferes with sleep. Walking and similar exercise is generally good for back pain–it’s the heavy lifting that hurts. Again, a good PT can help you with your back mechanics. This overview of the problem is based on 40 years of medical experience–hope it helps, and good luck with a tough problem for which there are no easy fixes. Don

[SteveMcD]

#45780

Thank you very much Don. I really appreciate your advice. I will pretty much stay the course with proper diet, exercise and some aspirin therapy. Been the course.. specialists, x-rays, bone scan, physical therapy… then told by Orthopedic doctor, “I can send you to another specialist”. Good Grief! LOL!

[Nick D]

#52984

Steve,
Sorry I am late jumping in. As we all know every BODY is different. I can only report on mine. Four sports a year in high school, two in college. Jogging 500 miles a year to ” keep my weight down “, refereeing 1300 basketball games in my 30’s and 40’s. Working dirt construction in the summer operating heavy machinery. Oh, if I only knew then what I know now!!!!!

All this lead to total hip replacement at the relatively young age of 47. Many bouts of back pain or as someone said
” I threw my back out ” since. During my years leading up to hip replacement I took Naproxin ( Aleve ) to get me through whatever activity I was doing. Hip surgery over–no Naproxin—–BUT more and more problems with my back ( L3 and L4 ) This is what has worked for me and allowed me to do anything I want like climb the Rockies each Sept. for elk—-I got hooked up with a terrific Physical Therapist who is a BACK SPECIALIST. He is actually older than me and we communicate very well–I respect any and all that he tells me and he understands me, my body and WHAT I MUST DO TO SURVIVE–and that is hunt. He has printed off pages and pages of exercises for me to do at home. That is only half the equation—you MUST do these on a regular basis to get out of it what you want.

Again, this is what has worked for me and my body. Because of my hip and my back I ALWAYS sleep with two pillows under my knees. Or my back pack if I am in a tent. This changes the angle of my spine and I have had no back pain upon rising from bed in over two years–knock on wood.

Good luck my friend,
Nick Dedaker

[SteveMcD]

#53287

Thanks, Nick! I know someone at work who was telling me the same thing. She goes to an exercise and physical therapist every week that specializes in people with back problems – worth looking in to. Thats for the advise,

All the Best,
Steve

[runamuck]

#63950

Steve,

Just my two cents: by the time I had hit 25 I had been told I had ruined my back permenantly. The problem at the time was that I did not have any other option but to continue doing my job. So I got all the help that I could and here is what I learned. Ibuprofen is good either after you have become inflamed or as a preventive such as when you know you are going to put some strain on your back. Make sure you eat something with it and keep in within the recommended daily dose only; eats the liver. Don’t wear a brace (weakens the muscles that need to be exercised). Make sure that any weight you are carrying (such as a ruck) is equally distributed over your torso and has the proper supports built in. The best thing that you can do is find a PT that specializes in backs and have him/her develop a program for you. Mine centered on conditioning the abs witch tightened the and took some of the strain off of the lower back mussels, and lots of stretching. I have to be careful with my back but I’m back up to about 90% of what I was at, at my peak, after about 3 years of training.

[SteveMcD]

#7984

Thanks, Runamuck.. that’s how it all started with me. Working on a loading dock. But, that’s ancient history now.

[David Petersen]

#8200

Steve — Is it mere coincidence that a couple days after you started this thread, my low back “went out”? Or did you put a WWW hex on me? 🙄 In any event, there would be no way I could hunt when I can’t even stand up straight. Walking uphill feels great but downhill is misery. A single 10 mg Valium works better than any pain pill I’ve tried, but makes you a bit dizzy for a couple of hours. Sports Cream is the best topical I’ve found — not greasy or stinky. And Doc Dave Sigurslid has some excellent stretches that really help and I guess I need to remind him again to come on here and offer suggestions. Several days later I’m still sore but if I move carefully I can do pretty much what I want. Took a long stump-shooting walk yesterday. Thing is for most of us, if we stay with a gentle routine of stretches and stomach-tightening exercises, the back is usually OK. I’m just glad this happened to me now, rather than in 2 weeks when turkey opens. dp

[SteveMcD]

#8258

Now Dave…. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I am constantly reminded on just how easy it is to be without what we normally consider basic mobility for granted. I prefer the exercise too, myself. I don’t like drugs and dependency would scare me. Besides.. valium and percocet cocktails don’t really get rid of the pain, they just dope you up a enough not to “give a flying ….”!!! And than de-toxing is terrible too.

Good luck, Dave! Feel better soon!8)

[William Warren]

#10575

Steve,

I injured mine repeatedly over a 20+ year period doing pipeline work. I think Don summed it up the best. I think I beat the odds for many years by religiously doing the right exercises as specified by my doctor. You don’t want to let a brace become a crutch. It will do more harm than good however, a weight lifters belt is a good thing to have if you often lift heavy things. I used one for years to prevent injury but I only wore it while lifting. I would take it off after use. Even doing stuff like stacking firewood you need some protection. Some of my worst back problems came from reaching too far to get a light object. So don’t reach for anything beyond arms length. Go around and get it!
Anyhow, hope you get better soon, Steve.

Duncan

[SteveMcD]

#10879

Thank you, Duncan. Good to hear from you! 8)

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