Not sure if to post here this has to be running related or not. Assuming its ok...
First a little on what happened...
Back it September I took a bad fall down the steps to the basement. They are pressure treated wood and always slippery. It was also drizzling all day long and they were slick. I knew better but was in a hurry and completely forgot. When my feet hit the top step (I was going down) they shot out in front of me and I knew I was screwed. I was actually running when I hit the step (long story) so I had some momentum and freefell 1/2 or 2/3 the way down before hitting the steps with my back and rear. I hit both steps at the same time, one was across the center of my back and the other basically right on the seat of my pants. I also tore a good bit of skin off my left forearm and both hands and fingers and tore a couple nails on each hand, trying to grab the cinder block wall as I fell. I was a little stunned but only laid there for maybe 10 or 20 seconds and got up and moved around to make sure nothing was broken. Seemed to have full range of movement on everything, I was sore all over so at the time I couldnt pinpoint any particular soreness. But the worse was between my purple forearm and my neck which I had pulled my head up to avoid my head hitting a step, I had tensed my neck to hard, but didnt hit my head at all and the neck pain went away by a couple days.
Jumping ahead to now. I have had lower back pain since the incident. Nothing severe, only mild, but always there. Hasnt gone away for even one day, although some days I can barely feel it. The step that hit me in the back didnt seem to do much, but the one that nailed me in the glutes left a bruise for a few days and I think the shock traveled up to my spine a few inches. I hadnt taken any meds for it, I usually dont take any meds unless absolutely necessary. But I kept fearing that I messed up my back. I thought it should have got better by now. So just monday I went in to the doc and got an x-ray. He couldnt see or find anything wrong. Thats mainly all I was interested in but he was going to put me in PT and a 3 week prescription of naproxen.
I'm a little leery of taking that much naproxen when my back, although a little sore, is quite fine and doesnt effect me really at all. I can run, I can split wood with and axe and cary and stack it just fine. So far I have not gone to pick up the prescription. Should I? I'm also not sure about the PT... I live way out in the country and the doc prescribed me PT there on site wich is a 1hr drive. No way that will fly. However in conjunction with work its only an extra 15-20 min out of my way, so maybe 30-40 min total, but I dont really see myself doing this on a working day. I work 12hr shifts with an hour drive each way by the time I come home I am exhausted and my wife is usually still working and needs me to be there to watch our son. My MIL is a PT also, and this past weekend she had me do several things and nothing made a difference better or worse. I can try to continue doing the exercises myself though to see if anything changes over a longer term.
First a little on what happened...
Back it September I took a bad fall down the steps to the basement. They are pressure treated wood and always slippery. It was also drizzling all day long and they were slick. I knew better but was in a hurry and completely forgot. When my feet hit the top step (I was going down) they shot out in front of me and I knew I was screwed. I was actually running when I hit the step (long story) so I had some momentum and freefell 1/2 or 2/3 the way down before hitting the steps with my back and rear. I hit both steps at the same time, one was across the center of my back and the other basically right on the seat of my pants. I also tore a good bit of skin off my left forearm and both hands and fingers and tore a couple nails on each hand, trying to grab the cinder block wall as I fell. I was a little stunned but only laid there for maybe 10 or 20 seconds and got up and moved around to make sure nothing was broken. Seemed to have full range of movement on everything, I was sore all over so at the time I couldnt pinpoint any particular soreness. But the worse was between my purple forearm and my neck which I had pulled my head up to avoid my head hitting a step, I had tensed my neck to hard, but didnt hit my head at all and the neck pain went away by a couple days.
Jumping ahead to now. I have had lower back pain since the incident. Nothing severe, only mild, but always there. Hasnt gone away for even one day, although some days I can barely feel it. The step that hit me in the back didnt seem to do much, but the one that nailed me in the glutes left a bruise for a few days and I think the shock traveled up to my spine a few inches. I hadnt taken any meds for it, I usually dont take any meds unless absolutely necessary. But I kept fearing that I messed up my back. I thought it should have got better by now. So just monday I went in to the doc and got an x-ray. He couldnt see or find anything wrong. Thats mainly all I was interested in but he was going to put me in PT and a 3 week prescription of naproxen.
I'm a little leery of taking that much naproxen when my back, although a little sore, is quite fine and doesnt effect me really at all. I can run, I can split wood with and axe and cary and stack it just fine. So far I have not gone to pick up the prescription. Should I? I'm also not sure about the PT... I live way out in the country and the doc prescribed me PT there on site wich is a 1hr drive. No way that will fly. However in conjunction with work its only an extra 15-20 min out of my way, so maybe 30-40 min total, but I dont really see myself doing this on a working day. I work 12hr shifts with an hour drive each way by the time I come home I am exhausted and my wife is usually still working and needs me to be there to watch our son. My MIL is a PT also, and this past weekend she had me do several things and nothing made a difference better or worse. I can try to continue doing the exercises myself though to see if anything changes over a longer term.