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Glad to see things are better for you. My dad had a similar problem once. He bent down to pick up a wrench and that was the end of it. His must have been a different problem than yours though, because he ended up in traction for a few days at the hospital.
 
So here I am, just shy of 24 years old, and as I stood from picking up a kleenex I had dropped this morning (which I have been using constantly thanks to a stubborn head cold), I suddenly had the most intense shooting pain in my lower back. I tried to take a step, and I couldn't. I tried to bend down again, and I couldn't. At first I thought it was just a little muscle spasm, so I gave it a few seconds and then tried to walk again. Nope. All I could do was lean on the counter and call for someone to help me. Now I'm in bed, and I can't even hoist myself up to a sitting position without wanting to scream in pain. Oh, and it hurts to cough -- which is great, since I have a cold. Going to the bathroom a half hour ago was an adventure.

It seems I've badly pulled a back muscle, but I don't know how. All I did was bend down to pick up a kleenex. I don't understand how something like this can happen to someone at my age...it sounds like an "old man" story my father or grandfather would tell.

At least I've got my iMac at the foot of the bed with Front Row, a bunch of TV shows, and a crapload of podcasts. And a laptop to browse MacRumors :D

Sigh...this sucks. Anyone else have back problems? What do you do to fix it? I've taken some pain reliever (not doing a lot of good) and iced it (not helping all that much either). If I still can't walk by tomorrow, I'm going to the doctor.
I read this and laughed as it was something I just went through. I threw my back sunday and was helpless on the ground. I collapsed in the floor and COULD NOT MOVE. My phone was in the other room so it took me hrs of willful determination to somehow get it to let someone know I was in trouble. I could not get up, could not roll over and was in complete pain. I had been doing yard work and when doing laundry, felt like I got shot

I could not go to work the next day and did go Tuesday but was in immense pain. I could not drive and it still hurts but I am at least able to get up and walk around. I have recovered about 80% but boy did ˆ ever feel helpless. We take backs for granted. I am 31
 
To add to this now 10 year old post, I had a similar experience as the OP about a year ago. I pulled my back somehow by sitting at my desk. Literally just sitting - wasn't doing anything extraneous. The pain was gradual to set in. It hurt at first, but I could still move and walk around. Went to bed that night and it was starting to get worse. Used a heating pad and fell asleep. Woke up to the worst pain I've ever felt. Was bed-ridden all day, couldn't move. Could barely lift my head. That night I fell asleep, I woke up shivering but I didn't feel cold. I couldn't control it. Every time my body shook involuntarily, my pulled back sent me into extreme pain. I wanted to die it was so bad. I managed to pull up my covers and warm up a bit and it went away. This was in the middle of summer, I didn't know what was going on. It was a process to get from one room to the next, I might as well have had a broken bone.

I was back to normal in a week. My back has always been fickle. It doesn't take much to pull something for me (and I'm only 22). I'm in decent physical shape, not overweight and I exercise relatively often. Still have problems. Nothing major this year (knock on wood) and I hope to keep it that way.
 
Guys, what is the status of your backs- injured disks, degenerative disk disease? Is it possible these events happen based solely based on injured muscles? Not sure about that. I've known about my degenerative disk diseas for several decades. It helped signal the end of my running days, I can no longer lift heavy objects, but besides several events over the years that laid me up for 3 days or so, I have relatively few issues with it.

Of note, those occurances did not occur due to any particular bad move I made like bending over or lifting something. A minor move, triggered them, although I can make these moves regularly, like bending over to pick up something, and usually nothing happens. After a couple of days, it goes away.

I read this and laughed as it was something I just went through. I threw my back sunday and was helpless on the ground. I collapsed in the floor and COULD NOT MOVE. My phone was in the other room so it took me hrs of willful determination to somehow get it to let someone know I was in trouble. I could not get up, could not roll over and was in complete pain. I had been doing yard work and when doing laundry, felt like I got shot

I could not go to work the next day and did go Tuesday but was in immense pain. I could not drive and it still hurts but I am at least able to get up and walk around. I have recovered about 80% but boy did ˆ ever feel helpless. We take backs for granted. I am 31

To add to this now 10 year old post, I had a similar experience as the OP about a year ago. I pulled my back somehow by sitting at my desk. Literally just sitting - wasn't doing anything extraneous. The pain was gradual to set in. It hurt at first, but I could still move and walk around. Went to bed that night and it was starting to get worse. Used a heating pad and fell asleep. Woke up to the worst pain I've ever felt. Was bed-ridden all day, couldn't move. Could barely lift my head. That night I fell asleep, I woke up shivering but I didn't feel cold. I couldn't control it. Every time my body shook involuntarily, my pulled back sent me into extreme pain. I wanted to die it was so bad. I managed to pull up my covers and warm up a bit and it went away. This was in the middle of summer, I didn't know what was going on. It was a process to get from one room to the next, I might as well have had a broken bone.

I was back to normal in a week. My back has always been fickle. It doesn't take much to pull something for me (and I'm only 22). I'm in decent physical shape, not overweight and I exercise relatively often. Still have problems. Nothing major this year (knock on wood) and I hope to keep it that way.
 
I have the same crap right now!!!! omg it hurts to cough and sneeze and even flip over to lay in a different position! I bent over to align the rug and now im bed ridden! i had that before , you just have to wait it out
 
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