My back has flaired up after 12 months of feeling good. Ive got a degenerative disk, so its basically squished.
But ive just brought a cheap tens machine from the pharmacy and it feels amazing. Like a tiny electric massage.
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I’m sorry to hear that you’re experiencing pain and discomfort due to a tight psoas muscle. It’s great that you were able to see a chiropractor and get a diagnosis for the issue. There are a few things you can do to help relieve the tightness in your psoas muscle:
- Stretching: Gentle stretches for the hip flexors and psoas muscle can help alleviate tightness. Some effective stretches include lunges, kneeling hip flexor stretches, and the pigeon pose in yoga.
- Foam rolling: Using a foam roller on the hip flexors and psoas muscle can help release tension and tightness.
- Massage: A professional massage or self-massage techniques can help alleviate tightness in the psoas muscle.
- Strengthening exercises: Strengthening the core muscles and glutes can help take the strain off the psoas muscle and prevent further tightness.
There are a variety of injuries that can occur during fitness training. Here are some common types of injuries and their treatments, along with some gym equipment that can be used to help:
- Muscle strains and sprains: These injuries occur when the muscle or tendon is stretched beyond its limits. Treatment includes rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE), along with gentle stretching and strengthening exercises. Gym equipment that can be used to help include resistance bands, foam rollers, and stretching mats.
- Joint injuries: Joint injuries can include dislocations, sprains, and cartilage tears. Treatment includes rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE), along with physical therapy exercises to improve range of motion and strength. Gym equipment that can be used to help include resistance bands, stability balls, and balance boards.
- Tendinitis: This is inflammation of a tendon, often due to overuse or repetitive strain. Treatment includes rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE), along with gentle stretching and strengthening exercises. Gym equipment that can be used to help include foam rollers, resistance bands, and stretching mats.
- Stress fractures: Stress fractures occur when there is repeated stress on a bone, causing a small crack to develop. Treatment includes rest and immobilization, along with physical therapy exercises to improve bone density and strength. Gym equipment that can be used to help include low-impact cardio machines such as ellipticals, and resistance training machines that allow for seated exercises.
- Back injuries: Back injuries can include herniated discs, muscle strains, and sprains. Treatment includes rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE), along with physical therapy exercises to improve core strength and flexibility. Gym equipment that can be used to help include back extension machines, stretching mats, and resistance bands.
My friend has back problems and he recommended the Mackenzie method to me. I guess you are but when at the computer make sure your posture is good, right monitor height etc.
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Sugar. Switch up to Sugar free drinks, try to fuck off over eating carbs and see how you feel.
I feel the difference now if I have a full fat energy drink, or a big fat pizza or a bowl of pasta.
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Sorry to hear about the malaise.
Let me start with the obligitory disclaimer that I’m not a medical or fitness professional, all my info is based on what works for me and what I’ve read.
So this is a few general pointers - always invest in what keeps you off the ground - quality footwear, proper mattress and if you’re sitting down a lot, an ergonomic office chair. 10 years back, I treated myself/invested in a Herman Miller Aeron chair from an office liquidation ebay sale, best £400 I ever spent. You should definitely be looking into something similar, or a standing desk if that’s your thing. They don’t work for me, but many of my colleagues have had good things to say about them.
Have you been checked for sciatica? Sciatica - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic - again, I’m not a doctor.
Fizzy drinks - just stop drinking them! Dump them for water and fresh fruit. Personally, I find a handful of berries or pineapple really good for staving off the after-dinner sugar & chocolate cravings and I do realise that the (N/A) beers are a welcome end to the week, but beer is full of processed sugar, unfortunately, hence beer guts.
What your mate said about bread does make sense alright. I don’t each much bread at all, but when I do, it’s always rye or wholegrain and never white - the darker the healthier and I don’t get any odd bloating feeling or digestive issues. Same deal, personally, with dairy. I’ve almost completely eliminated all dairy from my diet with the exception of cheese on my Saturday evening pizza. Previously, I used to have a scoop of whey protein in the morning smoothie and a few large spoonfuls of greek yoghurt with my muesli later in the morning, and since ditching the dairy, I have no lethargy, drowsiness, digestion or inflammation problems - it’s quite likely that I’ve been lactose intolerant but not realised it and eating more vegan food in general has been really good for me.
With the dietary side of things, you might find that eliminating one type of food for 8-10 days makes some change - cutting back on processed sugar is always a good idea. Keep a food diary, meticulously, and track it against your mood and back problems, see if they’re linked.
88kg - Go out on a daily (lunch time) walk, it clears the head and it just gets you moving more. Still cycling? I’d imagine Brussels is way easier to get around by bike than Malta was? Are you still doing martial arts? I recall you saying last year that you did some sword & weapons training, maybe BJJ or aikido? Anyway, if your back pain allows it, get doing it again. Also investigate pilates, yoga and mobility training, calisthenics, but never, ever crossfit, ha. Kettlebell and bodyweight exercises will also help strengthen the core and slim the paunch gut a lot, but ultimately, you can’t outrun a poor diet!
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There are tonnes of osteo videos on how to release your back on YouTube, check em out. Sounds like it needs to pop
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Foam roller usually does the trick for me.
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@KeithBeef recommended a tens machine to me and it worked wonders when I needed it. Back is all good at the moment. My physical issues tend to start after I’ve had some downtime from skating and sit on my arse too much.
I ordered some new pads for mine, but have since ‘tidied’ them up somewhere. Need to rip the house appart to find them.
I think there’s a few physio/sports injury savvy people on here.
Pulled a hamstring bad enough to make a bruise the size of a saucer. How long usually to let it rest before use? It feels loads better a week later but don’t want to take the piss and do some proper damage.
Done something to a bicep from pull-ups. That’s been niggly for months, won’t heal despite long periods off any usage. Reckon it needs looking at?
I got this once, is it close to your elbow? If so, probably tendonitis. Only way I got rid of it was by stopping pull ups for six months (then giving up on all forms of exercise entirely lol)
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Feel like I’ve strained my top left arse cheek muscle playing footy Thursday and it fucking canes
I shouldn’t laugh but 
hooow? Can you sit?
Mate I haven’t got a clue, thought I had fallen on my coccyx or something to start. Could barely walk after footy Thursday, it’s fine to walk and that it just feels tight? Aha
Such an odd injury never done it before
Yeah that is an odd one tbh but I suppose everything is injurable
Been having some bother with my knee since last autumn really. Pretty painful the day after a run and seemed to be getting worse. Anyway went and got it MRI’d fearing that there was a meniscus tear or something along those lines. It’s not that, so on the one hand I’m glad I’m not looking at more surgery but the official diagnosis of “just a useless, pathetic, old, osteo-arthritic Michael Fabricant” doesn’t fill me with cheer. But then it seems like it’s just going to do what it’s going to do now so I can maybe try having a skate again as I pass into my twilight years without worrying that it’s going to do anything really bad except maybe hurt a bit.
Saying that it’s been feeling a bit better lately but only because I’ve cut right down on the mileage and hopefully also because I’ve been doing tons of calf raises etc. to try and strengthen the muscles around there. But it might just be the warmer weather.
Had that for a bit when running and I changed my shoes and it disappeared.
kneeovertoes guy on IG
i’ll just keep posting this every month or so in this thread
i’ve had knee problems for years and his stuff has been the only thing that feels like its strengthened the knees at all. combined that with a mix of balance boards
Yeah, still hopeful it might pass but I’ve been running for well over ten years so long enough to have gone through various aches and pains and this is the most persistent yet so the arthritis diagnosis feels about right really. Just going to keep the mileage lower and see how it goes. Also going to get myself a fancy water rower like I’ve been using at the gym for the non-running days as well. Can’t stand much stuff at the gym but somehow don’t hate rowing. Just going there and back takes too much time out of the day.