What can I do about my back?
I’ve always been a hard worker. I could do yard work, lifting and hauling for hours.
Now, however, if I spend any time bending and standing my back just ends up hurting so badly that I can barely walk. I pulled out and rearranged some bricks around a planter, and cleaned stuff out from the plants. This meant I was on my knees or all fours for 30 minutes. Then I went to push a grass seed spreader around the yard…and I couldn’t do it. By the time I got to the front yard, I didn’t think I was going to be able to make it back to the back door.
Around Easter I picked up loads of branches and threw them over the fence, then picked them up and carried them to the trailer to be hauled away.
The next day I couldn’t help the kids color eggs unless I was sitting down. I couldn’t bend over to pick things up.
Any idea how to fix this?
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10 Answers
First of all, always lift using your legs, not your back.
And now, it is time to strengthen your core muscles. Lying down, do leg lifts (lift your legs to 45 degrees, hold five seconds, lower, do that ten times).
Now, do planks. Planks facing down, planks on your right side, your left side, and inverse, each for 20 seconds to start. Do it everyday, and after a week, increase to thirty seconds a side. Keep going until you can do each plank for five minutes.
What works best (for me) is to lie on your stomach. Relax. Lift your head and shoulders as far off the ground as you can and hold for 20 seconds. Relax for 20 seconds. Do this 20 times, 3 or 4 times a day until you get better, then do it at least once a day.
You’re in your later 50’s, parts are starting to wear out. Discs degenerate, arthritis kicks in. Stretch, don’t overdo it, don’t lift anything over about 20–25 lbs. don’t stay bent over in one position too long. get your doc to do an MRI and see if you have any degenerative disc stuff going on. I too have always had a strong back and never any issues but…now if I overdo it it hurts.
The other day I lifted about a 50–60 lb. sack of equine senior horse feed and was supporting it on my knee pouring it into a container and yep, that tweaked my back. I really should scoop out a bunch first before lifting but ya know how it goes, we don’t want to admit the parts are getting rusty. lol Clearly you recently have strained your back so remember it is weak now. Give it time to rest and heal.
Hope you feel better Dutch… No advice. Just empathy, and concern. Get well.
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Thanks very much guys. Planks look helpful as do the leg lifts. They ALL do. I will get to work on all of them.
Thanks @MrGrimm888. I will. I always do! Pisses me off though. I used to sling 80 pounds of water softener salt around, and throw WET bales of hay over the fence.
@Coloma, oh, I’ve always been a little prone to back problems just because I’m long. I don’t think humans were really meant to walk upright. Who the hell came up with that idea!
I think part of the problem was pushing that spreader. I’m taller than average and so to push it I had to be bend over a little. There has to be a better way. Do they have one that’s like a back pack? I can carry it on my back? I know they make little ones you carry around, but I have 80 pounds of seed to spread. That would take FOREVER.
@Dutchess_III Be advised that even your shoes can cause back pain. Even though you find them comfortable!
I had a pair of boots that I was wearing when I developed pain in the back. I changed shoes and got better. Some months later I wore the boots again since it was raining. ! Within 2 hours I could hardly walk! Got rid of the boots, wore different shoes and the pain subsided within days.
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