How to relieve back pain?

Devil Doc said:
I used to prescribe 800 mg 3x day for acute injuries etc then 800 twice a day for maintenance. I was on 1600 a day for lots of years.
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I run 1600mg through my Adonis-like temple, daily.

One ibu brick with water, each morning.

One crushed up and sprinkled over my steak/chops/chicken, each evening.

Gives a unique "Old Bay" kick to your favorite recipes!

You heard it here first, kids!!!!!
 
Devil Doc said:
One problem with cheap, generic OTC Ibuprofen is it comes in 200 mg and when military people want to relive the glory days of 800 mg, they take four caplets which can cause GI upset. The 800 is enteric coated which protects the stomach.
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Ah. So if I can find enteric coated caplets or tabs, that’s a good thing.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen the 800 outside the massive jar in the corpsman’s office or in a military pharmacy.

“Glory days of 800.” 🤣🤣🤣🤣
 
Capt MJ said:
Ah. So if I can find enteric coated caplets or tabs, that’s a good thing.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen the 800 outside the massive jar in the corpsman’s office or in a military pharmacy.

“Glory days of 800.” 🤣🤣🤣🤣
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Same with me. I haven’t seen 800 in a long time.
 
Back to the OP’s question, have you discussed a course of PT with your provider, focused on whatever is needed to stretch, strengthen, develop, manage pain? You’ve gotten a lot of homegrown advice here, but you’ll want to clear any sudden new approaches with your medical professional.

One thing I do feel confident recommending. I have a timer that goes off every 25 minutes when I’m working several hours straight at my computer. I get up and do something physical for 5-7 minutes, plus let my eyes focus on things further away than my screen. I walk out to the mailbox and back, I do push-ups or leg lifts or squats or a plank, I stretch, I do neck rolls, I use 10 lb hand weights and do some reps of various exercises, arm circles, and if no one is around except the ever-patient dogs, I flip the Sirius from classical over to salsa and dance.
 
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Capt MJ said:
and if no one is around except the ever-patient dogs, I flip the Sirius from classical over to salsa and dance.
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That memorable huh? :thumb:

Brings back memories of "Disco Dahlgren" when lots of folks exposed their inner dancer to other future Naval Leaders.
One of the DJs from DD is a classmate and good friend to this day. We cruised together just before COVID.
 
Devil Doc said:
One problem with cheap, generic OTC Ibuprofen is it comes in 200 mg and when military people want to relive the glory days of 800 mg, they take four caplets which can cause GI upset. The 800 is enteric coated which protects the stomach.
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Where were you when I was downing 12-14 200 mg in 24 hours? For like, 7 years????
 
Of course, you really should combine ibuprofen with acetaminophen...no need to overdose on either and you get much better results.

More effective than opioids for some applications.
 
FutureAdademyDad? said:
Of course, you really should combine ibuprofen with acetaminophen...no need to overdose on either and you get much better results.

More effective than opioids for some applications.
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Very true. I alternated these. One dose at 8 the other brand at 10 and so on. I knew I wasn’t helping my gut, not long term. But chronic pain was the driving force. I am very grateful the laser spine institute I went to brought me the relief I sought.
 
I had my wisdom teeth cut out—yes cut out—back when Motrin was believed to relieve more than just mittleschmerz.

I was an HM2 on a ship at Pearl Harbor and my chief, the IDC, had left for the day when I got back from dental.

He would have hooked me up with goodies from the narc safe but I only had Motrin. I made the brilliant decision to go to Wo Phat on Hotel Street for rice and other delicacies and a few drinks. And a few more at bars up and down the street.

I ended up with a dry socket which I irrigated and packed twice a day. Moral of the story: Take your Motrin and stay away from Wo Phat’s place after dental surgery.
 
standingtall said:
Hi, I just wanted to ask any ideas to relieve back pain.
I have a mild scoliosis, and I currently got a job, so I sat in front of a computer for a long time. It was pretty tough.
Any recommendation to relieve back pain?(I use flexpine brace at home) or how do you stretch in your office?
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My best recommendation is to not skimp on an office chair, buy a good one that makes you comfortable and sit correctly. Second is get up and walk around about every 30 minutes. Third would be to use a Tens unit to help muscles relax (I use one at home)

I had 2 back surgeries 13 years ago from ruptured disks (first one was btwn L4 and L3 and the second one 6 months later was btwn L3 and L2). At the time the surgeon said next time we fuse things together.

3 yrs ago my back got so bad I could barely walk. go more than 50 ft and I had to find a wall to lean against. After several chiropractor trips and a miserably failed attempt by a "doctor" to give me a steroid shot in my back that sent me to the ER where I finally had an MRI done. The same surgeon said "nothing we can do" and pain management said "we can try a few things but....". I tried a few things and finally got tired of needles being put in my back.
AKA, until you cannot bear it any more and or cannot walk, nothing we can do.

Conclusion is I have spinal stenosis, some pretty aggressive arthritis and disks so thin they cannot get the needles for injections btwn my disks to get to the nerve ends where they need to. So my back goes in and out and puts pressure on nerves.
Some days my leg/legs are numb, some days feels like a thousand wasp stings, some days cant stand up straight, some days are fine. A lot of nights with thigh cramps from my hip to my knee all night long.

Same medicine as others, as much ibuprofen as I need, but not so much to be damaging. Ice packs (heat just inflames things). And as someone else said, a nice bourbon chaser. I usually go to that first though.
 
QA1517 said:
My best recommendation is to not skimp on an office chair, buy a good one that makes you comfortable and sit correctly. Second is get up and walk around about every 30 minutes. Third would be to use a Tens unit to help muscles relax (I use one at home)

I had 2 back surgeries 13 years ago from ruptured disks (first one was btwn L4 and L3 and the second one 6 months later was btwn L3 and L2). At the time the surgeon said next time we fuse things together.

3 yrs ago my back got so bad I could barely walk. go more than 50 ft and I had to find a wall to lean against. After several chiropractor trips and a miserably failed attempt by a "doctor" to give me a steroid shot in my back that sent me to the ER where I finally had an MRI done. The same surgeon said "nothing we can do" and pain management said "we can try a few things but....". I tried a few things and finally got tired of needles being put in my back.
AKA, until you cannot bear it any more and or cannot walk, nothing we can do.

Conclusion is I have spinal stenosis, some pretty aggressive arthritis and disks so thin they cannot get the needles for injections btwn my disks to get to the nerve ends where they need to. So my back goes in and out and puts pressure on nerves.
Some days my leg/legs are numb, some days feels like a thousand wasp stings, some days cant stand up straight, some days are fine. A lot of nights with thigh cramps from my hip to my knee all night long.

Same medicine as others, as much ibuprofen as I need, but not so much to be damaging. Ice packs (heat just inflames things). And as someone else said, a nice bourbon chaser. I usually go to that first though.
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ugh, this makes me so sad! All of the pain you describe and night cramps and tingling and stinging is what I had prior to my surgery. I feel for you. I had amazing success with the Laser Spine Institute, but I know not all injuries are equal, and not all treatment can work for everyone. I'm not a bourbon fan but I will raise a cabernet to a pain-free evening for you.
 
Ibuprofen (Motrin/Advil) and Naproxen (Aleve) often have harmful effects if taken long-term, such as for back pain. They can damage kidneys, increase rates of heart attack, and cause stomach ulcers/bleeding.
If you take either of these medicarions, try to limit it to 1-2 weeks max.
Also if you take ibuprofen, 400mg per dose gives just about as much symptom relief as 600mg or 800mg, but it is safer. I always recommend 400mg per dose max.
The 200mg over the counter tablets are very small and inexpensive. I don’t think it bothers the stomach any more if you take those versus the prescription version. I don’t understand why anyone needs to get a prescription for ibuprofen.
 
Wahoo Fan said:
Ibuprofen (Motrin/Advil) and Naproxen (Aleve) often have harmful effects if taken long-term, such as for back pain. They can damage kidneys, increase rates of heart attack, and cause stomach ulcers/bleeding.
If you take either of these medicarions, try to limit it to 1-2 weeks max.
Also if you take ibuprofen, 400mg per dose gives just about as much symptom relief as 600mg or 800mg, but it is safer. I always recommend 400mg per dose max.
The 200mg over the counter tablets are very small and inexpensive. I don’t think it bothers the stomach any more if you take those versus the prescription version. I don’t understand why anyone needs to get a prescription for ibuprofen.
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I've been on NSAIDS for two decades. I get a prescription for lots of OTC meds. Benefits of a military retired ID card.
 
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