Ouch, Ouch, Ouch!

Yeah, "OUCH"!  I'm a fairly active person, but not an exerciser.   I have too much actual work to do to waster energy and time exercising.  And I do that somewhat regularly (bad weather intrudes sometimes for a few days).  And with yardwork and home projects sometimes comes stiff muscles, cramps, etc.  Getting older doesn't help much either.

I'm used to it.  If I have to grip something hard for a lengthy time (shovel handle, chain saw, rototiller, I know I can expect some hand stiffness hours later.  Lifting stuff and bending causes muscle cramps on my sides sometimes.  And I get leg cramps lying in bed irregularly.

And, as I get older, I have to get up at night more often (calls of nature).

But I didn't expect to get out of bed Saturday night and almost fall over from sudden lower back muscle pain.  I'm used to feeling a bit stiff when I get out of bed, but the usual solution is to just stretch.  And I'm agile enough to clasp my hands behind my back, lean forward and raise my clasped hands toward my head.  A few "popping" sensations and all is well.  I suppose a chiropractor would know what I'm doing.

Until Saturday night!  I put my feet on the floor and stood up and almost immediately fell forward.  Fortunately, I had my hands on a chair.  But my lower back muscled refused to let me straighten up. 

And it HURT!  I managed to hold onto things to do my business, but I could barely stand erect and only with some pain.  Same thing each time that night.  In the morning, same thing, but after forcing myself to walk around a bit, the pain reduced to a mild stiffness though I was aware of discomfort all day.  An Ibuprofen, and some Aspercreme on the lower back muscles helped.  By the end of the day, I was walking relatively normally.

Same Sunday night and Monday day.  Same Monday night and Tuesday day.    By the end of Tuesday, I was walking normally, but I can still feel it now even as I type.

I HOPE I merely over-exerted myself cutting down 3-4" junk saplings and hauling them out to open space for cutting up some other day, and that it is temporary and will go away soon.  But I recall my Dad had back problems younger than my current age and did some daily exercises. 

I sure hope this isn't permanent.  I'm scheduling an annual physical and will be sure to add this to the list of complaints.

But in the meantime, I have things I need to get done before Winter sets in.

OUCH!