Chronic Back Pain

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spozzybear
spozzybear Posts: 216 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
hi guys,

I have had chronic back pain for about 4-5 years now. Most of the time it's manageable, but when it does flare up it's agony. I just had a CTscan done and the results didn't show much except for a few "bulging discs". :sick:

I want to get pregnant soon, but am so scared, as becoming pregnant while already having back pain is far from ideal.
I also really want to lose weight before I fall pregnant, but my metabolisms ran away screaming years ago, and without exercise I just dont' seem to be able to lose weight! :grumble:

I can walk, but anything more than walking aggrivates another flare-up. :sad:
I would love to hear from anyone with advice on how best to cope with lower back pain, other than medication. I have seen all kinda of physios and back specialists, and they all give me exercises and stretches to do which only alleviate the pain temporarily,

I am kinda at the end of my rope with being in pain all the time.

Replies

  • Elena_K75
    Elena_K75 Posts: 17 Member
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    Well, I used to have lower back pains as well, the reason being extra weight and my two year old son ( from picking him up and holding him mostly the wrong way). I went to dr - no physio - and he gave me medication for it. It didn't do anything. It just worked during the time i was taking the medicine. And then I started pilates... Trust me it helps. Take pilates sessions and say goodbye to your back problems. Of couse I still have to lose 20 kg, but my back problems are gone.
  • spozzybear
    spozzybear Posts: 216 Member
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    Well, I used to have lower back pains as well, the reason being extra weight and my two year old son ( from picking him up and holding him mostly the wrong way). I went to dr - no physio - and he gave me medication for it. It didn't do anything. It just worked during the time i was taking the medicine. And then I started pilates... Trust me it helps. Take pilates sessions and say goodbye to your back problems. Of couse I still have to lose 20 kg, but my back problems are gone.

    How often were you doing Pilates? I have actually been looking into Pilates classes but it's so expensive!
  • WelcomeToWonderland
    WelcomeToWonderland Posts: 89
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    If all you can do is walk then walk. You will lose weight from walking and diet alone. Ballet is also a great way to strengthen without causing too much pain. There are simple exercises you can follow on YouTube as well.
  • afgivens4
    afgivens4 Posts: 117
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    This may sound stupid to you, but I suggest start with regular massage therapy. It could very well be that your muscles are so tight and or tense from stress and other life factors that is causing so much pain. If stretching helps the pain only temporarily tells me that the muscles are simply constricting themselves back putting you "back" in pain. So many people carry their stress in their muscles which causes the tension. Try it once a week or every two weeks for a little while.

    Either way, I hope you get some relief soon.
  • canary986
    canary986 Posts: 20 Member
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    Hello there,

    Firstly, I feel for you and understand how frustrating it can be.

    I have suffered from constant lower back pain for about 3 years and last year was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease in my lower discs. I, like you, get flare ups all the time and have to be really careful with what I do - which is so frustrating as I am 26 years old and feel like I have the back of an 80 year old!

    When I was diagnosed, I was at my heaviest weight and my consultant suggested exercising to help the problem. I didn't think I was able to due to always having flare ups when I did exercise but he assured me that if I did 10 minutes of exercise (swimming etc) and gradually build it up by 5 minutes over time when my back didn't flare up so much, it would help.

    A year on and I now go to the gym three times a week and have lost almost three stone. I can't lie and say I have no pain, my back does hurt every day but I've adapted to deal with it so much better now that I don't have 3 extra stone sitting on top of it. It really gives me problems when I'm static for too long. If I don't go to the gym and keep it moving, it gets very painful and stiff.

    Slow and steady exercise over time may help to just loosen it up a bit and get it moving - this is just on the back of my experience - I'm not a trained doctor! Pilates is also great.

    Good luck and I do feel your frustration x
  • juicygurl1
    juicygurl1 Posts: 195 Member
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    I feel bad for you. Have you tried accupunture? I have chronic neck pain from an injury that seems to help without invasive. Drugs.v
  • Elena_K75
    Elena_K75 Posts: 17 Member
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    I do pilates twice a week. I know they can be expensive if you go to sessions where they use the specialised equipment. There are sessions though that they do the exercises on the floor using only the pilates ball, leg/arm weights (very light) and other small devices. These are not as expensive classes. You just have to do research i guess. I am sorry i am not from your country, I am from cyprus, so i cannot help you more about it. BUT I highly recommend it... there were days I couldn't move from the back pain, and now it is a history... Just make sure the pilates coach is a good one and knows what he/she is doing.
  • LupaNera
    LupaNera Posts: 170
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    I have two compressed disks and for me it was acquagym and Pilates (with Swiss balls) that helped at the point that now I'm doing krav maga without any problems. Just a little pain during TOM.
    I was going to a gym where they had a all inclusive program (including poll access and acquagym classes in deep water) so I could just go to any class I wanted, and how many times a week I wanted. It was a little more expensive than single classes but at the end of the month it was better on my budget from the amount of classes I was doing.
  • mmmyotwnz
    mmmyotwnz Posts: 119 Member
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