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Can someone explain to me how you can slip a disk typing? I can't contort myself in a way I feel anything more than the occasional back muscle pain. Is the auth

by zer8k 3y ago

Can someone explain to me how you can slip a disk typing? I can't contort myself in a way I feel anything more than the occasional back muscle pain. Is the author unusually weak or something? I exercise frequently so perhaps my back is stronger than usual. Still, it seems extremely odd to me you can hurt yourself in that way just simply sitting. Hunched or not.

tagawa 3y ago
Author here. Unusually weak? Yes, probably! I didn't feel any sudden pain, it kind of built up over a couple of days, although I've had back problems on and off for the past 5-6 years. In any case, this latest (and worse) occurrence was after a rather intense few weeks on a project with late nights, me not exercising/stretching properly, and coding either hunched over a desk or slouched on the sofa. I'm embarrassed just writing this but maybe it'll help someone else avoid this pain.
jq-r 3y ago
I think it's cummulative. I had lower back pain for the last 15 or so years when I would lift something heavy or do something awkwardly (eg diving under desks). But after couple of days it would pass. Last 4 years or so I'm using an ergonomic chair and mostly using a standing desk. And definitely for the whole of my life I've been trying to sit properly and was very attentive at my posture. Even my therapist says that my back muscles are relatively very strong and nicely developed. Nevertheless starting this year I've noticed that the back pain wasn't going away and actually getting worse. So headed to the certified PT. After 2 months of hard work it actually got slightly worse and I went to a private clinic and had a MR[0]. Bulging disc at L5/S1 and herniated L4/L5. Surgery recommended as by that time I was in quite a lot of pain and discomfort. 3 days before the surgery I was in extreme pain. They've supposedly fixed the L5/S1 and the other one wasn't touched because it didn't bulge or anything. So that was in March, and I still didn't recover and I have a feeling that my spine is hanging on that small piece of disc remaining and bit of other tissues. Still doing PT religiously, swimming between off-days. It is getting better on average, but unfortunately not linearly or without regressions. And awfully slow. [0] I was waiting there a bit because spine problems "always happen to other people", and at the same time I was hopeful that PT would get me back on track.

by zer8k 3y ago

tagawa 3y ago

Author here. Unusually weak? Yes, probably! I didn't feel any sudden pain, it kind of built up over a couple of days, although I've had back problems on and off for the past 5-6 years. In any case, this latest (and worse) occurrence was after a rather intense few weeks on a project with late nights, me not exercising/stretching properly, and coding either hunched over a desk or slouched on the sofa. I'm embarrassed just writing this but maybe it'll help someone else avoid this pain.

jq-r 3y ago

I think it's cummulative. I had lower back pain for the last 15 or so years when I would lift something heavy or do something awkwardly (eg diving under desks). But after couple of days it would pass. Last 4 years or so I'm using an ergonomic chair and mostly using a standing desk. And definitely for the whole of my life I've been trying to sit properly and was very attentive at my posture. Even my therapist says that my back muscles are relatively very strong and nicely developed. Nevertheless starting this year I've noticed that the back pain wasn't going away and actually getting worse. So headed to the certified PT. After 2 months of hard work it actually got slightly worse and I went to a private clinic and had a MR[0]. Bulging disc at L5/S1 and herniated L4/L5. Surgery recommended as by that time I was in quite a lot of pain and discomfort. 3 days before the surgery I was in extreme pain. They've supposedly fixed the L5/S1 and the other one wasn't touched because it didn't bulge or anything. So that was in March, and I still didn't recover and I have a feeling that my spine is hanging on that small piece of disc remaining and bit of other tissues. Still doing PT religiously, swimming between off-days. It is getting better on average, but unfortunately not linearly or without regressions. And awfully slow. [0] I was waiting there a bit because spine problems "always happen to other people", and at the same time I was hopeful that PT would get me back on track.