I am 49, have had more than my share of back problems and to make matters worse I surf Ocean Beach. Stretch, Stretch, stretch. Start slow and don’t push it. Up to this point no one has mentioned chrondroiton, glucosimine, msm and flax seed. Look into this stuff on the web. Good luck!
Lots of good advice here!! One thing, sorry if it was mentioned and I didn’t see it, is to get a board big enough to knee paddle COMFORTABLY. If your biggest problem is popping up just eliminate it. Knees to feet is so easy. Good luck with your efforts! aloha, TW
The severity of joint involvement and the degree of systemic symptoms vary greatly from one individual to another. Early, accurate diagnosis and therapy may minimize years of pain and disability. Medical treatment consists of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications. Indomethacin is most effective, while sulfasalazine may benefit those with more severe involvement. Peripheral joint arthritis may respond to methotrexate. Rehabilitation therapies are essential. Proper sleep and walking positions, coupled with abdominal and back exercises, help maintain posture. Exercises help maintain joint flexibility. Breathing exercises enhance lung capacity, and swimming provides aerobic exercise. Even with optimal treatment, some people will develop a stiff or “ankylosed” spine, but they will remain functional if this fusion occurs in an upright position. Continuing care is critical. AS is a lifelong problem, and people often fail to continue treatment, in which case permanent posture and mobility losses occur.
Hurt my back during the Christmas holidays and then re-injured it - seriously at the end of January. Ended up spending the entire month of February pretty much in a chair with a couple of 1" X 12"'s positioned to keep me upright; sat there all day and slept there at night! The pain and psychological distress were overwhelming - scared the hell out of me - thought I’d never get on my feet again, let along back on a board. Oh yeah, I was also 50+ lbs. overweight! A physical thereapist recommended some exercises when the pain would allow and he lent a book to me; “Healing Back Pain Naturally” by Art Brownstein, M.D. He’s a Doc that’s been through some very serious back problems and he’s a surfer - it’s very supportive read and he has some good suggestions for exercises . . . as in stretches. Also came across “Overcome Neck & Back Pain” by Kit Laughlin. Kit is a physical therapist who also had to do some self-help. His book is an excellent, excellent resource! When I could get around a bit, I too went back to the pool. Swimming laps is so boring but I use goggles and a snorkel so it’s almost like paddling a board. Along with the swimming, I’m walking 3.5 miles every other day. Part of my course has some very steep hills so I do giant steps on the ascent to put more emphasis on my hips and lower back. The next step, along with the continued stretches, will be light weight-training. I’ve also dropped a little over 30lbs. by going on a rice & fruit diet. The diet is a bit monotonous but it sure works. I stayed on it almost rigidly for about four or five weeks. “Almost” means I took a day off every week to indulge just a bit. Now, like several others have suggested, I am actively working to develop a much healthier pattern of eating. Meds: Vioxx every morning. When the pain was pretty awful, Soma and Vicodin. I’m still a bit stiff and sore but so much better - I will never take my back, or my weight for granted again, ever! This Wednesday I have an appointment to go paddling in Big Lagoon with my Doc. Hope this helps a bit, Barry
My particular problem was a severely pinched nerve, the pain from which was so severe I was willing to quit surfing (not a leap at that point) if that was the only way to avoid reinjury. Inactivity for a period seemed to start off hip problems which may be arthritis. Rehab for me was bodysurfing and some bodyboarding, which I slid into kneeboards (found out I had one real bad knee), which sent me into paipos and bellyboards and eventually mats. Infrequently onto surfboards but I found it wasn’t all that much fun - hard to get into it when I can use one of the alternatives and surf nearly by myself on occasional raunchy days and get pitted beyond belief, while nearby are masses of asses yelling “Hey you!”… Can’t quit the habit though - love standing up. I’ve spent maybe the last year over-examining the subject, frequently in this corner of cyberspace, and have come to the conclusion that all those decades of surfing may have accumulated like a psychic bag of rotten fish. You have to figure that if you are old enough to have these types of problems, you are too old to count in the “modern world”. Therefore, what you ride is subject only to your own tastes and interests and requirements. Someone commented about a board you can kneepaddle…an excellent idea. Bodyboards, bodysurfing, kneeboards on your stomach, handboards, mats…softboards, longboards…make a game out of it. Don’t go for whole-hog commitment to equipment at this stage, commit to getting in the water. Budget a certain amount of money over a period and plan on trying several options on used vehicles. Maybe you’ll find something that works, or maybe something which makes you think you wasted all your earlier surf time. At absolute worst you might find yourself walking or sitting on the beach looking out at waves and doing your real surfing in waves of real life.
“Help,I have fallen and can’t get up.”…Huh?Oh this is Swaylocks,sorry…wrong site. R.B.
“Help, I’ve fallen etc…” Actually, it’s about falling AND getting up. The Kulture says when you stumble and fall you should be flushed down the toilet and replaced with a more vigorous consumer. But we’re really built to last…
Great to hear others have suffered the sharp end of life’s outrageous fortune as well!!! 6 years ago i sustained a crush fracture of T8 ( about mid-back ) and suffered severe pain for 2 years.Thinking there was no hope, i had thought about giving up surfing as it was a case of “2 steps forward, 4 back”; the pain following surfing rarely justified.I then was prescribed a low dose anti-depressant EFFEXOR XR and had pain relief that was quite miraculous.This enabled a really consistent exercise program to be taken on with plenty of walking and yoga, and a bagful of surfing as well.At 37 i can now say i am surfing my best despite further setbacks since the spinal fracture ( i completely severed my heel-to-calf tendon requiring surgical repair, wheelchair bound in plaster etc.).It is a long road back but the sense of appreciation of surfing, fitness, and just general good health is profound.
"But we’re really built to last… " For those so inclined… a round of applause for the manufacturer.
Just a quick addition…some guy mentioned glucosamine/chondroitin for arthritic pain (as a supplement)…they also have this stuff “joint Flex” a topical creme which has that combo in it (as well as champhors…kind of like the tiger balm deal). Also, they say members of the bromeliad family reduce athritic swelling and pain…i.e. …PINEAPPLE! (and the juice of!). Hot stuff, eh?! have heard that turmeric (present in mustard) has also been of some relief (and - finally - onion and garlic in the diet). Just suggestions, mind you…varied results from person to person.
Howzit Cleanlines, With all these injuries maybe we can get a good deal on group health insurance. Aloha, Kokua
Yep Kokua ol buddy its tough.I have insurance but it is going through the roof.My deductible is so high I may as well cancel and go welfare.I have to get a hip replacement but I guess its not in the cards.We can spend billions of dollars on bombs and other weapons of mass destruction whilst a lot of the senior citizens that worked all their life can’t even afford a few pills.But hey its all in the mind eh?I’m still stoked. R.B.
This one time, at band camp, I stuck a flute up my pussy.
Hey Flute, i bet ya can’t whistle “Yankee Doodle” !