stiff neck/back

jogdish

Hi,
So I wish I could blame this on the virus but it's been an issue for years, I usually see a physio three times a year but figured I would ask here given the circumstances.


I am male, 35, able to jog for 30min/5k (not both ), poor strength, bad diet, 85kg, 6ft1.


I am unable to sit with any comfort at any desk ever, I have an expensive office chair its better but still no real comfort. The only way I have comfort is if the chair is reclined.


Symptoms : a tightness/pulling sensation on the left side of my neck, sometimes a horrible tingling in my shoulder - the physio treatment was massage followed by traction and heat - solves the issue for a while. The physio often gets a loud crack that brings instant relief.



Also lower back constantly feels stiff sore/with a dull soreness extending down my legs - at its worst causes issues falling asleep.


I am just finding it hard to get any relief for the next thing, and really hoping someone might have some suggestions - its like my head is too heavy for that side of my neck, constantly just want to lay down to take weight off.

PCros

jogdish wrote: »

Hi,
So I wish I could blame this on the virus but it's been an issue for years, I usually see a physio three times a year but figured I would ask here given the circumstances.

I am male, 35, able to jog for 30min/5k (not both ), poor strength, bad diet, 85kg, 6ft1.

I am unable to sit with any comfort at any desk ever, I have an expensive office chair its better but still no real comfort. The only way I have comfort is if the chair is reclined.

Symptoms : a tightness/pulling sensation on the left side of my neck, sometimes a horrible tingling in my shoulder - the physio treatment was massage followed by traction and heat - solves the issue for a while. The physio often gets a loud crack that brings instant relief.

Also lower back constantly feels stiff sore/with a dull soreness extending down my legs - at its worst causes issues falling asleep.

I am just finding it hard to get any relief for the next thing, and really hoping someone might have some suggestions - its like my head is too heavy for that side of my neck, constantly just want to lay down to take weight off.

Have you ever tried a chiropractor?

My issue was that my right leg is slightly shorter than the left so in my early twenties I was walking around like that for years until my back gave in. I literally crawled into the chiropractor and walked back out and I also wear a small lift in my right shoe. My pelvis was essentially tilted putting pressure on one side of my discs in my lower back. I see him about 4-6 times a year depending.

Funnily enough I have had a bit of lower back pain too over the past few weeks. Was doing weights about a month ago and felt a twinge. Also putting it down to the stress of the current situation with working from home and the unknown etc.

I also started focusing on my core and trying to strengthen that up. Looked up a few Pilates for beginners on YouTube and that has alleviated it a bit.

jogdish

PCros wrote: »

Have you ever tried a chiropractor?

My issue was that my right leg is slightly shorter than the left so in my early twenties I was walking around like that for years until my back gave in. I literally crawled into the chiropractor and walked back out and I also wear a small lift in my right shoe. My pelvis was essentially tilted putting pressure on one side of my discs in my lower back. I see him about 4-6 times a year depending.

Funnily enough I have had a bit of lower back pain too over the past few weeks. Was doing weights about a month ago and felt a twinge. Also putting it down to the stress of the current situation with working from home and the unknown etc.

I also started focusing on my core and trying to strengthen that up. Looked up a few Pilates for beginners on YouTube and that has alleviated it a bit.

Yes, sort of:
The physio I see told me about going to see one but he was very non committal to whether it would solve the other issues I am having and for that reason he said not to bother yet till you sort out your other issues (as self exercises not more trips to him)


So for fallen arches I have been to see a podiatrist, and within 5min he told me I broke my left leg at age and proceeded to show me its shorter. Then basically his percription was core core some more core followed by some more core, and or pilaties. It was the biggest improvement to all my issues thus far.


My current is just what im guessing is a pinched nerve and I cannot shake it.

PCros

The fact that you have a leg shorter like myself would be worth investigating

This trick helps, get naked (yes!), bend over and look at yourself through your legs at a mirror behind you and you can tell if by you are lob sided.

If so you could have slight disc bulge that's putting pressure on a nerve.

The Nal

Foam roller. Essential bit of kit. Life changing. Also a hard ball, like a hockey ball, to roll your glutes. Its a little sore to start but thats the point! Even a couple of minutes a day and you'll see huge improvements. Will loosen everything up. Your hips, glutes and hip flexors are connected to everything.

Aside from that, just general stretching. Particularly your lower back, hips, groin, hip flexors. Again, a couple of minutes a day will do this. 30 seconds in the morning will work wonders. Just google stretches, find the ones that work for you and do them. It doesn't have to be extreme. Dont waste your money on physios and chiropractors.

You're not "injured". Its just mechanical, the result of sitting at a desk for the last 10 years but its easily remedied.

PCros

On the subject of foam rollers I've been looking to get a decent one and I have heard this one is very good...designed by an Irishman too.

Just wondering if anyone has any feedback on it...

https://www.elverys.ie/elverys/en/Elverys/Fitness/Accessories/Foam-Rollers/BackBaller-Rigid-Foam-Roller%2C-Green/p/000000000001090278

The Nal

PCros wrote: »

On the subject of foam rollers I've been looking to get a decent one and I have heard this one is very good...designed by an Irishman too.

Just wondering if anyone has any feedback on it...

https://www.elverys.ie/elverys/en/Elverys/Fitness/Accessories/Foam-Rollers/BackBaller-Rigid-Foam-Roller%2C-Green/p/000000000001090278

Yeah it'll work fine, expensive though. Looks a bit narrow too. Mines just a free roller, 3ft wide. Nice spread across the back all at once.

Alf Veedersane

It's a way overpriced roller. It's way too expensive for what it is. And its cumbersome.

Just get a simple roller which is basically a piece of wavin with a small but of cushioning.

dastardly00

Alf is spot on about the Backballer roller, it's way overpriced. A foam roller from Aldi at less than €10 is just as good.

@OP, do you regularly perform the exercises that your physio and podiatrist have prescribed? And by 'regular' I mean every single day. If you don't, then I would start there.

I had L4-L5 & L5-S1 bulging disc issues a few years ago. The root cause was years of sitting at a desk, leading to tight hips and inactive glute muscles. I have put a lot of effort in to strengthening my core and glute muscles, and I am pretty much pain free. My psoas and QL muscles can get quite tight, but as long as I keep stretching each day and working on my core/glutes, I am in a good place

jogdish

dastardly00 wrote: »

Alf is spot on about the Backballer roller, it's way overpriced. A foam roller from Aldi at less than €10 is just as good.

@OP, do you regularly perform the exercises that your physio and podiatrist have prescribed? And by 'regular' I mean every single day. If you don't, then I would start there.

That roller is way overpriced for minimal advantage, one thing I would look for is the softer foam roller inside a harder foam roller. I like them.


Ehhh ya im fairly hit and miss with the exercises, I know my own fault - its amazing how much time a proper stretch routine takes.

dastardly00

jogdish wrote: »

Ehhh ya im fairly hit and miss with the exercises, I know my own fault - its amazing how much time a proper stretch routine takes.

I've been in your shoes in which I have a prescribed set of exercises but I neglect doing them whilst also searching for some sort of magic pill that will cure everything instantly.

Keep doing those prescribed exercises daily. I'd be surprised if you don't feel an improvement

jogdish

dastardly00 wrote: »

I've been in your shoes in which I have a prescribed set of exercises but I neglect doing them whilst also searching for some sort of magic pill that will cure everything instantly.

Keep doing those prescribed exercises daily. I'd be surprised if you don't feel an improvement

Oh im very interested in the magic pill route, like whatever was fixed with long dedicated hard work.

MactheKnife90

PCros wrote: »

On the subject of foam rollers I've been looking to get a decent one and I have heard this one is very good...designed by an Irishman too.

Just wondering if anyone has any feedback on it...

https://www.elverys.ie/elverys/en/Elverys/Fitness/Accessories/Foam-Rollers/BackBaller-Rigid-Foam-Roller%2C-Green/p/000000000001090278

Have tried this but I think an ordinary single foam roller is more versatile and works best. No need to spend mad money either. Trigger Point do one that will last years. I have mine 7 now. And get a Sliotar/lacrosse ball and even a golf ball for the soles of the feet..... all relative to myofascial release not giving you a treatment plan at all

The_Honeybadger

I get this too, similarly I spend a good bit of time at a desk. Foam roller and a good massage ball are a godsend. I got a massage ball made of cork which is brilliant, the cheap plastic ones continually slip away from the wall when you are using them.

One thing to bear in mind is that this may not necessarily be mechanical, mine is very definitively brought on by stress. I’m in a role that has completely blown up with Covid 19, my workload has increased probably 200% over the past two weeks and I am in bits, stiff and sore everywhere. This is a trend every time I am very busy, I am in a role where I can get huge bursts of work over a sustained period and it can take quite a toll on the body.

A healthcare professional also once told me to take a good probiotic when I get a flare up as that stress comes from the gut. No idea of the science behind that

Edit: should have added that strength training and better overall health were part of my strategy to tackle it too. My pain is very manageable now and really only crops up under extreme stress. I go to the gym several times a week and have a good programme designed around the compound lifts and lots of mobility work.

ironwalk

Echoing what dastardly00 says.
Core strength and stretches every single boring in-and-out day.

There's no substitute. We'd all like a quick pill, but this is the best one. Give it 5 minutes every day, and you won't regret it.

Good gut health will help too- a good probiotic does no harm, but again, the non-sexy but right answer is to increase the amount of fibre in your diet. Increased fibre diversifies the gut microbiome. Increasing amounts of evidence to support the link to mental health and hence better stress management and hence less muscle tightness and hence blah-di-blah. Ask Dietician (the state registered kind) and they will refer to the low amounts of fibre in the Irish diet.

You know what you need to do.

atilladehun

I used to have back and neck problems and went to physio, chiro, osteo, sports massage for years.

They'd help relieve the pain. I'd wait a while, get sore go again.

If try the gym with exercises if see online for back and neck. Get injuries, hi back to someone in the top line there.

Eventually after a few visits to my osteo she said I'm not too come back until I saw a strength and conditioning specialist. Not a fitness trainer. I put the feelers out and found one through work. Turns out he was brilliant.

I have a great workout now. Starts with mobility for those troublesome spots and then very carefully managed precise movements that don't cause injury but actually strengthen. Now I have no back pain which it turns out was caused by weak chest, back, arm, neck and core muscles.

I've sent friends to him who have upper muscle pain once they've loosened up with treatment. Turns out many people have weakness there. We have to build it.

Alf Veedersane

I knew there was something written about the Backballer and found it.

It's not an attack on the Backballer- which s appears to be no more than a gimmicky, expensive foam roller - but a correction of misinformation peddled to promote it.

But the basic rationale applies to foam rollers as well and as such it's worth reading as it addresses some common misconceptions of how foam rollers work as well

https://sigmanutrition.com/back-baller/