camper67

Just checking in. after today I will have completed day 7. Heading for my scheduled abdominal ultrasound in a little bit.

I had noticed on the thread "What did your body tell you..." that several people mentioned back pain. I have had back pain for several monts now...not from gallbladder, I don't think, but my spine keeps slipping out of allignment and my Chiropractor has to keep popping me back into allignment. It is beter for a couple days and works it's way out again. (he tells me that once a person reaches their 40's, its common to have that happen for a while because one's discs are turning harder with age). In addition, I have noticed that there is some mild pains in my elbows and shoulders sometimes.


I was wondering what, if any, effects alcohol use has on a person's back and joints...or if anyone really knows.

I am not sure I want to just pass going to the Chiropractor and try an orthopedic doctor.

CarolD

A whole lot of things begin to happen as we age.....some have to do with past drinking....others do not.

It's always a good idea to have a genreral checkup each year then go to whatever specialist your GP suggests...

however..if you do have on going pain...the sooner you get it checked out the better
Hope you find releif soon....

freshstart57

I had aches and pains associated with knees and hips, that disappeared after quitting the booze. While I was experiencing them, I didn't assign a cause other than aging. Then I read this, so there may be some association with joint pain and alcohol consumption.

mwstylee

I had been getting black-out drunk every night for the past year or so, and before that, black-out drunk a few nights a week. For about the past year, I would have horrible back pain along my spine and also the area directly behind my abs toward my back. After a really bad binge (every weekend) where I would drink for 3 days nonstop, there was a crushing pain between my shoulder blades and in my chest.

I'm on day 7 today and the pain between the shoulder blades is gone. The back pain is 75% less. This leads me to believe all that painw as caused by my rampant drinking.

I'm in my mid 20s so it's not from age. I think.

checkmate1

I had pain in my lower back around my kidney region in the last few years of drinking. I went to the doctor and had some tests done and there fine. It might have been all in my head kinda thing but now that I'm sober almost 6 months sober the back pain has slowly diminished to barely nothing. Strange but true.

Scolova

Similar to mwstylee (though I'm 40 and drank hard for 10 years +cigs)...
January 2010 I had intense pains in my upper back around my ribs, felt like it was coming from within my lungs and rib cage. The pain was bad on my right side for about three weeks, then switched to my left side for another two weeks.
Again early this year I had the pain in my spine, but just a bit higher... It was INSANE PAIN for about 5 weeks. The nerve going down my right arm to my index finger throbbed (almost) constantly. Like the dumb-a** alchy I was, I kept drinking to dull the pain and never went to the doctor for it... I am actually afraid that sometime this winter I will have sciatica pain again, although this time I will not use booze to 'medicate' and I will see a doctor.

keepstrong

I had carpal tunnel, repetitive strain injury, and all kinds of random patterns of pain in many areas of my body.

Chiros helped but never enough. Same with deep tissue massage.

What helped me was a technique called Rolfing and also Myofascial Release. A book called The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook explains how these techniques work. Its comprehensive and easy to understand and fairly inexpensive on Amazon.

I can manage my pain very easily now either by myself for the little issues, or with a good bodyworker for the tough ones.

The combination of this, healthy eating and sleeping and exercise (once pain is low) keeps me going really well