Back pain

[beige_alert]

Joyce and I went shopping at REI on Sunday, since I needed a few things.  I also found a few things I didn't know I needed, as usual.  As is also commonly the case, an hour or so of standing around an slowly walking around the store in the usual way left me with lower back pain.  It's quite uncomfortable but by no means debilitating pain, and after levering myself into the car and sitting down for five or ten minutes I'm fine again.  It's weird though, to compare the sort of thing that causes me low back pain, which is walking around slowly at a shopping mall or in a trade/product show (or, less commercially, a museum), with this partial list of things that do not cause me back pain:

• Running a half marathon


• Cycling 120km


• Three hours of kayaking


• Two hours of cross country skiing


• Speed skating


• Weightlifting


• Snowshoeing


• Walking 5+km outdoors at a good pace

On the one hand, this is great.  Should I waste a day at a shopping center looking at stuff I don't need and probably buying something I don't need?  No, that causes physical pain, better to do something comfortable like run 10km or do some speed skating practice.  On the other hand, WTF!?  I mean, really, WTF?!  How is it that slow walking is painful but actual athletic activity (well, slow athletic activity, but, still) isn't? 

Comments

[sibylle]

I don't know if you've tried them or know about them or ... but I used to get lower back pain when standing/walking slowly, too, and it's gotten a lot better since I bought (and am wearing) some MTB shoes - or Anti-Shoes, as they call them, really. They keep your back in a different position and make you move/balance more - a bit weird the first 2-3 days, but then great!

http://us.mbt.com/default.aspx?lang=en-US

[ladysanjou.livejournal.com]

Talk about the oddities of life...XD

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

My feet hurt so much standing around in clothing stores as a kid that now I'm conditioned to the point where the smell of a clothing store causes foot pain.

[beige-alert.livejournal.com]

Here I thought I was just whining and I'm getting useful advice! I'll have to look into those.

lower back pain causes walking etc vs more physical activity

[jeley.livejournal.com]

hi there! i'm from "the north", as well, so can really understand where you're coming from in your blog!

re: lower back pain caused by walking, etc vs more physical activity, it's probably because when you move more, the fluid in your disks gets circulated more, keeping your disks, etc lubricated, more flexible, etc. when you're more sedentary, you don't get these benefits. with your physical activity, you can actually cause more low back pain because you may be overdoing it. Exercise should be moderate, not too little and not too much, to keep your body in balance.

one suggestion of mbt's is good, but you may be able to get the relief you need less expensively with the WalkFit orthotics shoes (http://stopbackpaincausenow.com//recommends/walkfitorthotics.php) for $20.

if you want more information on back pain or recommendations, feel free to contact me or visit my blog Stop Back Pain Cause Now (http://stopbackpaincausenow.com). I'm a prior chronic back pain sufferer who started this blog to help myself and others learn about back pain causes, treatments, exercises, etc. Good luck to ya!

Julie

Re: lower back pain causes walking etc vs more physical activity

[jeley.livejournal.com]

oops! i meant walkfit orthotics for $20, not shoes!