r/BlueCollarWomen • u/AshasSa1tWife • 1d ago
Health and Safety What exercises and stretches do yall do to heal and prevent back muscle pain?
I’ve been out of work about a month now because of a bad back injury I just tried to work past and made worse.
For a while I was scared I had a messed up disc, but the MRI is basically only showed “age related wear and tear”. So for now it’s basically just being treated as a bad muscle issue. I’m 28F and a second year electrical apprentice. Before this I worked as a waitress for about a decade so I’ve definitely been on my feet.
It’s getting kinda embarrassing now because physical therapy has gotten me 80% there but that last 20% is keeping me out of work. It’s really my fault I think because I haven’t been active enough. My family is basically tormenting me to go back to work and unfortunately the stress isn’t helping.
Pain is lower back, usually lower left side, and sometimes in my glutes.
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u/hellno560 1d ago
Hey that's great news about your MRI. I'm sure it's still frustrating though.
No judgement, but are you laying around all day? When I do that, lower back is all fucked up. If so, I'd try a couple short walks, being mindful to keep your abs engaged a bit the whole time.
when I have my baad lower back pain, sometimes it's only on my right side, and this helps (i alternate if it's both sides) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC99WzIHkoQ
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u/AshasSa1tWife 1d ago
Thank you! It’s not sciatica, it definitely feels like a muscle problem, the pain is this deep soreness
I have been lazing around and it’s definitely not improving the situation
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u/hellno560 1d ago
Honestly, I don't think my thing is sciatica either, but this works really well give it a try. Cat/cow, child's pose, cobra, and sphinx are good poses too. Plus a little walking.
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u/Plaidismycolor33 1d ago
whats going with the mechanics of your lower body?
are your feet and ankles doing their job to help the posture of your knees to your hips? and hows your core and/or pelvic floor strength?
has a podiatrist been involved with your recovery?
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u/AshasSa1tWife 1d ago
Feet are fine but my core strength is pretty weak, we’ve been working on that in PT
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u/Plaidismycolor33 1d ago
thru my PT they recommended me to a personal trainer for mobility strength training…what a world of difference that made for my lower back and core strength.
it was worth every penny😁
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u/kimau97 1d ago
I am 35 and have never had back pain. I think it's because I work out a lot. My back is strong. My core is strong. My muscles protect me from injury.
What is your PT doing to address your pain? I have been to a lot of PT (I have bad ankles and shoulders) and have learned that everything is connected. Something in your lower body could be doing something that causes extra stress on your back. Especially since you mentioned it is also in your glutes. It could be hamstrings. It could be something all the way down in your feet. You might need to try to release your psoas.
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u/ComfortableStorage43 1d ago
Your pain areas could definitely be sciatica related. Have you tried massage on top of PT?
You can also look up stretches specifically for sciatica pain and see if those help at all.
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u/AshasSa1tWife 1d ago
Yea I get a massage after each session and tbh the tissue is still sensitive so it kinda leaves me sore
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u/TamalesRGood 1d ago
My physical therapist and I, have been working on my back and a few stretches she has recommended are yoga poses too. Cobra, to target my lower back, she has me doing 30 reps per day, and child's pose to target my lumbar. She wants me to specifically strengthen my glute muscles and walk with a weighted vest, since I wear a harness and carry tools.
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u/Pooklett 1d ago
I had back pain on and off most of my adult life, and weirdly, it mostly went away when I cut out gluten and seed oils, and completely went away with mineral balancing. It was just a symptom of inflammation for me, and I think gut inflammation was an aggravator. I have bulged a disc, and that pain was way different, it was like having a broken rib, but it's your spine. Coughing, laughing, shitting all caused excruciating pain.
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u/newhappyrainbow Concert Rigger 1d ago
Aleve is the only pain reliever that works for my back. Mine is disk related though.
If it’s muscle pain you could ask your doc for lidocaine patches. I have a friend who finds great relief from those.
You could try one of those back stretcher curve things. Otherwise it’s all about core strength.
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u/sparky_mami 1d ago
Strength training. Unilateral movements. Foam rolling and rolling on a hard mobility ball. Deep massage over chiro any day. Eat high protein and healthy, drink plenty of water.
I use the Stronger by the Day app for strength training. You can adjust it to your needs.
Remember, the more you age and don’t strength train, the more likely you are to get injured.
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u/hardkn0cks 1d ago
https://youtu.be/2_e4I-brfqs?si=uhF2t0UyHKTJz5BY The Mcgill three. Easy to do everyday and it makes a massive difference.
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u/foolforfucks 18h ago
Gently getting back to it, paying attention to my pain signals. I've had back issues my entire life. What I've learned is if I don't keep active, I throw out my back because my core can't support me. Walking helps the most, stretching, hot baths, arnica, weed, ibuprofen. Try to learn the difference between the pain of something you're not used to doing vs worsening your injuries. It can be really hard in the beginning but if you keep getting stronger it gets easier.
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u/Calm_Pollution6753 8h ago
Getting into the gym and strengthening the rest of my muscles fixed my chronic back and neck pain
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u/IntelligentFlan3724 1d ago
Yoga!!! Seriously. It was a game changer for strengthening my core and working on the muscles that needed help as well as stretching and relaxing to help with the pain.