Back injury and long hair

[Aunt Rapunzel]

I hurt my back this past week...My Dad's headstone arrived, and I took it out to the cemetery to be installed. It was apparently heavier than I realized, because my back has been miserable since. (It *is* getting slowly better, thankfully.) Anyway...It's been quite the challenge to care for my hair in the meantime! I have to start earlier in the day because it takes me a lot longer to do everything right now. Do any of you who have had back issues have any tips? (Either hair-wise OR back-wise. :) I'm open to ideas.)

[lithostoic]

Injured my shoulder/ back in November. Things have been very difficult as I've not seen a doctor and am still in pain. Best thing for me is to just keep my hair French braided. I can leave it in there for a couple days if my back is really bugging me. Usually I redo it once or twice a day. Detangling is practically nonexistant.

[meteor]

So sorry to hear about this, Aunt Rapunzel! :( :grouphug: It sounds promising that the pain is already going away. I really hope you'll get well very soon!

I don't know about specifically injuries (in fact, I'd definitely consult a doctor about your specific injury), but for overall back health, a good range of movement is really important. Which is why chronic back and neck pain is often worse in the morning and gets better by evening. Physiotherapy or even some gentle movements from yoga or pilates can be useful, just make sure you respect any pain/signals from your body and your form is correct and do it under supervision if in doubt.

Keep your hair contained as much as possible (e.g. simple braided buns), to minimize tangling and de-tangling. I'd do scalp-only washes and stretch full washes, if possible, for the time being, if washing hair in the shower is difficult. If soaking and washing hair in a bathtub is easier on your back, that might be a good option, as well.

Wishing you speedy recovery, Aunt Rapunzel! :cheer:

[Garnetgem]

Have you had your back checked out? as you never know if its caused damage to bone or the muscle.

I have had a severe spinal injury and its now held together with metal work from top to bottom...of course its a struggle but i get by somehow and as for caring for long hair while in pain i tend to leave mine up and out of the way most of the time(its classic length)..and less i comb the less oily it gets and i have stretched my washed to every 10 to 14 days through no choice,so if you can hold back with too many washes while you recover all the better but i expect the thought of that wont appeal much,

i find too that the less active i am the more pain so i try to be as active as i can or as my back will let me anyway..sounds like it is easing so it may be a sprain but of course its just a guess..so avoid bending and even stretching too and when you reach out for something don't twist at the waist as all this will delay healing..but by all means try to walk about gently..sorry about the pain your in and hope you feel better soon...

[lapushka]

I used a cherry pit pillow (hot pad) on my back when I heavily sprained it last (it just "shot" right into my back). It took a few months until it went. How come I got it, I have no clue (wrong movement?) and I also don't remember how we did my hair. Sink as always, I think, with lots of effort.

If there is someone there to help you; let them help out.

[spirals]

I have chronic back issues. Even though my pain is an everyday thing I have semi-rare circumstances when it's excruciating, when I have something wrong at the nerve root that takes a month or so to heal. I honestly can't remember what I did about my hair. I guess I just did buns and braids and gritted my teeth through the residual pain. The meds take the edge off but it doesn't go away completely so I just remind myself it's a temporary situation and that kind of helps.

Oh, and I want to add that while most of the time over-the-counter stuff helps most people (I sometimes stagger ibuprofen with acetaminophen every 3 hours, though not usually), there are mild opiates other than the usual vicodin that most people can take for a short period with no problems. Also there are strong prescription anti-inflammatories that are usually given to arthritis patients that help when it's intense pain for a short period. Maybe schedule a doc appointment or follow-up to the first one? If the OTCs don't work a compassionate physician can find something. Well, if you have a reasonable one. Mine is. He monitors my usage but he does trust me. If he didn't I'd find another.

Heat helps some people but last night I used ice because I could feel that swollen tissues were pressing on a nerve. I knew that because the pain traveled down my arm from my neck, my bad area. It was a kind of pinging pain, if that makes sense. If I don't feel that pinging sensation I know it's muscular and will usually opt for heat.

[Aunt Rapunzel]

Thank you, everyone! And yes, I'm finding that the more active I am (carefully, of course), the better I feel. Practicing the piano is probably the hardest thing for me right now. I can only do it in short spurts.

Thank you for the suggestions!

[Jo Ann]

I'm so sorry, Aunt Rapunzel and Lithostoic, that you're hurting! I hope you get better soon!

When I had broken ribs, I found that, if I could keep my movements about waist-level, I was better off. That also meant no reaching up, unless I could do it slowly. Like has been said, let your pain be your guide when it comes to movement. Slow and steady can be your friends, because back and shoulder problems can take a while to heal. Unless the condition is chronic, just try to do what you can within your pain tolerance. If it gets REAL bad, maybe a Significant Other (Partner, whatever the word is nowadays) or a sibling that lives close by can help you until you're better able to do it yourself.