Back Pain: A Note
For some reason, the issue of back pain has come up on multiple blogs I follow, and LJ. Misdiagnosis and "It's not serious, it just hurts a lot, I won't go to a doctor!" seem to be a common theme.
Let me say this, as a two year veteran of a prolapsed disc: See the fucking doctor. If you slip and hurt your back and the pain comes back or persists for more than that day, _see the fucking doctor if it is at all possible_. There are hundreds of ome remedies that will help you with the pain-- epsom salts, relaxation, yoga, etc. Check them out, sure. But /see the fucking doctor/. Get it checked out. And if you still feel pain after following what the doctor tells you, see a specialist, if you can, and if not, treat your back with velvet gloves, and watch for the pain. For pity's sake, do that even if you've got the insurance and the specialist says you're mostly okay.
I believe in a Creator, yes. I also _know_ there's evolution. I don't see a conflict. You can have a divine Creator and still be a work in progress. In fact, it's almost a certainty for a living, changing universe like the one we're in. But whether you're an atheist or a theist, these are the facts: Our backs-- muscles, spines, and so forth-- despite millions of years of evolution, were originally designed for horizontal, quadruped creatures. We've come a long way, but major change goes on and on, and there is a reason that back problems are persistent and chronic for the human species-- our backs are taking pressure in ways that they're not yet 100% suited to (and may never be so without deliberate engineering, which may not be wise-- there are some uses to being able to switch handily between modes of transportation).
Treat your back with respect and care. This is how you move. This is how you live. I wish now that I'd been far, far more aggressive about my care and diagnosis than I was-- and the consequences for my loved ones are greater because I did not. So if you won't do it to spare yourself, do it so that you don't become a burden on those you care about.
Let me say this, as a two year veteran of a prolapsed disc: See the fucking doctor. If you slip and hurt your back and the pain comes back or persists for more than that day, _see the fucking doctor if it is at all possible_. There are hundreds of ome remedies that will help you with the pain-- epsom salts, relaxation, yoga, etc. Check them out, sure. But /see the fucking doctor/. Get it checked out. And if you still feel pain after following what the doctor tells you, see a specialist, if you can, and if not, treat your back with velvet gloves, and watch for the pain. For pity's sake, do that even if you've got the insurance and the specialist says you're mostly okay.
I believe in a Creator, yes. I also _know_ there's evolution. I don't see a conflict. You can have a divine Creator and still be a work in progress. In fact, it's almost a certainty for a living, changing universe like the one we're in. But whether you're an atheist or a theist, these are the facts: Our backs-- muscles, spines, and so forth-- despite millions of years of evolution, were originally designed for horizontal, quadruped creatures. We've come a long way, but major change goes on and on, and there is a reason that back problems are persistent and chronic for the human species-- our backs are taking pressure in ways that they're not yet 100% suited to (and may never be so without deliberate engineering, which may not be wise-- there are some uses to being able to switch handily between modes of transportation).
Treat your back with respect and care. This is how you move. This is how you live. I wish now that I'd been far, far more aggressive about my care and diagnosis than I was-- and the consequences for my loved ones are greater because I did not. So if you won't do it to spare yourself, do it so that you don't become a burden on those you care about.