My back

[Clippy]

Err actually I found his advice quite useful.

<<<shut up, fool>>>

[sunnysan]

Back

Gipping me up. Played football two weeks ago and something twanged. Both legs went numb from the waist down after making a long sprint. I slowed up and after walking back to the half way line the left leg came back to life but the right leg remained numb for the walk back to the car and the journey home.

I took a week out, and played again last night. Something again twanged. Not as bad, but is uncomforable. Is this age, and the end of my footballing days?

Backs start playing up in your mid 30s. I am not a doctor but based on what you said it sounds like you pulled a muscle. Which muscular injuries your back muscles will go into spasm and could cause the symptoms you describe.

Accupuncture is great fro relieving the pain in this situation.

The other option could be that you have herniated a disc, which is part irreversible, but having had that before, IMO , you would be in a world of pain, but then again the pain is not neccesarily indicative of the severity of the injury.

I would get an MRI done, but the thing is, sometimes herniated discs dont cause problems, so dont be too worried if you have some slight herniations as this is normal.

As you get older you lose muscle tone in your core stablising muscles thereby putting more strain on your back. Pilates and yoga are two forms of exercise which can address this.

Just my 5 Zimbabwean Dollars worth, but get professional advice

[wurzel]

Doesn't this sockie have all the answers to your problems?

http://forums.contractoruk.com/gener...ns-update.html

[Mr Crosby]

Go in goal.

[northernrampage]

As Sunnysan says, see a professional... a decent sports physio. Where you based? I know a good one in Clapham and can PM you if needed.

NHS won't send you for an MRI unless you are really buggered (or even an X ray now) as there was a huge study done recently, most people over age of 35 have cracks in their discs, often without symptoms, so not worth checking out.

But then again, if you're getting numbness all the way down your legs you may have got sciatica... and for it to go all the way down means it may get checked. My ex was about to get referred to a consultant as his was all the way down.. but his went on for weeks, they put him on these codeine based painkillers that meant he was high all the time. Then it cleared up so he didn't bother going (think he should have done tho).

I had a possible cracked disc last year and the year before, didn't get referred to see anyone, had sciatica down my leg part of the way. But now I have to do exercises to sort myself out, if I don't it returns.

Some physios attached to GPs are tulipe. One basically told me to go home and stick tape all over my back and find out what movements irritated me, and then learn to adjust and not move the tape by avoiding certain movements. He also told me I'd be in pain until I hit 55 but then I'd stiffen up and not notice. Completely wrong advice. You do need to keep moving, but checking out with a decent physio first is good.

And yeah.. I forgot.. sitting down also buggers you up. The pressure on your discs isn't good. If you sit down make sure your back supported properly, got a decent chair, whatever. Taxi drivers I speak to all have bad backs.