So when CA Cop was still in the academy and friends were learning of his new career path, we would get bombarded with both questions and advice. I remember when one lady in particular was sharing stories of officers she knew. As we were parting ways she left CA Cop with some words of wisdom.
"Watch your back," she said.
No kidding, I thought.
"No really, watch your back. Officers end up with back injuries pretty frequently."
CA Cop has weighed himself in the department locker room with and without his gear on. His "stuff" weighs 30+ pounds. And its all hanging on his lower back and shoulders, add to that the amount of driving and its the perfect combination for a back ache.
And ache it does. He comes home from his 12+ hour shifts with lower back pain almost every day. I try to offer massages to help bring some relief, but ultimately I know we need to figure out some way to fix this irritation before it becomes a problem.
So enlighten me on back troubles and all that goes along with it. Does your cop visit the chiropractor? Do you believe in chiropractics? Have you found any tricks to taking care of your back? What do you as a wife do to help your cop's aches and pains?
I'm really looking for some answers here. CA Cop did visit a chiropractor, but we never really pursued the several thousand dollar treatment plan that he laid out for us. That being said, if it will ultimately save his back, we'll do it!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOne: Suspenders. Many officers use webbing suspenders to hold up their belts.
ReplyDeleteTwo: He should try to Re-Arrange his belt.
Three: Pool therapy. At your husband's gym, have him float with a floatation noodle under his feet and neck. It will take pressure off of his back.
Consult a physical therapist. CA Cop can learn exercises that strengthen the back without straining it. I'm very out of shape and recently started using a rowing machine; to avoid injuries, I'm trying my patience and taking it VERY slowly. I love the strength I'm developing in my lower back and lower abdominal muscles. He needs strong "core" muscles, whether they show or not.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips and keep them coming!
ReplyDeleteI got 5ohhubby a membership to massage envy. There is one in almost every town. It is $53 a month and he gets a massage from a therapist who is hard core. While it isn't the cure all, it does offer him a lot of relief. The masseuse really gets in there and gets out his knots and alleviates much of the pain.
ReplyDeleteI recently went through physical therapy for this very thing. An MRI showed mild degeneration in my lowest disc. What is the remedy? I've added stretching to my workouts (I was always too good for stretching) and I am super conscious of posture, especially keeping my lower lumbar curved. It still bothers me, but it's improved enough that I'm back in the gym, hitting it hard.
ReplyDeleteI can't say I've ever had a "bad back." I did just have neck spine fusion surgery due to an on duty injury with a bad guy and I'll tell you what the famous Dr told me. Its all about your head. Your neck and back support that big fat head of yours. Get the head over your body and fix your posture. (I haven't yet...lol)
ReplyDeleteI found the "massage envy" in my town, although good did nothing for me. They don't normally know well enough all the trigger points. I will say that a good back/spine Dr. should always be known. And yes, I'll agree that stretching is a plus.
P.S. There is a great spine Dr. in L.A. if it ever gets that bad. I know my cities insurance paid for him and he was on-call for the superbowl guys injuries in case there were any.
My FTO told me that very thing "Watch your back". The advice he gave me was suspenders, but our dept doesn't allow suspenders over our uniform, so I was checking different catalogs and found some suspenders that go under your duty shirt, so far they work great (does take a little altering of the duty shirt, but where I order mine from they alter them for me). That has made a big difference with me.
ReplyDeleteI have recently started visiting a physical therapist. I try to visit there once a week (depending on schedule and all that). They do exercises that help strengthen my back muscles and to take of the joints. Also, at the PT I visit they have a massage therapist on sight, so I visit the MT every two weeks or so (again depends on schedule).
Thaanks for this blog post
ReplyDelete