Back Health

I just got my new "Merrill Chameleon" hiking boots. They cost a whopping $140.00 after local taxes. They are worth it though, and I'll tell you why.

Years ago (a little over 20) my back started hurting. I was a "Metal Man" back then and I did a lot of custom car work. I was also a single Dad of a toddler,

I spent my days hunched over bending, welding grinding and finishing steel. Then I went and picked up my daughter and carried her around on my hip like Moms do all the time.

My back finally started hurting, and that grew into a constant pain, then after a year or so, complete and total agony.

Lucky for me a friend I worked with had a friend that was a chiropractor and he hooked me up with him.

The guy did not have an office, or even a practice. He was a laborer for the Movie industry, but he gave me the best medical advice I've ever got.

He told me to go buy good shoes and to stretch everyday. It took me awhile for it really sink in, but constant pain reminded me of his advice, "Do it or suffer the rest of your life."

He also told me it would take about as long to heal as I ignored this advice. Since I already had a good year head start at ignoring these things I decided to stop wasting time.

A year later I finally realized my back did not hurt anymore.

Go try on a new pair of really good hiking boots. You'll notice you stand up straighter, your toes don't point outward (sciatic nerve problems) when you stand, and there is less stress on your back, neck, and shoulders.

I wear my Merrill's all the time. I've been wearing them for about 6-8 years now. I suppose it's cost me about 80-100 bucks a year but I've spent no money on doctors or chiropractors during that time and my back is still doing fine.

BTW, that advice only cost me $20.00 at the time and he straighten out my back to boot (what a relief!). I think I still owe that guy

Bill

I certainly can relate. I have a congenital back problem and have been a metal masher most of my life also. I was a fabricator who built custom industrial machines but welding, grinding and lifting in odd positions was part of the job.

About 25-30 years ago my back would go "out" about every 6-8 weeks. I have always worn good shoes because of my life time back problem. During one of my extended back "out" periods I went to a pain clinic which was supposed to solve the problem but when they found out that I did not have insurance they decided that they could not help me. The one good thing which came out of it was that they had me doing some stretching exercises while I was there and I discovered that the stretching was helping the problem. Since my problem usually started in the morning when I first got up by doing something like tying my shoes I started doing a stretching routine every morning when I got up. Since then I have done a series of stretching every morning. My routine is something which I have just come up with on my own and half of what I do may be completely worthless but if five minutes in the morning can solve the back problem it is well worth it as far as I am concerned.

All I can say to your stretching exercises is AMEN brother. I believe and my doctor verified that if more people just did some simple stretching every day most of the back problems would go away.

I did a dumb thing in my mid-40's--I was substituting for my youngest son on his paper route, and I tried carrying all the Sunday papers at one time. Not smart--when I woke up the next morning I couldn't move!

I was prescribed a number of stretches and also abdominal strengthening exercises. Any time I skip them, my back starts hurting again! Your lower back is supported by your "core" body muscles, particularly those of your abdomen, so anything that strengthens these is good. Even exercise walking with trekking poles (aka Nordic walking) helps--it turns walking into a full body exercise.