I agree about the PT excersizes. If it wasn't for doing them to keep my 'core', abs and back strong, I would not be able to work (or dive) at all. Unfortunately, I'm still looking at future surgery :17:
Back pain and diving
- Thread starter adstaa
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OP
thanks to everyone for their replies and suggestions. after almost 2 years of severe pain and seeing just about everyone i can possibly see, no-one can put a finger on what is causing the pain. it's just become a guessing game. someone thinks it's this, someone else thinks it's that......
i'm hoping to try and hit the water again tomorrow so i'll have a word to the skipper about gearing up and down in the water. we don't have a DM or crew on the boat (it used to be me most days) so it makes it a bit harder to get a hand when everyone is trying to frantically gear up 'cos the tide has turned early. anyway i'll try some of your suggestions and see how it goes.
cheers
ads
i'm hoping to try and hit the water again tomorrow so i'll have a word to the skipper about gearing up and down in the water. we don't have a DM or crew on the boat (it used to be me most days) so it makes it a bit harder to get a hand when everyone is trying to frantically gear up 'cos the tide has turned early. anyway i'll try some of your suggestions and see how it goes.
cheers
ads
The only thing that has ever realy helped my back was to dangle. Put up a chin up bar, 3/4 Iron pipe works well just high enough so your feet clear the floor, not touching at all. Focus on your grip and let the rest of your body relax. Every once in a while I get a whole back release. It feels so wonderful! Mostly it just provides some traction and helps a lot. I tried the inversion boots but I can't stand the head pain. Good luck, I feel for ya.
ProfessorAronnax
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The part of diving that really does a job on my back are shore entries, especially when there are few thousand feet to the waterline at lowtide. I now use a lightweight system and it's not a problem.
As a rule the more active I am the less pain I have. If I sit around all winter my back gets sore but when summer arrives and I'm diving daily I feel great!
As a rule the more active I am the less pain I have. If I sit around all winter my back gets sore but when summer arrives and I'm diving daily I feel great!
I'm glad I am not the only diver who suffers from back pain. I am a registered nurse, number one. I am 6 ft 4 inches tall, number two. I have a slightly abnormal arch, number three. I have to keep my abdominal muscles in good shape to compensate. Crunches and reverse crunches may help. They do for me. But, after having read these posts, it seems like alot of us divers suffer from some back pain. I guess if all else fails....grunt it out...
I have had problems with a disc since I was diagnosed with a small herniation after a motorcycle accident. I geared up the weekend before last (saturday, 4pm) and couldn't complete the dive. Apparently setting up all my gear was the straw that threw out my back (all that bending and lifting). I had to crawl down below (on a sailboat), and I spent 12 hours in bed barely able to get up for necessary functions (good thing boats have lots of hand holds). I experienced difficulty breathing, and felt significant tightening in one side of my abdomine that pulled me over and made the back problem worse until I was able to relax and take pressure off my spine.
I was able to dive the next day at 1pm: my gear was still together from the day before, just had turn the air on and put on the wetsuit. No pain underwater, but I lost my back again after the dive when I was putting my gear away. Hopefully I'll be able to dive this weekend (looking likely), and most of my gear is still on the boat. Just need to carry those doubles down about 40 steps or so...
STOMACH MUSCLES. I have been neglecting them lately and I can't say loud enough how much my back problems have been reduced when I keep my stomach strong. I like to hang and do leg lifts. Leg lifts on an inclined board too. Stomach crunches on an incline board and hanging too. Weight lifting (back, arms, ...) also helps, but I avoid lifting large amounts (e.g. I don't do leg squats with free weights, I do arm curls with back support, ...): keeping the compression of my spine to a minimum helps avoid episodes, but I still try to carry alot to stay fit (I am very active), I just don't carry it all at once anymore.
Stretching (a few yoga positions and techniques) also help provide me with relief, both by helping to avoid episodes and relieving pain when they occur.
I resist allowing my body to get in the way of life...
I was able to dive the next day at 1pm: my gear was still together from the day before, just had turn the air on and put on the wetsuit. No pain underwater, but I lost my back again after the dive when I was putting my gear away. Hopefully I'll be able to dive this weekend (looking likely), and most of my gear is still on the boat. Just need to carry those doubles down about 40 steps or so...
STOMACH MUSCLES. I have been neglecting them lately and I can't say loud enough how much my back problems have been reduced when I keep my stomach strong. I like to hang and do leg lifts. Leg lifts on an inclined board too. Stomach crunches on an incline board and hanging too. Weight lifting (back, arms, ...) also helps, but I avoid lifting large amounts (e.g. I don't do leg squats with free weights, I do arm curls with back support, ...): keeping the compression of my spine to a minimum helps avoid episodes, but I still try to carry alot to stay fit (I am very active), I just don't carry it all at once anymore.
Stretching (a few yoga positions and techniques) also help provide me with relief, both by helping to avoid episodes and relieving pain when they occur.
I resist allowing my body to get in the way of life...
I've been diagnosed with ankylosing spondilytis. But another doctor refutes this. Doesn't matter, all I know is that I have chronic, severe back and neck pain. It's been around for years. I went to PT for awhile and continue doing the stretching and muscle strengthening exercises at home. On really bad days, pain killers are required. As someone posted earlier, I'll have the pain whether I dive or not, so I dive.
I'm lucky where I dive since there are always people around to help you get into your gear. We do mostly boat dives, backroll. I've made adjustments on my own. If the water is calm I gear up in the water. I also switched to integrated weights and I feel the weight distribution is less centered on my lower back.
I'm lucky where I dive since there are always people around to help you get into your gear. We do mostly boat dives, backroll. I've made adjustments on my own. If the water is calm I gear up in the water. I also switched to integrated weights and I feel the weight distribution is less centered on my lower back.
Dangling(inverted) has helped my back pain in the past also; except the only way I have done it is in scuba gear in the pool. I was always amazed how fast the pain disappeared! It is good for buoyancy control practice too! Unless you like whacking your head on the bottom.Wildcard:
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