Ow. I am still a bit under the weather due to a nasty cold. Anyway, this morning I was in the bathroom coughing up some green stuff...and the coughs were particularly violent. I threw out my back.
I'm having what seems to be muscle spasms in my lower lower back. I don't know what to do.
To make things worse, tomorrow is the first official day of practice for the university swim team. I really want to go, and I really want to swim.
How do I fix this so I can swim by tomorrow? And should I tell my coach what I did today via e-mail? Will she believe me? Since it's the start of the season, will I even get to stay on the team after this? Help me.
Update: I went and saw a Doc at my student care center today. Apparently I have Piriformis Syndrome which is causing sciatica in my left side. 4-6 weeks to heal. Anyone had this before?
I know how you feel. My back muscles are always in some state of tightness. Coughing can be dangerous to your back.
One way to help loosen the muscles up is to take 2 tennis balls, lay down on the floor on your back. Place the tennis balls one on either side of the spine in the area you are feeling the muscle tightness in.
This always helps my back out. I sometimes have to do this for as long as an hour on various points on my back. Hope it gives you some relief.
Donna
Help me
Help yourself. Go to the university clinic and see a doctor who is medically qualified to advise you. Anyone who is coughing up green stuff from their lungs in such a violent manner that they are throwing out their back should have their health as their first concern. It also can't hurt your credibility with your coach to have seen a doctor.
Yes...I'm planning on going to the SCC (student care center) as soon as I can. The problem is, I can't exactly walk without pain. So I'm trying to find a way to alleviate the back pain before I can get into the doctor...
Green Stuff = Nasty Cold and it will run it's course......... on the other hand.. coughing and having a sharp pain in the back could be another matter.
Most people that herniate-throw their back out - create bulging discs or what other way you want to call it .. have done so while coughing/sneezing. This could be a disc problem. Have it checked out. If you can move around then it probably isn't too serious.
Have you tried an inversion table?
Originally posted by hmlee
Inversion table? No. My mom happens to be in chiropractic school so I called her. She suggested rest and alternating ice and heat with doing some sort of extension thing whenever I stand up. Hopefully it's not that serious. I don't need a disc problem before I'm 20!
I have some back issues, and heat helps the most, so I would apply heat on it. The cough should be checked out as you have had it for awhile. Also, swimming actually helps my back. I would not do anything really hard, but stretching out in the pool usually helps quite a bit.
Inversion table? No. My mom happens to be in chiropractic school so I called her. She suggested rest and alternating ice and heat with doing some sort of extension thing whenever I stand up. Hopefully it's not that serious. I don't need a disc problem before I'm 20!
What about muscle relaxers to stop the spasing? That should help loosen things up. I take them sometimes for my shoulder and have found them very helpful.
So I went to the student care center. Pretty much a waste of my time as I thought. Took me an hour just to see a nurse (they had no doctor's appts until like thursday). She gave me some stronger ibuprofen and told me to take it around the clock. If it doesn't get better in a few days I'm supposed to go back for a more detailed exam. Oh joy.
Did you hear a pop when your cough led to your back issue?
And Yes- Inversion tables are awesome. I hang upside before and after doing major yard work and it makes a huge difference decompressing the spine.
