Chronic Back Pain

[LeungKen]

After driving back from Surat Thani last week I have put my back "out". Its a old injury from way back, brought on by too much heavy lifting.

If I was in Perth I could visit a little old lady (Lucy Smith of Oxford Health Centre) who specializes in this complaint with what is termed deep muscle therapy (a combination of massage and realignment)

Does anyone know of anybody providing this sort of treatment (or similar) here on Phuket Island. I have tried all the usual remedies, massage (gentle & Thai) deep heat, stretching exercises and a combination of anti-inflamtory, analgesic and muscle relaxant drugs, with little or no effect.

Thanking You in Anticipation

Ken...................................

[starkey_rich]

I sympathize with you.My back is always going.I use this Guy

http://www.garnettsymonds.com/

He is located off Sai Yuan in Rawai

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Acupuncture worked for me. But that was in Australia so don't know about having it done here. Good luck on fixing it.

[MisterMan]

I have chronic back pain to but just started doing Hot Yoga in Kata. I swear it feels like there is so much less pressure on my back and I am not constantly trying to get the weight off of it by leaning on something. I was very skeptical at first as I have never enjoyed yoga nor fitness classes but this is great!!! I can sit for long periods and not have that soreness..

http://www.katahotyoga.com

Edited May 6, 2009 by MisterMan

[LeungKen]

I sympathize with you.My back is always going.I use this Guy

http://www.garnettsymonds.com/

He is located off Sai Yuan in Rawai

Whilst Rawai is the complete opposite end of the island for me, this man could well be worth the visit, if nothing better/closer turns up.

Many Thanks

P.S. Just sitting typing is "plurry" agony...

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

For temporary relief try a icepack, should help.

[loverboy44]

I had the same for a long time. Now i had a surgery and its ok. It has a reason why there is pain.

My advise is: Go to Bankok Phuket Hospital and have it checked. Then you will see which treatment is necessary and will help.

Don't mess arround with this messager or this wonder healer and nothing improves.

Just an advice from someone who had backpain for years.

[fiddlehead]

I 2nd Garnett Symonds.

He helped me a lot.

[jerrylee]

I have this old lady that does accupunture in Udon Thani for 250 bht, but I believe that they have flying doctors that visits the lights of St. Paulo, Bangkok Hospitals etc. all over thailand on a weekly basis.

[LisaPhuket]

Garnett is excellent. Another very qualified person with decades of experience who can help you is Brian, also located in Rawai area near Don's. Look for Tranquility Massage next to the "yellow bank" and ask for Brian. Or call him directly 086 277 0795. He has achieved amazing results with so many people I know.

[PCA]

http://www.naturopath.asia/

Dr. Richard Cracknell, best I ever came across for such and similar issues.

[Old Croc]

I injured a shoulder a few years back when in Phuket and was treated by a guy called something like Nain.

He is a trained chiropractor and very good with all facits of the body.

I believe his shop is now located in Jung Ceylon.

My back is playing up at the moment. Perhaps I should go to your lady in Perth. In Oxford street? Not far away.

[simon43]

Hi Ken, I have an old horse-riding back injury, (I mean the injury, not the horse). If I am unable to get to someone who can 'z-bed' my back then I get the 'ex' to walk up and down my back.

This often resolves the pain but is only recommended if your ex weighs less than 40kg!

Hope your pain clears up

Simon

[BigSnake]

A relaxing 30min or so in Jacuzz Bath might help. A visit to your local Spa you should fine one, be careful getting in and out of the things, most spas have staffs nearby so don't be shy ask for assistant if needed.

[LeungKen]

I injured a shoulder a few years back when in Phuket and was treated by a guy called something like Nain.

He is a trained chiropractor and very good with all facits of the body.

I believe his shop is now located in Jung Ceylon.

My back is playing up at the moment. Perhaps I should go to your lady in Perth. In Oxford street? Not far away.

Lucy & Dawn Smith used to have their practice at 82 Morley Drive, Tuart Hill if any "sandgropers" in need of their services.

Many thanks to all of you for your suggestions and recommendations, I knew I was not on my own with this complaint.

A friend actually suggested a hot-water-bottle, something I would have first grabbed had I been in cooler climes, it's just that it's high 30's round here at the moment and a tad warmish........!

.

Edited May 7, 2009 by LeungKen

[hagler]

How about doing the boring and staid old school medical method and have a cat scan and maybe even a MRI done on the affected area and then have a specialist give you an opinion on what is the cause of the pain. From there you can make an informed decision on the best cause of action, be it physiotherapy based rehabilitation or surgery. I have experience with serious lower back injury and believe me if you want to see how things can go "pear shaped" with quacks and chiros and New Age wackos poking and prodding about the spinal area then take a visit to a spinal injuries unit and talk with the staff there about their opinions of untrained charlatans playing around with your spine. I know all this will probably set the ding dongs off but I am just and old fashioned guy who tends to place his trust in trained medical professionals. But as they say "up to you".

[Sir Burr]

^

Wot he said.

Edited May 7, 2009 by Sir Burr

[donna]

http://www.naturopath.asia/

Dr. Richard Cracknell, best I ever came across for such and similar issues.

i second Richard Cracknell. he helped me a lot with a dodgy neck and back.

[Chinavet]

Twenty years of chronic pain...turned 40 and started exercising. Since then, 17 years with warning pains only.

Sit cross legged, straight back, hands behind your head. Keep your back straight. Hardest exercise you will ever do as you build up to extended periods (all your television time).

And when your (lower) back is giving you heaps....move...go through the pain, stand, walk, keep walking. Otherwise the muscular cramping pain overtakes and dominates and things snowball.

I'm sitting on a really uncomfortable chair at my computer, keeps me straight.

[fiddlehead]

How about doing the boring and staid old school medical method and have a cat scan and maybe even a MRI done on the affected area and then have a specialist give you an opinion on what is the cause of the pain. From there you can make an informed decision on the best cause of action, be it physiotherapy based rehabilitation or surgery. I have experience with serious lower back injury and believe me if you want to see how things can go "pear shaped" with quacks and chiros and New Age wackos poking and prodding about the spinal area then take a visit to a spinal injuries unit and talk with the staff there about their opinions of untrained charlatans playing around with your spine. I know all this will probably set the ding dongs off but I am just and old fashioned guy who tends to place his trust in trained medical professionals. But as they say "up to you".

My brother followed this kind of advice 40 years ago when he was a high school basketball star and tore ligaments in his knee.

I decided not to have surgery done when i had a similar injury (my brother had the surgery)

Today, my brother gets cortisone shots every year and is going for a plastic knee next year as he can barely walk.

I am training for my 4th consecutive Laguna Marathon coming up next month.

Up to you!

As someone said: surgeons like to do surgery.

[lordofdelusion]

How about doing the boring and staid old school medical method and have a cat scan and maybe even a MRI done on the affected area and then have a specialist give you an opinion on what is the cause of the pain. From there you can make an informed decision on the best cause of action, be it physiotherapy based rehabilitation or surgery. I have experience with serious lower back injury and believe me if you want to see how things can go "pear shaped" with quacks and chiros and New Age wackos poking and prodding about the spinal area then take a visit to a spinal injuries unit and talk with the staff there about their opinions of untrained charlatans playing around with your spine. I know all this will probably set the ding dongs off but I am just and old fashioned guy who tends to place his trust in trained medical professionals. But as they say "up to you".

My brother followed this kind of advice 40 years ago when he was a high school basketball star and tore ligaments in his knee.

I decided not to have surgery done when i had a similar injury (my brother had the surgery)

Today, my brother gets cortisone shots every year and is going for a plastic knee next year as he can barely walk.

I am training for my 4th consecutive Laguna Marathon coming up next month.

Up to you!

As someone said: surgeons like to do surgery.

I made my living in the medical profession and I see a Chiropractor regularly. Much as the author above I am young beyond my years unlike the many I know who had back surgery and are now collecting disability. Trained "medical professionals" are trained to do medical procedures,ie; surgery. The training received by Chiroprators, Accupunturists or other "NEW AGE WHACKOS" is no less rigorous but it's focus lies beyond surgery and drugs.

Without knowing what your problem is, it is difficult to make a suggestion. MRI's are a fine diagnostic tool but the treatment afterward is up to you. Like others here I can say I'm happy with Dr. Cracknell and I would add a Thai Therapist trained in NY who works out of Phuket Town. He is very busy so make an appointment. 076-2171345 open mon-sat

[hagler]

I made my living in the medical profession and I see a Chiropractor regularly. Much as the author above I am young beyond my years unlike the many I know who had back surgery and are now collecting disability. Trained "medical professionals" are trained to do medical procedures,ie; surgery. The training received by Chiroprators, Accupunturists or other "NEW AGE WHACKOS" is no less rigorous but it's focus lies beyond surgery and drugs.

Without knowing what your problem is, it is difficult to make a suggestion. MRI's are a fine diagnostic tool but the treatment afterward is up to you. Like others here I can say I'm happy with Dr. Cracknell and I would add a Thai Therapist trained in NY who works out of Phuket Town. He is very busy so make an appointment. 076-2171345 open mon-sat

As ?? Very obtuse statement that one.

[H2oDunc]

Find a decent pharmacy and get some Volterel Emugel. The best ever anti pain cream you can get. Simply rub around the effected area and by the time you have the cap back on the tube the pain has gone.

[phuketsub]

I suffered from back pain for 15 years and tried most of the remedies mentioned above. Even though I did tons of stretching and was a lot more flexible than I am now, the only thing that saved me in the end was a series of strengthening exercises that started with hyperextensions on a specially designed flat bench, dead lifts, abdominal crunches, hamstring exercises, and modified stretches that are sort of like pilates.

It's important to do a lot of walking too and keep your legs and ass muscles strong, as well as your lower back.

I have to sit at a computer all day at work and I recent had my first bad back pain after a long car ride over Songkraan, the entire time of which I was unable to do my exercises or even sit in a decent chair.

I think chiropractors and the like can help in the short term, but in the end its strengthening exercises that make all the difference -- at least for me.

Best of luck and send me a PM if you need more info

[huggybear]

Thanking You in Anticipation

Ken...................................

Hi LK,

since the age of 5 I have been an avid beach volleyball player. About 16 months ago while warming up I landed in uneven, hard sand and ruptured the last disc. For a year I was pretty fcuked up, tried playing through it (17 year old in my head, actually the bod is 44) and frayed the nerves in my back to the point of complete numbness in my right leg, to the sciatica feeling of thousands of bees stinging my leg and foot.

Dr. Cracknell: doesn't believe in heating you up before he gets to cracking. I didn't like that. The muscle tissue was already inflamed not allowing the discs to move, his cracking did nothing but stiffen things up even more. BUT, I will get back to what he did for me which was/is the cure.

Dr. Symonds: techniques were strange, but advice was spot on. At the time I was still running (on the concrete) and playing beach VB. He said stop everything for 3 months. All but swimming. This allowed the nerves and muscles to all settle down.

Now, back to Cracknell. He made me an "upside-down" machine, which I should have bought from him a year ago. Not cheap, 15,000 (he might even dig you for 18) but SOOOOOOO worth it. I also was using muscle relaxants, pain killers, waking up at 4:00AM and slugging paracetamal. Now after 4 months of hanging upside down regularly (my back pops and it's like an earthquake in my body), no more meds, no more waking up in pain, and now I am back to doing my favorite thing in life (next to sex with a pretty lady), playing beach volleyball. The game is in shambles since the break, but I'm not in pain !

If you would like to give the machine a try PM me and come on over. I'm in Nai Hairn.

P.S. sorry about the long post folks, cheers, HB

[Bjerget]

After driving back from Surat Thani last week I have put my back "out". Its a old injury from way back, brought on by too much heavy lifting.

If I was in Perth I could visit a little old lady (Lucy Smith of Oxford Health Centre) who specializes in this complaint with what is termed deep muscle therapy (a combination of massage and realignment)

Does anyone know of anybody providing this sort of treatment (or similar) here on Phuket Island. I have tried all the usual remedies, massage (gentle & Thai) deep heat, stretching exercises and a combination of anti-inflamtory, analgesic and muscle relaxant drugs, with little or no effect.

Thanking You in Anticipation

Ken...................................

Totally agree with the recommendation of Dr. Cracknell. I had back pains for years which he cured some years ago. He combined it with a special vitamine cure and the pain has never come back.

[lordofdelusion]

I made my living in the medical profession and I see a Chiropractor regularly. Much as the author above I am young beyond my years unlike the many I know who had back surgery and are now collecting disability. Trained "medical professionals" are trained to do medical procedures,ie; surgery. The training received by Chiroprators, Accupunturists or other "NEW AGE WHACKOS" is no less rigorous but it's focus lies beyond surgery and drugs.

Without knowing what your problem is, it is difficult to make a suggestion. MRI's are a fine diagnostic tool but the treatment afterward is up to you. Like others here I can say I'm happy with Dr. Cracknell and I would add a Thai Therapist trained in NY who works out of Phuket Town. He is very busy so make an appointment. 076-2171345 open mon-sat

As ?? Very obtuse statement that one.

You sound a little obtuse. If you want my resume PM me. I was offering my opinion as everybody else on this thread did without providing their life story. What is about web chat that brings out the *** in people?

[hagler]

I made my living in the medical profession and I see a Chiropractor regularly. Much as the author above I am young beyond my years unlike the many I know who had back surgery and are now collecting disability. Trained "medical professionals" are trained to do medical procedures,ie; surgery. The training received by Chiroprators, Accupunturists or other "NEW AGE WHACKOS" is no less rigorous but it's focus lies beyond surgery and drugs.

Without knowing what your problem is, it is difficult to make a suggestion. MRI's are a fine diagnostic tool but the treatment afterward is up to you. Like others here I can say I'm happy with Dr. Cracknell and I would add a Thai Therapist trained in NY who works out of Phuket Town. He is very busy so make an appointment. 076-2171345 open mon-sat

As ?? Very obtuse statement that one.

You sound a little obtuse. If you want my resume PM me. I was offering my opinion as everybody else on this thread did without providing their life story. What is about web chat that brings out the *** in people?

Oh well I guess the little man who pushes in the trolley from the back of my factory to the front all day with boxes on it for the last 5 years could call himself a logistics and transportation expert these days too. More power to you.

[Route21]

Hi Folks

I've only just seen this topic, but I'm happy to pass on some good advice I received on back-pain from a physiotherapist at our company's clinic, many years ago - copy attached.

I used to suffer from intense lower back pain, where my back would just lock up and I'd be doubled up, unable to stand up straight, such as when I was getting out of the car.

The cure, for my back problems, she suggested, was simple, free and lasting, provided you follow the rules.

Basically, first, you lie flat on the floor, face down.

You curl yourself backwards (half-way up), at elbow level, as per Exercise 2 diagram, as far as you can (keeping your hips on the floor).

Bending your body away from the pain can be an added relief.

You then relax, completely, face down - this is vital. Repeat 10 times.

You then do the same, but as per Exercise 3 diagram, by curling back until your arms are straight.

At the end of Exercise 3, your pain should have gone (if not repeat), but remember do NOT bend over forwards for a few days afterwards.

I was so pleased with the results the 1st time, when the pain went away, that I thought I was OK to bend forward! My back cricked again immediately and I had to do it all over again, but it worked again.

It may not work for everyone or even anyone, but if it works for any of you out there, congratualtions, you've cracked it.

It won't stop you from getting it again on another occasion, but at least you may have an easy way of quickly stopping the pain!

Hope this helps at least some of you.

Best regards

NT

[stevoo]

you have supplied very little info on location of pain but from what you say i assume you have taken a car journey and had bad posture ie sat in a slumped position

your age

location of pain

type of pain, pins and needles, muscular ache, sharp shocks, pain in legs hips groin hamstrings

activity that increase and decrease pain

physical build...skinny slim meduim athletic fat

any previous back trauma

occupation (or previous)