Got a Bad Back?

[so lucky]

I know lots of us here have back problems; seems like they kind of go hand in hand with the love of gardening. Has anyone tried one of those "Tee***" Hang Ups? My chiropractor is getting rich off of me. I figure it would only take about 6 or 8 visits to pay for one of those inverter things that lets you hang upside-down safely, and stretch out the compressed vertebrae. The reviews seem to be overwhelmingly positive. The negative reviews are mostly people who didn't like the shipping service, or who found it too intimidating to even try, or who used it fully inverted the first time, and was sore the next day. Duh!
I'm getting ready to drag a closet door in from the garage and prop one end up on the couch, to try a slant, and see if all my blood comes out my hair follicles. Results will follow soon.

 

[digitS']

So Lucky, I bet that board propped on the couch will do you some good.

Mom bought one of those inverted benches years ago. I was delighted to try it!

Oh boy, work into it slowly. I'm not sure if you should ever go the 180. I thought that I was being careful!

I often had lunch with Mom & Dad those days because they were close to where I worked. I'd take a moment or two before I'd leave, on that thing. Then, it must have been a Sunday when I had more time . . . the next day, I could hardly walk! My back muscles were stiff or in spasm for days and I was afraid to get on it again.

Steve

 

[so lucky]

Yes, that seemed to be the gist of some of the complaints. I might never get it to 180*

 

[lesa]

Dh has compressed vertebrae and other back problems from an old injury. He has been helped tremendously by practicing yoga. Really has been a life changing experience for him... And it is so good for you balance, stretching, peace of mind, etc. I highly recommend it!

 

[catjac1975]

I have had one for years and I love it. I had a severe injury about 10 years ago. It was one of the many things I did to heal. You can get them online fairly cheaply. The one negative is that eventually the hanging loosened my ankle joints too much so I hardly use it any more. It feels wonderful. I was able to do inverted sit-ups eventually that really strengthened my back. If I could find a way to take the weight off my ankles I would use it every day. Mine is called Hang-ups.

 

[so lucky]

My chiropractor has a table he calls the "compression" table, but to me it is more like decompression. I lie on the table that has expandable areas, like a dining table extension, and he straps sturdy truss-type bands across my chest and across my pelvis. Then I use a little hand pump to stretch the two sections of table apart, and me with it. After I have made myself a couple of inches taller, (or after a couple of minutes) I let the air out of the compression pump and it slowly releases the tension. I have to get up very slowly and do some stretches before I try to walk. I am usually sore the next day, but it does help the bulging disc.

Catjac, I'm wondering if straps could be rigged up with Velcro, to fit just above the calves, to help take some of the weight off your ankles? Or even around your waist? What physical issues is it causing with your ankles? Do you sprain them easily?

lesa, I have started doing some yoga, rather haphazardly, and it does seem to help some. It is amazing how stiff a person can become as they age. Does your DH have any particular poses that he loves for the compressed vertebrae?

I got the closet door brought into the living room. Propped up on a big ottoman, there is about a 20 degree slant. Used that for about 7 minutes. At that small angle, I didn't slide downhill. Got done, rolled off and hurt my arm. Yes, it was only about 4 inches off the floor, but I'm fragile, lol! I'll live.

 

[catjac1975]

My ankles get loose and out of adjustment easily. leg bone forward, sore knee, then hip then back Knee bones connected to the thigh bone.
Velcro sounds like a promising idea.

 

[Fred]

Lower back pain is an unpredictable mystery to me.

Sometimes it just shows up and I cannot figure
out how or why it happened.

And one time, it quickly vanished in the space of
15 minutes after I'd been suffering for several weeks.
That sudden restoration to health felt like instantly
going from a fragile old man to an energetic young man.
It really did.

I do avoid chiropractors though.
The thought of seeing one makes me nervous.
Yes, I've been told I have whatever phobia that would be.
But a PULLL! or a JERKK! the wrong way!, then what??
That could be a very dark day...
So I just let my back heal on its own timetable.
It seems safer that way.

Fred

 

[digitS']

Muscles go into spasm. They tighten and remain that way. If there is damage within that muscle tissue, that tightness must be a way to protect that muscle until it heals. I am way beyond my pay-grade but I think the muscle may tense when it does not have good reason to. Perhaps the damage is to the nerve and quite a ways upstream from that muscle. Perhaps the damage has healed and yet the spasm continues.

The tightness itself is painful. For one thing, it makes for awkward movements and puts strain on the other muscles. I have read that the spasm may even damage nerves. The MD's usually prescribe anti-inflammatories. The anti-inflammatories can wreck your stomach . . . at least, that is what happened to me. It may have began, long ago, with aspirin. Still, if those medicines can allow the muscle to relax, the spasm pain will end.

My old country doctor sent me to a rheumatologist but I ended up with an internist after awhile. Both of those guys have sent me off to a physical therapist, at times. That's helped. Both sent me to a neurologist for opinions. The internist sent me to an orthopedic surgeon once. Of course, I have lab tests and have gone to some other specialists now and then. I think it is important to deal with health in kind of a team approach. There have been times when a pharmacist has been the best person on the team. I've also loved me some nurses . . .

Sometimes, the doctors must feel that they need to do something for you just because you showed up. I try to let them off the hook on that one. My yearly physical is in a couple of weeks. I will show up with some concerns & some written notes on what has gone on over the last 12 months. My health is a shared responsibility and I kind of like it that way. Heaven knows, I've never set foot inside a medical school.

Steve

 

[897tgigvib]

oooph, the longer any animal lives beyond what had been normal, the more new problems of age become common, and they say that it is possible that one of 3 kids born in 2013 might live to 100. I read where at around 116 years for a human, the marrow that makes blood begins making it wrong, that the blood cells don't work right. To get humans past 116 will require either marrow transplant or chromosome repair. The marrow transplant is difficult, and would be especially so for someone over 100, and they don't yet have chromosome repair technology. The Telomeres shorten and mitosis begins to happen wrong.

Old cemetaries in 100 years are going to seem strange for a person walking around looking at headstones. Headstones will have dates like 1820-1864, 1870-1940, 1910-1990, 1950-2040, 2000-2095, 2013-2113.

But after that, probably for a long time, there may be lots of headstones with 2 century lives, but very few past the 116 year mark. 2050-2159, 2090-2200 <<< Look at that. A person who will have seen 3 different centuries! There probably are already some who have seen 3 centuries, but by 2200 there will be a lot more, and they will have been older kids to be able to remember that first century part of their lives.

Course, we all know how medical advances work. The rich and wealthy get the elective things. Life enhancing things such as root canals, bright crowns, liposuction, and in the future it'll include chromosome repair, nanoparticles added to the blood to warn detectors of things such as a single cancer cell forming, added nanoparticles that seek and destroy cancer. That's right, enhanced immune systems using nanoparticles.

The real improvement will be ways to strengthen the weak! Not sure that'd ever happen though.