Anyone else deal with painful lower back pain? Woke up one morning with painful lower back pain a few weeks ago and just when I think it's gone it comes back with vengeance.

Before this back pain was something someone else had.

It's worse for me first thing in the morning. Don't know what I did to start this.

Any helpful pointers? I'm taking Ibuprofen.Also using heat and working on my posture in a chair and standing.

Cecil, that hit me about 5 years ago and I wound up in physical therapy to strengthen my stomach muscles. I have to be very careful and remember to do my stretching and strengthening muscles.

OTOH, you might need to see a chiropractor.

Cecil: I have some problems like this, with me and my doctors, they always advise cold compresses on the back, unless you have swelling, rather than heat. Heat will cause more stiffness. Generally they have advised you only use heat for only the first day or two of symptoms or an injury. Good Luck

Sounds like a possible pinched nerve causing the pain?

Try alternating heat and ice. Mine was a bulged disc causing the pain and switching to ice really helped.

If it's nerve pain, it can get very frustrating!

I wish you the best!

Your recent back pain is probably due to lifting all those big brook trout. They are paying you back for making them so big, fat, and heavy to lift. No actually it is probably your body wearing out and some genetically inherited traits.

I have suffered with lower back problems for over 15 years. I will try to make this very brief.... I am not one that easily pops a pill or go under the knife. Started off with medical doctors who said nothing was wrong. Went to a chiropractor, who has helped me get thru some very rough times without pills and the knife. My day will probably come for that, but not without a fight.

Best advice that is proven for me: never stop the exercises/stretches. Go to the chiropractor and find out what is wrong. If he does not give you specific exercises/stretches, then you need to ask for those (if he doesn't at all, move on to another chiro_). The doc can't make you do them, BUT you need to do them. Even if it is forever! You might start feeling better and think that its not important and stop. You might get away with that, but if it does comes back, and you go thru it again, then never stop the routine of exercises/stretches. Most people are just to busy(or lazy) to keep at it, and eventually you pay for it one way or the other.

Some of the guys I work with have got some serious help via these "spinal decompression" machines that have at some chiropractor offices these days.

http://postureperfect.net/spinal-decompression-therapy-in-north-dallas.html

Cecil, I've had three lower back (L5) operations, so am familiar with lower back pain.

The others have given good advice. I'm going to switch gears. Kidney stones will also cause lower back pain that gives symptoms similar to back problems. I know this one first hand also. Early morning when you wake up is when it is the worst. As you progress through the day sometimes it goes away, only to come back the next morning. Early stages.

Another back pain to keep in mind while searching for solutions.

I hada kidney stone that fortunately passed after only a couple days after the first pain (which was excruciating). My lower back will shift and pinch the Sciatic nerve. I have some minor degeneration in the disc, but it always takes a quick chiropractic adjustment to get rid of it completely. It is really quick and simple, at least for me. I won't deny I almost always delay seeing my doc or chiropractor, thinking it will fix itself.....one day I may learn to just go to get the adjustment right away.....

kidney stones are the worst

do you drink a lot of water every day Cecil?

my urologist told me after my last kideny stone
"see ya soon or see ya maybe never"
I said "whatta ya mean"?
"drink lot's of water every day & you may never see me again"
"don't drink lots of water & I'll probably see you again soon"

Dang, lost my post again, stupid puter!

Kidney stones suck! Had a few.

Memory foam works great for back problems. Memory Foam

Air mattresses work great for broken ribs and back problems, get a good one!

A heated waterbed is also great if you have body aches and lower back pain. Mandatory $49/mo insurance here to have one.

+1 on the water intake, and 2 more thoughts:

1. Cranberry juice daily = no kidney stones (myth? maybe but it's worked for me)

2. Do you carry a wallet in your back pocket? If so, try putting it in your front pocket for a week. You'd be surprised how it can cause back pain (sciatica). Even thinning it out if it's one of those jam-packed wallets

Cecil. maybe a good soak in the gulf would help, ya could hitch a ride down with your folks.

Cecil you need to find out what is causing you back pain. I have lived with a herniated disk for 32 years. The pain on three occasions was 10 out of 10 and in the hospital but I refused a back operation, and now they don't recommend an operation. I keep it in control most of the time by doing exercises to strengthen the stomach muscles and stretching. When it is acting up I wear a weight lifting belt for support. I also have the inversion table below that I use a couple of times a week or when needed. You can actually hear your back vertebrae snap as they stretch out.
Body Max IT6000 Inversion Therapy Table $116 Amazon. Sturdy and cheap.

Cecil, you should consider talking to your physician about having an MRI to determine the cause of your pain.

Those with recurrent kidney stones (renal lithiasis) might benefit by increasing citric acid intake. Lemonade or limeade could well be the solution to your problem.

How old is your mattress?

Old mattress, old body, sometimes they don't cooperate.

Cecil, after further thought on your problem I have a better suggestion for you. Get in touch with Bruce and see if he would send his Korean assistant over to walk on your back till all kinks are worked out. Good luck.

They tried to sell me Lemon juice to go with the Corona's (people from India that bought a store) I said it wasn't green, so no deal!

The guy says, "well, we don't know what you people like" and crazy music is playing in the background.

Now, they have a pretty decent sound system in there. Stopped in yesterday and was wondering WTF is up with the rap crap?

Dude behind the counter (from India), says, you like the music?

Told the dude that I actually liked the native music from India (kinda Indiana Jones stuff), but rap don't work on the west coast. OK, I'll change that. We need customers to buy our goods

Thank you for all your kind comments

Think I may have solved the problem. It's may be the chair I use in front of mu PC and I slouch in it. Started sitting up straight amnd the back issues seem to have gone away.

Mattress is old but very firm. I hate soft beds.

Cecil, I agree with what all are saying, most importantly you need to start finding out what the root of the problem is and talk to a professional about how to fix it. Here's a list of some of the most common Spine Disrdors and issues and if you poke around their site a bit you'll see some treatment options, more diagnosis help and all that good stuff. Good luck to you. http://www.lansingneurosurgery.com/conditions/back-spine-conditions

Start a workout regimen that begins with stretches and then adhere to the regimen.