Once again I’m suffering from severe and debilitating back pain. It would be one thing if I were badly overweight and out of shape, but I’m not.
A month ago, while out running I tripped on an uneven section of concrete sidewalk. I managed to stop myself from falling, but in the process my right knee hyper-extended, and I jammed it hard when it landed. I was able to continue running and got home without trouble, but the next morning I couldn’t bend my knee.
The treatment for that is RICE — rest, ice, compression, elevation — and I was pleased that my knee responded. In fact, it felt good enough that five days later I was able to run a 5k (3.1 mile) road race. This was the starting line as seen by my cell phone.
I took it slow, and finished the race without difficulty. My knee felt a bit tight afterward, so when I got home I did the RICE routine again. But the next morning once again I couldn’t bend my knee, and I had to limp to get around.
Limping triggered my back, which had undoubtedly been wrenched when I nearly fell, and soon I couldn’t tell where the pain in my back ended, and where the knee began. After a week of that I saw an orthopedic specialist who confirmed that my knee had actually healed up just fine, but the pain from my back was radiating down my leg. He put me on Mega-Motrin (IBU 800 mg), and that works well, but when it wears off the inflammation and pain come roaring back.
And that’s pretty much the way it’s been since then. I was on crutches the entire time I set up the Wi-Fi radio network over the Christmas holiday.
I’m in physical therapy, and I’m exercising very hard at home, but so far the improvement has been slow and small. If I’m not significantly better at PT next week, the therapist will recommend I have the doctor order an MRI.
Lower back, the L4 nerve root. Don’t know yet how much of it is disc aging, and how much is L4 and L5 being jammed together by muscle tension. After more than 30 years of running without injury I was overdue for trouble, and I’m getting it.
I’m so sorry, Dougie! I feel your pain, bro. Is it in your lower back? That’s the one place I’ve never had any pain. It seems ironic that often the very people who work so hard to stay in shape often get injured, even when they do everything the right way. I’m betting an MRI might show a herniated disk. Motrin is an excellent anti-inflammatory and I’ve always preferred it over Tylenol.
Get better soon, and fer cryin’ out loud, try not to do any snow shoveling. Let Eric do it!