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Irritating back pain

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Chronic Pain
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Sydney Black
New Member
Joined : Dec 2020
Posts : 4
Posted 12/17/2020 12:13 PM (GMT -7)
I have been experiencing terribly annoying back pain for a while now. It started out after the lockdown in pandemic where the practice of work from home started taking place. I am a software engineer and have been in the mode of work from home ever since march. I have been in front of my laptop every day working for 9 hrs. A few weeks ago, I was waking up and I had difficulty getting up from the bed. I had to call my wife for support as it was very difficult. This started worrying me. Having such a chronic hurt in my back can reflect my job. I consulted my physician but there has been no improvement whatsoever. I started looking up for alternative treatment available and came to know about chiropractic treatments and how it is effective in giving relief for back pain. I actually am new to this and am not familiar with it whatsoever. Has anyone had chiropractic treatment for their backpain? Could someone help and advise me on this?
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Mercy&Grace
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2013
Posts : 1914
Posted 12/17/2020 4:47 PM (GMT -7)
Welcome To HealingWell. Chiropractors can be helpful in some situations. But they can cause harm. Has your physician examined you? Can you describe the pain? Does a hot shower or heating pad help? Based on what you said, it is not due to a injury or long term abuse like with jobs that require frequent lifting of heavy things. It sounds like it is probably muscle or maybe nerve related.
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straydog
Forum Moderator
Joined : Feb 2003
Posts : 18974
Posted 12/17/2020 5:04 PM (GMT -7)
Hello & welcome to forum. Some people like chiropractic care & some don't. Check with your insurance on what they will pay, they put a limit on the sessions. Typically chiropractors will give you their plan of going so many times per week & eventually taper you down to one treatment a month. Insurance usually does not cover extensive visits.

Since you are working from home is your "home office" set up like your work office? Sitting for 9 hours on a laptop is enough to cause anyone back or neck pain. Have you looked into one of those stands that you can sit at or elevate to stand? Do you get up & move around, if not you should.

What have you tried OTC for relief, an NSAID or any of the "pain patches" that has lidocaine in them? Salon Pas & Tiger Balm make patches & a couple of others are now available.

Sorry that your having issues, pain of any kind is rough.
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Alcie
Veteran Member
Joined : Oct 2009
Posts : 5169
Posted 12/19/2020 3:13 PM (GMT -7)
You can find TENS units pretty cheap online, and they may help with muscle pain. But! getting up and moving is the best treatment.

If you insist on going to a chiropractor review what they do first. I would never let them work on my neck. Just too much risk for me.
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Sydney Black
New Member
Joined : Dec 2020
Posts : 4
Posted 12/20/2020 9:15 AM (GMT -7)

Mercy&Grace said...
Welcome To HealingWell. Chiropractors can be helpful in some situations. But they can cause harm. Has your physician examined you? Can you describe the pain? Does a hot shower or heating pad help? Based on what you said, it is not due to a injury or long term abuse like with jobs that require frequent lifting of heavy things. It sounds like it is probably muscle or maybe nerve related.

Yes my physician did examine and I was on painkillers for a week or two and he prescribed me a medical belt to wear when around the house. I wore it for the same time frame that he recommended but the result was of no difference. The pain is very irritating as I don't know exactly how to describe it. It feels like someone is hitting me with a hard object at that particular spot. I tried hot showering but it hasn't made much of a difference. I have not involved with job of heavy lifting things as I am engaged in work behind a desk as I mentioned. I would like to know if consulting such would make much of a difference as compared to the other medical treatment I have been having.


Sorry, I removed the link, it is against the forum rules of Healing Well.

Post Edited By Moderator (straydog) : 12/20/2020 11:15:59 AM (GMT-7)

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Sydney Black
New Member
Joined : Dec 2020
Posts : 4
Posted 12/20/2020 9:18 AM (GMT -7)

straydog said...
Hello & welcome to forum. Some people like chiropractic care & some don't. Check with your insurance on what they will pay, they put a limit on the sessions. Typically chiropractors will give you their plan of going so many times per week & eventually taper you down to one treatment a month. Insurance usually does not cover extensive visits.

Since you are working from home is your "home office" set up like your work office? Sitting for 9 hours on a laptop is enough to cause anyone back or neck pain. Have you looked into one of those stands that you can sit at or elevate to stand? Do you get up & move around, if not you should.

What have you tried OTC for relief, an NSAID or any of the "pain patches" that has lidocaine in them? Salon Pas & Tiger Balm make patches & a couple of others are now available.

Sorry that your having issues, pain of any kind is rough.


Thank you for your advice. I haven't been in touch with my insurance but I will. Thanks for the heads-up. And yes, I do move around by taking half an hour or so as a break every 4 hours or when it can be. And no, I haven't tried OTC or NSAID or any of the pain patched that you suggested. But I will keep that in mind.
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straydog
Forum Moderator
Joined : Feb 2003
Posts : 18974
Posted 12/20/2020 11:21 AM (GMT -7)
There is a lot of self help options available to treat back pain, it's a matter of finding which one works the best for the individual. The lidocaine work well for pain. My daughter fell out of a hammock a couple of summers ago & ended up in ER by ambulance. ER offered nothing for pain relief which is normal these days. She used the patches with lidocaine for 6 months & did very well with them.

I hope you can get some relief.
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Mercy&Grace
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2013
Posts : 1914
Posted 12/20/2020 11:58 AM (GMT -7)
What pain killers did your doctor prescribe? It is common for doctors to prescribe NSAIDS for pain. They make prescription as well as OTC NSAIDS. The difference is the strength.
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pitmom
Veteran Member
Joined : Jan 2015
Posts : 2832
Posted 12/24/2020 5:56 AM (GMT -7)
Might do well to consider physical therapy. When our routine changes our bodies respond. Working from home means perhaps a later wake up time...no commute...different chair/position...so many factors.
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NickyFurlano
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2016
Posts : 79
Posted 1/3/2021 8:38 PM (GMT -7)
Work lying on your back in bed. Use a long HDMI cable and hook the laptop up to a large TV screen in front of you. Use a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse plugged into the usb ports of the laptop. I've had a bad back since I was 13 years old and I have a desktop computer hooked up to a 4K tv on a stand about 5 feet tall. I use a 25 foot HDMI cable. I always lie in bed on my back with my head propped up.
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Mercy&Grace
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2013
Posts : 1914
Posted 1/5/2021 11:37 AM (GMT -7)
You could try sitting in a recliner or your bed with your laptop in your lap. If that helps, you could alternate where you sit and work.
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GreenBeans
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2016
Posts : 143
Posted 1/5/2021 3:05 PM (GMT -7)
Look up "ergonomics" and make sure your desk, screen, and keyboard are located in the best positions. As a software engineer for 40+ years, I have no such issues as I learned about ergonomics early and have always made sure my body is well positioned and that my back is vertical with my head back. Working on a small laptop screen is especially bad for curling up the back and bringing the head and neck forward. Bring the screen up to eye level and keep the keyboard down mid-body. You may have to purchase a secondary monitor, most laptops these days have drivers & ports for second monitors built in.

One thing you can start doing to "uncurl" is to lay flat on the floor, with you feet flat and your knees up. As this becomes more comfortable, ie as you start to uncurl more and more, you can roll a small hand towel and put it under the more painful spot on the back. You can also look up stretches for back posture that will help you. Take a break every 30-45 minutes to stand, stretch, and lean backward. Uncurl backward using a large exercise ball.

I've been using a chiropractor as needed for years... decades, my parents utilized them as needed more than 60 years ago. There is seldom anything to fear from them. If you find one that seems to apply a LOT of pressure, go elsewhere. You also don't want one that pushes a lot of vitamins or supplements. The best ones come from Life University outside Atlanta (Marietta) or Palmer College of Chiropractic (multiple locations). They may be able to help you if your muscles have tightened to the point of moving your bones out of alignment -- using gentle pressure, they move bones back into alignment. If one causes actual pain, go elsewhere. It may be your muscles have developed a new pattern and that you need treatment for several weeks -- up to maybe 4-6 months would not be unusual.

Best wishes (I would not recommend a recliner or a bed. Soft "support" can be worse than no suport at all, in the long run.

Post Edited (GreenBeans) : 1/6/2021 3:02:03 PM (GMT-7)

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