Bad Back....how do you carry?

[ben z]

John, from personal experience I second the recommendation for Pilates. Also I recommend getting some physical therapy if your insurance pays for it, where they will set you up with a series of stretches and exercises to do daily after you're back on track so that this won't happen frequently. If not, find a _licensed_ massage therapist who works either for a chiropractor or an orthopedic rehab center (not all LMT's are experienced in therapeutic massage vs relaxation massage). Then you may find you can carry more camera equipment than you think. Meantime, I'd try to carry as minimal an outfit as you can, in a bag that puts the weight as close to your body as possble, or go the vest route. The problem I have with backpacks and a bad back is not pulling a muscle while hoisting it on or off.

[frank uhlig]

Simply put the load on your hip: i.e., use an Lowepro Orion or - a bit larger - the Lowepro Orion AW. Your legs do not hurt, right? You will be carrying the load on what is below the spine (=legs), so it should be alright then. Hip packs are HIP!

 

Good luck with your pics then.

[frank granovski]

John, the trouble is with "harder" stuff is that you have to work up to it. build up your body; and if you're not warmed up, it's easy to hurt yourself anyway, especially if you're not young any more. Bruce Lee had a very bad back, by the way. My old instructor knew him personally. I include back exercises in my instructional video tapes.

 

When I carry gear, my bag hangs on my right, or it's carried with my right hand, and my tripod's on my left side. So the weight is 50-50. I never carry extra gear that I won't need. This includes when I go out fishing, backpacking, and out on a canoe trip. I used to own a Gruman? 17 foot standard canoe but went with a lightweight 14 footer. I try not to over do it in the way of unneeded weight.

[peter_mann3]

Take one camera and one lens. Your pictures will be just as good as with the whole kit, just less variety in perspective.

[billsr]

If you must haul more than you can easily bear by yourself, consider airline luggage with wheels. Sciatica is no fun and you're most likely in it for life. Mine is 40 years old! Best of luck, Bill

[35mmdelux]

1 camera, 1 lens. come on now - you know better.

[nasmformyzombie]

John<br><br>I hurt my upper back a few years ago (C-4/5)---bulging disc. I did the muscle relaxant/pain killer thing for about 18 months. Physical therapy, more pills, constant pain. Didn't pick up a camera for a year. Then the months became years, more pain, then weight gain from lack of activity. When the anti-inflamatory meds began to get some real bad press last year (at this point, I'd been on the damn things for over four years), I thought I must try to get off the meds. As a last resort, I tried acupuncture. The acupuncturist told me during my first visit I would be virtually pain free before we were done. I thought he was cocky, maybe even a little nuts. Twice a week for a month, I did the treatment. My pain began to subside. Four weeks in, I was 75% pain free. I stopped the meds. Two, three weeks later (and no meds) I'm 90% pain free. Another two weeks I'm 95% pain free. That was December, 2004. Today, I'm shooting again, even considering getting a 400/600mm telephoto lens to do some bird photography. Unthinkable just a few months ago!<br><br> I know your question was about gear---but I share my story whenever I have a chance. Maybe it will help someone.

[ted_white2]

I have a disc that bulges inward. I got to the point where I was taking anti-inflammatories every day. Not good. Then I met a man who destroyed his back building fancy homes on Berkeley hillsides. He said he would drive to the job site in his pickup truck, in agony from each jolt, then slowly roll out onto the ground and lay there for a bit. Sometimes it would take ten minutes to get from sitting in the pickup to standing upright.

 

Then he began walking. Plus exercises to strengthen the abdominable girdle. Now, as long as he walks one hour each morning and does the exercises, he is pain free. If he misses a few days walking, the back pain slowly returns

 

So this is what I do, and it works. As for how to carry cameras, oddly, I use a small fanny pack designed for casual hikes. The kind with a pouch on each side for a water bottle. I carry the water bottle in one pouch and a Bessa R in the other (getting an M2 on Wednesday). The only way the camera could fall out would be if I did a head stand (not likely).

 

In the pouch in the center, I can fit an extra lens and some trail mix). Outfitted thusly, I can hike in the San Pedro River riparian area (Mexican border, Arizona) easily for a couple of hours, pain free. Many posters have recommended pilates, and I am going to try that, and, possibly, yoga.

[jtk]

Pilates may be a good idea.

 

Another approach, more male-oriented and cheaper, would be to go to an age-appropriate gym and ask for supervision by a certified, college-degreed, personal trainer. I did that at 59 and completely fixed shoulder and ankle problems within several weeks of 2X/wk.

 

Many back issues can be fixed by developing trunk musculature, "core strength". You can develop that "core strength" very quickly with safe exercises, primarily with giant inflatable balls. In general MDs prefer surgery and drugs to advising physical fitness. If your back-MD is not personally an athlete, find another.

[dennis_wong]

John,

 

Being a therapist myself, my humble opinion in priority is: 1)Get rid of the pain (meds, therapy and whatever works for you) before you think about travelling with heavy gear, pain makes the muscles weaker and you are just waiting for a relapse if you work with pain. 2)Start a progressive exercise program (can be as simple as a 20 minutes walk, 4 laps in the pool or Pilates, something that your body and your time can handle) and slowly work your way up. 3)Start a stretching routine for your back and legs. 4)Get back to your full work routine.

While you move from 1 to 2, you can consider carrying lighter gears eg. use zoom lens instead of 2-3 fixed lens, while you work.

Bottom line is, you can buy the best carry bag in the world but you CANNOT buy a good back; you have to work for it.

Hope it helps.

 

Dennis

[bill_thorlin]

Surely the first requirement is to get the best diagnosis you can get and your GP/MD is rarely the best, a specialist is nearly always the answer.

 

As regards medication - yes ( I know what it feels like) but be aware that painkillers can mask the problem and lead you to doing things you shouldn't because it feels OK. In addition be aware of the possible side-effects of anti-inflammatories especially with protracted use.

 

As I said before please do take it as a warning sign. You only get one back.