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Thread: Back Brace?

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
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    South Bend IN 46613
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    843
    Quote Originally Posted by Wade Lippman View Post

    BTW, Chiropractic has never been shown to do anything, except anecdotally.
    It has never been conclusively proven that smoking causes cancer either. I know that for me a chiropractor is the answer when my vertebrae are out of place which causes pain in some other location. Early this year my hip was hurting, fixed by a chiropractor. Two weeks ago my shoulder was hurting so bad I missed a day of work, put back in place by a chiropractor. I have been seeing the same chiropractor since I was about 10 years old, maybe twice a year, mostly for very severe headaches that are eliminated almost instantly.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] "You don't have to give birth to someone to have a family." (Sandra Bullock)




  2. #17
    I know I'm going to sound like a broken record, but a vitamin D deficiency can lead to all sorts of back pain. I'm the poster child for that. The difference in my back after starting vitamin D supplements is miraculous.

    Here is an interesting read:

    http://www.webmd.com/pain-management...onic-pain-link

    And an except:
    However, Plotnikoff published a study in 2003 on 150 people in Minneapolis who came to a community health clinic complaining of chronic pain. Virtually all of them -- 93% -- had extremely low vitamin D levels.

    Vitamin D blood levels of 30-40 ng/mL are considered ideal. The average level in Plotnikoff’s study was about 12, and some people had vitamin D levels so low they were undetectable.

    “The group with the lowest levels of vitamin D were white women of childbearing age,” Plotnikoff says. “Most of them were dismissed by their doctors as depressed or whiners. They attributed their pain to an inability to manage stress. But after we replenished their vitamin D, these people said, ‘Woo hoo! I’ve got my life back!’”

    Plotnikoff notes that vitamin D is a hormone. "Every tissue in our bodies has [vitamin] D receptors, including all bones, muscles, immune cells, and brain cells," he says.

    And in March 2009, researchers at the Mayo Clinic published a study showing that patients with inadequate vitamin D levels who were taking narcotic pain drugs required nearly twice as much medication to control their pain as did patients with adequate D levels

    I was turned onto the miracle of Vitamin D supplements by a customer that happens to be an ER physician. He noticed me favoring my back and sat me down at my PC and started showing me all the research. It was winter, so he knew I wasn't spending lots of time outside. I told him (he asked) if I drink milk (answer: not really, coffee, water, soda). So he told me to take vitamin D supplements and within months the difference was remarkable.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Wayne, Pa.
    Posts
    498
    Time for my four cents.
    1.) Pain is a sign that something is wrong. If it reoccurs there is a good chance of injury. A quick x-ray can tell a lot and should be what your doc recommends. Manipulations by a chiropractor without knowing if you have an injury will not help in the long run.
    2.) Braces do not help you. Oddly my orthopedist recommended a brace while my physical therapist pointed out that braces do what your body should be doing. Using a brace allows the muscles, bones, ligaments and tendons to not do their job and get weaker. I believe the pt's. Lesson, believe the best experts but learn how to figure out who they are.
    3.) The muscles you need to work to help you lower back are what are commonly referred to as the core. These muscles are deeper than the abdominals. I am working them when I go to physical therapy. Assorted leg lifts (one at a time), body bridges, and a couple of others I don't even know how to describe. Try doing a slight squat and walking sideways with a big rubber band around your ankles. I'm getting buns of steel.
    4.) Don't assume you can't change your body. Losing weight will let you live longer. Lower blood pressure, less stress on all parts of your body and less back pain. I bet your family would like you around and I'm sure there's a lot of woodworking you'd like to do. Cut out the bad foods and exercise a bit each day. It will happen.
    5.) Heat and stretching. Be careful with stretching so you don't hurt anything. Oddly most of the stretching I am told to do is in the legs and butt. They tell me that the muscles will pull the hips out of whack which then messes up the spine.

    The best part of going to physical therapy is getting your back and butt massaged by a cute pt. I ask her to be rough and she slaps my face...it's worth the money.
    Last edited by John T Barker; 07-28-2014 at 9:10 AM.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
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    Wayne, Pa.
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    498
    Oh, and you probably have a healthy case of arthritis...like everyone else our age.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Aug 2021
    Location
    Redmond, OR
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    594
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - I have tried a few and this is the one I like most. It is taller than most which gives me a bit better support. I don't generally have back problems but appreciate the extra support to keep from getting a back ache when doing a lot of leaning over. I have others that do a respectable job, this one just seems to work the best for "ME".

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e?ie=UTF8&th=1 - Was on sale for $22 so I thought I would give it a try. Works well but pushes my pants down. Not as comfortable for me as the first one I listed. I keep this in the truck in case I have to do something that is strenuous for my back.

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - It is not as comfortable as the first one for me. I keep this in the truck in case I have to do something that is strenuous for my back.
    Last edited by Michael Schuch; 01-08-2022 at 3:07 AM.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    May 2021
    Location
    Spartanburg South Carolina
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    386
    When I carry too much extra weight all kinds of bad things appear. Insomnia, snoring. high blood pressure and back pain. It takes a lot of work to lose the weight but it can be done. I have tried starving myself combined with running and lost over 50 lbs. of extra weight. I felt great but as soon as I eased up the weight started coming back. I switched to a ketogenic (low carb high fat) way of eating and while not starving anymore was able to start losing again. My blood lipids are fantastic now. Almost two years ago I jumped into carnivore way of eating where I eat no plants but only foods that come from animals. It was a 30 day experiment that I never stopped. Now I have added 16:8 fasting and am losing weight again. Anyway to the OP , explore making some changes to tackle that tool shed in front, it can make a big difference in your long term health. I would focus more on what you are eating instead of the "eat less and move more" method.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
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    Piercefield, NY
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    1,663
    This is a thread from 2014 that was revived by a spammer. The OP may still be seeking advice on the subject, but I would be surprised after this much time.

  8. #23
    Join Date
    May 2021
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    Spartanburg South Carolina
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    386
    Quote Originally Posted by Zachary Hoyt View Post
    This is a thread from 2014 that was revived by a spammer. The OP may still be seeking advice on the subject, but I would be surprised after this much time.
    Zombie treads always get me. I look for awhile and then get slack about it. Thanks!

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Upland CA
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    5,548
    Well, the OP is still around, still fat, with lots of previous injuries (35 years as a fireman), but hanging in there. Not much changed, except facing the thought of being an octogenarian at my next birthday.
    Rick Potter

    DIY journeyman,
    FWW wannabe.
    AKA Village Idiot.

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,898
    I find a heated mattress pad helps the back while an electric blanket does not.
    Bill D

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    N CA
    Posts
    1,280
    I’ll take a run at this one. Like Rick, I have had back problems for about 45 yrs. Also work related injuries and failure as a young man to pay attention. Now as an “older” man, I have to pay attention. As you age your muscle mass dwindles. Today my strength lies mostly in flexibility and range of motion. About 15 mos ago I began doing “Yoga with Adriene” on YT with my wife 5-6 days per week. Basic stuff for me there and it has been very helpful. I’ve also lost 20 lbs in the last year. That is nice as I’m back to the weight I was in college. That isn’t really a call for rejoicing as the weight distribution is substantially different than back in the day I haven’t eliminated my back issues, but let’s say I am holding them at bay.

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,898
    My advice is not to wear a brace all the time since it will weaken those muscles. But put it on if you think you will be needing one for a heavy lift or long term stress in one position. I leave it up to you what is heavy or long term.
    Bill D

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