Backache
The past few days C and I have been shovelling snow. After the last snowfall on Monday, C did not think shoveling was needed. I disagreed. I was afraid that my car would slide on the loose snow and into the side of the house. So we cleared the snow. Later that afternoon my back started to hurt. Really bad.
I knew what had happened. Most likely I did not use good shoveling technique. I used my back too much instead of my legs and now I was experiencing the results.
Fortunately for me being a health care professional I knew what to do (warmth,ibuprofen,mild activity) and what not to do (bed rest). In a weird way I'm glad this happened. I know that my back will get better and I did not do anything to my spine. I didn't do anything to a disc and there is no nerve pain. (I do know what that feels like.) I am getting a little taste of what life is like for several of my customers with back pain.
That's not a bad thing. Sometimes health care professionals get a little smug. It is very easy to dispense the advice or order the test. Not so easy, sometimes to be on the receiving end. I once had a customer tell me that she wished doctors had to undergo the tests that they order at least once. I can understand that. Some of them are pretty unpleasant. Multiple blood tests can leave a person feeling like Dracula is after them,especially if the person drawing the blood isn't very good at it.
My first experience was when I had to take antibiotics after one of the cats bit me. I got Augmentin which I had to take three times a day with food. I tell people to do this all the time. I should have no problem with this.
Wrong! That's when I realised how hard it is to take something three times a day. It meant that most of the time I would need to take one dose at work. remembering to do this during a busy shift was difficult. Needing to have something to eat with it is worse. At that time I worked in a very busy pharmacy and often would be too busy to stop and eat. The pills were large too, almost too large for me to swallow. ( I choke on ibuprofen unless I take it with a lot of water.) This gave me a whole new perspective on taking medicine. I'm a better pharmacist for it.
Now I'm getting a taste of some things a person with chronic back pain might experience. Trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in so I won't wake up in pain at three in the morning. Knowing when the ibuprofen wears off. Reminding myself to be careful even though I feel fine. The relief when I realise that my back isn't hurting and I feel normal.
I know that most back pain sufferers have many more problems than I am having. I'm in good shape. Still I think this will help me to understand when someone gets upset because I didn't have their refill done or they have to stand in line to wait when they are in such pain they can barely move. You don't know what it is like until it happens to you.
I should be fine in a few days. I just hope there will not be any snow to shovel before I heal up. Once I do though, we are going snowblower shopping.
I knew what had happened. Most likely I did not use good shoveling technique. I used my back too much instead of my legs and now I was experiencing the results.
Fortunately for me being a health care professional I knew what to do (warmth,ibuprofen,mild activity) and what not to do (bed rest). In a weird way I'm glad this happened. I know that my back will get better and I did not do anything to my spine. I didn't do anything to a disc and there is no nerve pain. (I do know what that feels like.) I am getting a little taste of what life is like for several of my customers with back pain.
That's not a bad thing. Sometimes health care professionals get a little smug. It is very easy to dispense the advice or order the test. Not so easy, sometimes to be on the receiving end. I once had a customer tell me that she wished doctors had to undergo the tests that they order at least once. I can understand that. Some of them are pretty unpleasant. Multiple blood tests can leave a person feeling like Dracula is after them,especially if the person drawing the blood isn't very good at it.
My first experience was when I had to take antibiotics after one of the cats bit me. I got Augmentin which I had to take three times a day with food. I tell people to do this all the time. I should have no problem with this.
Wrong! That's when I realised how hard it is to take something three times a day. It meant that most of the time I would need to take one dose at work. remembering to do this during a busy shift was difficult. Needing to have something to eat with it is worse. At that time I worked in a very busy pharmacy and often would be too busy to stop and eat. The pills were large too, almost too large for me to swallow. ( I choke on ibuprofen unless I take it with a lot of water.) This gave me a whole new perspective on taking medicine. I'm a better pharmacist for it.
Now I'm getting a taste of some things a person with chronic back pain might experience. Trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in so I won't wake up in pain at three in the morning. Knowing when the ibuprofen wears off. Reminding myself to be careful even though I feel fine. The relief when I realise that my back isn't hurting and I feel normal.
I know that most back pain sufferers have many more problems than I am having. I'm in good shape. Still I think this will help me to understand when someone gets upset because I didn't have their refill done or they have to stand in line to wait when they are in such pain they can barely move. You don't know what it is like until it happens to you.
I should be fine in a few days. I just hope there will not be any snow to shovel before I heal up. Once I do though, we are going snowblower shopping.
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