Had a bad accident and hurt my back BAD!! help please

Have you had any physiotherapy? If not, you would be best to consult a physiotherapist, because they would be in a position to understand the nature of your injury and what exercises would a) help the injury and b) not do additional damage. You don't want to take any chances with a back injury.

I recently had back surgery on my lower spine. I know what back pain is like and I am working on my 6th week of physical therapy. I would definately not do any exercise until you see a doctor. You could be causing permanent damage trying to do sit ups and things. Trust me, the last thing you want to do at a young age is permanently injure your back.

You should also ice it for at least 20 min several times a day. My physical therapist always recomends that. I wouls work on toning the abs, not focusing on the back. If your abs are not strong enough to support your back it will have a harder time getting better. Try searching for physical therapy exercises online for back injuries.

go see a chiropractor

Again, I would say a physiotherapist is worth the money... even just for one consultation to get some ideas on exercises (or rest if that is appropriate). I can't believe your doctor told you to google it! Your back is so important in everything you do... I wouldn't want to risk it.

I wouldn't just go to your regular doctor, I did that when I first hurt my back and I suffered for over 5 years before I finally went to an orthopedist. Even after I did that it took time and several attempts at other treatments before it ultimately ended in surgery...TWICE (in less than a year). I had a micro discectomy last July and was out of work for 2 months only to have my back lock up again and cause severe pain at the beginning of December and I've been out of work since. I did cortisone injections for awhile (it's like an epidural), then they finally did a discogram and decided to do a spinal fusion at the beginning of March. I should be going back to work soon, but I have lots of physical therapy left to do.

Back problems are very serious, you may not realize it now, but you could be damaging other parts of your body by not seeking proper treatment. My body was overcompensating for the tremendous amount of pain I was in for so long that I have nerve damage in my right leg and have difficulty flattening my foot completely. I still have some numbness in that leg that may never go away. In addition to physical therapy for my back I also have to wear a brace for my leg with a crank on it that I have to use to slowly stretch out the tight muscles in my leg (no amount of stretching so far has been able to relax these muscles, even muscle relaxers and electronic stimulation hasn't helped).

Please go see a specialist and get an MRI to make sure that you don't have any serious issues with your back. You're even younger than me and I don't want you to have to go through all the pain that I did.

It was this injury that was the main cause of my lifestyle going from very active, to almost completely sedentary which played a huge factor in my weight gain.

If you have any questions feel free to message me.

Take care.

I agree with the swimming and yoga. But not just any yoga--find a good instructor and start out S-L-O-W. Yoga really helps you get in touch with your aches and pains, and a good instructor (mine is 71!) can guide you best. Good luck with your recovery, and keep us all informed here at MFP.

And look into the possibility of a different doctor...

I have an annular tear in my spine & I'm training for my first triathlon....ice and Motrin help a ton

Lot's of stretching

Yoga

You can do almost all core strengthening exercises using one of those big balls - on the internet there are tons of sites with some great exercises

Swimming

The back will feel better with a strong back & abs....so focus on that area, use the ball - they are like $15 bucks