Chainsaw Back Pain!

[max2cam]

I know this isn't a medical forum exactly, but I would imagine some others share the same afflliction -- lower back pain during and after bending over and limbing and cutting up downed timber.

I noticed today while out cutting some nice jack pine that my lower back on the right side sort of above my hip was aching. I also have noticed lately during the winter cutting season waking up at night with similar pain. Not terrible pain, but aggravating and that makes me worry that I'll a cripple in not too many years and forced out of active cutting in my beautiful woods and that I'll have to buy heating fuel!

Any thoughts or suggestions on how to stop this pain? I wonder maybe if I put more weight or pressure on my right side and leg while cutting. Seems that I do sort of bear down on that right side.

Sure is nice out there cutting though. Today it was in the 40s and I took my shirt off for awhile. Definitely overdressed for cutting and sledding wood. I got a $3 county land firewood gathering permit so I'm trying to get my money's worth. And you know I do like that jack pine.

http://www.atthecreation.com/

 

[Newfie]

Well as to the pain, I would say a direct result of doing something to your body that it isn't used to. The more you do it the more you will build the requisite muscles for the task. I also can't over emphasize the need to stretch out your muscles before and after. Slow long stretches are more effective and safer than quick jerky motions. A little bit of ibuprofen will help ease those aches. I'm not a doctor but I play one on AS. Enjoy!

 

[ricksvar]

Doan's pills always work pretty good for me on minor back ache.I don't know why i can use a saw without much problem,but wash the dishes and my back aches

Rick

 

[MasterBlaster]

Make sure you sleep on a hard mattress. That helps a LOT!

 

[scottr]

Backache

Newfie is correct about stretching and building strength in muscles plus try not to cool down so quick or the thermal shock of removing your shirt in 40* weather.

 

[rbtree]

Originally posted by MasterBlaster
Make sure you sleep on a hard mattress. That helps a LOT!

Hard beds are very uncomfortable compared to a visco-elastic memory foam mattress. I highly recommend them to anyone. I have 7 inches of natural latex, topped by 2 inches of memory foam. A bit pricey, but a pad can be added to any mattress, for 100-200. The shaped pillows are also a must have.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

I think some people help these problems along by working a chainsaw too much; pushing on the saw instead of letting the saw do the work. I get down on one knee and try to keep my back arched when doing a lot of bucking.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Saying 'hard' beds may have been too harsh. What I meant was the firm mattresses.

 

[Eagle1]

sounds like a kidney stone.

 

[treeslayer]

I see a chiropractor regularly. when I run a log splitter, or do a lot of sawing, I get lower back pain . The doc gives me an adjustment, and it always the same thing, my lower spine is out of alignment. my regular guy can "straighten" me out in less than 15 minutes.

a chiropractor adjustment is really cheap, usually less than $50.

Doing a lot of situps and pushups also keeps me from hurting.

 

[JimL]

ive had back problems since i was 14 when a piano fell on me,

i can use a saw all day long just fine, but you get me lifting firewood or stacking, im only good for a few minutes.
digging with a shovel will kill me too.

 

[sedanman]

Did somebody say "PIANO" ?

 

[Dr. Hackemoff]

A common misconception is that a chainsaw only weighs ten to twenty pounds "in the store", and therefore should not consume much effort to use. Far from the truth.

I've done enough shoveling of snow, picking up of rocks, etc., to realize that holding that weight so far away from your body while enduring the inertias and forces exerted by the saw puts an enormous strain on the back. The pro's in this forum (not me) are among the toughest guys around, I would have to think.

As for me, I have several jobs waiting for me and now that the snow is shrinking I have accelerated my prep. To run a saw occasionally, you have to prepare even more often to avoid the weekend-toughguy-Mr.Chainsaw-flameouts, which are guaranteed if you bring your wide-eyed girlfriend to the woodsite and try to impress her. Not a bad plan tho, if she brings a bucket of southern fried chicken and a red and white checked tablecloth. Goodbye pain. At least for awhile.

If you do overexert, go heavy with the ice, ibupro and if your blood tests support, a strong grade of distilled liquid anesthetic.

That 's my prescription....

 

[Jumper]

Why second guess what is wrong with you-see a doctor, and have him do a workup on your back. Xrays after an accident five years ago revealed degenerative disc disorder disease, along with two crushed discs. I stay active, just do not ask me to sit for extended periods. I also take 200 mg of Celebrex a day which keeps my back and other joints limber and un inflamed. And when I get a sore back I see a physiotherapist for some manipulation and an RMT to get rid of the knots in the surrounding muscles. Do not know if this is possible for you with respect to whatever health care coverage you might have, but it works for me. If the pain gets really acute, consider accupuncture; I had that in the past with wonderful results. I also attended a back wellness clinic which pointed out ways of putting less strain on your spine; humans were not originally meant to stand upright, and the spine has not evolved 100% to compensate for the fact we are not still on all fours.

 

[Krooked]

hhmmm (or is it hhhmmm?), let's see now..............

Nope, don't rightly know. It could be........................... naw. Well maybe.................. Could it be.........?

This is the sort of thing I got from all the doctors etc. after I fell of my roof 4 years ago. Just saw the physical therapist on Friday (the mrs. made me an appointment). I keep telling her it's not that bad... I can work through it -- apparently I get a little grumpy when it flares up.


Here's what I have learned over the years. If you can't trace the pain back to a specific event (like roof diving), go in to get it checked out. If its nothing serious (kidney stone isn't terribly far-fetched), you then will have the peace of mind to start fixing it, dealing with it, making your wife deal with it etc.

I have also learned (in my case, anyway) that I shouldn't baby it. Good hard work actually makes my back feel tons better. The muscles, being ticked off like they are, will start to spasm and retain lactic acid (I think) and all sorts of bad karma. Keep loose, don't overdo it, but don't "rest" it either. Make any sense?

Somewhat related is the fact that your body will do whatever it can to reduce that original pain. My original injury has healed quite nicely but now I deal with shoulder/neck pain (quite bad on some days). Unbeknownst to me, my body was making minute "adjustments" to "protect" that original injury... and well, here we are 4 years later.

Unlike a pulled hamstring, or sprained ankle, a back injury can get out of hand quite easily. Take the time to do it right the first time (I can here dad now).

It WAS real nice today, wasn't it? I would have loved to get out and spray a little dust with my newly inherited John Deere (Echo), but I'm waiting on parts. Did get out with my lab and flushed a few pheasants though.

Good luck and best wishes to you!
Matt

 

[Dennis Cahoon]

After running a chainsaw for over thiry years, I've found that the back-bone's connected to the hip-bone. Then they give you a new one, hip that is! Dennis

 

[eric_271]

What works best for me is 800 to 1600 mg of ibuprofen a day. 800 in the morning for the pain you know is comeing and another 800 when you get home to make you feel well again befor you go to bed.

 

[Jumper]

Prescription dose of ibuprofen is up to 3200 mg a day for short periods, 2400 longer. It is just another non steroidal anti inflammitory, in the same class of drug as Vioxx and Celebrex. As per its claims, I have found the latter easy on stomach, and better yet I only have to remember to take one a day. Catch is that the per month cost is about C$60. But it does work. When I run out, I take Ibuprofin. You can not take the two together, if you are on Celebrex, and have pain, Tylenol w/ or without Codeine is the answer, or something stronger like Percocet, which works like a charm, except heavily narcotic.

 

[Newfie]

"Percocet, which works like a charm, except heavily narcotic."


But at least you won't be phased when you saw through your leg.

 

[eric_271]

LOL I dont think Jumper was saying to do percoset then go cutting, just that it was a good pain killer.