Back pain

[MouthCaller]

I hurt my lower back at work last saturday and I have been in the bed with ice packs and heating pads along with the meds they gave me at the ER and I still cannot even walk down my hallway. Turkey season starts in 10 days and now Im nervous about missing hunting time but thats not nearly as important as needing to go back to work. Anyone got any remedies? Im about to go try the chiropractor... Keep me in your prayers, thanks guys.

[bird]

X-rays and a MRI would be first on my mind before a chiropractor.  I broke my back almost 5 years ago and thought I pulled a muscle and went 4 months of sure hell before finding out that I had actually fractured a vertebrae in my back. Back pain is nothing to take lightly.

Good Luck to you and I hope it is nothing serious.

bird

[ctwny1]

I have to agree with bird 100%. I've had two back operations and before seeing a Neurosurgeon, I tried everything and NOTHING helped. I tried acupuncture, chiropractors and everything else. Nothing worked until I saw
a Neurosurgeon and was put on pain management. Don't fool around with this..get yourself into see a specialist in this field and he'll write an order for you get an x-ray and a MRI and he'll stop the pain too.

[Old Gobbler]

DO NOT GO TO A CHIROPRACTOR  reason being once the workmans comp folks see that they will fight you tooth and nail saying it is a off the work related injury - and they will win , you have to go to the workmans comp doctor and have them refer you to a therapist

important !!!!!!  once you are on comp , and have been issued a work weight restriction do not so much as lift anything over that , no groceries in the car , no mowing the lawn , and yes no lifting a shotgun or turkey - they have PI's that will follow you to the next state for days on end trying to get footage of you lifting a 12 pack of coca cola into a shopping basket -seen it many times -I cant publicly repeat what I have seen gone down , but trust me the PI's are very good at what they do - be very very careful if you decide to go on comp



I'm not a doctor , but can tell you what works for me is ice,  ibuprofen , and rest , I find sometimes laying flat on a hard floor will stretch out my back to the configuration it was intended to be - slowly stretching as days go by until I am functioning again -Heat pads made it worse for me cause they swelled up the back  if you choose to got the workmans comp route , be very cautious , insurance companies have PI vendors at their disposal and they use them with brutal efficiency to rid themselves of a big settlements

hope you feel better

 

[Nick_The_Tinkerer]

some fantastic advice there....please go to a specialist and get full workup your back is nothing to mess with.

[remmy1187]

  I screwed up my back years ago lifting stuff at work.  Sounds similar to what you are going through,  long story short, go get an MRI.   Had a herniated disc in my lower back bulging against my sciatic nerve, lots of pain, hurt to bad to walk, just plain sucked.  Ended up missing work for three months. Physical therapy helped and fortunately no surgery.  Luckily for me this didnt happen during any hunting seasons.  Best of luck and get this taken care of!!!

[RutnNStrutn]

I went to an ortho for my chronic back pain. Said I had bulging discs (30 years in the fire service will do that to you ). Didn't recommend surgery, offered muscle relaxers and pain pills. The only muscle that relaxers relax on me is my colon!! I get diarrhea, so that was out. Didn't want to be a pain med addict, so that was out too. Finally, the pain got constant and was laying me up like you are.
So I went to a chiro for the first time ever, and he has been amazing. I still have occasional bad days, but for the most part, he healed me. Quality of life has returned. Good luck to you!

[runngun]

I have had c spine and low back surgery as a result of getting hit head on by a impaired (oxycontin) driver. I was on duty in a patrol car at the time. I agree with Old Gobbler about the heat causing more pain at least it does for me. Hang in there and go see a doctor!!!

[paboxcall]

If its a muscle strain, it will take 10-14 days to fully heal.  Nothing will speed up that recovery period, and meds and hot/cold therapy only make your symptoms more tolerable.

Last spring I woke up at camp at 3:30am to go hunt, and couldn't move.  Couldn't take a deep, full breath.  Day before I stepped up into my truck using the running board, and tossed a jacket or something into the passenger seat and I felt a twinge.

12 hours later, couldn't sit up, walk or lay down without pain.  OG mentioned flat surface -- that helps with alignment.  We have wooden benches at camp that I use that allows my spine to adjust, and that helps.

Just give it the time it needs to heal.  And like suggested, make sure you follow work procedures for reporting timely manner and follow up with WC panel doctors if it applies to your state.

[ChiefBubba]

I've had back problems before and one of the only things that helps me was massage therapy. I'd give that a try. Insurance doesn't cover it but some may cover it. I still try to go when I can. Try doing lower back and hip stretches. Chief.


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[MouthCaller]

Well here's the scoop...(first off I'd like to say Ive never had any expierience with workers comp for dr visit or what my rights are in the situation) I hurt myself Saturday and at the ER was told to take 3 days off from work and to see the company dr through workers comp before returning to work. Well the HR lady on Monday called me to see how I felt and I explained to her that I was still in pain and could not move so she said that she would make an appt with the companys orthepedic dr and heard nothing from her the rest of the day. Tuesday morning I again got in contact with her to see where we were on the dr visit and she said she had called the office and left a message but they didnt get back to her before she left the office but would work on it. Tuesday 6PM still nothing from her and I explained again how the pain was nauseating and how I couldnt walk to the bathroom bymyself ect and she got back with me and said "Ill get you an appt first thing in the morning". Wednesday morning I call my boss and tell him Ive made my own appt with a chiropracter and he tell's the HR woman that I have made my own appt and she tells me that I needed to see the company dr first before going there (well Im sick and tired of waiting so I go to the chiropracter) Chiro says my hips are out of alignment and my L4 is twisted and out of place and he does his thing and dramatically reduces my pain to half of what it was and wants me there tomorrow morning. HR lady calls at 1pm AFTER I got out of chiro and says it will be 2 weeks before I can get in with the ortho.  I told her I took care of it myself and she about flips out on me and asks why didnt I tell her about how much pain I was in and how I couldve went to a clinic to see a dr or even go to another ER (I asked about that and it got brushed off) so she sends me to the clinic dr this evening and he says Im on light duty and am taking physical therapy 3 times a week for the next few weeks. come to find out she was supposed to supply me with 4 doctors and a chiro by tennessee law. She dropped the ball and I dont care how I get better at this point as long as I get better.

[bird]

Oh Yeah.... The infamous workmans comp issues.  It took them One Year to get me to a Neurosurgeon for my back.  Yeah thats right.... One complete year!

[RutnNStrutn]

you have to go to the workmans comp doctor and have them refer you to a therapist

important !!!!!!  once you are on comp , and have been issued a work weight restriction do not so much as lift anything over that , no groceries in the car , no mowing the lawn , and yes no lifting a shotgun or turkey - they have PI's that will follow you to the next state for days on end trying to get footage of you lifting a 12 pack of coca cola into a shopping basket -seen it many times -I cant publicly repeat what I have seen gone down , but trust me the PI's are very good at what they do - be very very careful if you decide to go on comp



if you choose to got the workmans comp route , be very cautious , insurance companies have PI vendors at their disposal and they use them with brutal efficiency to rid themselves of a big settlements

Shannon is right about those things. WC will do anything and everything to get out of taking care of you. Especially in this economy, they want to save money any way they can, and if it means screwing you out of benefits, that's exactly what they will do.

[MouthCaller]

Oh Yeah.... The infamous workmans comp issues.  It took them One Year to get me to a Neurosurgeon for my back.  Yeah thats right.... One complete year!

Screw that, I just want to get back to work I shouldnt have to pay for it on my own but I will if thats what I need to do to get back to putting food on the table and paying bills. What really gets me is the corporate lady who was setting up the "appt" had the gall to ask me why did I tell her how much pain I was in. I have the e-mail I sent to her and fully intend to use it to show whomever I need to to make my case that I couldnt wait on her any longer.

[bird]

Keep a copy of everything and file it by date... Seriously, EVERYTHING!  If you try and have your insurance pay for it they will kick it back because it happened at work and workmans comp will try everything in the world to avoid paying anything or delay treatment and then usually the employer will try and blame you for getting hurt in the first place.