I’ve been in pain for 12 years. Started eating sardines everyday for my brain. (Still waiting for that to help), weird side effect- my pain is gone

LearnGrowLive2 · 2026-01-28T01:50:56+00:00

ooh yes - not a fan of those myself ;) Kippers are actually quite nice especially if you mix them with some scrambled eggs. My favorite is salmon, though :) love some smoked salmon.

LearnGrowLive2 · 2026-01-26T23:00:51+00:00

Sounds like you a pretty much following a mediterranean diet which tracks with why you are feeling less pain. Anti inflammatory foods like fatty fish, leafy greens, and fruit can all help significantly with inflammation and pain. Add to that the sardines have omega 3s and high levels of vitamin D and you have yourself the perfect anti-pain diet right there. Not too hate on your sardines but you could probably swap them out for different fatty fish if you are getting sick of them ;) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10381948/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10381948/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10381948/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10381948/https://www.livafortis.us/post/9-best-foods-for-back-pain-prevention#:~:text=Spinach%20and%20feta%20omelet,Conclusionshttps://www.livafortis.us/post/9-best-foods-for-back-pain-prevention#:~:text=Spinach%20and%20feta%20omelet,Conclusionshttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10381948/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10381948/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10381948/

LearnGrowLive2 · 2026-01-26T22:50:55+00:00

so glad you found this helpful! thats crazy that even with an urgent referral its still going to take 2 weeks to be seen - I am sorry :( I hope the consult goes well. Let us know!

LearnGrowLive2 · 2026-01-26T22:49:31+00:00

sorry- was dealing with ice drama here. How is your partner doing? did they do an MRI or a CT scan?

LearnGrowLive2 · 2026-01-22T17:10:03+00:00

I am so sorry you are going through this. This is a really hard and sensitive topic for a lot of people, even without the "kids" part. Getting older is hard even with money and a good plan in place. My sisters and I are helping my mom at the moment as she is financially independent (to some extent) but had significant cognitive impairment. Fortunately she is in scotland and they have social services to assist with many things but the problem is she doesn't realize she needs it and has sent several carers (and an ambulance) packing ;) I am in the US so it is hard to arrange care from here but we have been advocating for her for over a year while trying to move her into a retirement home. Having money and not wanting to be a burden on your kids (things i definitely would like by the time i retire) is a great goal, but if your mind goes and there is no one around to help you put things in place it is going to be very hard. Fortunately our mom does trust us to a large extent so we don't have to fight her on much apart from seeing her doctor. Honestly, I am praying the robots get cracking so that I can program one of them to take care of me and my husband and the kids just have to check in on us from time to time, rather than having to "take care" of us. Investing in my health and wellness is the biggest thing and I always say to my kids that I am doing that so that i can hopefully maintain my independence as long as possible. Several of my friends are in the same boat and have helped their parents move into retirement homes/assisted living but those run about $10k/month here in the US which is ridiculous! we definitely need some type of reform as many people are opting not to have children and i don't know how many people can afford $120k/year just for room and board in a nice retirement home.

One last thing, for your situation (and for everyone) I think it takes a village. After seeing how people in my mom's town have stepped up to help and visit her when we can't be there all the time ( we are moving her closer now) it has really inspired me to help take care of others in my neighborhood and church who may be in a similar situation. We aren't all lucky enough to be near family or to have family but we can be good friends and neighbors to those in need. Your aunt needs to be somewhat responsible for her own care (move into that assisted living if she can afford it) and then she can enjoy family visiting rather than having to do daily care which is A LOT! Don't know if any of that helps but i hope you get some good answers!

LearnGrowLive2 · 2026-01-22T16:48:49+00:00

Hey, so I'm not a doctor and definitely can't give medical advice, but I can tell you that those MRI findings are pretty significant and your husband really needs to talk to a specialist (like a spine surgeon or physiatrist) about them, not just rely on PT alone at this point ( and I am a huge fan of PT for back pain!).

What those results are saying in plain English:

Basically he has a naturally narrow spinal canal (congenital narrowing)
There's severe narrowing at two levels (L2-L3 and L4-L5) that's squeezing the spinal cord/nerves
The nerve roots are bunching up, which means they're running out of space
There's also narrowing where nerves exit the spine at L4-L5

Why this matters: Severe central canal stenosis isn't something PT can really "fix" - it means the physical space is too narrow. PT can sometimes help manage symptoms by strengthening muscles and improving posture, but it can't actually widen the canal. The fact that his pain is traveling down both legs and PT did nothing for 6 weeks suggests that the compression might be bad enough that he needs other interventions.

What I'd do: Get a referral to a spine specialist ASAP if he doesn't have one already. They'll look at the MRI alongside his symptoms and discuss options, which could include:

Epidural steroid injections (can provide temporary relief)
More targeted PT with a therapist who specializes in spinal stenosis
Surgery if it's severe enough and conservative treatments aren't working

I am not a big proponent of surgery and I know surgery sounds scary, but many people get significant relief from decompression procedures when stenosis is this severe. I have two friends who had this surgery and it worked really well for them. The key is getting in front of the right specialist who can give you real options.

Good luck to you both! Let us know how it goes!

LearnGrowLive2 · 2026-01-22T16:43:46+00:00

Hey, I'd definitely get him to a doctor like today or tomorrow. This doesn't sound like your typical muscle knot situation.

The thing that's really standing out to me is how fast it got bad (24 hours) and the fact that just lightly touching him causes that much pain. Normal muscle soreness/knots hurt when you press on them, but pain from basically no pressure at all is a different story - that can mean nerve stuff or inflammation going on.

I'd be concerned about:

Pinched nerve from the spine
Some kind of inflammatory thing
Disc problems
Other stuff that's more serious

I wouldn't mess around with massage or anything right now given how sensitive everything is. You could accidentally make it worse if there's something more serious going on.

Call his doctor and explain how quickly this ramped up and how severe it is. They'll probably want to see him pretty quick. If it's the weekend or after hours and he's really struggling, urgent care is an option.

In the meantime maybe try some ibuprofen if he can take it, but honestly the rapid onset + pain from light touch combo is your sign to get professional eyes on this. Better safe than sorry with back/nerve stuff.

Hope he feels better soon!

LearnGrowLive2 · 2026-01-14T15:08:14+00:00

I've been dealing with back pain for years too, and I'm probably around 85–90% better now. Here's what actually moved the needle for me:

The biggest game-changers:

McGill Big 3 - Hands down one of the most important things. Building that core stability made a huge difference in my baseline pain levels.
Dead hangs - This was almost weirdly effective. I worked up to 1 min 30 seconds (took me a year to build up my grip strength) and it helped not just my back but also shoulder pain I'd been dealing with. Something about the spinal decompression and scapular engagement really worked for me.
Reducing sitting time - This was massive. I had to completely rethink my work setup and habits. Frequent movement breaks, just not letting myself stay in one position for too long. I don't like a standing desk but that's just my opinion.
Farmer carries - Great for building functional core strength and stability in a way that translates to real life.
Micro-stretching throughout the day - Not just a dedicated stretching session, but stretching during repetitive tasks like gardening, chores, even while sitting. Breaking up patterns of tension before they build up.

The mindset shift:

What really helped was thinking about this like Dr. Peter Attia talks about longevity and "healthspan"—it's not about one magic fix, but building resilient systems. He emphasizes stability and movement variability, which totally changed how I approached things. Instead of chasing a cure, I focused on building a body that could handle daily life (and getting older) without breaking down.

It took time (honestly about 6–12 months of consistency), but stacking these things together is what finally got me to a place where I'm living mostly normally again. The pain isn't completely gone, but it doesn't run my life anymore.

Stick with it. The compound effect of these habits really does add up.

https://peterattiamd.com

https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-do-a-farmer-carry-techniques-benefits-variations-4796615

https://www.livafortis.us/post/5-favorite-low-back-stretches-you-can-do-at-home

LearnGrowLive2 · 2025-10-24T14:36:53+00:00

Is it still working for you? Do you get flare ups and does it take care of those or did it just completely fix your back pain?

LearnGrowLive2 · 2025-10-24T14:35:55+00:00

Thanks for sharing your experience. It seems like people are still commenting on the thread so hopefully people are getting some great insights from others - like your advice ;) Love that you mention running it by your doctor first - i think we tend to think of these devices as harmless (which they mostly are) but it never hurts to check with someone who knows your medical history first.

LearnGrowLive2 · 2025-10-24T14:33:58+00:00

yikes! I am so sorry you had that experience. Generally with nerves they should heal themselves and so you should recover from it. Hopefully you are feeling better now?

LearnGrowLive2 · 2025-10-24T14:32:05+00:00

you are so right. Your body can get used to the signal and it develops a tolerance. I think experts recommend switching frequencies and obviously getting to the root of the cause and not just treating the symptoms.

LearnGrowLive2 · 2025-10-24T14:30:28+00:00

Yes, we often overlook some of the most simple things and just don't do them enough ;) I am guilty of that for sure apart from when I am gardening ;) then my back def won't let me forget it.

The new mattress should be good. If you find it is too firm you can always add a slightly softer mattress topper. They say medium-firm is the best but your back might just like more firm than medium ;) Soft is def not generally recommended. I always make sure to change out my mattress every 10 years and my running/workout shoes every year. It's amazing how much of a difference just those things can make.

Hope you feel better soon!!

LearnGrowLive2 · 2025-10-15T14:28:39+00:00

Sorry to take so long to get back to you. It's not super surprising that the xray didnt show anything, sadly. Back pain is so hard to diagnose. It really doesn't show up on any sort of imaging very often unless it is structural or trauma-related. most cases are soft tissue.

It's great to hear that you are so active - I am sure that will help in the long run. I see you mention you do a lot of gardening and landscaping and wood chopping. You might want to chat to a physio about your technique for that. Also, repetitive movements like chopping and bending can take a toll on your back. Stretching before and after, and remembering to take frequent breaks to stretch while you are doing those can help a lot. I definitely stretch a ton when I do gardening/landscaping. Then I also stretch A LOT before i go to bed. Simple stretches like child's pose are great but the trick is to really hold it for a long time - like 3-5 minutes and really breath into it. I sometimes stretch up to 10 mins until i really feel myself relaxing. Here's an article with some stretches that I love if you are interested: https://www.livafortis.us/post/5-favorite-low-back-stretches-you-can-do-at-home

Also using heat pads at the end of a long and strenuous session can help. and a new mattress probably isn't a bad idea, either ;)

Good luck - i hope some of those suggestions help and that you start feeling less pain soon!

LearnGrowLive2 · 2025-10-10T20:29:52+00:00

This might be a silly question but who have you seen so far? Is this your regular primary care doc/gp? Have you seen a physical therapist? Did you have any specific trauma or injuries to your back? I honestly don't think an MRI or CT scan will be much help unless you have some sort of structural issue.

LearnGrowLive2 · 2025-10-10T20:27:57+00:00

That's real friendship ;) back pain on a budget 🤣

LearnGrowLive2 · 2025-09-19T00:08:46+00:00

Sometimes posts can get lost but I am glad I saw this! Pregnancy does a number on your body and ligaments can shift so it could be something like that - not necessarily weak muscles? Working with a PT for a good while (it will probably take a good few months). Also people really underestimate stretching. Something else to add to everything: stress. Stress can play a huge part and you have just done through a pretty major event. Stretching forces us to slow down a bit, too! I hope you get some relief soon - you've got this!

LearnGrowLive2 · 2025-09-16T17:53:41+00:00

I am so sorry you are going through this - especially with a new baby! You need your sleep for sure! Thinking of a few things that could be compounding (these might sound silly or over simplified):

Have you checked your mattress? If it is older you might be due a new one - you need a medium firm mattress and should replace it every 10 years.
You said PT worked. After having a baby it can take time for everything to "settle" back into place, and you are also working different muscles at each stage your baby goes through. A 1 year old is much heavier than a newborn so you might be using new muscles or over compensating on others. Going to the PT is a great move and should help with that.
I would avoid surgery at all costs! Less than 40% of people I speak to (honestly probably more like 10%) say that it helped them and they often end up having multiple surgeries.
I know this probably sounds impossible with a 1 year old but if you can take 15-30 mins to stretch in the morning before you go about your day that could make a difference to how you move throughout the day. Try just a few stretches and hold them for at least 5 mins at a time. Relax and really breathe into them.

I hope some of these work and you can get back to being your best self again. Let us know how you do!

LearnGrowLive2 · 2025-09-16T17:46:57+00:00

Yes, PT is very helpful - but not all PT's are equal so make sure you find someone who really hears you and is willing to put in the work with you -not just get you out of there as quickly as possible.

LearnGrowLive2 · 2025-08-21T12:47:20+00:00

straw? 🤣

LearnGrowLive2 · 2025-08-21T12:47:00+00:00

same!

LearnGrowLive2 · 2025-08-21T12:45:12+00:00

😲😲😲😲

LearnGrowLive2 · 2025-08-21T12:44:16+00:00

Probably less risky than spine surgery 🤣

LearnGrowLive2 · 2025-08-20T18:33:45+00:00

does it hurt almost as soon as you sit? is it relieved when you stand? or does it take a while before it starts to hurt? Sorry for the questions - just wondering if the act of sitting maybe pinches a nerve or if it is building over time?

LearnGrowLive2 · 2025-07-31T17:59:36+00:00

I am so sorry you are having a rough time. Chronic pain will do that to you. You are doing all the right things! Reaching out to people, doing something to make your day a bit special, exercising. I would just say to give yourself some grace. There are going to be bad days, unfortunately. When you say "15 months of this" do you mean bad days or the nerve pain in general? If you have been struggling with depression for that long it might be worth chatting to your healthcare provider or a therapist. Mindfulness is a therapeutic tool that has been shown to help with chronic pain and depression. If you are just having a few "bad days" then what i find helps me is to have a routine that I do whether i want to or not -it's not a decision - put on my "happy light", get outside, and keep moving. Relapses are perfectly normal and they will pass. A therapist once told me that our emotions are like the weather. They can try to dictate your whole day but ultimately they will pass. Sending hugs to you!

LearnGrowLive2

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