"Leif Thorvaldson" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 10 Jan 2006 03:43:42 GMT, "Darrell Feltmate"
wrote:

Leif
Sorry to hear about your back. I have had pain before but never needed an
operation. Is there any word on recovery time?

Not until the 12th of Never, I am afraid, Darrell! I am planning on
getting some cortisone shots in the back and maybe that will give me
more relief.8^(

Leif, So sorry to hear about your back. I know you are getting advice from
everyone you talk to about your back (I did). I hate to chime in but this
might help you, depending on what type of injury you sustained and how
sucessful your surgeries were. I hurt my back about ten years ago and it
went untreated untill I could not stand upright. I was sent to a surgeon and
he says: will you switch jobs after I operate, and I said no. He said, I
will not operate cuz you will tear it up again lifting heavy refrigeration
compressors without proper tools. We cannot get cherry pickers and the like
in the small convienience stores we service and these are cast iron
compressors, starting @75# and go to #475. It's two men and heave-ho. Always
has been always will be till an architech(with a bad back) designs the
compressor rooms. To make a long story short, I did everything from
chiropractors to physical therapy. Nothing worked. Insurance required me to
see a sports physician. He hears my tale hands me a book called treat your
own back by Robin McKenzie. It took months to see the results, but I got my
back to where I can deal with it. I have good days and bad but I havn't lost
work in 5 years. I changed a 15 HP compressor yesterday (with one helper)
and yes my back hurts, but I am doing my excercises as soon as I type this.
The link for the book @ amazon.com is below. Feel free to contact me on or
off list if I can help.
Good Luck Lyndell

P.S. Bascially the excercises deal with bending the lower back, backwards to
compensate for all the time we spend leaning forwards. These are done like
womens pushups(belly flat on floor-back arched as far back as possible) and
a standing version of the same. Also someone here posted about a knee
bending excercise for turners. You put your back against the wall and bend
you knees. I thought I saved it, but I can't find it. If whoever posted it
reads this, please repost I was wanting to try it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/095...lance&n=283155