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Chainsaw Back Pain!
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tony marks
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at 46 i was nearly crippled with what u talkin.. i began a simple touch my toes20 times at nite.. had a real result after several weeks..later i added a little resistence 25 lbs. and do it almost every nite.. fooled the docs andbought my self 10 more yrs ..until recent failure..its my hope to get it straitened out and earn me another 10 yrs. with some program i havnt figured out yet...above all dont ignore it as it will surely get worse with time ,,unless u take measures to fight it..
ps all of the above was with a doctor prescribed medication program.. ounce of prevention is,, in this case better than 20 lbs o cure.. also bud realize this just the beginning ,all u can do is practice good maintenance on that back .treat it like a quality tool.. as with all good tools,they finally do wear out..i hope its a long time coming for u..
ps all of the above was with a doctor prescribed medication program.. ounce of prevention is,, in this case better than 20 lbs o cure.. also bud realize this just the beginning ,all u can do is practice good maintenance on that back .treat it like a quality tool.. as with all good tools,they finally do wear out..i hope its a long time coming for u..
Chainsaw_Maniac
ArboristSite Operative
That's too bad. Back pain is one of the worst things that can happen to you if you want to cut wood. (I said one of the worst things. Getting cought under a tree or sutting yourself is worse obviosly). 
Anyway, you could try working less hours in a row to get your back accostomed to the strain. Also, use your lightest saws. I find that working all day with a really heavy saw is far worse than switching to a light one for the limbing and using a heavy one for the bucking.
Anyway, you could try working less hours in a row to get your back accostomed to the strain. Also, use your lightest saws. I find that working all day with a really heavy saw is far worse than switching to a light one for the limbing and using a heavy one for the bucking.
max2cam
ArboristSite Guru
Thanks for the tips guys (I think). Seriously, I will try a couple of stretching excercises before I start and do the kneeling down trick (I have used that in the past with good results). Bearing down is part of it I think, and putting more weight on my right side instead of equally weight over both hind legs.
The real problem as pointed out is that we have become upright creatures that do odd things like using chainsaws and lifting and such.
I find the pain increases the more I cut and it goes away in the summer.
Going out right now to take down another big boy with my $3 permit. I am allowed 10 cords of dead or down timber. Won't even get close to that limit. So far this winter I have burned just about 2.75 full cords of wood.
Almost 50 F. If it wasn't for this dammed perpetual snow it would be a spring day. Actually I need the snow for sledding my firewood up to the trail.
http://www.atthecreation.com/
The real problem as pointed out is that we have become upright creatures that do odd things like using chainsaws and lifting and such.
I find the pain increases the more I cut and it goes away in the summer.
Going out right now to take down another big boy with my $3 permit. I am allowed 10 cords of dead or down timber. Won't even get close to that limit. So far this winter I have burned just about 2.75 full cords of wood.
Almost 50 F. If it wasn't for this dammed perpetual snow it would be a spring day. Actually I need the snow for sledding my firewood up to the trail.
http://www.atthecreation.com/
chainsaw back pain
Max2cam Your back pain is from a slightly pinched nerve in your lower back . L4 L5 pos S1 . When you bend and use your saw you are using your back as the lever point in a fulcrum. If you use just a few bad body mechanics , pore stance, bad position, to much weight to far away from your body. Any one or just part of one can cause this to happen. I know that you dont know me and have no reason to believe me , But if you have just a little bit of a beer stomach this is going to goof up everything . your stomach muscles do the same thing that steel belts do on your tires. If you break one of these belts the tire pouches out. Even though of my cohortes believe that we evolved from some other form of life they are just plain wrong. We are designed to walk on two legs every day of our very long life. When you do these streches do them laying down on your bed. These will give continued range of motion. If you lay flatt on your back and putt both of your thumbs in your front pants pocket and push you can get 5 to 10 pounds of down traction . If you do it slow and uniformyou may be able to get your back to pop. If it does stay there for a few minutes. When your back bites you in the middle of the night it is because you sleep like a stone untill you cant endure the pain , and you wake up. Be very careful when you us the drugs our frends are talking of . Pain is a great way to let you know that you are doing the wrong thing, We should talk more dave 1
Max2cam Your back pain is from a slightly pinched nerve in your lower back . L4 L5 pos S1 . When you bend and use your saw you are using your back as the lever point in a fulcrum. If you use just a few bad body mechanics , pore stance, bad position, to much weight to far away from your body. Any one or just part of one can cause this to happen. I know that you dont know me and have no reason to believe me , But if you have just a little bit of a beer stomach this is going to goof up everything . your stomach muscles do the same thing that steel belts do on your tires. If you break one of these belts the tire pouches out. Even though of my cohortes believe that we evolved from some other form of life they are just plain wrong. We are designed to walk on two legs every day of our very long life. When you do these streches do them laying down on your bed. These will give continued range of motion. If you lay flatt on your back and putt both of your thumbs in your front pants pocket and push you can get 5 to 10 pounds of down traction . If you do it slow and uniformyou may be able to get your back to pop. If it does stay there for a few minutes. When your back bites you in the middle of the night it is because you sleep like a stone untill you cant endure the pain , and you wake up. Be very careful when you us the drugs our frends are talking of . Pain is a great way to let you know that you are doing the wrong thing, We should talk more dave 1
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I find using a 24" bar saves my back. I don't have to do any bending over. If your back is straight, you are much better off. When I do have to get he saw down to cut, I use my legs.
Another trick is to hold the saw so the bar is pointed straight down and cut with the top of the bar. This allows the saw to float, so you can just stand there and have a nice little break.
Also, when I move around from spot to spot, and doing some cutting, I set the power head on my thigh and let it take the weight.
See, lazy guys arn't necessarily stupid, just lazy.
Another trick is to hold the saw so the bar is pointed straight down and cut with the top of the bar. This allows the saw to float, so you can just stand there and have a nice little break.
Also, when I move around from spot to spot, and doing some cutting, I set the power head on my thigh and let it take the weight.
See, lazy guys arn't necessarily stupid, just lazy.
tony marks
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good advice from dave.. i was in pretty fair shape but been taken pain killer for my back for 10 yrs. called ultam..
it mita got me in trouble when i hurt mine recently.. it just took me by surprise as i work hard everday just like i did as a young man.. only difference now.. a day is 4 hrs.. after that im asking for trouble..
but i was having so much fun that day with my square chisel an barbed wire 28..
it mita got me in trouble when i hurt mine recently.. it just took me by surprise as i work hard everday just like i did as a young man.. only difference now.. a day is 4 hrs.. after that im asking for trouble..
but i was having so much fun that day with my square chisel an barbed wire 28..
Since almost all of the cutting I do is limbing and bucking firewood, I found the same type of pain occurred in my lower right back. One thing that helped lessen the pain was to kneel down whenever possible when sawing, to keep a bit of an arch in my lower back.
Another thing that worked pretty well was to saw "left handed." I reversed grip on the saw, throttle grip in left hand, top grip in right hand. It was really awkward at first but then I realized I still had my legs in the "right handed" sawing stance (left leg forward). Once I switched my stance and my grip, it was a bit easier. I'm still way more comfortable with the right-handed throttle grip, and always use that grip if the footing is a bit dicey or if there's a tricky cut, I try to switch to the left-handed throttle grip whenever possible. Now, it takes twice as long for my back to start hurting, but by then it's time for ibuprofen and Pabst Blue-Ribbon.
Another thing that worked pretty well was to saw "left handed." I reversed grip on the saw, throttle grip in left hand, top grip in right hand. It was really awkward at first but then I realized I still had my legs in the "right handed" sawing stance (left leg forward). Once I switched my stance and my grip, it was a bit easier. I'm still way more comfortable with the right-handed throttle grip, and always use that grip if the footing is a bit dicey or if there's a tricky cut, I try to switch to the left-handed throttle grip whenever possible. Now, it takes twice as long for my back to start hurting, but by then it's time for ibuprofen and Pabst Blue-Ribbon.
tony marks
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im a full believer that blueribbon or whatever u preference is the best muscle relaxer yet to come along. gives u something to look forward to all day too. huh.
max2cam
ArboristSite Guru
These past few days while out felling, limbing, and cutting firewood chunks, I'vebeen more careful to keep equal weight on both hind legs, trying not to bend so much in my back, and kneeling down when cutting whenever possible. Being more careful seems to help as the pain is diminished somewhat and hardly felt it at all last night. I have also been imbibing a beer or polishing off a bottle of Tequila when I come in from the woods. Thanks for the advice.
I guess you have to start being more careful as you age and not just figure you can "take it" like you could in your younger days. Sad but true.
Sledded it all out to the trail and set it up for splitting. Snow melting pretty fast, but now they say a big storm is headed this way -- maybe. My road was already starting to break up a little and this will really make it a mess as I doubt they will want to plow. Funny how you get used to frozen weather and actually come to like it. At least I do.
I guess you have to start being more careful as you age and not just figure you can "take it" like you could in your younger days. Sad but true.
Sledded it all out to the trail and set it up for splitting. Snow melting pretty fast, but now they say a big storm is headed this way -- maybe. My road was already starting to break up a little and this will really make it a mess as I doubt they will want to plow. Funny how you get used to frozen weather and actually come to like it. At least I do.
BOTH hinds legs? What you got goin' on there?
I found it helps to take a 200mg ibuprofen before sawing, splitting, etc. as well as a bit of stretching. Helps to keep the inflammation from setting in in the first place.
I guess the part about finishing off a bottle of tequila depends on where you start!
"I can't feel my hind legs, Martha!"
max2cam,
Having been born and raised "North of Hwy 8" I completely understood...
In fact, I never even caught your reference to being 4-legged!
I am little concerned, however, about the tequila. I thought us rednecks were supposed to drink Old Crow and Blackberry Brandy!?!
Glad to here your back is feeling better... the ol' body just can't do what the mind still thinks we's can - played one day of fastpitch last summer and spent nearly 36hrs in bed! Why one does such stupid things, I'll never know.
take care
Matt
max2cam,
Having been born and raised "North of Hwy 8" I completely understood...
In fact, I never even caught your reference to being 4-legged!
I am little concerned, however, about the tequila. I thought us rednecks were supposed to drink Old Crow and Blackberry Brandy!?!
Glad to here your back is feeling better... the ol' body just can't do what the mind still thinks we's can - played one day of fastpitch last summer and spent nearly 36hrs in bed! Why one does such stupid things, I'll never know.
take care
Matt
max2cam
ArboristSite Guru
Re: "I can't feel my hind legs, Martha!"
North of Highway 8 is the only place to be! But I wonder if this dammed perpetual snow will ever melt? Actually, my road is already sort of breaking up.
Yup, 4 legged, but the front 2 are paws.
Don't fret about the tequila. My brother-in-law is quite a boozer and was cleaning out his liquer cabinet last summer when I was down there. "Do you want this? This? This?" he kept saying about 1/2 full bottles that were taking up space. Of course me living up in the woods I said, "Sure!" I might not buy it, but I'll drink it.
Then the next day he started hollering about his GOOD scotch missing and accused me of taking that too. I said, "Not me. Scout's honor." He was getting pretty irate because it was missing for sure when my sister glided thru and told him she had packed it in their luggage as they were going to a family wedding overnight and she knew it was part of his survival kit.
Me => Beer and cheap whiskey.
Originally posted by Krooked
max2cam,
Having been born and raised "North of Hwy 8" I completely understood...
In fact, I never even caught your reference to being 4-legged!
I am little concerned, however, about the tequila. I thought us rednecks were supposed to drink Old Crow and Blackberry Brandy!?!
Glad to here your back is feeling better... the ol' body just can't do what the mind still thinks we's can - played one day of fastpitch last summer and spent nearly 36hrs in bed! Why one does such stupid things, I'll never know.
take care
Matt
North of Highway 8 is the only place to be! But I wonder if this dammed perpetual snow will ever melt? Actually, my road is already sort of breaking up.
Yup, 4 legged, but the front 2 are paws.
Don't fret about the tequila. My brother-in-law is quite a boozer and was cleaning out his liquer cabinet last summer when I was down there. "Do you want this? This? This?" he kept saying about 1/2 full bottles that were taking up space. Of course me living up in the woods I said, "Sure!" I might not buy it, but I'll drink it.
Then the next day he started hollering about his GOOD scotch missing and accused me of taking that too. I said, "Not me. Scout's honor." He was getting pretty irate because it was missing for sure when my sister glided thru and told him she had packed it in their luggage as they were going to a family wedding overnight and she knew it was part of his survival kit.
Me => Beer and cheap whiskey.
