Thursday, April 7, 2011

Bad Back

I'm starting to get a little apprehensive about this race I'll be running next month, and not because my training regimen has been less than impressive, but because of my back. A month or two ago I started experiencing a little pain in my lower back following longer runs but I - perhaps unwisely - ignored it since it only happened on a few occasions. Today, however, while at the park with Olive and a few friends, I bent over to pick her up after one of many falls onto the grass, and felt a stabbing pain that hasn't much subsided in the last ten hours. As it turned out, I'd not disposed of the bottles of Percocet and ibuprofen that were prescribed to me after I'd had Olive, so popped a few of the latter (I'll resort to the former come race time if need be), which made the discomfort more tolerable if not completely unnoticeable. I'm just not really sure of what to do at this point. I imagine I'll go to sleep, wake up and feel nothing at all as I've done when my back has acted up in the past, but now I know that this will undoubtedly happen again and I don't want to run the risk of the ol' back throwing me under the bus when I run the marathon (or have running that distance do even more damage; I'll just walk the whole thing if I have to). I feel like I'm too young for this to be happening to me. Do I see a chiropractor now? I'm thinking it might not be a bad idea at this point. It's either that or battle a pain killer addiction, and that's really not my scene.

2 comments:

  1. i have been battling severe back pain for years- at least since high school cross country, when i remember walking to keely's car, doubled over, unable to stand upright. i had a bout a few weeks ago and kept thinking that i'd never be able to run in the half. but i finally decided to (when i had a chance) walk through the pain. i just really focused on my posture and trying to walk normally even though it hurt like the dickens for the first half-mile or so. but then the pain started to ease, and i haven't had any pain since- except for a little soreness right after from walking around hunched for days. might give it a try-- and i hope it gets better soon! i know that back pain kills!

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  2. Hmm... I am sorry that you have back pain Heather! I think that you should go see a masseuse for your back pain... maybe someone who specializes in deep tissue? The only back pain that I have experience running is from my sciatic nerve... but it was minor. Maybe you should look at getting new running sneakers and work on your running form... perhaps your back pain is coming from the impact of your running and is not an isolated issue. Since you have been running a while, I know that you know of stretches to do to help with your back muscles. You should do them throughout the day to keep your back muscles loose.
    Just my thoughts... I hate to think that you are in pain when you run! shelby g

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