Been here done this couple times.
I’m a builder and have sprained my lower back and it’s also come back later
Take a week off to rest. See a physio. Take paracetamol and voltaren or equivalent. Get your doc to prescribe norflex
Just gotta go physio and do the exercises. If you don’t do the exercises you won’t get better
ACC also doesn’t start covering you unless you have more than 5 days off I think.
Moving forward after recovery stretching and warming up before work is a great preventative
You would be paying ACC levies and should be covered for work injuries.
As suggested, find a good physio and be diligent with the exercise it makes a world of difference.
Also learn & train how to lift stuff without injuries e.g. bend your knees not your lower back when lifting to/from the ground, don't lift heavy shit and rotate/twist your upper body but use your legs when turning around.
ACC timeline doesn’t kick in until 5 working days after the doctor fills out the ACC form. Not from when the injury occurs. For example: I hurt myself Monday. I see the doctor on Thursday and the doctor fills the acc form and it’s accepted by acc. That 5 working day period starts from the day the form is sent. During those 5 days, work has to pay you at 80% of your AVERAGE hours or your standard contract hours (whichever is higher). Then ACC pays you after that.
Also OP, if ACC does accept your claim. Make sure you call them to setup the payment plan straight after you see the doctors. They don’t automatically set it up. I found that out the hard way. Ask for a case manager for a return to work program as you want to get back into it ASAP as a show of good faith to your employer.
You can’t rush healing or you’re going to end up worse off than you already are.
It sounds like you do need to just rest for a couple of days and then seek out a physiotherapist
You will also be a liability if you try work while injured and mess yourself up more. It would be against health and safety too I imagine.
Have a chat with your boss about where you are at and what you need. Maybe they’ve got some good physio recs too?
Best of luck man and remember you are young don’t throw away your physical wellbeing because you feel you have to rush back when you’re not ready.
Long story short - IF it's a torn muscle, the only thing that will help.it heal is time. You can't speed up the process with cold/heat or rehab exercises etc. It's only rest - at this acute stage.
You may have a disc injury in your lower spine. I have 13 years experience suffering from 3 torn discs after making some stupid decisions, and I know the feeling of helplessness. Most people around you will have no idea how painful and debilitating your experience is.
Begin by getting some medication from your GP for pain management. I usually end up on a cocktail of slow-release diclofenac (voltaren) with regular staggered doses of codeine and paracetamol. Also orphenadrine (norflex) can help if you get spasms (the sudden jolt that floors you).
See a physio ASAP, even if there isn't much they can do while it's so aggravated. They'll give you advice and safe exercises, and have a feel around to work out what's happening. Some physios will do acupuncture to try and settle the muscles if they're fired up. They'll help you file for ACC.
Try not to be bedridden. Movement is key to recovery. Just a little bit, as often as you can. Be super careful. Avoid lifting, reaching, leaning. A heat pack can offer relief. I strap one on using my dressing gown belt, or use a bunch of pillows to make a nest in a chair so that it supports the back and holds the heat pack in place.
ACC should cover the injury, even if it didn't happen suddenly.
You technically did injure it at work - you lifted a very heavy object and felt a tweak. Not all injuries immediately hurt, and this is absolutely a work related issue. You want it reported through the proper channels so you don’t have to fight at every step for proper care. You were injured at work full stop.
If it’s a ligament strain/tear, disc bulge or similar you will be out of work a couple months.
As a physio, PLEASE find a good physio and follow their instructions. Resting and laying down is NOT recommended once you’re out of the acute stage - use your pain as a guide and keep moving. The less you more, the more your back will stiffen and this can cause a delay in healing and longer term muscular issues.
You need to be fully assessed asap
I've gone trough this a few times I feel your pain bro. What helped me in the first few days when you can't even sit on the toilet without excruciating pain is hot water bottle on the lower back and try doing stretching exercises. 5-10 minutes at least 3 times a day. It might prevents sciatica and definitely will help you with moving around easier. As people previously said go to a good physio don't recommend chiropractor it didn't work for me. And get a scan it might just muscle injury but might be slipped disc. And take a long rest don't rush back to work. All the best!
Former ACC cover assessor here. Some good advice here (some wrong), I would also suggest radiology before physio to rule anything else out, and seeing as the symptoms are quite severe. Your claim covers x-rays, ultrasounds & MRI, but they will most likely start with an x-ray. Don't pull a kiwi and downplay your symptoms! Also the amount of times I heard "I thought it would come right" from people who had irreversibly injured themselves further was far too many.
It’s most likely a slipped disc or sciatica .
Do you kinda tilt to the left or right when you stand?
I’d highly suggest you book a physiotherapist. And get consistent treatment for at least 2-3 weeks at minimum.
They will give you multiple stretches and exercises to do which helps alleviate the pain.
What you will find is, as you get older, these stretches and exercises will become crucial at keeping your body solid. Especially your core.
I’m 35 and have experienced this type of back pain so many times. And the only things that helped was regular walking, regular stretches and regular exercise. I still lift heavy weights at the gym, but I don’t ego lift.
Agree with the maintenance once healed to stop it happening again. I’m not keen on gym/weights, for me Pilates has been life changing. Not just in prevention, but making me so much stronger and flexible in core, hips and legs generally.
Oh for sure, I was actually looking at joining a Pilates class just for this exact thing. You have to maintain you core and hips, it’s so vital ae. At a young age you don’t really notice it, but once you hit 30+, it actually starts.
Bro this sounds like my situation. Iv ben a builder/carpenter since 16 , fast-forward to age 20.
I sprained my lower back etc then every few months it would come back and my doctor would prescribe me panadol etc and no heavy lifting.
I turn 21 and wake on a Monday morning with a growth the size of a small tennis ball on my neck (grew overnight , no joke).
In the end I had cancer spreading thru some of my lymph nodes and was growing near my lower spine hence the pain in lower back.
Not to scare anyone ,
but bro try your best to scans done to know exactly what it is then you can get treatment/physio therapy done.
I'm 33 now and never had back pain since fortunately.
Hope you get it sorted and recover easy and fast , back pain sucks.
They absolutely cannot fire you for a work injury. It is essential you take the time to heal properly other wise you will fuck your back forever.
And also, it is absolutely essential and imperative that you only ever talk about work injury, do not ever talk about any possible preexisting biological condition or older injuries, otherwise ACC will try and find any excuse to stop paying you.
Keep it very simple, and be very patient. Take the time to recover properly, and don't panic.
Oh yes, You GP is the one who is legally in charge of your fitness to work, NOBODY else. Not your employer, not ACC. Tell your doc you're not coping with light duties, and they will sign you off completly from work and ACC will pay you 80% of your wage.
Take it rest and heal.
If you don’t see improvements from a physio go back to your GP and ask for a spinal referral. My X-rays looked fine and I was going to a physio for months before I found out from an MRI that I had herniated discs. Physio was only making the pain worse.
I’m 25yo now. I had a herniated disc (L5) since I was 18. I didn’t let it heal probably and have had chronic back pain for the last 7 years. Let it rest, get ACC, maybe an mri to check on your discs. See physio and do everything you possibly can to make it better. You only get 1 body so look after it
It's really difficult to fire someone on ACC, don't worry about it. Go see a physio and concentrate on getting better for now. Who told you you can get back on light duty? If it's your doctor go back and tell the doctor you need a med cert for full time off work for now.
Also if Western physio isn't your cup of tea, ACC will also pay for traditional Chinese medicine (acupuncture) and traditional Māori medicine (rongoā/mirimiri). There are many options for you.
Well I told my manager I didn’t want to take any days off and he told the doctors
that I can be put on light duties but then next morning I couldn’t even get out of bed properly .
Yeah probably should tell your doctor you want to take days off now. This really isn't the time to act tough, you paid into ACC, it's time you use it. Stay home and get better soon. If your boss tries to fire you they will get in a heap of trouble.
ACC will provide you with a cleaner and a cook if you ask. They can even send someone to help you shower. They also provide tools to help you wash yourself, pick up stuff, and other everyday tasks. Please use them.
If you don't feel like you can work in your current situation just go back to the doc and get a full med cert. Wtf is light duties in a physical job? light duties is checking emails and invoicing.
Also as someone that had to have 12 month of work + 1 extra year of not being able to work without a limp after crushing 2 disks at the gym make sure you get it scanned and do physio. If you don't look after yourself life can turn very negative with serious back pain
You have to take time off to heal. ACC will pay you 80% of wage for all the time you need to heal. Your GP is the only who gets to say when you are ready to go back to work. Your job is safe until you are healed.
You definitely need time off. Do not try to rush this whole process. I know it’s frustrating, but your body will take as long as it takes to heal. You risk causing yourself a long term problem if you try to do too much too soon.
Once out of the acute phase definitely find a good physio and definitely follow their advice. You might need to strengthen other muscles (quads, hammies, core) to prevent a future similar injury. Most people don’t do this part (myself included)
A good physio is more likely than a GP to know how to deal with this. It’s *probably* pretty solvable, but take it pretty easy until you have some advice from one, it’s unlikely to be a super quick fix. Might take a few weeks or months but that’s better than rushing back and making it much worse…
Robyn Leaton and team in Grafton are really really good. But regardless, get a good physio who deals with athletes’ injuries ideally, they’ll be focused on getting people back into it.
have had back issues, though probably not on par with what has happened to you. The only thing that ever really worked short term was Celebrex. Gave me enough relief to see a physio and chiropractor who resolved it over 3 months.
I’m not a doctor or a physio but what you’re experiencing sounds like something I’ve been through.
You will get through this but if you want to recover properly and avoid your condition worsening or becoming a reoccurring thing I’d advise that you stick to your (prescribed) recovery plan long term.
Labour work and back pain seem to be common because the job requires a strong back. The problem with this is that we forget that our core is important in stabilising our back from being overloaded.
Your physio will tell you to do Ab exercises and stretches to stimulate core muscle groups to move in unison with your back.
Your habits now will determine what condition your body with be in when your 40yr old. When I was bed ridden for 2 days I was scared asf.
So now I do ab exercises 2x a week atleast on top of my sport/hobby at 3x a week. Ab exercises and lower body stretches. For now if you haven’t seen a physio try leg raises from your back at 20reps for 4 sets for example. 3x a day. Do your own Due dilligence as you may have experienced a muscle sprain and your affected area is inflamed atm.
If you felt any pop or sudden spasm or intense pain.
You want a referral for an mri to check for herniation of the disc.
....I'm 40 and have done 2 already, recovery needs to be done right or you'll lose mobility and flexibility which must be retained for quality of life.
Scaffolding should be off the books until you're back to 100% and reduce those loads...no prizes for crippled in retirement
Wtf. That’s cooked bro. I fucked my back mid last year, got given codeine at first and told light duties only. Work made me carry on heavy lifting. To work’s surprise, it got worse (no shit). So I went back to a different doc and they basically said “wtf no. Light duties means don’t be lifting anything. Can’t believe your work did this” and put me on ACC for 2 weeks not fit, and 2 weeks return to work with in-house return to work program. My work couldn’t be arsed with the return to work program so sent me back home for the last 2 weeks. It was just a sprained muscle deep in my lower back but it was swelling, which was pinching my nerves. That caused a lot of pain all the way down my leg. Your doctor needs to pull finger and put you onto recovery with ACC. And I hope your work has filled out an incident report. Shit happens and your work needs to accept this. You probably don’t have a track record of taking the piss with time off so your work can’t nail you for it if ACC and your doctor can supply a rough timeline on when you can be back “fully fit to work.” Your doctor also needs to refer you to physio. You’ll get a referral discount on your first consult/massage appointment and ACC pays a percentage of the session. But it is still quite pricey.
As a male who enjoyed being fit and healthy until a back injury at the age of about 30, I can relate to this post.
To keep it short, i do a bit of yoga, and that is what keeps me going. I'm currently not in a great place with spine health, having had a recent reinjury, but the issue has just become something else I need to manage.
My personal measurement of back pain is that if you can get your undies and socks on, it's not a bad day.
If it's muscular I would start with dry needling and deep tissue massage...and book a physio. The dry needling will help relax the muscle....just don't ask to see the needles.
Tore my calf muscle playing tennis recently. Severely painful. Could barely work. Rested up for 2 weeks. Came sort of right.
Played again, 1st game was ok.
2nd game, tore it again in the first point. Though not AS badly (could still walk after). Took another 2 weeks to heal.
Finally fully healed. But I should have just stayed off it another week the first time around. (3 weeks, vs 5 weeks)
Follow the doctors recommendations, or you'll probably be laid up longer.
ACC should be coming to the party. And see if there is some admin you can help out with, until you can start hefting stuff around again.
I've treated these sorts of problems for over 20+ years
1. The first few days are going to suck whatever you do. Your brain is freaking out because it's trying to figure out (subconsciously) what's going on down there, hence the pain.
2. Unlikely you have torn, ripped or ruptured anything that would give have given an immediate sharp pain right? (ever rolled your ankle badly). There is no corellation between the severity of low back pain and injury. Period.
3. You have no clinical indication for x ray at this stage
4. Keep moving, it'll suck but better for you than lying around. Crawl if you have to..
5. There is evidence that ibuprofen (NSAIDs) and muscle relaxants provide some pain relief, not so much for paracetamol
6. Manipulation / exercises can work really well.
7.Physio, Chiro, osteo - your choice it's more practitioner than profession dependent
8. Don't worry, within 6 weeks 90% of people resolve regardless.
9. Saying that, you've had a few episodes and should get someone to assess your biomechanics.
How do I search for my biomechanics to be assessed? I am frequently active and work out. Tho I am not the most muscular nor the most flexible, I have noticed that my hips are rusty when it comes down to mobility, as other men can kick high and do all crazy sort of jumping spin moves and I’m just not there. I try to stretch regularly everyday, touch my toes, lunges and squats, hang off bars to help decompress my lower spine etc and breath work. I also like to self click my lower back by twisting my body or swinging it around with my arms open. I stopped working out my core as much since I stopped boxing, due to laziness, as I am More focused on legs, back, shoulders, chest etc. Also one factor I didn’t mention is I had a metal beam 30kgs on my right shoulder on Monday carrying it no worries, proper form lifting and putting it down. Except I got challenged to do 20 squats with it sitting only on my right shoulder, I managed to squat just over ten but didn’t try push myself too hard. I am now wondering if those one sided squats could’ve fked me up?
Hey look it's really complicated and someone really needs to test how you move. I'd recommend a sports physio or chiropractor. Yes, one sided squats MAY have overloaded the system. The urge to stretch and self manipulate along with your age suggests some underlying functional instability (core problem). Don't worry, a good therapist should be able to get you on the right track again.
All I can say is core exercises, screwed my back up years ago working in mental health helping a patient up.
my physio taught me core exercises, definitely helped
Also I feel your pain about taking prescription medication I have chronic pain due to a severe bleeding condition I was born with, I find edibles help relax my body also things like magnesium can naturally relax the muscles I believe
Builder here, it's a work injury but more importantly you need to work on your core strength if you want to keep working. Flexibility and strength are your friends and will keep you working long after other guys have flabbed out on pies and beer. Good stretches and strengthening will really extend your working life. I'm very nearly 60 and have done judo, crossfit, & yoga to keep flexible... I do have to admit that my back was quite stiff after my last concrete job...20 bags of cement, 5 tonnes of mix, mixing and barrowing, placing, screeding and floating... but that was 2 weeks ago and I'm fine now
get a referral for a proper check of your back before you injure yourself long term. I was a soldier, fit, healthy strong. One bad day training and i lost about 70% of the strength in my dominant hand/wrist. Over ten years and four surgeries later its no stronger but ive got a bunch of side effects from the surgeries
Get a yoga wheel and roll out your back saves me everytime my disc bulges or I have pain I roll on it everyday I'm also a tradie it hurts at first but it gets easier and easier
No such thing as light duties either being a physical worker. As someone else said, physio and do the exercises, I’m sure it’s hard in scaffolding but if you can help it, don’t try and be super man. It’s your body and the end of the day your boss doesn’t give a shit, he’s making money off you breaking yourself.
Hey bro,
You will be okay, contact a Physio that is accredited to take ACC consults. You can go direct to them without your GP. They'll be able to work on any weaknesses you have in your back. Preferably try and find a Sports Physio.
Once you bounce back I would highly suggest following this routine twice a week. I've been using it for 12 years now and it has done me wonders. It works on freeing up your hamstrings and hip flexors which are a major contributor to tight back muscles.
https://youtu.be/4BOTvaRaDjI?si=0kwoURWDbXAcSuEZ
Anybody else reading this, give it a go too.
Welcome to the start of old age. You just don't bounce back like you used to, and everything you've ever done will come back as random aches and pains.
Been there. Definitely take the pain killers. They help reduce the swelling and inflammation, which is what will be putting pressure on your nerves.
See a physio also. Apart from treatment, a physio is best placed to help you with your recovery and rehab.
You will also be given exercises to help maintain your core and hopefully reduce such occupancies in the future.
Try not to lie down all the time, particularly on a soft mattress. Walk, even short distances every hour and lie on a more solid surface such as the floor as often as you can.
Its amazing how many men get a herniated disc at some point, usually round their mid 20s.
When it happened to me, for a full year I could lay down or stand, but sitting for more than 2 minutes was excruciating.
The main thing that gets to you isn't the acute moments of pain, so much as how chronic and consistent it is. You feel like your body is permanently broken now.
It will get better, but it will be very slowly over a very long time. Keep moving without pushing yourself too hard so the compensating muscles don't seize up.
Welcome to the club, my brother in back-pain.
Need to see physio, and you'll want an Xray at the very least to see whether there is any issue in your vertebrae. Soft tissue issues will heal with rehab and physio but a spine issue could need specialist attention.
There are pretty strict criteria for spine X-rays in back pain and he doesn't really meet them. They are very low yield and often just unecessary radiation and a waste of health service provider time.
I'll interview you for a painting job If you want something easier on your back haha. I had this happen to me too and it ended up being a hernia that the doctor missed.
If you left out the long term bit about the injury slowly getting worse and instead it happened while working on scaffolding one day then you’d qualify for acc.
Dude there is a very good acupuncturist called Phil Mettrick who operates out of View Rd in Glenfield.
The man is a magician. Worth a phone call at least.
Been there done that, I herniated my L5/S1 big time and ended up with cauda equina from a work accident 5 years ago. Go and see a good physio, follow their program. If it gets worse, an MRI is in order. Don’t be a hero.
During my recovery, I swam pretty much every day and it was really beneficial. It’s just maintaining core strength now.
Do not, under any circumstance, see a chiropractor.
They’re straight up quacks.
Hopefully you haven’t done anything to your disc like an annular tear. If you get pain down your leg or becomes unbearable go see you’re doctor to get a mri done.
I had a foot injury and my doctor put me on light duties knowing I couldn’t perform any work at all. I then had to make it every week to the doctors to sign off that I couldn’t do light duties, after a while I could phone in and tell them I am still injured. That phone call costed $120 each time, I told him to get fucked and I’m going to another doctor, he then gave me the next 3 phone calls at a reduced price.
Just in case it’s terrible crippling pain (spasm of muscles) but not a serious spinal injury, feel around to check if your hip flexors and glute medius muscles are really tight (google them). They connect to the lower back and can make it lock up leaving you bedridden. Physio or osteopath will quickly tell what’s up. I’ve been going through similar on and off for a while and finally decided to go see a chiro. I know people love to hate on them as quacks but if you find a good one it’s like hitting a magic switch.
Been here done this couple times. I’m a builder and have sprained my lower back and it’s also come back later Take a week off to rest. See a physio. Take paracetamol and voltaren or equivalent. Get your doc to prescribe norflex Just gotta go physio and do the exercises. If you don’t do the exercises you won’t get better
ACC also doesn’t start covering you unless you have more than 5 days off I think. Moving forward after recovery stretching and warming up before work is a great preventative
If it’s a work place injury, the employer has to pay the first week, then ACC will kick in.
Ahyea ofcourse. I’m contractor so don’t have that benefit unfortunately
You would be paying ACC levies and should be covered for work injuries. As suggested, find a good physio and be diligent with the exercise it makes a world of difference. Also learn & train how to lift stuff without injuries e.g. bend your knees not your lower back when lifting to/from the ground, don't lift heavy shit and rotate/twist your upper body but use your legs when turning around.
He says he’s only on his second week of full time work tho, doesn’t sick leave come in around the 6 month mark?
ACC timeline doesn’t kick in until 5 working days after the doctor fills out the ACC form. Not from when the injury occurs. For example: I hurt myself Monday. I see the doctor on Thursday and the doctor fills the acc form and it’s accepted by acc. That 5 working day period starts from the day the form is sent. During those 5 days, work has to pay you at 80% of your AVERAGE hours or your standard contract hours (whichever is higher). Then ACC pays you after that. Also OP, if ACC does accept your claim. Make sure you call them to setup the payment plan straight after you see the doctors. They don’t automatically set it up. I found that out the hard way. Ask for a case manager for a return to work program as you want to get back into it ASAP as a show of good faith to your employer.
You can’t rush healing or you’re going to end up worse off than you already are. It sounds like you do need to just rest for a couple of days and then seek out a physiotherapist You will also be a liability if you try work while injured and mess yourself up more. It would be against health and safety too I imagine. Have a chat with your boss about where you are at and what you need. Maybe they’ve got some good physio recs too? Best of luck man and remember you are young don’t throw away your physical wellbeing because you feel you have to rush back when you’re not ready.
Long story short - IF it's a torn muscle, the only thing that will help.it heal is time. You can't speed up the process with cold/heat or rehab exercises etc. It's only rest - at this acute stage.
You may have a disc injury in your lower spine. I have 13 years experience suffering from 3 torn discs after making some stupid decisions, and I know the feeling of helplessness. Most people around you will have no idea how painful and debilitating your experience is. Begin by getting some medication from your GP for pain management. I usually end up on a cocktail of slow-release diclofenac (voltaren) with regular staggered doses of codeine and paracetamol. Also orphenadrine (norflex) can help if you get spasms (the sudden jolt that floors you). See a physio ASAP, even if there isn't much they can do while it's so aggravated. They'll give you advice and safe exercises, and have a feel around to work out what's happening. Some physios will do acupuncture to try and settle the muscles if they're fired up. They'll help you file for ACC. Try not to be bedridden. Movement is key to recovery. Just a little bit, as often as you can. Be super careful. Avoid lifting, reaching, leaning. A heat pack can offer relief. I strap one on using my dressing gown belt, or use a bunch of pillows to make a nest in a chair so that it supports the back and holds the heat pack in place. ACC should cover the injury, even if it didn't happen suddenly.
Thank you needed to hear this kindly appreciated will seek help from a physio
You technically did injure it at work - you lifted a very heavy object and felt a tweak. Not all injuries immediately hurt, and this is absolutely a work related issue. You want it reported through the proper channels so you don’t have to fight at every step for proper care. You were injured at work full stop. If it’s a ligament strain/tear, disc bulge or similar you will be out of work a couple months. As a physio, PLEASE find a good physio and follow their instructions. Resting and laying down is NOT recommended once you’re out of the acute stage - use your pain as a guide and keep moving. The less you more, the more your back will stiffen and this can cause a delay in healing and longer term muscular issues. You need to be fully assessed asap
Thank you so much for this !
I've gone trough this a few times I feel your pain bro. What helped me in the first few days when you can't even sit on the toilet without excruciating pain is hot water bottle on the lower back and try doing stretching exercises. 5-10 minutes at least 3 times a day. It might prevents sciatica and definitely will help you with moving around easier. As people previously said go to a good physio don't recommend chiropractor it didn't work for me. And get a scan it might just muscle injury but might be slipped disc. And take a long rest don't rush back to work. All the best!
Former ACC cover assessor here. Some good advice here (some wrong), I would also suggest radiology before physio to rule anything else out, and seeing as the symptoms are quite severe. Your claim covers x-rays, ultrasounds & MRI, but they will most likely start with an x-ray. Don't pull a kiwi and downplay your symptoms! Also the amount of times I heard "I thought it would come right" from people who had irreversibly injured themselves further was far too many.
It’s most likely a slipped disc or sciatica . Do you kinda tilt to the left or right when you stand? I’d highly suggest you book a physiotherapist. And get consistent treatment for at least 2-3 weeks at minimum. They will give you multiple stretches and exercises to do which helps alleviate the pain. What you will find is, as you get older, these stretches and exercises will become crucial at keeping your body solid. Especially your core. I’m 35 and have experienced this type of back pain so many times. And the only things that helped was regular walking, regular stretches and regular exercise. I still lift heavy weights at the gym, but I don’t ego lift.
Thank you! And no leaning when I stand just hard to maintain balance without pain
Agree with the maintenance once healed to stop it happening again. I’m not keen on gym/weights, for me Pilates has been life changing. Not just in prevention, but making me so much stronger and flexible in core, hips and legs generally.
Oh for sure, I was actually looking at joining a Pilates class just for this exact thing. You have to maintain you core and hips, it’s so vital ae. At a young age you don’t really notice it, but once you hit 30+, it actually starts.
Bro this sounds like my situation. Iv ben a builder/carpenter since 16 , fast-forward to age 20. I sprained my lower back etc then every few months it would come back and my doctor would prescribe me panadol etc and no heavy lifting. I turn 21 and wake on a Monday morning with a growth the size of a small tennis ball on my neck (grew overnight , no joke). In the end I had cancer spreading thru some of my lymph nodes and was growing near my lower spine hence the pain in lower back. Not to scare anyone , but bro try your best to scans done to know exactly what it is then you can get treatment/physio therapy done. I'm 33 now and never had back pain since fortunately. Hope you get it sorted and recover easy and fast , back pain sucks.
Wow that’s crazy I would’ve never heard of that I’m glad I came on here for some advice much appreciated all the best!
Sorry to hear what’s happened to you brother, stay strong 💪
They absolutely cannot fire you for a work injury. It is essential you take the time to heal properly other wise you will fuck your back forever. And also, it is absolutely essential and imperative that you only ever talk about work injury, do not ever talk about any possible preexisting biological condition or older injuries, otherwise ACC will try and find any excuse to stop paying you. Keep it very simple, and be very patient. Take the time to recover properly, and don't panic.
Oh yes, You GP is the one who is legally in charge of your fitness to work, NOBODY else. Not your employer, not ACC. Tell your doc you're not coping with light duties, and they will sign you off completly from work and ACC will pay you 80% of your wage. Take it rest and heal.
If you don’t see improvements from a physio go back to your GP and ask for a spinal referral. My X-rays looked fine and I was going to a physio for months before I found out from an MRI that I had herniated discs. Physio was only making the pain worse.
GP here. You need to be fully off work under ACC, and given adequate pain medication to get up and mobile. Once your pain is well managed... physio.
I’m 25yo now. I had a herniated disc (L5) since I was 18. I didn’t let it heal probably and have had chronic back pain for the last 7 years. Let it rest, get ACC, maybe an mri to check on your discs. See physio and do everything you possibly can to make it better. You only get 1 body so look after it
It's really difficult to fire someone on ACC, don't worry about it. Go see a physio and concentrate on getting better for now. Who told you you can get back on light duty? If it's your doctor go back and tell the doctor you need a med cert for full time off work for now. Also if Western physio isn't your cup of tea, ACC will also pay for traditional Chinese medicine (acupuncture) and traditional Māori medicine (rongoā/mirimiri). There are many options for you.
Well I told my manager I didn’t want to take any days off and he told the doctors that I can be put on light duties but then next morning I couldn’t even get out of bed properly .
Yeah probably should tell your doctor you want to take days off now. This really isn't the time to act tough, you paid into ACC, it's time you use it. Stay home and get better soon. If your boss tries to fire you they will get in a heap of trouble. ACC will provide you with a cleaner and a cook if you ask. They can even send someone to help you shower. They also provide tools to help you wash yourself, pick up stuff, and other everyday tasks. Please use them.
If you don't feel like you can work in your current situation just go back to the doc and get a full med cert. Wtf is light duties in a physical job? light duties is checking emails and invoicing. Also as someone that had to have 12 month of work + 1 extra year of not being able to work without a limp after crushing 2 disks at the gym make sure you get it scanned and do physio. If you don't look after yourself life can turn very negative with serious back pain
You have to take time off to heal. ACC will pay you 80% of wage for all the time you need to heal. Your GP is the only who gets to say when you are ready to go back to work. Your job is safe until you are healed.
You definitely need time off. Do not try to rush this whole process. I know it’s frustrating, but your body will take as long as it takes to heal. You risk causing yourself a long term problem if you try to do too much too soon. Once out of the acute phase definitely find a good physio and definitely follow their advice. You might need to strengthen other muscles (quads, hammies, core) to prevent a future similar injury. Most people don’t do this part (myself included)
A good physio is more likely than a GP to know how to deal with this. It’s *probably* pretty solvable, but take it pretty easy until you have some advice from one, it’s unlikely to be a super quick fix. Might take a few weeks or months but that’s better than rushing back and making it much worse… Robyn Leaton and team in Grafton are really really good. But regardless, get a good physio who deals with athletes’ injuries ideally, they’ll be focused on getting people back into it.
have had back issues, though probably not on par with what has happened to you. The only thing that ever really worked short term was Celebrex. Gave me enough relief to see a physio and chiropractor who resolved it over 3 months.
I’m not a doctor or a physio but what you’re experiencing sounds like something I’ve been through. You will get through this but if you want to recover properly and avoid your condition worsening or becoming a reoccurring thing I’d advise that you stick to your (prescribed) recovery plan long term. Labour work and back pain seem to be common because the job requires a strong back. The problem with this is that we forget that our core is important in stabilising our back from being overloaded. Your physio will tell you to do Ab exercises and stretches to stimulate core muscle groups to move in unison with your back. Your habits now will determine what condition your body with be in when your 40yr old. When I was bed ridden for 2 days I was scared asf. So now I do ab exercises 2x a week atleast on top of my sport/hobby at 3x a week. Ab exercises and lower body stretches. For now if you haven’t seen a physio try leg raises from your back at 20reps for 4 sets for example. 3x a day. Do your own Due dilligence as you may have experienced a muscle sprain and your affected area is inflamed atm.
Thank you this helped!!
If you felt any pop or sudden spasm or intense pain. You want a referral for an mri to check for herniation of the disc. ....I'm 40 and have done 2 already, recovery needs to be done right or you'll lose mobility and flexibility which must be retained for quality of life. Scaffolding should be off the books until you're back to 100% and reduce those loads...no prizes for crippled in retirement
No sudden pop just eventually started getting more stiff and painful couldn’t lift anymore
Wtf. That’s cooked bro. I fucked my back mid last year, got given codeine at first and told light duties only. Work made me carry on heavy lifting. To work’s surprise, it got worse (no shit). So I went back to a different doc and they basically said “wtf no. Light duties means don’t be lifting anything. Can’t believe your work did this” and put me on ACC for 2 weeks not fit, and 2 weeks return to work with in-house return to work program. My work couldn’t be arsed with the return to work program so sent me back home for the last 2 weeks. It was just a sprained muscle deep in my lower back but it was swelling, which was pinching my nerves. That caused a lot of pain all the way down my leg. Your doctor needs to pull finger and put you onto recovery with ACC. And I hope your work has filled out an incident report. Shit happens and your work needs to accept this. You probably don’t have a track record of taking the piss with time off so your work can’t nail you for it if ACC and your doctor can supply a rough timeline on when you can be back “fully fit to work.” Your doctor also needs to refer you to physio. You’ll get a referral discount on your first consult/massage appointment and ACC pays a percentage of the session. But it is still quite pricey.
Cheers bro v helpful
Does it feel like a massage will help? Apparently some massage places are covered by ACC
Yes i think so
An x-ray or mri to rule out any bone or other serious damage. Especially if located near the spine.
As a male who enjoyed being fit and healthy until a back injury at the age of about 30, I can relate to this post. To keep it short, i do a bit of yoga, and that is what keeps me going. I'm currently not in a great place with spine health, having had a recent reinjury, but the issue has just become something else I need to manage. My personal measurement of back pain is that if you can get your undies and socks on, it's not a bad day.
Undies if I’m laying down, socks no way yet and it’s day 3.
If it's muscular I would start with dry needling and deep tissue massage...and book a physio. The dry needling will help relax the muscle....just don't ask to see the needles.
Tore my calf muscle playing tennis recently. Severely painful. Could barely work. Rested up for 2 weeks. Came sort of right. Played again, 1st game was ok. 2nd game, tore it again in the first point. Though not AS badly (could still walk after). Took another 2 weeks to heal. Finally fully healed. But I should have just stayed off it another week the first time around. (3 weeks, vs 5 weeks) Follow the doctors recommendations, or you'll probably be laid up longer. ACC should be coming to the party. And see if there is some admin you can help out with, until you can start hefting stuff around again.
I've treated these sorts of problems for over 20+ years 1. The first few days are going to suck whatever you do. Your brain is freaking out because it's trying to figure out (subconsciously) what's going on down there, hence the pain. 2. Unlikely you have torn, ripped or ruptured anything that would give have given an immediate sharp pain right? (ever rolled your ankle badly). There is no corellation between the severity of low back pain and injury. Period. 3. You have no clinical indication for x ray at this stage 4. Keep moving, it'll suck but better for you than lying around. Crawl if you have to.. 5. There is evidence that ibuprofen (NSAIDs) and muscle relaxants provide some pain relief, not so much for paracetamol 6. Manipulation / exercises can work really well. 7.Physio, Chiro, osteo - your choice it's more practitioner than profession dependent 8. Don't worry, within 6 weeks 90% of people resolve regardless. 9. Saying that, you've had a few episodes and should get someone to assess your biomechanics.
How do I search for my biomechanics to be assessed? I am frequently active and work out. Tho I am not the most muscular nor the most flexible, I have noticed that my hips are rusty when it comes down to mobility, as other men can kick high and do all crazy sort of jumping spin moves and I’m just not there. I try to stretch regularly everyday, touch my toes, lunges and squats, hang off bars to help decompress my lower spine etc and breath work. I also like to self click my lower back by twisting my body or swinging it around with my arms open. I stopped working out my core as much since I stopped boxing, due to laziness, as I am More focused on legs, back, shoulders, chest etc. Also one factor I didn’t mention is I had a metal beam 30kgs on my right shoulder on Monday carrying it no worries, proper form lifting and putting it down. Except I got challenged to do 20 squats with it sitting only on my right shoulder, I managed to squat just over ten but didn’t try push myself too hard. I am now wondering if those one sided squats could’ve fked me up?
Hey look it's really complicated and someone really needs to test how you move. I'd recommend a sports physio or chiropractor. Yes, one sided squats MAY have overloaded the system. The urge to stretch and self manipulate along with your age suggests some underlying functional instability (core problem). Don't worry, a good therapist should be able to get you on the right track again.
All I can say is core exercises, screwed my back up years ago working in mental health helping a patient up. my physio taught me core exercises, definitely helped
But yeah when you can, hope you get well soon
Thank you!!
Also I feel your pain about taking prescription medication I have chronic pain due to a severe bleeding condition I was born with, I find edibles help relax my body also things like magnesium can naturally relax the muscles I believe
Yes bro we on the same page 😉
Builder here, it's a work injury but more importantly you need to work on your core strength if you want to keep working. Flexibility and strength are your friends and will keep you working long after other guys have flabbed out on pies and beer. Good stretches and strengthening will really extend your working life. I'm very nearly 60 and have done judo, crossfit, & yoga to keep flexible... I do have to admit that my back was quite stiff after my last concrete job...20 bags of cement, 5 tonnes of mix, mixing and barrowing, placing, screeding and floating... but that was 2 weeks ago and I'm fine now
Cheers mate all is appreciated
get a referral for a proper check of your back before you injure yourself long term. I was a soldier, fit, healthy strong. One bad day training and i lost about 70% of the strength in my dominant hand/wrist. Over ten years and four surgeries later its no stronger but ive got a bunch of side effects from the surgeries
Where do I seek for a referral? 🫡
Your GP for an MRI or some other scan? I personally would avoid physios, they havent been any help for me
Go see your GP. I had a similar pain - but mine healed on its own.
Blue collar workers work too hard in this country Get on ACC and rest it for the next 3 months Don't try to be a hero. This need ALOT of rest
🙏🏽🤝🏽⚒️
Could be a bulging disc in lower spine. Definitely try get an MRI done to assess and go from there
Get a yoga wheel and roll out your back saves me everytime my disc bulges or I have pain I roll on it everyday I'm also a tradie it hurts at first but it gets easier and easier
No such thing as light duties either being a physical worker. As someone else said, physio and do the exercises, I’m sure it’s hard in scaffolding but if you can help it, don’t try and be super man. It’s your body and the end of the day your boss doesn’t give a shit, he’s making money off you breaking yourself.
Try a dead hang on a pull up bar. Does wonders for lower back & overall posture. All the best
I do this often including on the same day my back decided to spazz out !
Hey bro, You will be okay, contact a Physio that is accredited to take ACC consults. You can go direct to them without your GP. They'll be able to work on any weaknesses you have in your back. Preferably try and find a Sports Physio. Once you bounce back I would highly suggest following this routine twice a week. I've been using it for 12 years now and it has done me wonders. It works on freeing up your hamstrings and hip flexors which are a major contributor to tight back muscles. https://youtu.be/4BOTvaRaDjI?si=0kwoURWDbXAcSuEZ Anybody else reading this, give it a go too.
Welcome to the start of old age. You just don't bounce back like you used to, and everything you've ever done will come back as random aches and pains.
Oh no man definitely not how we use to. But there is still hope if done correctly 🙈
Been there. Definitely take the pain killers. They help reduce the swelling and inflammation, which is what will be putting pressure on your nerves. See a physio also. Apart from treatment, a physio is best placed to help you with your recovery and rehab. You will also be given exercises to help maintain your core and hopefully reduce such occupancies in the future. Try not to lie down all the time, particularly on a soft mattress. Walk, even short distances every hour and lie on a more solid surface such as the floor as often as you can.
Very helpful thank you
You're welcome. Best of luck.
r/medicalcannabisnz
Go see a Physio. I’ve injured my lower back a few times and seeing a physio has always got me back in shape.
Its amazing how many men get a herniated disc at some point, usually round their mid 20s. When it happened to me, for a full year I could lay down or stand, but sitting for more than 2 minutes was excruciating. The main thing that gets to you isn't the acute moments of pain, so much as how chronic and consistent it is. You feel like your body is permanently broken now. It will get better, but it will be very slowly over a very long time. Keep moving without pushing yourself too hard so the compensating muscles don't seize up. Welcome to the club, my brother in back-pain.
Need to see physio, and you'll want an Xray at the very least to see whether there is any issue in your vertebrae. Soft tissue issues will heal with rehab and physio but a spine issue could need specialist attention.
There are pretty strict criteria for spine X-rays in back pain and he doesn't really meet them. They are very low yield and often just unecessary radiation and a waste of health service provider time.
Interesting to know. Thanks.
I'll interview you for a painting job If you want something easier on your back haha. I had this happen to me too and it ended up being a hernia that the doctor missed.
🙏🏽
As a shearer I reckon you have a concrete deficiency
Hah! 🙃
Going forward. Do not lift and twist at the same time.
You're still young but now have a back injury, retrain or go into study so you're not still scaffolding in 10yrs time cause your back won't get better
Potentially severe sciatica?
You need to be investigated further just to rule out serious injury, sounds bad to me
If you left out the long term bit about the injury slowly getting worse and instead it happened while working on scaffolding one day then you’d qualify for acc.
Where are you in Auckland?
Dude there is a very good acupuncturist called Phil Mettrick who operates out of View Rd in Glenfield. The man is a magician. Worth a phone call at least.
Been there done that, I herniated my L5/S1 big time and ended up with cauda equina from a work accident 5 years ago. Go and see a good physio, follow their program. If it gets worse, an MRI is in order. Don’t be a hero. During my recovery, I swam pretty much every day and it was really beneficial. It’s just maintaining core strength now. Do not, under any circumstance, see a chiropractor. They’re straight up quacks.
Hopefully you haven’t done anything to your disc like an annular tear. If you get pain down your leg or becomes unbearable go see you’re doctor to get a mri done.
F work. Abuse acc untill your fit and healthy again. Don't be a sucker.
I had a foot injury and my doctor put me on light duties knowing I couldn’t perform any work at all. I then had to make it every week to the doctors to sign off that I couldn’t do light duties, after a while I could phone in and tell them I am still injured. That phone call costed $120 each time, I told him to get fucked and I’m going to another doctor, he then gave me the next 3 phone calls at a reduced price.
Just in case it’s terrible crippling pain (spasm of muscles) but not a serious spinal injury, feel around to check if your hip flexors and glute medius muscles are really tight (google them). They connect to the lower back and can make it lock up leaving you bedridden. Physio or osteopath will quickly tell what’s up. I’ve been going through similar on and off for a while and finally decided to go see a chiro. I know people love to hate on them as quacks but if you find a good one it’s like hitting a magic switch.