Random questions to which you seek an answer
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@Mizmazzle “chronic” shit sucks.
Also, if I never again have to yell for my wife to help me get up off the floor after an extreme flare up it will be too soon. That’s the type of stuff that makes you feel very
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Back pain including chronic back pain is a consequence of a weak and tight lower back. Most remedies on back pain used by main stream focus on core stabilization and bracing but never address the real issue. I had a pretty severe injury about 20 years ago weightlifting. I hunted me for years. Feeling better and flaring up for no reason. Simple tasks as lacing my shoes can cause flare ups. I tried all the stretches and core exercises but nothing had lasting effects till I realized that I wasn't addressing the real issue. I started strengthening my low back directly. I mainly used the back extension machine and just body weight. I good place to be is a static hold for 120 seconds.. if you can do that work gradually increasing reps till you can get to 30 reps just body weight. Once you achieve that start adding some weight. 3x per week is a good frequency. It will take a few months to really see results but I am at a point that I cannot injure my back anymore. I can put my back I all kinds of compromising positions and feel confident that nothing will happen. Sorry for the long post but for most people low back issues are curable with the right approach..
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Happy birthday @Jett129
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@yannis can’t thank you enough for taking the time to explain your situation and strategy. It sounds really logical what you’ve laid out. I’m going to start taking charge of this in a more proactive way. I think the lower back strengthening is a really great approach and can only help.
Do you still do cardio and core and strength training for the rest of your body? Or mostly focus on the lower back?Edit: I don’t want to clog up the thread too much with my issue….ill hit ya up via DM if you don’t mind?
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@Mizmazzle. I do lift weighs regularly about 4x per week. I treat my low back like every other muscle and not an afterthought or something I need to be careful about. I squat 2x per week and do direct low back work after squats. It took me along time to get where I am at. I started very very light with the low back but consistent. It took 8 to 9 months to feel 100% pain free but I shaw improvements at month 3. The back extension is your friend.
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I 100% would not say that I am an expert here, but I have read a lot about lower back pain recently and implemented a lot of what I have read. And it is making big differences to my posture, and general well being. I no longer get out of bed and take about 10 minutes to get into a somewhat vertical position, I stand taller and straighter and I have abolished my hip and back pain. This all came about because the hip that I had replaced 20 months or so was beginning to give me severe issues when I was doing stuff that I love (fishing) and stuff that I have to do (playing Houdini in cramped spaces on boats). I was sure in my mind that the hip operation was successful, so determined that the pain must be muscular and I needed to build up my strength. I have never had an arse, so have really been working on my glutes because they support the lower back. I will start the @yannis back extension regime (I am so sure in my own mind that strong glutes and lower back muscles will pay immense dividends as I get even older), and I also want to start dead lifting, I just need to find someone who can make sure I'm doing it right before I go all in and damage myself.
And contrary to a number of you, wearing engineer boots seems to force me into a better posture and makes me stand better, so I will choose to wear them sometimes. I wore nothing on my feet for the best part of 3 weeks recently, and boy was that bad for me
"OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011
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@Giles said in Random questions to which you seek an answer:
And contrary to a number of you, wearing engineer boots seems to force me into a better posture and makes me stand better, so I will choose to wear them sometimes.
100% agree with this and traditional heeled boots in general.
Knees on the other hand make me reach for flat sneakers. -
No advice to give, but been suffering from sciatica for the last few months, with lower back issues so I (literally) feel your pain. Not in a good enough position to start trying to strengthen my core, but I'll revisit the advice above when I am.
I'm also wearing trainers a lot more to try not to exacerbate the issues - the sciatica goes all the way down to my left toe, so having heavy leather pushing on the sciatic nerve can get pretty uncomfortable, even if the shoes fit well. I don't think wearing trainers all the time is necessarily the answer long term though, what you gain in instant comfort is lost in support.
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Thats it right there @Giles
