I'm in fucking agony today. (Yes, it's another thread where I moan about my various ailments..... Hi Fretwired !).
I'm teetering about on two walking sticks and have taken enough ibuprofen to numb an elephant.
I had a modersickle crash in '93 and damaged my lower spine. Then the bottom disc prolapsed and I had emergency surgery. Since then, whenever it gets cold and damp, my back hurts. It's been aching for weeks now and I'm getting well pissed off with it. If I move around, it hurts like hell, if I lay flat it stops hurting but then when I try to move it hurts a shitload more.
Donald Trump needs kicking out of a helicopter
Offset "(Emp) - a little heavy on the hyperbole."
Comments
Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21)
"whenever it gets cold and damp, my back hurts"
I've heard it so often I'm sure that there's a real effect here, yet I'm intrigued as to why.
The bones, cartilage, icky stuff are all encased in nice "person stuff" (skin, blood, fat, fluids) so are very effectively isolated from the cold in normal life and are already in a very wet (blood, etc) environment. So how does the humidity/dampness and temperature (within reason) cause the effect? Does it occur when swimming/bathing?
As a non sufferer (so far...), this is largely academic interest (no gloating, honest!).
Jesus Christ, why don't you simply admit it: You just can't face laying that laminate flooring, and while you've been prevaricating, Pugsley's been and pissed on it again!
Aaaaannnnd.....................I've just been out to start the garage door sealing project, and spent a couple of hours digging out the shit between the garage floor and the block paving, mixing up, then filling in the gap with some concrete.
Mind you, me back's hurting now. Think I'll have to go lay down for a bit.
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
Offset "(Emp) - a little heavy on the hyperbole."
I had one of those. Luckily I got to see the nice Mr Surgeon man rather quickly (BUPA) who did all the scans & diagnoses, and showed me all the pics and even a 3D model or two, and explained how he could stick a sharp knife into my spine to cut off the offending prolapsed bit, and everything would be well again.
I was relying on cocodemol (sp?) and diazepam (sp?), just so that I could get out of bed.
Fortunately, the nice Mr Surgeon man's list was full for a couple of weeks (so much for BUPA) and I had a choice of popping the pills, or, ummm, errrr. or something else.
Went to see my very effective physio, out of desperation more than hope, just something to help the pain a bit until I could have the Op.
2 years later, my back is better than it had been for years - decades - before the prolapse happened. No surgery, just physio. A lot of physio, mind. Probably 30 sessions altogether, and I still go once a quarter just for a quick check & manipulation.
In a huge co-incidence, someone I was working with at the time saw the same surgeon a week after me. Same diagnosis. He had the op. Then he went back 6 months later to have the op again because it didn't really work the first time around. He never got above "75% better".
Find a decent physio.
Offset "(Emp) - a little heavy on the hyperbole."
I can highly recommend a foam roller. I'm thinking of getting another, longer one.
Offset "(Emp) - a little heavy on the hyperbole."
Interesting word (or phrase) association.
I had a steel rod screwed into my spine, and about 6 vertebrae fused when I was 14 - 5 hours op, 5 weeks in hospital, plaster cast from hips to ears for 7 months, pretty serious. This was to stop scoliosis getting worse.
Anyway, all OKish until late 20s, when I had a major car crash (and a drunken lifting injury), since then it's been dreadful. lots of disc problems and tingly fingers, but no surgery. my lifesaver has been chiropractors. First time I went, my lower back had locked for 3-4 days, I was in agony, and could not stand up straight. I went in, and was back to normal within 5 minutes. Every time I seize up now, I get over to my favourite one.
Some like to do one big "CLICK", it works, but aches more afterwards - better to get one who is gentler, and uses a variety of muscle-spasm-releasing techniques too. This isn't quack medicine btw it's a 4-year UK university degree, OK it's not a redbrick, but it's not homeopathy
I went through the NSAID route, nowhere near as effective - not even 25% as good for me with lower back & SI joint issues
It's true
the theory is: as you increase air pressure, all your tissues shrink a bit, and vice versa. Remember on a plane, typically 5% lower pressure in the cabin, your stomach swells?
Anyway - for most of your joints, it's basically a cup and a ball inside it, the spine is way more complex, but also features lots of "containers" bits that fit in them. If there's a problem with damage to the surfaces, and then the pressure drops, the tissues expand, and then rub more, less clearance, more friction, more irritation, causing more inflammation, etc.
Anyway, when it's cold weather in the UK, it is usually low pressure, when it's hot - high pressure.
If you put an ice pack on a sore joint, it calms it down, the cold actually helps, it's the low air pressure that comes with cold damp weather that is the problem
This is a theory. Other ideas would be about cold affecting muscles. the Italians and Turks are completely paranoid about air con giving you a neck sprain, and I have experienced this - if you have a dodgy neck, and blow cold air at one side of it for an hour, you will notice it!
I seem to recall that the reason Barry Sheene emigrated to Australia was that he'd broken so many bones over the years that English winters were absolute agony for him.
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.