Lower back pain

[shindig]

Anybody get lower back pain, sometimes not even knowing what is causing it? I jog on my treadmill 3-4 times a week, but usually only run 2.0-2.5 miles at a time. I also sit at a desk a lot (like a lot of us probably), so I bought a memory foam lumbar support for my chair. I've had a few people tell me to walk toe to heel to help alleviate the pressure on your sciatic nerve, but that just doesn't seem natural to me. I generally jog/walk heel to toe.

Maybe I need arch supports? I don't know. I've been focusing on sitting at my desk more upright instead of slouching, but that is also a bad habit to stop.

Any other advice. It's not chronic, but annoying sometimes. I have my heating pad on high right now and that seems to help. Or maybe I'm just getting old and this is how it is...lol.

[CrimsonNBlue]

A lot of times it is from tight hips--that's where mine comes from. Lots of stretching and yoga.

Maybe some better shoes--and treadmills never help back pain.

[ousdahl]

You ever stretch or do yoga?

[jhawks99]

My back is good. It's my knees that are shot.

[ousdahl]

CnB beat me to it.


It can also help to roll your back up and down on one of those yoga rollers. Or massage it with one of those hooks.

[twocoach]

I fractured my back when I was 17 and have issues with it ever since. Do extra stretching of your hamstrings, groins, abductors and adductors and strengthen your abs. If you cannot afford regular massages at a traditional massage place, find a massage therapy school near you and get a massage at least every few months. You can get them there for much cheaper. The one by me is only $40 for an hour massage from a student. Your helping them train and saving money.

[TDub]

my back hurts....so do my knees..and I have a feeling I know what causes it though.

[TDub]

yoga tho....nope get out.

[Mjl]

Anybody get lower back pain, sometimes not even knowing what is causing it? I jog on my treadmill 3-4 times a week, but usually only run 2.0-2.5 miles at a time. I also sit at a desk a lot (like a lot of us probably), so I bought a memory foam lumbar support for my chair. I've had a few people tell me to walk toe to heel to help alleviate the pressure on your sciatic nerve, but that just doesn't seem natural to me. I generally jog/walk heel to toe.

Maybe I need arch supports? I don't know. I've been focusing on sitting at my desk more upright instead of slouching, but that is also a bad habit to stop.

Any other advice. It's not chronic, but annoying sometimes. I have my heating pad on high right now and that seems to help. Or maybe I'm just getting old and this is how it is...lol.

I was about to say stop heel-striking, because that's what I learned back when I ran regularly... But when I looked for a link to back that up, found that was never backed in science, and there's no statistical correlation (much less causation) between heel striking and back pain.

I will say one thing that I found helpful is this. When you lie down to sleep, instead of plopping down, you sit, and slowly roll back, trying to lengthen your spine as much as possible. My theory behind it is it separates the vertebrae more, allowing for more blood flow, which helps to heal.

It worked well for me. But the placebo affect or random correlation could just as easily be the cause for the improvement, and I am not a doctor.

[ousdahl]

yoga tho....nope get out.

Don’t think of it as “yoga.”

Just call it stretching or whatever. Like an athlete would do before a competition.

[NewtonHawk11]

I did yoga one time. I was in college and did it as a part of a health class. At that point, I was an athlete for like 12 years. I was never as sore as I was the first couple of days after that yoga class. My goodness.

I also struggle with some back pain, it's attributed to an accident I had when I was a teenager that threw my hips out of whack a bit. Every once in a while they go a bit crooked and the chiropractor helps with that.

But I do want to try yoga again. I do think it would be beneficial for my overall health. According to multiple health websites that know their stuff, one of yoga's most important benefits is that it helps with back pain. Also helps with arthritis symptoms and heart health.

[ousdahl]

Re: heel striking, my dad always had a habit of thumping down hard on his heels with each step. Like the kinda shit that you can hear upstairs, and downstairs it sounds like a T-Rex walking around. Dude had joint pain, and eventually had to have a hip replaced. Docs had to train him how to walk again so he wouldn’t keep blowing out joints.

Contrast that with me, who learned to walk by more lightly landing my feet like a ninja, so I could sneak outta the parent’s house late at night to go make out with chicks down in the park.

jk lol I was just sneaking downstairs to the kitchen for a snack.

[shindig]

Thanks all, great advice. I have actually never tried yoga, that's a good idea. I probably also need to strengthen my lower back muscles and abs, been focusing mostly on running to lose weight, but now that I'm sort of back to my ideal weight, I should focus more on building my lower muscles. I do stretch, but probably not enough. Sitting at a desk 8 hours a day is just not natural for any human, so I need to get up and walk around more and stretch in between.

[ousdahl]

Re: yoga, it’s breathing discipline just as much as it is stretching. And both have pretty awesome physical and mental benefits.

Like anything else, once you get into it, at some point it feels weird to not do it. Some nights I’ll be exhausted, get in bed, but can’t sleep, cuz I feel this nervous tension in my legs or whatever. Go stretch, breathe, and next thing you know you feel all this physiological tension looosening up throughout your body.

Oh, and if you want to try a yoga class - have you ever seen those pants that yogis wear?!

[CrimsonNBlue]

I did yoga one time. I was in college and did it as a part of a health class. At that point, I was an athlete for like 12 years. I was never as sore as I was the first couple of days after that yoga class. My goodness.

I also struggle with some back pain, it's attributed to an accident I had when I was a teenager that threw my hips out of whack a bit. Every once in a while they go a bit crooked and the chiropractor helps with that.

But I do want to try yoga again. I do think it would be beneficial for my overall health. According to multiple health websites that know their stuff, one of yoga's most important benefits is that it helps with back pain. Also helps with arthritis symptoms and heart health.

The yoga that most people do at home, myself included, is pretty much glorified stretching. New poses you didn't learn playing team sports in 90's/00's will stretch and extend areas you didn't know existed. Significantly helps your movement, exercise-included pain/soreness, and prevents injury. We've learned a lot over the years, which is why the majority of athletes do it now, and you won't find a home workout program that won't have it in its schedule.

And that's not getting into all the other physical and mental health benefits a crunchy hippie instructor will tell you about. And, yeah, it can be a workout in and of itself.

[NewtonHawk11]

I did yoga one time. I was in college and did it as a part of a health class. At that point, I was an athlete for like 12 years. I was never as sore as I was the first couple of days after that yoga class. My goodness.

I also struggle with some back pain, it's attributed to an accident I had when I was a teenager that threw my hips out of whack a bit. Every once in a while they go a bit crooked and the chiropractor helps with that.

But I do want to try yoga again. I do think it would be beneficial for my overall health. According to multiple health websites that know their stuff, one of yoga's most important benefits is that it helps with back pain. Also helps with arthritis symptoms and heart health.

The yoga that most people do at home, myself included, is pretty much glorified stretching. New poses you didn't learn playing team sports in 90's/00's will stretch and extend areas you didn't know existed. Significantly helps your movement, exercise-included pain/soreness, and prevents injury. We've learned a lot over the years, which is why the majority of athletes do it now, and you won't find a home workout program that won't have it in its schedule.

And that's not getting into all the other physical and mental health benefits a crunchy hippie instructor will tell you about. And, yeah, it can be a workout in and of itself.

I was DRIPPING in sweat with that and like I said, I was sore. And I was a 19 year old college football player at a small college. It was brutal.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Thanks all, great advice. I have actually never tried yoga, that's a good idea. I probably also need to strengthen my lower back muscles and abs, been focusing mostly on running to lose weight, but now that I'm sort of back to my ideal weight, I should focus more on building my lower muscles. I do stretch, but probably not enough. Sitting at a desk 8 hours a day is just not natural for any human, so I need to get up and walk around more and stretch in between.

Ease yourself into it at home, yoga/stretching programs are all over YouTube. Of course, apps like Apple Fitness, Beachbody, Peloton, etc. will be better organized. Mats are like 10-20 bucks on amazon and you can fart all you want without wanting to run out of a studio full of chicks in their 20's/30's.

[ousdahl]

My only hesitation with attending a yoga class with other people is that several of the poses may tend to induce copious flatulence.

So, heads up! At least for your first class, maybe try not to do it after a big bbq lunch.

Dangit CnB beat me to it again!

[shindig]

Do you just download a yoga app and caste it to your TV? Or YouTube? I don't have a gym membership, so been trying to stay fit at home, especially with COVID and the ridiculous prices of gym memberships.

Thinking about ordering one of these to do pull ups, lower back and ab workouts.

[Deleted User 89]

Anybody get lower back pain, sometimes not even knowing what is causing it? I jog on my treadmill 3-4 times a week, but usually only run 2.0-2.5 miles at a time. I also sit at a desk a lot (like a lot of us probably), so I bought a memory foam lumbar support for my chair. I've had a few people tell me to walk toe to heel to help alleviate the pressure on your sciatic nerve, but that just doesn't seem natural to me. I generally jog/walk heel to toe.

Maybe I need arch supports? I don't know. I've been focusing on sitting at my desk more upright instead of slouching, but that is also a bad habit to stop.

Any other advice. It's not chronic, but annoying sometimes. I have my heating pad on high right now and that seems to help. Or maybe I'm just getting old and this is how it is...lol.

i used to get hip and lower back pain. i’m at a desk or lab bench 95% of my work day, and have been for the past 5+ years

a new, nice mattress took care of it. sealy tempurpedic