Neck/Back Pain

[MonsieurFish]

I'm 20 years old and I've been suffering from neck/back pain for 2-3 years now. I'm not sure the reason for it, very possibly that it's from too much CP, maybe too heavy a backpack in school, and lots of studying hence my neck is always looking down on paper. Also might be that I sleep weird? Not like it's from a wrestling accident or anything like that...

Anyways, does anyone have any advice, exercises, physio recommendations, or anything at all that could help me make this better? I started going to physio about a year ago every once in a while, and while it's definitely gotten better, there are days where it still hurts quite a bit, and I am way too young to be having neck/back problems and want to get rid of them asap. Thanks.

[Azure]

Upper back?

As in your traps?

Find a picture of the muscles in the human body, highlight the part where it hurts and post it here.

Chances are your posture when you're sitting is improper causing extra stress to be placed upon your trap muscles. This happens to me all the time when I don't watch my posture while I'm sitting down.

[wooohooo]

Originally Posted by MonsieurFish

I'm 20 years old and I've been suffering from neck/back pain for 2-3 years now. I'm not sure the reason for it, very possibly that it's from too much CP, maybe too heavy a backpack in school, and lots of studying hence my neck is always looking down on paper. Also might be that I sleep weird? Not like it's from a wrestling accident or anything like that...

Anyways, does anyone have any advice, exercises, physio recommendations, or anything at all that could help me make this better? I started going to physio about a year ago every once in a while, and while it's definitely gotten better, there are days where it still hurts quite a bit, and I am way too young to be having neck/back problems and want to get rid of them asap. Thanks.

I had huge neck and back pains (mostly back) the whole last year. It was hard for me to do anything and especially sitting in a fixed position reading something for hours. Really affected my grades. That's where I learned to stretch and it really really helped. My favorites are lying on my back and arching my stomach to the sky. The other is lying head to the floor and raise your hands and legs up to the sky. It's pretty difficult but it's ridiculously awesome.

Look up a few on google, but stretching is probably the most effective. I tried icing and heating before but didn't find it too effective.

[wooohooo]

Oh yeah, sitting with proper posture helps. Sit closer to your desk, feet touching the floor. No slouching as it's pretty easy to do as students. A big one for me too was no sitting in bed and surfing the net or reading or whatever. That tending to really aggravate my back.

[MonsieurFish]

It hurts most often at the upper part, and less as it gets lower. Usually it's just one part at a time however (ie. if the green part hurts, the other two parts usually don't hurt). It also spreads quite often, as in it will start at one point, and then stop hurting at that point but the pain will transfer to lower parts of my back.

[DropIt]

Chiropractor. They may not be real doctors, but they fix sh*t

[Buff]

I would never EVER see a chiropractor. They practice scary poop yo!.

[DionPlett]

I would say go to your doctor first and then I would go to a chiropractor. You have to find a good chiropractor though. If he doesn't do an evaluation with you first and take x-rays then he's probably not a good chiropractor. I've had similar issues with my neck and a chiropractor has helped me a lot.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by MonsieurFish

It hurts most often at the upper part, and less as it gets lower. Usually it's just one part at a time however (ie. if the green part hurts, the other two parts usually don't hurt). It also spreads quite often, as in it will start at one point, and then stop hurting at that point but the pain will transfer to lower parts of my back.

The yellow parts will be your trap muscles, and the pain there is more than likely due to improper posture and sitting in uncomfortable positions for long periods of time. You don't really tend to use your traps that much, and they're a hard muscle to pull or hurt in any way so it takes stress over a longer period of time to inflame them.

The green part COULD be muscle pain, but you can't be sure. It might have something to do with your spine. Not sure if I would call the area the 'lumbar' as it seems a bit too high up, but you never know. And lumbar spine problems are the most common.

I would suggest seeing a chiropractor. Tomorrow.

And after that start seeing a massage therapist, or if its a serious problem a physical therapist. They'll help you with exercises that should get you back on the road to recovery.

Worst thing you can do right now is ignore it. Things like that don't go away.

The pain might go away after a while if the green area is a disk area, as the tendons and muscles in the back have the amazing ability to support your movements and alleviate pressure on your disks, but you run the risk of a proper down the road, nevermind a herniated disk(if its just slipped now)...and pinched nerves which is pain you don't want to deal with.

[Northendzone]

i would recommend Dr. rob Weaver in McKenzie Towne - he is an awsome chiro

[troutman]

http://www.skeptic.com/downloads/Alt...rriet_Hall.pdf

D.D. Palmer, a grocer
and magnetic healer,
invented chiropractic
on September 18,
1895. He did something
to a deaf man’s
back. The man said he
could hear again. This
is particularly ironic, because
the nerves to the
ear don’t go anywhere
near the spine, and no
chiropractor today
claims to be able to
cure deafness.

Chiropractic theory
is based on three principles: (1) bony displacement
causes all disease; (2) displacement interferes with
nerve function; (3) removing the interference allows
Innate (a vitalistic force) to heal the body. All three
of these principles are false. (1) Chiropractic subluxations
have never been demonstrated; (2) No impairment
of nerve function has been documented; (3) No
such vitalistic force has been detected.


http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=3022

An article written by 3 chiropractors and a PhD in physical education and published on December 2, 2009 in the journal Chiropractic and Osteopathy may have sounded the death knell for chiropractic.

Chiro Subluxation is dead:

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=5339

The General Chiropractic Council, a UK-wide statutory body with regulatory powers, has just published a new position statement on the chiropractic subluxation complex:

The chiropractic vertebral subluxation complex is an historical concept but it remains a theoretical model. It is not supported by any clinical research evidence that would allow claims to be made that it is the cause of disease or health concerns.

[calumniate]

I've been in the same boat. I was launching rocks across a driveway with a square shovel 5 years ago and have suffered since. I would go for x-rays.. nothing wrong with that. Also, do you have a girlfriend? Your muscles are probably very tense from studying and whatever. Next I would go for a massage. A lot of times it's tense muscles actually pulling on your discs causing pain. A massage therapist also told me a trick - grab a tennis ball and roll up and down close to the spine on your back. Funny but it works awesome for me. I don't use a tennis ball but that is what was recommended.

[blankall]

How much do you exercise? Strengthening the back muscles can greatly improve posture. I would go to a doctor first just to make sure you have no real injuries first.

[JustAnotherGuy]

Many years ago I had some back problems. I saw a chiropractor and he fixed the problem. He did two things. Talked to me about how to sit properly at my desk and he did about 8 treatments to fix my back.

Having said that I don't really believe in what chiropractor's do. I think there are too many of them who are just plain snake oil salesmen. So, find somebody who does not give you the spiel about having to come to him for 21 treatments in the next 10 weeks.

That is my opinion. But the final decision is yours.

[Ice]

Breast reduction?

[MonsieurFish]

I did see a doctor about a year ago, and had an x-ray, and was told that my neck/back looked relatively normal, although my neck was tilted down slightly, but that the pain was muscular rather than from my bones/spine.... so I believe that means a chiropractor wouldn't make too much difference. Although I suppose the doctor could've been wrong, should I try one anyways? I've been strengthening my back muscled and doing lots of exercises for quite a few months now, and it's helped, just not eliminated. Also... I often wake up first thing in the morning with pain, and if I do, that's generally when it will hurt throughout the day. If I wake up with no pain, usually it does not hurt that day. I've been sleeping with one of those funky neck posture pillows, and it's been helping a bit, but I still wake up with neck pain about every 2nd day.

[Rathji]

Stretching.

Find some stretches that focus on the back and neck and do them a couple times a day.

Do that for 2 weeks and if nothing get better then see a Chiropractor.

[DionPlett]

You should see a chiropractor then if you're waking up in pain. I also used to think that taking extended treatments was a waste of time and money and only went when I felt there was something wrong. It just became worse for me to the point were I was so uncomfortable that I couldn't lay down, stand up or sit down because of sublexations in my neck and upper back. It improved my posture as well as bringing my head back as I was leaning forward as well like you described.

[GGG]

Be careful finding a Chiropractor. I walked out of 2 places before finding my guy. If they start talking about releasing energy in your spine get out. In narrowing down choices I would stick to only chiropractors that share offices with Physiotherapists or other doctors.

I have found a good chiroprator can greatly reduce back pain but be careful as it is a snake oily buisness.

[Hack&Lube]

Don't you have a band or something? Maybe you are playing the guitar in a wierd position.