OT Back Problems

[Michael Kellough]

Thanks for the explanation Tinker.

 

[Fred West]

Tinker, thank you very much for the explanation and I think that I am going to follow up all of this with a very hard look at lifts for me as well. ANYTHING that makes my back feel better is good.  ;D Fred

 

[colinw]

Hi Again guys ,
                      After following this thread since it started and posting in it a couple of times a light bulb went off in my head last time i posted I forgot to add one VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF ADVICE. read this carefully and digest...................................Anyone who is experiencing back problems ( backache pain radiating down limbs etc ) the first thing to do is go and see a specialist preferably a neurosurgeon  and get AN MRI' ........................... what....... I hear thats expensive and my chiropractor can fix it ..........well folks as many of you know X-RAYS only show bones AN MRI shows bones and soft tissues .....to give you all an example .......... 10 years ago I started to suffer from backache I went to the Dr several times and the hospital a couple of times too I was sent home with pain killers after X-rays with the advice rest flat for a couple of days you have strained your back....... on a whim one day I decided to see a chiropractor he also took X-RAYS and sat me down and told me my back was way out of alignment  one hip higher than the other etc, we decided on a course of treatment but things changed little and I had good times and bad .........well to cut a long story short as you all know I got run over by a truck and after being treated for a year someone decided the only way to find out what was happening was to do an MRI, when someone else is paying for this its a last resort because it's expensive.  Well what a suprise what did they find ? a big old tumor that my neurosurgeon said had been living there for probally 12 to 15 years getting bigger and bigger, I was lucky as it was not cancerous .

Moral ........ don't treat the symptoms ....find out what is exactly wrong ......then decide do I need to fix it ......can I live with it. IT may be expensive to find out whats wrong , finding a good neurosurgeon takes time and research (by the way anyone living in the Chicago area I can recommend a great one) but its your only body you don't get another!

OK end of rant  I hope everyone got the drift of what I was trying to say and sorry for going on

 

[nickao]

Hi Again guys ,
                      After following this thread since it started and posting in it a couple of times a light bulb went off in my head last time i posted I forgot to add one VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF ADVICE. read this carefully and digest...................................Anyone who is experiencing back problems ( backache pain radiating down limbs etc ) the first thing to do is go and see a specialist preferably a neurosurgeon  and get AN MRI' ........................... what....... I hear thats expensive and my chiropractor can fix it ..........well folks as many of you know X-RAYS only show bones AN MRI shows bones and soft tissues .....to give you all an example .......... 10 years ago I started to suffer from backache I went to the Dr several times and the hospital a couple of times too I was sent home with pain killers after X-rays with the advice rest flat for a couple of days you have strained your back....... on a whim one day I decided to see a chiropractor he also took X-RAYS and sat me down and told me my back was way out of alignment  one hip higher than the other etc, we decided on a course of treatment but things changed little and I had good times and bad .........well to cut a long story short as you all know I got run over by a truck and after being treated for a year someone decided the only way to find out what was happening was to do an MRI, when someone else is paying for this its a last resort because it's expensive.  Well what a suprise what did they find ? a big old tumor that my neurosurgeon said had been living there for probally 12 to 15 years getting bigger and bigger, I was lucky as it was not cancerous .

Moral ........ don't treat the symptoms ....find out what is exactly wrong ......then decide do I need to fix it ......can I live with it. IT may be expensive to find out whats wrong , finding a good neurosurgeon takes time and research (by the way anyone living in the Chicago area I can recommend a great one) but its your only body you don't get another!

OK end of rant  I hope everyone got the drift of what I was trying to say and sorry for going on

Yes you are right.

The chiropractors always said nothing was wrong. As soon as the MRI was taken the bulging disc was evident.

Nickao

 

[colinw]

What I was trying to convey is for over 15 yrs both Md's and chiropractor's had missed the tumor. if i had seen a neurosurgeon earlier the tumor would have been smaller and easier to remove and if cancerous could have saved my life.

Colin

 

[nickao]

What I was trying to convey is for over 15 yrs both Md's and chiropractor's had missed the tumor. if i had seen a neurosurgeon earlier the tumor would have been smaller and easier to remove and if cancerous could have saved my life.

Colin

My insurance company actually made me go to a neurosurgeon before they approved the MRI and then after.. I was lucky enough for it not to be life threatening.

I hope everything turned out well for you in the end and stays that way.

Nickao

 

[Michael Kellough]

.......well to cut a long story short as you all know I got run over by a truck and after being treated for a year someone decided the only way to find out what was happening was to do an MRI, when someone else is paying for this its a last resort because it's expensive.  Well what a suprise what did they find ? a big old tumor that my neurosurgeon said had been living there for probally 12 to 15 years getting bigger and bigger, I was lucky as it was not cancerous .

\

Colin this is one of the most amazing stories I've ever heard. They say there's silver lining to everything but getting run over by a truck? You're blowing my mind! I guess another one of those sayings applies, "strange but true".

 

[Bob Swenson]

This has nothing to do with backs, just feet.
When my feet started to hurt I asked my VA doctor what was
Wrong. He said ?Don't you know how old they are, the pads
Are worn out and you are walking on bone. He offered no solution
And I continued to suffer. Could not walk very far and went to bed
Every night with feet that felt like toothaches, Tried inserts, all that
Stuff, nothing. There had to be a better way,so I went to the interweb
And found ?Asics gel sole shoes?, bought a pair, put them on and four
Hours later the pain was gone. Haven?t had a twinge since.
Best thing for concrete floors.
Best thing for your feet.
Old soles go for the gel of it.
Bob 

 

[colinw]

Colin this is one of the most amazing stories I've ever heard. They say there's silver lining to everything but getting run over by a truck? You're blowing my mind! I guess another one of those sayings applies, "strange but true".

Micheal.... If you read earlier in this thread you will see my post of the injuries I suffered ....AMAZING what the human body can withstand

Bob has also raised a good point, If you regularly work in you shop standing on a concrete floor which most of us do you will be amazed at the difference a sheet of low impact flooring makes, you don't have to cover the whole floor with it just for instance in front of your work bench where you stand for a long time.  there are lots of diffrent types the most common are interlocking tiles which can be purchased at around $2 each one square foot, also a exercise pad ( which are made to place exercise equipment on ) are very good for this purpose and are a convenient size. you will not regret doing this I FOUND THIS A LIFESAVER!

Colin.

 

[nickao]

Colin this is one of the most amazing stories I've ever heard. They say there's silver lining to everything but getting run over by a truck? You're blowing my mind! I guess another one of those sayings applies, "strange but true".

Micheal.... If you read earlier in this thread you will see my post of the injuries I suffered ....AMAZING what the human body can withstand

Bob has also raised a good point, If you regularly work in you shop standing on a concrete floor which most of us do you will be amazed at the difference a sheet of low impact flooring makes, you don't have to cover the whole floor with it just for instance in front of your work bench where you stand for a long time.  there are lots of different types the most common are interlocking tiles which can be purchased at around $2 each one square foot, also a exercise pad ( which are made to place exercise equipment on ) are very good for this purpose and are a convenient size. you will not regret doing this I FOUND THIS A LIFESAVER!

Colin.

Colin I put down the interlocking pads throughout the entire shop. They vacuum well and every 6 months I actually just put down a layer of shellac with a roller and they look almost new again. Since I work alone there is not much wear and tear and I am on my third year with the original tiles.

It has helped my back tremendously and if I drop a tool it makes a big difference compared to dropping one on the concrete.

First, I covered the entire shop floor with 6 mil plastic overlapped and taped. Then I covered it with the rubber tiles. I could even run out there in my socks no problem. It really gave my area a look that is much nicer to be in everyday compared with the concrete. And it has also helped with the humidity and moisture coming up through the concrete and actually keeps the floor much warmer than just the bare concrete.

I looked into the professional tile like a mechanic would use, but the tiles were hard and EXPENSIVE. The one's I have work well. I used mostly the older Craftsman version with some purchased from Farm and Fleet too. Make sure you choose wisely some of the mats are really cheap.

I totally agree that they are a lifesaver! I could never work 12 hour or more shifts without them.

 

[sw1211]

Even though I hate the looks of them and swore I'd never buy them, Crocs make good shop shoes.  They even have fur lined versions for when the weather gets cold.

 

[colinw]

Nickao,
          Fist of all Hi Neighbour your not to far away from me. Yes I looked at the professional ones too they looked really cool and nice (my garage floor is old and tired with a few cracks) but as you stated they are hard. I decided to buy the ones from farm and fleet too but before I bought them my wife can home with some that she got for me from of all places big lots, there were ten tiles in a pack and enough interlocking edges to make a rectangular mat 10 x 4 and only cost $14.99. I was sceptical at first but they are wearing well and vacuum fine without coming apart and are comfortable to work on. and I guess if they do wear out $15.00 a pack is no big deal i spend tons more on sanding disks and those don't last forever  ;D

Colin.

 

[nickao]

Nickao,
          Fist of all Hi Neighbor your not to far away from me. Yes I looked at the professional ones too they looked really cool and nice (my garage floor is old and tired with a few cracks) but as you stated they are hard. I decided to buy the ones from farm and fleet too but before I bought them my wife can home with some that she got for me from of all places big lots, there were ten tiles in a pack and enough interlocking edges to make a rectangular mat 10 x 4 and only cost $14.99. I was skeptical at first but they are wearing well and vacuum fine without coming apart and are comfortable to work on. and I guess if they do wear out $15.00 a pack is no big deal i spend tons more on sanding disks and those don't last forever  ;D

Colin.

Yes, you live closer than most to me!

The only small problem I have is when I roll my delta planer around, that thing is heavy! If I do not keep the tiles tight by standing on them the rubber mats can come up and curl under the wheels. At first it was aggravating, now I just keep the matts tight by leaning against the tool and I have no problems at all. 

I like how you compare them with a consumable, like the sandpaper analogy. they do last longer than I ever thought they would and I have not totally replaced any yet.

If you come to a point you need to toss them out, try the shellac to see if it rejuvenates them at all. Obviously  it will not repair big rips, but it does make them look purdy.

As a back saver they do work, which is the most important thing to me. They have helped my knees too!

Maybe in the future for a woodworking show or something we can hook up and meet and talk shop.

Nick

 

[colinw]

Nickao
          I did not completely cover my whole floor for this reason I have mats strategically placed where i work most and if i need one somewhere else i grab one, but this is not often. and i am still able to wheel my planer, jointer, TS , bandsaw when needed which I do often.
In regards to the matting being a consumable  it is ! I have three kids and class my carpet as a consumable! on the serious side if its to do with my health i need it and if i have to replace it so be it .Too many people play Russian roulette with their health and haven't got the time to see a doctor or have the it will go away attitude. Sorry but this is a pet peeve of mine John Doe spends thousands on a new car/ Festools/ new toy but wont go and pay to get that lump checked out even if it has been there for 6 months now. I can not tell you how many people i know like this and I could tell you several horror stories too. To put it in perspective If our roof leaks we don't just fix the damage it caused we fix the problem first which is the leak then we fix the damage done.

Colin

 

[nickao]

You know once I went wall to wall and used Double sticky tape around the edges pushing the planer around is not big deal anymore. I am lucky I think, nothing else never needs to be moved around. I used to trip over the edges of the mats.

Do you have the trim edges that ramp the mats down so you do not catch your foot on the lip. The lip is why I went wall to wall.

To me and the people that have stood on  it the mats are like night and day from standing on the concrete. It also just makes the workshop seem like a shop and not a 3 car garage.

I know what you mean about carpets. Since the 4th kid we have had nothing but hardwood floors. My wife likes it better too. No matter how good the festools the carpet would still get a certain amount of dust. But I do think the padded carpet was better for my back. Its my excuse to stay out  in the shop!

Have a great day!

Nickao

 

[danrush]

Colin, Nick,

The matts you are using.. can a car be parked on it?  My work car needs to be in each night.  That's why I thought for me the garage tiles would be best.(but they do seem hard, not much cushion)  Any thoughts?

Thanks much, Dan

 

[nickao]

I wouldn't park a car on them at all. Even if they held up they are bound to move unless you enter and exit real slow. And in bad weather the rain etc will be brought back  in on them. The garage tiles are better for the car, the rubber tiles are better for the back.

I think Colin's idea of placing them strategically would be better if you were bringing a car in. None where the car goes.

Nickao

 

[danrush]

Thanks, I suspected as much, without actually seeing them.  My feet got their hopes up for nothing!!!

 

[Michael Kellough]

I wouldn't park a car on them at all. Even if they held up they are bound to move unless you enter and exit real slow. And in bad weather the rain etc will be brought back  in on them. The garage tiles are better for the car, the rubber tiles are better for the back.

I think Colin's idea of placing them strategically would be better if you were bringing a car in. None where the car goes.

Nickao

These tiles are 2 feet on a side so if you strategically place them you could peel up the two rows that would be under the tires and put them back down when the car is out.

 

[Bob Swenson]

Hello!!!
Whats not to get?
With the Asics the mats go with you.
Even to church
The borg
Whatever

Bob  ???