Back Pain

I have a stiff sore back due to exercising over a week ago. I had been exercising regularly at Curves with the hydrolic weight machines & some cardio & feeling good. Then I had some minor ear lobe surgery & could not exercise for 3 weeks(doc's orders). I'm so discouraged because I want to keep exercising... now my back hurts me 24/7. I've been doing stretches; using a heating pad in the evenings after work & taking advil. Should I return to exercise before the stiffness & pain subside or do I wait it out?

Susan

 Never train through non-chronic pain, you risk making it chronic. But back pain isn't normally a consequence of ear lobe surgery - have a word with your doctor who gave you the orders and see what he says about it.

The back pain is due to exercising at Curves.  It has nothing to do with the ear lobe surgery. It's just that the 3 week break in my exercise routine probably made me more susceptible to getting sore when I resumed. But I will take your advice & hold off on the exercise until my back is better. I have a physical in 10 days & will ask my doctor then. I worry that arthritis is setting in. I'm 56 & my dad had arthritis.

 Well, I'm susceptible as well, my whole family has arthritic tendencies. When I'm not religious about taking my fish oil supplements my finger joints ache like anything - and I'm 20 years younger than you.

 Some nice fish oil capsules would probably be a good idea for you regardless.

 Hmm. So, you're just stiff and sore from working out - dull, low-key pain, stiff muscles and the pain gets worse when moving the muscles? That's just muscle fatigue and should go away pretty soon - stretching while warm might help.

 If it's sharper, intermittent, localized or otherwise not consistent with overworked muscles and fatigues/soreness, that's "see-a-doctor-right-now"-quality pain. Could be nothing, could be serious, but it's not something you should train through or otherwise stress.

 Common muscle soreness isn't risky, but you'll have better long-term results if you don't train through the peak - generally it shouldn't last more than 2-4 days. Longer than that, and we're back into "see-a-doctor" territory, at least for Curves.

 If you'd been doing olympic lifts in a regular gym the soreness could last up to 6 days post-exercise - it's long-term soreness from Curves that has me advising caution.

Try walking, even if it's slow.  I've had back pain off and on for most of my life (I'm 60).  Two and a half years ago I started regular walking to lose weight and prevent my family's disposition to diabetes.   I slowly lost weight, but also noticed by back was better!!  Far fewer serious "back attacks" and more time between them.  Even the daily annoying back problems diminished.   The weight loss wasn't the main reason for better back health, as I was thin until just recently.  It's a congenital thing.

I'm now seeing studies from big universities showing that walking is better long-term for backs than the usual exercises they give you at the doc's office.   When I do have stiffness or pain, I go walking, even if it's very very slow.  The longer I walk the better it feels.  I've completely walked off some minor attacks.  

Janeane 

 

Thank you for the reply. Walking is a good... I need to find lighted safe place to do the walking... maybe the mall. I think once my back heals I'll do a combo of walking and Curves. My back is much better today after a day of rest.

Susan