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09/07/2005 05:17:59 AM · #1 |
Just want to share my experience and warn fellow members of the dangers of not looking after your back.
I spent my younger days doing a lot of manual labor and physical work without little regard to correct posture and lifting techniques and subsequently often had a sore back that required physiotherapy to correct
The last ten years of my working life I have been behind a desk or in a car driving which has also contributed to the gain in weight that most men aged forty plus experience. This also coincided with vast amounts of my free time spent in my home office either processing photos or on the web.
Basically I was not looking after my health and particularly not even thinking about my back until about 2 months ago when I was experiencing intense pain in my left leg when I was driving a vehicle to the point where I could only drive for 15 – 20 minutes at a time, at this point I still didn’t realize it was a back problem until I went and seen my Doctor and was told that it is common symptom of Sciatic nerve pain caused by a swollen disc. He then referred me to commence physiotherapy which I commenced and found quite reliving but the pain was persisting to a stage now that I couldn’t sit at all for more then 5 minutes.
I was now at the stage where I could not work at all and took some time off and the only relief was walking or very hot showers then on Sunday 14th August when I was getting out of bed my back packed it in altogether I was in complete agony unable to do anything but lay flat on the my stomach on the floor.
After spending three weeks in hospital having large amounts of painkillers including morphine and having the offending ruptured disc removed during an operation called microdiscectomy I am now home feeling a little bit sore and restricted in movement but much happier.
I wanted to share this experience with everyone not for sympathy but as a general warning to all who spend a lot of time at a desk or on the net, you really need to keep good posture, have plenty of breaks and do your stretches. I̢۪m finding pilates a great way to improve my health although I̢۪m unable to do anything other then upper body at this stage but I do intend to get my self into shape. Hospitals are a very depressing place to be.
As any photographer would I thought I would share my snap shots (or should I say the hospital MRI scans).
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09/07/2005 05:38:17 AM · #2 |
Sorry to hear what you have been through Tim. I'm glad you are on the mend;)
It is timely advice, I've noticed my posture suffering since I joined DPC:))
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09/07/2005 06:04:46 AM · #3 |
| welcome back, tim! and thanks for sharing...i bet more than would be willing to admit could benefit from this post. |
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09/07/2005 06:18:56 AM · #4 |
Glad to hear you are feeling better.
You have possibly offered an explanation as to why I get pain in my upper legs (at the rear, just wher they join my ass!) when I am driving for long periods! I would never had though it was something to do with my back? I'll have to watch that and get it checked if it gets any worse!
AL. |
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09/07/2005 08:59:15 AM · #5 |
| To late had part of a disc removed in 1999. But I was out of the hospital The next day. They told me if I could get up and walk I could go home. Took me about ten minutes, to stand. I felt like the a hunch back. But I was not going to be there any longer than I had to. |
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09/07/2005 06:57:03 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by Spurs:
To late had part of a disc removed in 1999. But I was out of the hospital The next day. They told me if I could get up and walk I could go home. Took me about ten minutes, to stand. I felt like the a hunch back. But I was not going to be there any longer than I had to. |
My situation was a little different, here in Australia non life threatning operations have a huge waiting list. It took me over two weeks before being operated on, then the operation which should have taken one hour took two and half as the disc had ruptured and was removed in pieces.
After the operation I had to spend 48 hours under observation in a post operative ward hooked up to all sorts of tubes and things but like you as soon as I could walk I was out of that place, which was four days after the operation.
And BIG AL I wouldn't wait till it gets worse you should get it checked out as soon as you can. |
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09/07/2005 08:25:04 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by BIG AL:
Glad to hear you are feeling better.
You have possibly offered an explanation as to why I get pain in my upper legs (at the rear, just wher they join my ass!) when I am driving for long periods! I would never had though it was something to do with my back? I'll have to watch that and get it checked if it gets any worse!
AL. |
Make sure you aren't sitting on a thick wallet. I drive a lot and that's what I was doing. Basically it was tilting my pelvis to one side and the misalignment over the years was literally a pain in the a$$. It got much better once I got into the habit of taking my wallet out my back pocket when in the car for more than a few minutes. |
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09/07/2005 08:41:00 PM · #8 |
Glad to hear you're doing better, too!
Ironically, my brother was just telling me about his own back issues. He's a photographer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and he said that he and several of his fellow photographers have been having back problems which are most likely related to carrying heavy camera bags on the job for so long.
He has been going to the chiropractor for a while as a result. Guess we have a rather potentially painful hobby! |
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