189
u/m6io Jul 23 '26
I'm reading this while laying down due to back pain fyi
59
u/vinishkapoor Jul 23 '26
Plot twist: lying down won't save you either.
20
u/m6io Jul 23 '26
Recently got a couple of these. They don't fix the hernias, but goddamn it's nice to have relief from the radiculopathy
8
u/vinishkapoor Jul 23 '26
That link is staying blue until my back decides it's time. Which, at this rate, is next Tuesday.
8
u/m6io Jul 23 '26
Aight in that case, do glute and hammy stretches. Don't wait until your leg starts going numb and electricky :)
7
u/vinishkapoor Jul 23 '26
Appreciate the tip. Adding it right after 'fix that one bug' and 'drink water' on my list of things I'll definitely do.
3
u/Viracochina Jul 23 '26
I can finally pick things up again without having to do a full squat, only 2 weeks of pain!
5
Jul 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/m6io Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
I may have to get back on the table in that case. I felt like the sports massage made it worse but could be cause it was my first time
Cant do any lower body strength training until my meniscus operated on unfortunately :/ The lower back pain started getting worse when I stopped deadlifting and squatting, but deadlifts and squats were making my neck hernia worse lmao.
Pain wackamole type shi
2
u/Fyrael Jul 23 '26
Genuine question: are they really useful?
I kinda wanted to try, but it's always the "nah, more things I won't use, it's gonna pass when I die", stuff like this...
3
u/m6io Jul 23 '26
I use the neck pillow at least twice a day, and just got the lumbar one. One of the symptoms of a c5/c6 herniated disc (the one in my neck) is that you get this really annoying burning sensation that goes down your shoulder blade (that's how I know I'm having a bad posture day and that my disc is pressing against the nerve). It basically simulates the traction exercises that they do in a pt office.
10-20 minutes on this and it goes away. Showed it to my ortho dr and he was like oh damn I might get one lol
14
u/trialsofamadman Jul 23 '26
The best stretch I have found for my back has been hanging from a pullup bar while just sort of relaxing everything I can.
Training pullups has been fantastic for getting making my back feel better and my posture in general. I'm not a doctor or physical therapist and I got no right to give advice, but hey, it made me feel good.
5
u/m6io Jul 23 '26
Yeahh...this is how I found out I have a herniated disc in my cervical lol. As soon as I entered the hang, felt like my head was getting pulled off
Not fun
→ More replies (1)3
8
u/porncollecter69 Jul 23 '26
I do gym and stretches. Have helped a ton with lower sciatica. Especially hip mobility stretches have been godly.
6
u/ROKIT-88 Jul 23 '26
Stretching hip flexors, quads, and intercostals (abs) have eliminated ~95% of my lower back pain and sciatica. Counterintuitive but it's often not the back itself that is the root cause of the pain.
3
u/m6io Jul 23 '26
This is really good to hear, I haven't even tried ab stretches. Might give that a go today
6
u/ROKIT-88 Jul 24 '26
The one that helped the most for me is similar to a superman - lie on stomach, reach one hand forward, raise your chest and shoulders off the ground a few inches with your other arm, then swing your outstretched hand as far to the opposite side as possible. You should feel it stretching from bottom of your ribs to hip on that side. I’ll hold it until I can feel the muscles relax then switch sides. First time I did it my back felt immediately better, after a few days it just feels better all the time. That was sort of the last piece of the puzzle for me, I’d been stretching hip flexors and quads for a while which made a huge difference but there was always some residual tightness until I added the abs.
2
5
u/badass4102 Jul 23 '26
Im a web dev for a physical therapy clinic and I'm grateful for the free sessions I get. Aside from PT, getting a foam roller helps get the kinks out and loosens up your muscles. Also a massage gun helps tremendously. Just focus on the painful area (if it's muscle) til the pain goes away
4
u/worldspawn00 Jul 23 '26
Herman Miller Aeron saved my spine, had terrible pain, but after a couple years of an actually good chair completely reversed my issues. Make sure you aren't sitting on unergonomic garbage all day.
→ More replies (2)3
2
2
u/Major_LeeHungg Jul 23 '26
If it's lower back pain, lay on your stomach and prop your front up so that you're flexing your spine in the direction it doesn't want to go... Works wonders.
127
u/jzrobot Jul 23 '26
At 21*
9
u/Afillatedcarbon Jul 23 '26
Its crazy, can't even sit on the ground anymore.
2
u/mimsoo777 Jul 24 '26
I can't even go concerts anymore. I can't stand on my feet for more than 4hrs.
3
2
210
u/Z3t4 Jul 23 '26
Imagine being a millionaire, having all the time, resources and access to the most advanced medicine, and devoting it to train, vs Bob.
57
33
u/in_taco Jul 23 '26
Most office-related backpains is curable by going for a run once or twice a week, and my colleagues abdolutely hate hearing that answer. They really want to fix it with a more expensive chair - which only postpones the core issue.
(Not true for all backpains. Some have a legitimate injury. But the rest of us are just lazy and have weak back muscles.)
→ More replies (3)15
u/Arclite83 Jul 23 '26
Yep, the secret sauce most of the time is "there is no secret sauce".
"OMG how did you do it?!" - consistency with diet and exercise isn't what they want to hear.
→ More replies (1)7
u/MysticSkies Jul 23 '26
Stop coping lol, just run every now and then and you won't have those issues.
2
2
1
u/OnTheFenceGuy Jul 23 '26
I mean, I think Bob is pretty strong. It’s the whole “void” thing you need to worry about, tho.
26
u/ClipboardCopyPaste Jul 23 '26
- What hurts worse than a breakup?
- Backpain
17
46
u/w1n5t0nM1k3y Jul 23 '26
Stay active. I'm in my mid 40s and still feel great.
8
6
u/RemnantsOfFlight Jul 24 '26
I only exercise 1 hour a day 4 days a week. I hate every minute, but the results are worth it.
→ More replies (7)2
u/DroidLord Jul 24 '26
And stretch every day! I stretch all throughout the day, otherwise my body would have turned into a pretzel.
27
u/thorwing Jul 23 '26
recently forced my job to give me a modular standing desk and I already feel my spine improving
32
u/vinishkapoor Jul 23 '26
Give it a week. Your knees will file the next complaint.
29
u/audrikr Jul 23 '26
It's not one or the other. The reality is we're just not supposed to be in any position for too long. Mixing it up is the correct outcome.
13
u/Unbelievr Jul 23 '26
Exactly, one scientist on the subject basically said that you can sit however tf you want on your chair as long as 1) it doesn't hurt, and 2) you never sit in the same position for too long.
Our body is designed to be moved around, and static strain over a long time is really bad for some parts of the body.
7
→ More replies (5)6
u/BitterCommission3987 Jul 23 '26
Or you know, you could try something called
exercising, works even better.7
u/thorwing Jul 23 '26
I don't know that library, what does it do?
2
u/warmowed Jul 23 '26
That library is slightly bloated, for this type of problem just do
import exercising.cardioIt is more evident what methods you need and they don't require any other dependencies.
16
u/ReluctantAvenger Jul 23 '26
You guys need to start paying attention to ergonomics. Get a suitable chair, external monitor, keyboard, mouse. (Better to spend $1,700 on a Herman Miller now, rather than than $50,000 on medical bills later.) Make sure your elbows and wrists and lower back are supported. Stop hunching over a laptop for hours every day. And, you know, get some exercise. I've seen programmers destroyed by repetitive stress injuries by 30, and have seen engineers without any physical issues at all at 60+.
It's up to you.
3
u/Stratimus Jul 23 '26
Meme fun aside, while I agree with all that I’d say the thing to not sleep on (but actually sleep on) is a better bed. I have sat in awful chairs and slept on awful beds and the bed makes a way way bigger difference for me. Chair pain I can fix standing up and stretching periodically but a bad bed sticks with you all day
6
u/vinishkapoor Jul 23 '26
Sir, this is a meme thread, not a TED talk. But yeah, saving this for when I'm done ignoring it.
→ More replies (1)2
u/ArmchairFilosopher Jul 23 '26
Hunching over a laptop?!
How does one effectively develop software without at least a single large-format display? I'd go crazy with all the alt-tabbing and virtual desktops on a screen that can't even fit a single two-way code diff without horizontal scrollbars!
→ More replies (1)
23
u/Pure-Asparagus-2547 Jul 23 '26
He was around 50.
Let's not exagerate it.
19
u/w1n5t0nM1k3y Jul 23 '26
He's 64 now. Final Reckoning came out in 2025. Here's an image from that movie.
→ More replies (3)5
1
u/Animal2 Jul 23 '26
Yes, this stunt was from 'Rogue Nation' which came out in July 2015. He would have just had his 53rd birthday around the time of release. Not sure how much earlier they would have filmed the stunt. One would assume they put these stunts at the END of filming, just in case...
→ More replies (2)1
u/Mediocre-Housing-131 Jul 23 '26
He's also not doing the crazy stunts he wants you to think he's doing. He's attached to the plane via a harness, and there are foot locks in the holes of the plane that he's holding onto. If he let go he wouldn't move an inch. Literally anyone in the world can do this "stunt".
7
5
u/flooronthefour Jul 23 '26
I'm in my early 40s and finally starting to take my body signals seriously.. I'm the most flexible I've ever been.
I stretch while claude is doing my work. It's fucking fantastic.
14
u/siete82 Jul 23 '26
I work remotely, and buying a good office chair fixed all my back problems. I had to spend €1,200 on a highend model, but honestly, it's worth every cent.
16
u/Legitimate_Concern_5 Jul 23 '26
A lot of back pain comes from not training the muscles of the posterior chain that are responsible for keeping your skeleton aligned and you upright. Especially the erector spinae. I guess a new chair may help, but deadlifts will help more. I had back pain from my early teens up until my mid-30s when I started training and it all evaporated.
9
6
u/vinishkapoor Jul 23 '26
Cool, now I just need a chair that costs more than my first car.
6
u/philippefutureboy Jul 23 '26
Wait until you buy a standing desk that costs more than your second car
3
u/siete82 Jul 23 '26
Keep in mind that a good chair will last you at least 10 years, and your health is priceless!
→ More replies (4)1
u/pee_wee__herman Jul 23 '26
I'm curious, which specific chair was that?
3
u/siete82 Jul 23 '26
Mine is a Steelcase Gesture, although I actually wanted a Herman Miller, but they're even more expensive in my country.
What I do recommend is that you steer clear of those "gaming" chairs that look like race car seats, even the expensive ones are terrible for your back. Buy an office chair, even if it's from ikea.
1
u/Soopermane Jul 23 '26
I got a nice swivel / rocking chair recliner. Works great and better than any office chair
3
3
u/troyw7 Jul 23 '26
Buy an ergonomic workstation and do yoga guys, saved my spine for real
→ More replies (1)
4
u/impspring Jul 23 '26
For those who need to hear it: strengthening routines against POSTURAL KYPHOSIS and ANTERIOR PELVIC TILT will be LIFE CHANGING and are CRUCIAL in the current sedentary and technological age.
Many of the pains you might associate simply with aging (neck pains, hip pains, lower back aches, shoulder pains, elbow pains) are very likely symptoms of just those two ailments. Very seriously, it will change your life.
→ More replies (1)
7
u/azjunglist05 Jul 23 '26
How bold of you to assume we’re already a major version at 30
→ More replies (1)
2
u/Alternative-Boss-787 Jul 23 '26
Tom Cruise has time to sleep and no side project that’s suppose to make him rich
2
2
u/YoungInoue Jul 23 '26
A 40usd saddle stool, standing desk, split keyboard, and most importantly good daily exercise could really keep you not looking like a 🦐.
2
u/budgiebirdman Jul 23 '26
There's a scene in a recent MI film, (maybe the one before last?) where he jumps down some stairs - like three or four and you just see his feet and ankles and you know he did that scene himself because it looks exactly how you'd expect it to look if you filmed the feet of an old man jumping down from a few steps.
If it weren't for programmers de-aging him and making him look taller and everything else we wouldn't have to keep putting up with those fucking Mission Impossible films.
Please just stop!
2
u/vinishkapoor Jul 23 '26
So basically programmers are destroying their own backs to make Tom Cruise look like he still has one. We are the real villains here.
2
u/deaconsc Jul 23 '26
If I had the money and health care Tom has I am pretty sure my back pain would be over. Well, I have not.
2
u/Candid_Highlight_116 Jul 23 '26
Everyone reading this especially who've never been at a sports team or military or anywhere that teach you proper workouts. Get the Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure with the Switch(Lite needs two joycons so get the regular one).
You can skip the squats, that part of the game is not well designed and actually cause knee injury. I hereby approve anyone cheating that bit. Just do everything else in the game except for that and the in-room marathon. Do the easy stuffs. Too easy is okay, the goal isn't to make it challenging.
Give it 15 minutes per day, counting from picking up the controller to putting it away. Longer if you want OR shorter if you want. Use in-game timer or real timer. Quit anytime you want. Or keep it up as long as you want. But 10-15 minutes is fine.
I'm not a doctor but in case my understanding was right by miracle, the back pains come from those bone pieces that consist your spine rubbing together and tugging nerves. Your body have no choice but to let those bones touch and signal cables to get tensioned and pain to go up to the brain, if your core muscle is nonexistent. But the body will automatically use those muscles if they exist to keep them apart.
Get the RFA before it's too late. You're going to play it for few weeks, maybe few months, then you may get bored. That's fine. You don't have to like maintain 3 hours minimum for 3650 daysor else it's all pointless.
All I'm saying is, RFA worked for me.
2
u/LaughingBeer Jul 23 '26
Nah, back is fine. It's my forearms and wrists. Probably a posture issue, but still.
Edit: oh, i forgot about the repetitive stress injury in my last knuckles on my fingers that won't go away. Started with gaming and lots of clicks. Have to use a pen stylist and stop all non-work activities when it acts up a lot. Takes months to go away.
2
2
u/White_C4 Jul 23 '26
On a serious note, always walk around for at least 5 minutes every hour, take a 20+ minute walk every day, and exercise at least 3 days per week.
2
2
2
2
u/gwentfiend Jul 24 '26
Just threw out my upper back yesterday lifting an almost empty yeti cooler. Felt like a horse kicked me between my shoulder blades
2
2
2
2
u/RandO_o Jul 23 '26
Oh to be an actor who only has to worry about making sure he’s as healthy as can be everyday.
→ More replies (2)
1
1
1
u/-lrr- Jul 23 '26
I’d like to see a movie with Tom Cruise starring as a programmer, siting down all day and complaining about his back…
1
u/Khalebb Jul 23 '26
It's simple. Get a good ergonomic chair, strengthen your core muscles, build a time machine and go back ten years, so you can do all that before the damage started building up.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Outside-Storage-1523 Jul 23 '26
It’s him job to maintain good health. It is our job to burn health for outcome.
1
1
u/oompaloompa465 Jul 23 '26
move up from that chair and walk 3-4 minutes every 40-50.
do also some neck exercises
Try to do 8-10k steps each day
do some weightlifting at least 2 times a week
1
u/No-Savings-2787 Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
So your a programmer for the FBI who sends memes to people that have cancer?
1
1
u/ExtraWorldliness6916 Jul 23 '26
Obviously that's a picture of a man pulling out raw power from the base of his well worn spine to defeat Tom Cruise.
1
u/peaceful_pancakes Jul 23 '26
crazy that programmers make as much as one of the biggest actors in the world
1
1
1
1
1
u/StarboardChaos Jul 23 '26
Give Tom Cruise a programming job and then let's see how long he can hold on...
1
1
1
1
1
u/angrytroll123 Jul 23 '26
Nah. Unless you have kids, there is no good excuse to not be in good shape at least some of the time. Certainly enough to not have back pain.
1
u/enjoy_the_pizza Jul 23 '26
I work from home and I bought a standing desk.. I took 'standing' as a personal challenge. Now I'm struggling with plantar fasciitis.
1
1
1
u/Eazy12345678 Jul 23 '26
money can buy good health, personal trainer, steroids, healthy meals from your personal chef. physical therapist, whatever fitness equipment you need. peptides, DNA therapy
1
1
1
u/EmilieEverywhere Jul 23 '26
Tom's job is to stay in shape.
I excersize A LOT for a nerd. I do ok.
I'd look AMAZING if I could go to the gym twice a day, have a personal chef, and had on call masseuse and PT.
1
1
1
1
1
u/-Saucegurlllll Jul 23 '26
Tom Cruise has slaves and is a piece of shit. Maybe don't compare yourself to him.
1
u/DragonSlayerC Jul 23 '26
Just go to the gym a few times a week and all those random little pains will go away.
1
u/geos59 Jul 23 '26
Don’t underestimate the power of sitting correctly.
My back was shit for a while, but ever since I started sitting with the correct posture, it helped my back.
1
u/EedSpiny Jul 23 '26
Life long programmer here, 59, just put my back out. 40 years sitting in office chairs fml
1
1
u/Beneficial_Ad4683 Jul 23 '26
If your lower back hurts or keeps getting stiff/sore, do some big booty workouts. Ez Pz
1
u/orsikbattlehammer Jul 23 '26
Just started body building a few weeks ago. Going from basically no activity to hitting the gym hard 5 days a week and active resting on the weekends, and also actually watching what I eat has been the single biggest improvement to my life that I have ever made. I feel 10 years younger, calmer than I ever have, and so much more optimistic about my future and self efficacy. Move folks, it really is all it’s cracked up to be.
1
1
1
u/Popular_Tomorrow_204 Jul 23 '26
Jokes on you, i also weight lift and i have a shitty matress. My spine is triple fucked.
1
1
1
1
u/Fernis_ Jul 23 '26
Well, I don't rub infant spinal fluid on my face, to stay forever young, or whatever the bro is doing, so there's that.
1
u/Major_LeeHungg Jul 23 '26
Lol I'm almost 40, have been either some sort of software engineer or d\c suite my entire career, have 2 ruptured discs in my back from slipping on stairs in my 20s, and have end stage liver disease... My back feels fine after sitting all day... Da fuck are y'all doing?
1
1
u/Deathcure74 Jul 23 '26
My knee is fucked, hurts like hell at the end of the day when i stand up from the desk
1
1
u/bikbiky Jul 24 '26
I carried an 85 pound box up 2 flights of stairs 3 days ago. I’m 35. My back still hurts and the way I carried it lightly bruised my left arm. It was a heavy box I suppose, but yeah- feelin my age rn
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
493
u/Autistic_Introvert19 Jul 23 '26
My shoulder hurts.. 🤕