Bad back advice

Spread some carpet tacks and broken glass on the rug. Then roll around.
That's take your mind off it.

 

Don't recycle

 

I'll do that right after I gargle with Draino.

 

I gave him bad back advice.

 

One thing that has consistently worked for me is this: Lie on your back on a hard (not carpeted) floor, bring your knees to your chest as much as you can and then kind of roll side to side. I learned this one from an NBA coach I used to cover who had back problems. Not long after he told me about it, I tweaked my back and was miserable. On a lark I tried it for about three minutes and then went back to what I was doing. About a half-hour later I suddenly became aware that my back didn't hurt any more.

 

Congratulations on the 4 month commitment..no need to lose your cardio, but it sounds like you'll have to modify your exercise regimen.

If you have a sharp pain in the back of your calf, it is likely a gastroc tear and not a huge deal, except that it responds best to rest. You need to make sure though, that the rip and the pain when you examine the calf is not where the Achilles tendon begins. Occasionally, you can partially tee the tendon and then completely snap it with repetitive use..this would be a bad thing and require surgery for repair. Presuming that isn't the case and the pain is in the middle of the calf, then ice and anti-inflammatories will be the mainstay of treatment.

Unfortunately, you'll also need to rest your gastroc, the main muscle that helps push off when you run. Bicycling will be a reasonable alternative and the elliptical trainer may work, depending on the range of motion needed. I would not exercise through pain, but I would stretch to the point that the pain occurred. If you're big into running, an alternative would be pool running with a belt or wetvest.

Regardless, if you've tweaked your gastroc, then it should only be a week or so, if you're good to it. Remember that time invested early in an injury pays dividends down the road.

 

Oxycontin

I understand your favorite radio talker can hook you up real good.

 

Honestly, I don't know what help this is, but I stretch my back every day.
I'm 36 years old. I'd had a couple of injuries, but I'd never suffered any serious back problems.
However, a few years ago I started noticing stiffness. Nothing serious, nothing you would talk to a doctor about.
It was just a slight difference that I was perceiving.
Since then, I've been stretching it every day and it's great.
I've suffered a couple of pretty wicked injuries since — not to my back but that affected my back — and I think it helped with my recovery.

 

I'll echo the ice instead of heat thoughts, especially with back injuries.
That's one of the few things I learned in a sports injuries class I took in college ... happened to be taught by my chiropractor.

Ice will bring fresh/nutrient-rich blood to the spot of the ice/injury, or so I was taught.

 

Ice in first 24 hours of any muscle injury will speed up recovery time. Why do you think Pitchers ice down their arms instead of using heating pad.

 

Doctor to Pencil Dick last week after a similar back injury:

"Lose the gut."

I'd find another doctor if she wasn't an attractive, perky blonde with tiny fingers, if you know what I mean 

 

No, what do you mean?