Yet again in response to some weight loss my back has started hurting. Yet again the method was the same as always. I lean forward, pick up something relatively light, and move it from left to right.
You’d think by now I’d have learned to avoid moving that way! Trouble is it doesn’t *always* do it… it’s a very intermittant occurrence. In fact… the last time was almost three years ago while my sister was here on a visit… and I can honestly say that if she and her husband had *not* been here then I don’t know how I’d have managed!! That time I could hardly *walk* let alone drive the car so without them the kids would have had a lot of time away from school.
Shouldn’t complain really. The worst time it happened I was in severe pain for nearly 18 months… just after finishing my degree at PCL in fact. I was in our somewhat cramped bedroom, and had picked up the dogs basket to move it so I could vacuum… as simple as that. The pain was so bad then I was seriously considering surgery to fuse my vertebrae! Luckily, and bizarrely, after 18 months… making the *same* move that caused the problem… whatever was wrong cured itself… lord knows how… and I’ve never been quite that bad since.
Back to today though and so far… thanks to the wonder of painkillers… this time the pain is just about bearable… if I don’t move too much. But the effect it’ll have on Xmas is my worry. Helping Father Christmas carry presents is going to be a bit of an issue… as of course will standing around cooking! Still… I’ll just have to fill up on Nurofen and soldier on hoping for the best.
The Eclectic Interweb 
I know your problem, I’ve got it myself. Apparently your muscles are at their strongest when holding you upright, and when you lean over you are effectively in a state of weakness and twisting makes it even worse. The answer is to bend your legs when picking things up and only turn when upright which means you don’t twist. Another way which I’m sure you’ll enjoy is a thing called Fitball or Swissball which works and strengthens your core muscles. Unfortunately it means starting the gym again, but if you can keep it up it’ll make a massive difference. Saying that perhaps I should start doing it again myself. Pot – Kettle – Black
It only happens when I twist from right to left though… and *then* only when I’m at a spcific angle. Weird I call it!
Uusally I do bend my legs but when all I was moving was a box full of empty boxes I thought it’d be ok… wrong!. Luckily I’ve finished sorting Xmas so I’m now free to collapse over the holiday and wallow in my own crapulence 😀
No chance of me going to the gym… it’s already cost me hundreds of dollars and I