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| Chronic Low Grade Lower Back Pain |
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Question:
I've had lower back pain consistently now for about 4-5 years. It
clears up for a while but is easily irritated by long drives or stiff legged
deadlifts. Squats will sometimes cause mild irritation only if I go heavy.
Occasionally, I wake up with it irritated and my lifting things or even
stepping in certain ways hurts. Usually, the irritation lasts a few days
then clears up again. Rarely, does the pain become really bad, and always
seems to be related to positioning. Hot showers usually helps during such
flare ups.
I've been to the doctor, had X-rays done, and have been evaluated by a
Chiropracter. Nothing obvious has been found.
I recall the pain starting about 4 years ago which seems to have been
related to my sitting on the floor hunched over working on a model for
several hours. While I understand that bad posture like this could have
left me sore, it seems it should have cleared up fairly soon. The pain back
then was much more extreme and constant. I remember having difficulty
sitting comfortably in movie theaters for months afterward.
Anyway, I've laid off the weights on several occasions since then, as long
as 3 months. No amount of rest or avoidance of certain exercises have
allowed it to heal fully. Any recommendations on how to improve this or
what it may be?
Answer:
Did you have an MRI yet. You may have a slightly herniated disc(s).
That's what I have. Do you play any sports that involve bending and
twisting (like tennis or basketball)? Do you get pain from those
sports?
You say your chiropractor couldn't fix it? I started going to one when I
experienced some back pain and he has done wonders for me! In the beginning it
was 2-3 visits per week but now it's down to every 6 weeks for a minor
adjustment.
One thing he had me do which helped was doing a lot of hamstring stretches The
hamstrings connect to the lower back muscles via your butt and can pull on this
area. He also told me to make sure my feet were higher than my knees when
sitting (I sit at a computer all day) and not to wear a thick wallet in my back
pocket
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