Low back strain

 From WebMD Low Back Strain Causes, Treatments, Exercises, Prevention (webmd.com)

So what is low back strain? A series of muscles and ligaments in your back hold the bones of your spinal column in place. You can strain these muscles by stretching them too far, causing tiny tears in the tissue. The muscles are then weakened, so they may not be able to hold the bones of your spinal column in place correctly. The spine becomes less stable, causing low back pain.

And because nerves stretch out from the spinal cord throughout the entire body, low back strain can cause pain in areas other than your back.

Low back strain can be caused by:

• Extreme physical exertion.
• Falling.
• Bending or crouching repeatedly.
• Lifting heavy objects if you are not in shape.

It can also be caused by emotional stress, improper posture, being overweight, out of shape, or sitting in the same position for long periods of time. Even a severe cough can result in low back strain.

Ten degrees and cold, but thankful

I keep a gratitude notebook, and despite all my blessings, sometimes I draw a blank. That's when I write down the truckers, miners, USPS, the grocery workers, the linemen, the snow removal employees, and all the other people who showed up when we were forced into a lockdown that didn't work.

And today I'm grateful that last night our son-in-law brought over his folding walker with wheels that he used during his hip surgery recovery. Yesterday about 6:30 a.m. I was sitting at the kitchen table writing in my gratitude journal and felt a familiar pain slowly move up my pelvis. Usually that happens if I've moved furniture, or sneezed or unloaded the dishwasher.  This may be the new "normal."  Back pain for no reason.  So, I'm learning to maneuver it, and have even found a cloth purse to attach to it to carry my cell phone, or even my breakfast in a plastic container.

For this type of back strain, it must be ice and not heat (causes swelling).  Sitting is worse than standing which is worse than lying down. I have a few things on the schedule this week.  A hair cut tomorrow and senior Bible study on Thursday to which I'm supposed to bring the snack. We now have more than 1/4 inch of snow, so that could cause additional problems. My plans for yesterday were to do a number of loads of laundry, so that's been put on hold too.

Back Wrecker #3: Absentmindedness During Daily Activity

Numbered print by Alison Adams, 1958

 I told my husband that the back pain websites don't mention bending over to pick up your shoe, but here it was #3--absentmindedness.  I know from experience not to sit on anything and bend over to pick something up from the floor, whether in the car or house. Zap, zing, pow, snap. I blame it all on my horse sitting on me when I was 11 years old.  So although it wasn't absolutely awful yesterday, today I'm practically crippled, and will call off my volunteer stint at the pregnancy clinic.  I'm trussed up in one of my two back braces and wore it all night.

Train yourself: A simple way to do that is to pull your navel toward your spine and imagine you're wearing a corset that pulls the sides of your abs inward. Doing that throughout the day -- and especially when lifting or bending -- strengthens and supports your back, says Esther Gokhale, author of 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back and owner of Esther Gokhale Wellness Center in Palo Alto, Calif.

Today, I look like a slob because I need something loose--the $2 pants I bought a few weeks ago--and I'm wearing slip on sandals even though it's awfully cold (for May--not bad if it were February).  But, probably I won't be leaving the house.

http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/features/how-to-wreck-your-back