Re: OT sudden back pain

Jim Stewart wrote:

RAM³ wrote:


Igor, think back to what you'd been doing a couple of days _before_ the spasm hit - were you doing any heavy lifting at an odd angle?


That's the killer. I could unload lumber
all day and not hurt my back. Lift a big sack
of grocerys out of the trunk with my feet at
right angle to the load and I am seriously
fsked up...

From the overall description, this certainly sounds like a back spasm.

One other possibility might be a kidney stone. These can often feel REMARKABLY like a badly pulled lower-back muscle. The exception is that, with a bad back, you can usually find SOME position to contort yourself into that relives all or some of the pain, at least temporarily. No such luck with a 'stone' ... it just hurts ALL the time (which doesn't keep one from writhing around TRYING to find a position that gives relief).

Stones can hit you at totally random times. They can grow in place for months or years, with few if any symptoms, until something causes them to start moving. Stones are often remarkably sharp shard-like little pieces, with many spikes, horns and edges to get caught on things as they move along. Such movement, forcing themselves through tiny ducts, is usually what causes most of the pain. When they get caught in a duct they can cause a blockage, and a 'backpressure' can build up causing further discomfort. NO FUN AT ALL!

While they can, and often do, begin their journey for no apparent reason, sometimes vigorous activity dislodges them and starts them on their way.

Simple tests in a hospital or doctor's office will usually identify a stone. Often they will pass by themselves in a few hours (if you're lucky) or days. If not, various medical procedures are available to deal with them.

Dan Mitchell
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