Back

I've had an interesting few days. Last Thursday morning, I lifted a 6-gallon jug of water into the water cooler, just as I've done thousands of times. But this time, I did something wrong. I immediately felt a tweak in my back. During the subsequent 24 hours, it got more and more sore, and by Saturday I was having trouble bending, standing, or doing anything else that requires your lower back (which is just about anything physical).

By Monday morning I literally could not get out of bed. I was having frequent back spasms, with contractions every 90 seconds or so, although the baby never came. When I finally got out of bed to go to the doctor, I had to pause every few steps while my back decided to seize up.

The doctor diagnosed a lower back sprain, said it would take 4 weeks to heal fully, and prescribed a muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatory. And the drugs have worked miracles. Less than two days later, I'm up and around with almost no trouble. And yes, I'm being careful.

There are a couple of problems:

1. Every day about 2 PM, the muscle pills knock me out cold for about 2 hours. That's a little too relaxing.
2. Yesterday I dropped a 600mg ibuprofen pill. The dog said "candy!" and gobbled it up before my wife and I could stop her. After a trip to the vet, she's fine now. But that wasn't fun.

Comments

[Mike Zornek]

Sorry to hear. I've had back pain off and on over the last few years and it just stops me in my tracks.

Hope you get well soon.

[Mike]

D'oh! Back pain is the worst. One time I threw my back out putting a sock in the dryer. In my defense the sock was wet, so it wasn't exactly feather light. Then I had to crawl extremely slowly to the phone to call my mom to come help me. And I was in my underwear. Moral of the story? Always wear pants when putting wet socks in the dryer. :-)

[DaveP]

They say people who take naps are healthier. I say just go with the siesta.

[Mark Dalrymple]

Back problems are t3h suK. I got put on some PT, which has done wonders (I still do some of the back stretchies when it starts feeling uncomfortable in the lower back)