Back Pain

[Sark79]

Has anyone ever heard of or tried the Alexander Technique?

[AndrewT]

Has anyone ever heard of or tried the Alexander Technique?

I've heard of it, but didn't actually know what it involves so I've just read the Wikipedia article on it and now I still have no idea as the article is so badly written.

Isn't it something to do with teaching you not to slouch?

[Sark79]

I think it is.   

I have been reading about the Alexander Technique after seeing a TV show recently .  I know a physio who didn't know a great deal about it before I mentioned it to him.  As he is a medical minded person, he tends to dismiss anything that isn't taught or practiced in a hospital though. 

[charmaine]

Dont talk about back ache !!  7 days of pain so far ...

[spruce goose]

Dont talk about back ache !!  7 days of pain so far ...

dont talk about 7 days of pain so far!!  i see youre 7 days and raise you 2 years    

[AndrewT]

Dont talk about back ache !!  7 days of pain so far ...

What bad luck - getting a pain in your back just after you manage to ship the pain in your neck off to Vegas.

[Ginger]

Dont talk about back ache !!  7 days of pain so far ...

dont talk about 7 days of pain so far!!  i see youre 7 days and raise you 2 years    

I'll reraise your 2 years, and make it 11 years to go!

[AdamM]

I suffered badly with back pain in my late 20s.
I was working at the bank at the time and they sent me to a private specialist.
He told me it's very common in men between 25 and 35 to suffer with their back for a couple of years. Taller guys will suffer more but we all get it.
Although you think "if it hurts this bad now, how bad will it be when I'm 60"  it does clear itself up, rather than stay and get progressively worse.
It's just a body change we all go through.

Before the specialist, the GP had sent me for a course of Physio where I was told head was positioned slightly forward of my shoulders rather than over them and trued to make me alter my posture. I looked around after that and noticed EVERYONES head is positioned slightly forward of their shoulders.  saying that, the exercises did help relieve the pain

Apparently the average number of visits to a Physio for a single complaint is 5
The average number of trips to a chiropractor for a single complaint is 60
chiropractors are effective then

[Dingdell]

Has anyone ever heard of or tried the Alexander Technique?

It's very good - they help you adjust your position so you are wakling/standing/sitting in the correct position and not in the posture we have adapted over years of bad posture/computers etc.

It does feel wierd when you're doing it - but it works well, you will be standing with your feet in the correct position etc. It might help with back pain. If you are not going to the loo for a poo regularly it can cause lower back pain due to the pressure in the colon......just in case you needed to know that!

[Eck]

Apparently the average number of visits to a Physio for a single complaint is 5
The average number of trips to a chiropractor for a single complaint is 60
chiropractors are effective then

Apparently there used to be an old guy up by Perth that would manhandle you for 20 minutes and then send you on your way straight upright feeling great.

Mate told me his front garden was full of zimmer frames and walking sticks. 

[charmaine]

Dont talk about back ache !!  7 days of pain so far ...

What bad luck - getting a pain in your back just after you manage to ship the pain in your neck off to Vegas.

So true !!! 

[spruce goose]

Dont talk about back ache !!  7 days of pain so far ...

dont talk about 7 days of pain so far!!  i see youre 7 days and raise you 2 years    

I'll reraise your 2 years, and make it 11 years to go!

Fold.   

[Sark79]

I have had an abnormal curve in my spine since I was a Kid.  When I was 17 I worsened this by stupidly crashing my bike and damaging two disks in my spine. I needed surgery a few times and had loads of physio. 

Most of the time my back is bearable, however I do get a lot of sciatica if I do certain things.  One sure way of getting weeks of pain is to lay flat of my stomach or reach forward off balance.  This is unavoidable sometimes though, for example dropping your wallet under the couch and being forced to reach for it.

For the last few nights I have slept on the floor using a foam mat and folded quilt.  This seems to work better than my fancy back mattress.  One concern I always have with the floor though is dust mites and rats.  I have an overly clean carpet and definitely don't have rats, however I have also read that you are never further than 20 feet from a rat and dust mites are living in every carpet regardless of how clean it is.  The floor doesn't offer the same psychological protection that a bed does.

Most of the time I find Doctors are clueless when it comes to back pain, they only seem to offer pain killers.  I don't like taking pills at the best of times, but apart from the negative health side to pills such as them being bad for the kidneys, I also hate the fact that they have to be taken 3 times daily. I have no idea why but that number seems wrong, I could understand two times or even perhaps four times, but not three times.  It just feels wrong when I close my eyes and think about it.

I have taken Monday and Tues next week off work to allow it to recover properly. 


Does anyone else find that when applying for jobs you tend to lie about having a back problem.  I always leave that bit out of any forms.  I was asked recently on an application form about back pain and I lied.  They are obviously not going to take someone who could potentially have a back problem at some point.

[Harmony26]

Hi Sark, sorry to hear about your back pain.  Unfortunately I am in a rush but i thought Dingbell's a good post and would advocate you looking further into the benefits of the Alexander Technique.  It is a whole new way of holding yourself - posture - which really does relieve tension and correct alignment and can have some real benefits to your whole body and demeanour because of the stress relief it can bring.  it does need learning and correcting poor techniques/habits we all succumb to, and takes a while to acquire - there are some good books on the subject and dvds though a good registered teacher would be the most beneficial, I guess, but unfortunately, like anything these days, it all costs.

I hope you may be able to find out more and wish you luck.  Back problems are very wearing.

All the best.

[AndrewT]

Also I think Pilates is supposed to be good for back pain.