My back problems have returned and I need to get it fixed. I am having back spasms when doing rather simple tasks, such as going upstairs. And it has kept me from getting much done this week. I don't know what is causing it, last time ( 3 years ago) it fixed itself when I started to go to the gym did a lot of back training. I have no gym near me now, but I will start some stuff at home. But in the meantime I am wondering what options I have. Is there a good therapeutic massage place, shiatsu massage, acupuncture, or Chiropractor, available? Any one of these would be nice, I am a bit dubious about chiropractors, but in this case I think it would be a good choice. Of course I could also go see a doctor, but I don't know what my options are for that either.

Anyhow, any info about this would be nice.

Thanks

Canamuk...are you near MaeFahLuang University. If you are why not see a doctor at the hospital there. Their charges are reasonable and they have excellent physotherapy available at reasonable charges. They have some other therapies too. They can set up a proper exercise progam to help it.

They also have a great program of acupuncture-like other hospitals in Chiang Rai but as Harry say I would guess it is less exspensive there.They have an american to do the acupuncture-very good.

The big temple on your left hand coming from the police station-the one near the new bridge-they have a massage shop I use when my back hurts-think it is 120THB for an hour.

Ok thanks for that, I am from south of CR so not close, but at the right time of day it isn't that far to go.

Have you looked at this recent thread? Chiropractor You might remember meeting Randell and you could perhaps send him a PM to see what he did about his back problems in the end.

When I was in my early sixties, I started having a series of very painful ricking my back episodes each of which took 3 or 4 weeks to get over properly, only to happen again in another few months. On one occasion I couldn't move at all and it was so bad I had to be taken on a stretcher in the back of a truck to Overbrook and stay there a few nights.

So when I was next in UK, having just got over my latest episode I went to a chiropractor and he gave me a thorough examination, and then told me it was partly a lifestyle and old-age problem. No need to come back to me, he said, but get plenty of excercise every day as part of your daily routine. Go around on a bicycle, run to catch buses, walk around town to do your shopping rather than driving, eat lots of vegetables, and keep regularly doing the following two excercises on your own:

1. Lie down on your back on a mattress, legs stretched out. Grasp your left knee in both hands and

lift it up to your chest as far as it will go. Release and let go and repeat several times,

pushing hard each time. Then do exactly the same with your right knee. Finally grasp both knees

and pull them both up to your chest as far as they will go, pushing hard again and repeating

several times.

2. Take a big inflatable ball out in the garden and run around throwing it high in the air and

catching it again (this apparently stretches the back and neck muscles). Continue until

you're a bit puffed. See my attached pic illustrating doing this back in the garden here

in CR.

Well I was a bit sceptical, but in order not to waste my expenditure on the chiropractor's fees, decided to give it a try. I did have some more painful back-ricking episodes but slowly they diminished. During these episodes I learned not to remain static for long, especially avoiding sitting down in a comfortable chair and not moving. When getting up from sitting down, I learned I could ease the pain of getting up by placing my hands on my knees and pushing down so that the weight of the upper part of my body was transferred to my legs instead of via my back. Using a crutch helped me to get over the first few days when the pain was too bad.

Amazingly to me, it all worked, and touch wood, even though I'm quite an old codger, it's over 4 years now since I last ricked my back.

In the meantime there is Norgesic and M-gesic. Muscle relaxer with paracetamol. works for me.

very good chiroprator at Rajidev Hospital Chiangma. Dr Parry.

I have permenant backache,self inflicted most of the time,when its realy bad i take bufenac forte,tabs,10 baht for 10 from the phamacy next to the thai airways office,they work fine after a hour or two

Hi Canuckamuck

Randell here I remember you from our sort meeting at New years. I am currently see a Dr Lee at Mae Fa Luang getting both chiropractic as well as acupuncture. As my neck was quite badly out of whack I have just had the 10th appointment this morning. But I would highly recommend it And there is an American there as well I was referred to the Korean Dr other wise would have mostly likely hooked up with him for better communication. But I talked to an American called Brenda who thought highly of him and her treatment. So by all means check it out. They have the full assortment of treatment available I take a bit of traction followed by manipulation and acupuncture. All the best if you have any other question PM me I will gladly try and help

I thank everyone for their help. I will indeed talk to Doctor Lee if things get rough again. Currently I have gone back to weight training for my back, to get the muscles in balance and get some blood pumping. And also I remembered an article I had read about what I will call "tennis ball shiatsu."

Basically it is laying on a tennis ball and putting pressure on your sore spots particularly, but getting good coverage around the back as well.

I actually did it in the drivers seat of my truck while on a long drive. moving the tennis ball to different spots and driving for a while with it in each place. The jiggling of the truck makes it quite effective. Currently my back is feeling fine and I can still feel the rejuvenated blood flow, warm and tingly in my back.

Thanks again