lower back pain causes and solutions?

Question

my mom is a bit heavier than the perfect weight and she is having a lot of trouble with her lower back that she cant sleep cook or do anything for more than10 minutes if there is any kind of exercise medicine or any solution please do tell ..............thanks

Answer 1

Excess weight definitely causes more muscle strains especially with fat bellies. The posture needed to balance off the weight in front and at the back wld put more strain so reducing will definitely help.

Excess weight gain is also a sign of water shortage in the body. Fats and water don't mix. The body consists of 70-75% water and if this ratio is decreased, more fats will occupy on the places where water shld be. So taking adequate volume of water in the body cld help reduce fat. Water is a good catalyst for fat metabolism too.

When there is a shortage of water, the body releases histamine, a neurotransmitter, that when attached to pain receptors will cause the pain sensation. This cld also be the factor why ur mom has persistent.pains. The shortage of water in the body cld be caused by lack of intake or by taking in dehydrating substances like coffee, tea, sodas, alcoholic beverages and chocolates. So avoid them. When dehydrated is corrected, the histamine level decreases and so pain subsides.

The best way to hydrate is: Determine the weight in lbs. Divide it by 2. The answer is the total volume of water in ounces required daily. Example: If the weight is 100 lbs, the total volume daily requirement will be 50 ounces. Give the water as follows: 1/4 total volume upon waking up in the morning and also at bedtime, 1/8 total volume half hr before meals and also 2 and a half hrs after meals, the remaining 1/4 total volume when thirsty like during meals or anytime when thirsty. Replace every urination with 8 ounces water. For better water retention, add 1/4 tsp sea salt to every 1 quart of water. Salt holds water and so will hydrate the body more efficiently. If swelling develops, stop salt for 2 days and then resume it when swelling subsides.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

There are pain management clinics that can help. I have trouble with my lower back and the discs and ended up having a series of steroid shots and painkillers injected into the area. Hurts like hell for a few days after the fact because cortisone always burns to start with and then it was great. I'm relatively pain free now.
Pain signals inflammation so it's important to ice the area and take Motrin although you don't want to go overboard with Motrin as it can cause bleeding problems in some people. Also see the doctor about muscle relaxers as they can really help too, the muscles around the spine cramp and spasm adding to the pain. Also make sure you get an MRI as this is the only way to really see the discs, she might have something like a compressed disc or a degenerated one.
Trust me, I understand her misery.

Answer 3

I had a spinal fusion done 10 years ago. I also work long hours at a job that requires heavy lifting. I know all about back pain. I find that doing easy yoga stretches (you can pick up a book or visit online websites for guidance) helps alleviate some pain and stiffness. I do it every day to keep me flexible. If you go to physical therapy for any back pain the first and most important thing they will tell you is that you need to strengthen your core muscles (abs). You do stomach crunches and sit ups. If she doesn't exercise much, she can start with leg lifts where you lay on the floor with your knees bent. Tighten the stomach muscles (this is extremely important) Lift one leg, hold it up for a few seconds, slowly lower it. Repeat on other side. Make sure she keeps her stomach muscles flexed through the entire exercise or she will do more harm to her back. Ice packs help release some of the pain. Also, excellent shoes are extremely important. I swear by my MBT's. They cost 250 dollars but are honestly worth every penny for helping relieve pain in back, knees, ankles and feet. Also, because they require your muscles to work, many people report weight loss just from wearing them regularly. Of course, she really should see a specialist, in case it is something severe.

Answer 4

Most likely the disk in the lower back are worn or maybe even a slipped disk.Having had this problem
for many years and having heat treatment exercises,back manipulation,surgical corsets, all under hospital direction and treatment,it was decided to remove some disc this was done
with an operation on my spine, i have been pain free for years now.

Answer 5

I have an exercise for your mother, but please read this entire answer, including the warning at the bottom before she tries this exercise.

I too am overweight, I always have been. I had problems with my lower back from the time I was a teen, I'm 47 now. I had a disc removed about 10 years ago, but the pain persisted for two more years. I went through numerous doctors and physical therapies that seemed to make the problem worse. I finally found a sports rehabilitative therapist who taught me this exercise and it changed my life. I haven't had any major back problems since, and when my back starts bugging me now, I do this exercise and it stops bothering me. Here is the exercise:

1) Lie flat on your back. MAKE SURE YOUR ENTIRE BACK IS FLAT ON THE FLOOR. Make sure you push the curve in your lower back flat against the floor when you do this exercise or you could hurt it more.
2) Bend one knee and put that foot flat on the floor. This will help protect your back from overstretching. Keep the other leg completely straight.
3) Keeping your outstretched leg completely straight, S-L-O-W-L-Y (and I mean "very slowly") raise your outstretched leg up and towards your body as much as possible to a SLOW count of 10. (I use 1-1000, 2-2000, 3-3000, etc.) When you get as far as you can go, hold that position for another slow count of ten, then SLOWLY lower it back down to another SLOW count of 10. Make sure you keep your outstretched leg completely straight, and try to bring it a little closer to you each time you do this exercise, thereby "stretching" it a little more each time. DO NOT OVER DO IT!!! DO NOT OVER DO IT!!! Start slow and easy. Repeat on this leg for 3 sets of 10, resting in between each set as long as necessary. If you cannot complete doing a set of 10, rest for awhile, and then PICK UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF until you complete the 3 sets of 10.
4) Repeat on other leg. Do each leg 3 times.
5) After a few weeks, add ankle weights to your ankles and do the exercise.

(Note: My right leg was weaker than my left leg from damage, so she had me do a few extra sets on my weaker leg.)

When I first started with this therapist, I was in so much pain I could hardly walk, let alone exercise. Exercising would leave me in a lot of pain, so to stop the usual pain you get from exercising she would apply ice packs to my back after my session. They seemed to be large (vinyl-?) pillows filled with sand that were stored in a freezer. When they were placed on my back they were so cold they would take my breath away. It felt like I couldn't handle it. But after a few minutes I got use to the cold. She would leave the ice pack on for about 20 - 30 minutes or so. When they were removed there was no pain. Now I do this exercise whenever I start having back problems, (couple times a year or less). I swear by this exercise.

(Warning: I'm not a doctor, just a Yahoo'er. If your pain is excruciating, please see a doctor. This exercise will help a weak back, it will not mend a damaged disc. I lived with a slipped disc for years. I kept going to the doctor, they kept X-raying it, they never seen anything on the X-rays and they kept giving me muscle relaxers and pain killers. This went on for years. I had sciatic pain down my leg. I couldn't wipe myself. I'd be stuck at a 45 degree angle all day. Sitting in a car was unbearable. Sometimes I couldn't even get out of bed. Finally, my right leg started "dragging" when I walked. Finally, the insurance agreed to do an MRI. Finally, they diagnosed a slipped disc. When they finally removed it, I had pieces of it all over my spinal cord. They had to carefully remove each piece. The doctor said this was from waiting so long to have surgery. Permanent damage was done from waiting so long - I still drag my right leg a little when I walk, and it jerks by itself every now and then, but I can walk and do things "pain-free" now. Good luck!!)

Answer 6

Forget about any physical exercises until she sees a doctor, she could aggravate something already bad, this is bad advise.
Once she sees a doctor let him give her advice. He'll probably have her take a series of CAT scans or MRI's and then he'll decide on the best course to follow. It could be exercises but I doubt it, He may have her take physical therapy from a professional or go one step further and surgery may be involved. But, let the Doctor decide that.

Answer 7

Self medication is not advisable. Let her see a doctor to run proper examination.
However, she need to do some supervised exercises, to reduces some weight.
Please take good care of her.

Answer 8

She needs to see her doctor.

There are lots of things it could be and without a proper assessment, tests, x-rays etc. it would be foolish and maybe even dangerous to try and give such advice.

Hopefully she will see her doctor and get sorted very soon.
A.D.

Answer 9

physical therapist
google: lower back exercises
her pelvis may be out
or hip
exercises perhaps on a slant board