Back Problems and Other Ijuries Related to Truck Driving

Get the seat off the floor!

 

Once again, a clueless chiro. God, I tend to hate many of these guys. It's not the back bracing that helps, it's the exersize. If anything, the braces WEAKEN the supporting musculature and lessen support to the spine. The other lie I despise is that situps cure a bad back. They can help support the spine, but it's the erectors and other back muscles that deal with what we refer to as the "back".
I've gone on to the extreme end of things, by throwing away the weightlifting belt, knee wraps, and got into squatting, deadlifts, stiff legged deads and stretching after workouts. This brought me from 30 years of agonizing lower back pain, to being virtually pain free. I'm 55, my squats go over 400, deads to 425, and I'm struggling with a 385lb. stiff legged dead this month.
When I started this program, I had trouble standing up.

I'm not saying you guys should become gym rats, but the more you work the back in a proper manner to stregthen it, the more benefits you'll see.

Exersize: activity above and beyond that to which you're accustomed.
Training: exersize in a consistent and progressive manner that causes the body to adapt to increasing stresses.

 

Thanks for the info!

 

boxing really is an awesome work out. if only i could fit a stand/heavy bag in the truck...

 

Don't know if I'm unique, but I used to have back problems and since I've been driving my back has been better than ever with no problems whatsoever. Driving is easier on your body than any other job I've ever had. The seat has various adjustments which make driving completely comfortable. I never have to load/unload unlike some other drivers though. Had back problems (pinched nerve) a few years ago before I started driving... couldn't even tie my own shoes. My doctor prescribed drugs (not helpful) and so I went to a chiropractor who made some adjustments and fixed me.

 

I am sorry you are having difficulties. In the 50's myself and it took a number of years without any follow up with doctors to see how bad the body was getting until after 2001. Mostly due to lumping. I was very fit for my weight with very little fat and ate very well etc out there on the road.

The biggest damage is the memory. Running a week to 9 days without sleep in any amount to complete loads on time etc causes a problem in later recall. I am working on it it will take most of my life to reconstruct some of the activities and loads delivered.

Joint damage, inflammation from the old iron and so forth arthritis certainly. Even a cataract or two. They cut one in 2009 put a good lens into place potentially saving my life that year. It was not a good year. Surgery related to joints are ongoing. I had one put in a full hip last dec, after a year with that break. Shows how stupid and mule I have been with that level of pain. Not to mention hitting physical and mental limits of pain that causes the brain to pass you out whatever it is you are doing, driving, walking, sitting etc. It got dangerous last year. The other joint is going bad and they will drop a new one in. I healed with a month of PT and so forth way faster than most people. So when it starts to act up, chop time.

The Spine is it. The inflammation is one thing. Osteopenia, loss of bone mass in the T Section is a very bad problem, the doctors refuse to explain to me that at some point SNAP. But that's the only logical progression. I understand they are creating with new medical technology sort of implants of faux discs which may be a oppertunity if done right and that's the thing, is it worth the risk of cutting the main connections to the body. Lumping is out.

When they did a survey of my bones at 30 with early onset, they told me that the bones were just essentially cement. solid as can be with the intake of what I need to make them strong combined with the work I was doing etc. It relates to the body restoring calcium where it leaches off in stress or hurt and rebuilds the skeleton every 7 years as explained to me. Mine in that decade was a study in how good it can be. 10 years later? Nope. Gone. So to go from 30 to 70 years old in about 20 years is a little bit irritating but it does not bother me. Not anymore.

Medicine is the one biggest issue. A decade ago they handed out whatever until you quit whining about the hurt. Unfortunately one particular medicine called Oxycontin in the 90's was about a few molecules away from Heroin and as such too good of a medicine. Moving on to others across the range of other medicines at the pharmacy. Adding more medicines as well.

The states engaged in a war of opoids and pain mills and so on. Arkansas really cracked down 16 months ago and about a year ago this month declaring illegal to fill two or three families of drugs together from the same doctor. For example... .. Oxycodone. (It is 4 times stronger than morphine in daily MME)and combined with a family of drugs called Benzo. Usually Xanax, Valium etc. And then another family of muscle relaxers. Soma comes to mind. Combine these three into a person of any one on earth in the right amounts and the world for them simply disappears for hours or days. So laws have changed.

Ordinary doctors you would go to for ow this or sniffle that refuses to treat for anything that hurts. They send you to a pain clinic. There you begin to understand a life of interrogation designed to ensure you are in strict compliance. And almost destroys the original purpose of being in a room with a doctor together helping to fix the problem under the pain. Now you have the state in there, the DEA with the state and other agencies like CDC and so on.

When I go to the ER usually at the threat of my life itself only then I will go in the last extreme. Ive gone twice. First time last year they interrogated me very badly because of my pain medicine etc. Because I am a free person not under a lawful contract and the doctors at the ER are allowed to provide whatever there is in that cabinet is good. The problem is the state will send them a letter saying HEY. EXPLAIN THIS MEDICINE. Why did you give a pain patient diladuad? Er, confirmed broken hip joint pending surgery? excuse me... sheesh.

That is my world now. On one hand I am very independent and on very good medicine that helps the body but does not affect the mind. (Finally) on the other hand I must fight the whole spectrum of medicine inside the USA at any level from family doc all the way to Trauma. Why? Because the State, DEA, and a alphabet listing of agencies have begun a war against legitimate people who take medicines most of the time as needed. And there is always a precentage who abuse it and run out early. They are detected fast, cut from all treatment and go to street drugs and die within a year because of fentanyal from china which is a drug not under any control there. you can buy it like coffee. I cannot use fent because it creates a life threatening reaction that stops breathing as it did twice.

Sometimes I think thats not half bad. To go out quiet into the night.

No.

Life is with people you love and those who love you and until your time comes that is your life. Nothing else. Trucking? Eh, anyone can do it until the 50's There are worse things in the world than a little ow, example Diabetes where they are chopping limbs all over the place. chop chop chop. I would think they could chop mine because the war on terror since 9-11 has made a new industry in good limbs. But when you do not have the money it's best to do what you can in the food store to eat good and live well to avoid that problem.

LIfe is something so easy to go. To lose it in a puff of your breath taking out the light inside you like a candle. It may hurt in the morning or you may have a little trouble getting about. Or in need of some work. But you must have a good morale and give thanks that all the things you delivered with a big truck in some way able to keep this Country going. We have need of truckers. If they think they can replace us with robots? HA. I stand akimbo and laugh at them. And they will do it someday when I am gone. But until then there are people to be with and things to do in life. Enjoy it.

 

Started driving back in 1986 been in every state hundreds of times. Worked for numerous company’s then bought my own truck. What I wish I knew back then, that I know now!
I am on disability social security for damaged wore out herniated discs of the lower lumbar back. Years bouncing away on those endless highways have ground my disc down. Once this is done your done, that #### don’t grow back.
I am also fighting Bladder Cancer. Surgery, chemo, radiation ain’t no fun. Also when they cut out your bladder where you going to piss. You become infertile, no more sex. Just Another thing they don’t tell you after years...of inhaling all those diesel fumes while driving, fueling and sleeping causes cancer. Google it...knowledge is power.
I’m 56 and my health is going down hill. I wish I would of chosen a different profession, you still have a choice.