It is amazing how much flexibility we lose as we get older. I am shocked over here! lol Yoga is something I'd really like to try. As far as the aches and pains, diet can also help there. J. J. Virgin is a new one appearing on the PBS circuit. It's the same type of program others are promoting about dropping certain foods and increasing vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds. Let's see if I can remember them from her program to eliminate food sensitivities and inflammation. Dairy Gluten Eggs Soy Corn Sugar & artificial sweeteners Peanuts (had to look that one up!) Dr. Fuhrman promotes GOMBS Greens Onions Mushrooms Beans & Berries Seeds & Nuts for energy and disease prevention and even reversal. These doctors (others too) are really hitting the circuit that we don't have to get sick or feel tired and achy. We are what we eat! One thing JJV said that stuck with me was "our bodies are not bank accounts, they are labs". That's basically the premise of Dr. Furhman's educationals, too. This post was edited by snookums2 on Thu, May 2, 13 at 13:30

"And if you google pilates for sciatica you can find exercises to try at home." "Another important factor is getting or keeping weight off the stomach, and strengthening the stomach muscles. A big belly with weak muscles can put a lot of stress on the spine." I have had one bout of sciatica that came on suddenly and was incredibly painful-quoted the above insights because what has worked for me is Pilates. I was taking group lessons and when the trainer went out on her own I followed her. She is very good at getting me to move and stretch past what I would do on my own without straining or overdoing it; Pilates of course is also all about strengthening one's core muscles and I've not had any more sciatic problems. Thank goodness for that, it was one of the most excruciating pains I've ever experienced. Ann

Stretching. Sit ups. I was much like you twenty five years ago, tall and skinny enough that finding pants that fit was not always the easiest. First, develop good habits. Landscaping is a young man's game, but if you develop good habits and maximize all those small stabilizer muscles, you can overcome much. I'm of a mixed opinion on back brace belts. They do a good of reminding you to practice good habits. They can give you overconfidence and lead to attempting things you shouldn't, in which case, they do more harm than benefit. My days begin and end with some stretching, and have for...now that I think about it, longer than I'm going to admit. About half an hour to end the day, about ten minutes to start. How are your stomach muscles? Maximize these. Understand the strength of your legs...this is a concept much greater than just a few words. Learn how to maximize your body for leverage. How do you handle a shovel? In your hands, out from your body? Or is the handle across your upper thigh?

I have never had a burning pain, but as a large part of my job duties are done on a computer, I did USED to have aching, tired shoulders after my 12 hour shifts. I found that lowering my chair and raising my computer monitors virtually eliminated that. My favorite remedy was and is a back/shoulder massage from SO. But you can't have him, or even borrow him. ;op. As for chiropractors, i have no experience as a patient. However, I attended a health fair recently where there were 4 different chiropractic practices represented. The interactions with them left me....dubious, to say it nicely. I had absolutely no opinion on the topic beforehand, as i do not suffer with any sort of chronic pain in which the services of such would be recommended. The first one offered a free "scan" of my neck and spine. Sure, I'll play. When the scan popped up on the screen, both ladies looked concerned (fake). The girl who did the scan pointed to some red lines next to my neck on the screen. She proceeded to tell me that the nerves in this region control things like migraines, depression and anxiety. "Does that sound familiar?" She asked with a smug, sympathetic smile. I answered "no...." That response was met with a look from both women as though i had just claimed to be the Queen of Mars. This sparked annoyance in me, as I do feel that depression and anxiety are more prevalent than ever, and that they were trying to exploit that. I mean, the look on their face when i told them that no, I do not have migraines, depression or anxiety was pure shock. She then said, "Huh, well, it IS a thermal scan, so if your just hot, then it will show up as inflammation on the scan." Then they offered me a card and new patient forms. I took them to be polite, as i did with all the vendors. The second one had a fun trivia game, in which you answered questions to win entries into a drawing for a gift basket of some sort. I won 3 entries. YAY! (I didn't win,BOOOOO!) Well, then we get down to business. The chiropractor asked me to step on two scales, one foot on each scale, so that she could see if i was "off balance." Sure, sis, whatever. I complied, why not? When i did so, i got a look of shock, accompanied by a "wow, you are REALLY favoring your left side." I looked down, there was a one pound difference between the left scale and the right scale. She asked me if i have pain in one hip or the other. I replied no. Then she proceeds to warn me that even if I am not feeling pain now, these things build up over time and will hit me all at once if i don't address them now. With her help, of course. Now, I have not been to medical school, but I am not sure WHY or HOW to treat pain....BEFORE it hurts. I should go watch some episodes of "House." Anyway, again I took the forms and the card.....The whole time I am thinking that the freebies at this fair SUCK!!!! I mean, can i get a magnet? A pen? Something? NO? ok movin on..... The third might have been the worst. The "doc" was there, with a massage table and one of those massage things that look like a power sander. Would I like a massage? He asks..... I suppress the urge to break out the karate moves i taught myself the last time i walked into a spiders web, and politely decline, citing a ticklish nature. However, that was not the worst part. This was not only a chiropractic office. This was a "wellness" center. Ugh. I was pitched some sort of vitamins that apparently cure everything that ails you, make you drop dead gorgeous and tell you the winning powerball numbers. All i have to do is fill out this form that lists any undesirable symptoms that i have, and they will recommend a vitamin program that will help. I really wish i had saved that form so i could post a picture of it. It would have been laughable if it wasn't so reckless. Everything from insomnia to digestive issues to HEART DISEASE was listed as a choice of "symptom" that these vitamins would help address. All i got from that table was the form and a bad taste in my mouth. I liked the 4th one the best. The girl manning the table was playing on her phone. She looked up and smiled at me, declared that she knew i was tired of hearing about chiropractors, as there were 4 there, and told me to pick a cup to take home. To my delight, she had PINK ONES. I took it and i use it to scoop bird seed out of the giant buckets of it i buy into the feeders. That was the only one that wasn't a waste of time. At least i got a cup out of it. So, if i were to believe their "expertise",based on their highly scientific testing methods, I have hip pain, depression, anxiety and migraines. and worse to come if i don't address it NOW! And I didn't even KNOW! But no worries, the magic vitamins would cure all that, as long as i took them in conjunction with some "adjustments" made by the chiropractors. Anyway, I digress. If the pain is only occurring during your computer time, an adjustment to the monitor,your posture or the chair might be the easiest and best solution.