Managing lower back issues

[Big Perm]

Lucky to know quite a few of you, many locals are well aware of my back woes this last year....it's been difficult to play much, and the day after league can often be a rough one.....additionally, fading the pain has been a bit rough and recently, and when combined with a lack of practice, it's very frustrating to play pool at all....I miss a lot.....at this point, I'd play doing a hand stand using my feet if it meant I could play without pain and make a few balls now and again :grin:

An old friend came over yesterday to shoot a little pool, and he has a less than tradional style, with very bent legs.....granted, he's 6'4".....so I immediately stopped with the rear straight leg and and started bending the rear leg about 20-30 degrees or so....I felt a lot less strain on my back.....we played 8 and 9 ball for 3 straight hours with limited pain....it was actually fun, and I made a few really good outs....and I can walk today :grin:

Anyway, point being, I know there are more than a few peeps here that fight lower back pain like I do......for what it's worth, you might try keeping that rear leg bent.....for now, it seems to be working and I hope it might help some of you....

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

Good to know and try. I had a back op 12 years ago and luckily I don't suffer too much when playing, altho when I do throw it out, its pretty much impossible to play properly.

Before I get up in the morning, I do leg stretches. I bend each leg and pull my knee into my chest. Repeat a couple of times and it helps.

 

[sfleinen]

Lucky to know quite a few of you, many locals are well aware of my back woes this last year....it's been difficult to play much, and the day after league can often be a rough one.....additionally, fading the pain has been a bit rough and recently, and when combined with a lack of practice, it's very frustrating to play pool at all....I miss a lot.....at this point, I'd play doing a hand stand using my feet if it meant I could play without pain and make a few balls now and again :grin:

An old friend came over yesterday to shoot a little pool, and he has a less than tradional style, with very bent legs.....granted, he's 6'4".....so I immediately stopped with the rear straight leg and and started bending the rear leg about 20-30 degrees or so....I felt a lot less strain on my back.....we played 8 and 9 ball for 3 straight hours with limited pain....it was actually fun, and I made a few really good outs....and I can walk today :grin:

Anyway, point being, I know there are more than a few peeps here that fight lower back pain like I do......for what it's worth, you might try keeping that rear leg bent.....for now, it seems to be working and I hope it might help some of you....

Big Perm:

So sorry to hear of the continued issues with your back. I do wish your modifications help, and the back starts to heal to the point where shooting pool or other mild activities don't aggravate it anymore.

I'm sure you've watched or seen Oliver Ortmann's very unorthodox style, where the FRONT LEG is straight, while the back leg is bent as you describe. And he shoots with a "tilted sidearm" style -- the elbow is tucked in very close to his body, the forearm extends outwards from his body, and his wrist it canted inwards towards the body so that it ends up pointing straight towards the floor. The majority of his stroke comes from his shoulder, not his elbow.

I asked Oliver about this style, how he got into playing this way, and he shared with me the fact he has a VERY bad back. He's in constant pain from even the mildest of activities, but he wasn't about to give up pool. So he adapted. And adapted quite well -- there's not many players in the world who won't shake a bit when they hear they've drawn Oliver as an opponent!

So I guess the net-net of this is to EXPERIMENT. I'm sure you'll find something that's comfortable, yet still yields consistently good results. The body is a wonder that way -- what looks terrible from a physics/engineering perspective, actually works quite well with the human body.

-Sean

 

[evanandpeaches]

The snooker stance seems to keep your hips straighter and it sounds what you are talking about. Check out some snooker fundamentals online and learn it, it will help your lower back. Also, I know it sounds like cursing to some people, you could start a workout regiment there are some very specific exercises for you lower back to build up the muscles and in the long run it will help your game.

 

[SLOW_N_TIGHT]

I to suffer from many lower back issues do to an injury i had in high school football. (and im only 22) I also have a slight bend of my back leg while shooting. The only other advice I could give you is stretch before you begin playing, this will help with the pain you may get the day after playing

 

[poscdr09]

Thanks for the insight Big Perm...

This bad back thing can be a crappy means for learning new tricks! About 6 months ago I ruptured the bottom 2 discs in my back and the pysiatica can be a "little" distracting.

I will definately give this method a shot, as most other things I've tried are too hard to repeat, or just plain don't work. Thanks!

 

[Cdryden]

Yeah, i have had to do something similar to my stance. I used to take 3 vicodin before long matches to ease my back pain. Now I have a exercise regimen designed to increase the strength in my lower back, and flexibility. That combined with a stance that takes some pressure off my lower back got me to a point where I can play without the use of pain killers. In fact I recently played a 7 hour set with limited pain.

I feel for you, back pain can absolutely ruin your game. I hope this continues to work for you.

 

[David_Smith]

The best single exercise imo (I do a whole lot more) for pool related back issues is to hang from a bar and pull your knees up to your chest repeatedly.

 

[scrappy]

Yeah, i have had to do something similar to my stance. I used to take 3 vicodin before long matches to ease my back pain. Now I have a exercise regimen designed to increase the strength in my lower back, and flexibility. That combined with a stance that takes some pressure off my lower back got me to a point where I can play without the use of pain killers. In fact I recently played a 7 hour set with limited pain.

I feel for you, back pain can absolutely ruin your game. I hope this continues to work for you.

same here with the pain killers now i stopped taking them and make flexibility a priority along with light weight training seems to do wonders definantly better than a pain killer addiction

 

[Dead Crab]

Two things that helped me:

a) elevating table surface to 32"

b) Last time my back was out, I discovered a stance that minimizes my forward bend. I shoot left handed. Left foot goes on shot line, right above where my left (back) hand will be (toes about 50" back from CB). I then get down on the shot line, flexing my left knee, getting my right (bridge) hand down solidly on the shot line. As I do this, I bring my right foot BACK, and away from my body slightly, and plant toes where comfortable (heel typically not touching). This way, I an leaning into the shot, not bending into it.

People shoot like this when doing a long reach on the table, I just adapted it to my regular stance. It is stable, and minimizes the bending. Would make most instructors cringe, but who cares. It actually helped my stroke.

 

[poolhustler]

I'm in your club!!!

An Inversion Table helped me immensely.

 

[bigpapa]

worked immediately

read your post this am.....tried it this afternoon...results were instant!
hard to break a 30 year old habit..but this is huge for me cuz we just bought a table...this will double my practice time.

 

[manwon]

Lucky to know quite a few of you, many locals are well aware of my back woes this last year....it's been difficult to play much, and the day after league can often be a rough one.....additionally, fading the pain has been a bit rough and recently, and when combined with a lack of practice, it's very frustrating to play pool at all....I miss a lot.....at this point, I'd play doing a hand stand using my feet if it meant I could play without pain and make a few balls now and again :grin:

An old friend came over yesterday to shoot a little pool, and he has a less than tradional style, with very bent legs.....granted, he's 6'4".....so I immediately stopped with the rear straight leg and and started bending the rear leg about 20-30 degrees or so....I felt a lot less strain on my back.....we played 8 and 9 ball for 3 straight hours with limited pain....it was actually fun, and I made a few really good outs....and I can walk today :grin:

Anyway, point being, I know there are more than a few peeps here that fight lower back pain like I do......for what it's worth, you might try keeping that rear leg bent.....for now, it seems to be working and I hope it might help some of you....

I am glad you found something that works well for you, that can be very hard to do.

Since this thread is about back pain, let me throw a word of caution out there to who ever may be listening. Stay away or very closely evaluate any Doctor who specializes specifically in pain treatment or doctors who operate clinics know as Pain Clinics.

Some of these people go a little above and beyond prescribing Narcotic Pain Medication. In addition they know what they are doing and after a few months with the dosage increases you won't want to miss an appointment so that you can get your prescription refilled.

Pep's I went through this years ago and let me tell you when you stop taking these medications after doing so for a couple years, you are not going to have any fun for a month or so!!

JIMO

 

[WFD]

There are a few ways to tackle the problem of a bad back if you're going to play pool. A quick fix is to experiment with Stance. But for more long-term planning, you should also work with physical exercises and stretching.
It is important to build up your abdominal muscles to support your back.
Stretch, Rectus Femoris Muscle, usually helps a bit. When they constrict, your pelvis tilt forward and get an unnatural pressure on the vertebrae and can pinch the nerves.

 

[Fatboy]

back pain has destroyed the past 5 years of my life, sometimes my back starts to hurt when i'm playing and i have to stop. Other times I can take the pain and play. I start to jump out of shots when it hurts, I played the other day here on a stream and i wasnt staying down on the ball at all and that makes for useless practice, i hate it. There is no possible way for me to change how I stand to relieve the pain so I could play comfortably when my back hurts.

 

[Baxter]

I fractured the L7 and L8 vertebraes in my lower back when I was 10 years old, and didn't even know until I had x-rays taken at 20 years old. Needless to say I've suffered from lower back pain for most of my life, it being nearly unbearable at times. The one thing I found that actually dulled the pain and allowed me to function like a normal human being was marijuana. Luckily for me, California has had medical marijuana laws in effect since the late 90s. That being said, I don't like to play pool stoned off my ass. It bothers me sometimes, especially after long practice sessions. One thing I found that helped with all the standing and bending at the table, without being lit out of my gourd, is those Thermacare Heat Wraps. They work decently, although they can be a little bothersome during play.

 

[onepocketron]

I have had lower back issues for the last 30 years. I visit a Chiropractor and also get massages when needed. The Chiro aligns everything, and the massage relaxes all of those tight muscles around my spine. I found out about massages when I had an episode in Canada years ago. The Chiro there sent me to a sports medicine place that have me a deep tissue massage. I was back on my feet and feeling normal in 2 days which was a miracle. I've been getting them ever since (though it is difficult to find someone that can really give a deep tissue massage).

 

[Spimp13]

I am glad you found something that works well for you, that can be very hard to do.

Since this thread is about back pain, let me throw a word of caution out there to who ever may be listening. Stay away or very closely evaluate any Doctor who specializes specifically in pain treatment or doctors who operate clinics know as Pain Clinics.

Some of these people go a little above and beyond prescribing Narcotic Pain Medication. In addition they know what they are doing and after a few months with the dosage increases you won't want to miss an appointment so that you can get your prescription refilled.

Pep's I went through this years ago and let me tell you when you stop taking these medications after doing so for a couple years, you are not going to have any fun for a month or so!!

JIMO

What kind of pain medication are you referring to? I am taking Gabapentin which is a nerve blocker so to speak. It is also supposed to help you stay asleep when you fall asleep. The only side affect I have from it is a bit of dry mouth. My back pain is from a myafacial tear in my neck which caused my neck and mid/upper back to be stiff. I have since then gotten a new ergonomic chair at work which has lumbar support. So far within this week it seems my mid/upper back is better, but now the pain has sort of shifted to my lower to mid back where the support is...I hope this is only due to changing chairs and my body will adapt. Going to PT too even though I am not expecting that to help too much, time will tell.

Next step is possibly an injection in my neck...hopefully I don't have to do that.

 

[ceebee]

I have suffered with Sciatica & herniated discs for 25 years. I take a medicine called Cataflam 50mg.... it is a super-charged ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory)

Ask your doctor if this might be something you might try.

 

[Twisted Turtle]

back pain mgmt

I too have lower back pain, a friend of mine from china taught me to breath slowly thru the nose while closing off the roof of my mouth with my tongue. it sends oxygen to your lower back. exhale from your mouth. with practice you can actually feel the oxygen reaching your lower back!
I have 2 ruptured disks and this has kept me from the operation table!:smile: