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back pain starting to creep in

johnny bravo

Well-known member
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teesside
the  pasy 8 monthsor so ive been starting to get twinges in lower back,  and lower sides.     it felt it was something else, internal,    too much to worry about.

went to docs,    lower wear and tear on spine she says, im 55 now and when things like this take a hold its worrying,      as you think you are invincible/      waterfed pole most days now.      im going to have to stop taking newbies on.           

Poles ,   im using SLX Poles, 27.  22.          Would the Lightest Pole really make any difference.   

Any one in this situation ,   did you change  SLX  to a lighter pole.  Did it have any difference apart from your Wallet.

Thanks for replying if any

Still go to gym regular, no lower back workout though.  steer away from that

 
Sorry to hear that.

I had a funny shoulder for a couple of months ages ago.

But when it comes to your health & pain, I don’t think you can put a price on that. Even if it was only a 20% chance of improvement, I’d still take the risk of buying a £500 quid pole without a second thought.

I had the Slx, but decided to buy the extreme 18. Over the course of a whole day you’ll notice the difference. 

 
I started getting muscle spasms around 8 weeks ago and they floored me which sounds  a little similar to you, but I was unable to work and couldn't risk driving at all in case they kicked off as the pain is so bad I can't move once they start, I am now on muscle relaxants and have been for 3 weeks got an MRI scan next week to check on my spine, I had to have @THL4KEL rescue me to get gear in the van he even got my prescription later that day.

 
I also use an Extreme-18 - it will make a massive difference. Not only lighter but also more rigid.

An electric reel will also help.

 
I also use an Extreme-18 - it will make a massive difference. Not only lighter but also more rigid.

An electric reel will also help.




I quite agree , I have extream poles in 18, 35 , and will be getting 25 as well since changing from an slx 18 to the extream it does make a difference I have tennis elbow in both arms , if spending more on a liter pole makes your working day easier then it’s worth the money as far as Ime concerned, Ime also looking at electric reels but cannot decide which ones to go for at the moment .

 
Electric reel and extreme pole definately.

I had to use my old clx 27 for the day the other week as i had taken my extreme out to clean it and forgot to put it back.

I dont ever remember it being that heavy but i was aching that day

 
I think the biggest cause of back strain is bending over reeling in the hose of the ground. Always liked the look of the Tucker tank that had the retractable hose reels mounted to the tank. Basically at chest height, saves all the bending over. 

 
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I've been cleaning windows on and off for about 25 years now. I suffer from chronic back pain myself for the last 5 years, all the kings horses and all the kings men don't know what the hell is wrong which is incredibly frustrating, so for me it s just maintenance of the body now. I look fit and healthy, I am not over weight and you would probably never know I suffer every day with back pain to look at me, but I do. I go in a get cortisone injections every so often, it's from neglecting the way I worked over all the years.. damage is done. As regards your lower back, I have spent a small fortune and seen multiple physios/chiro/osteo/amatsu/acu, including the guys who look after the national rugby team who did not come cheap. Every single one of them advised to the strengthen lower back and not rest it as it will weaken but obviously you need to know what you are dealing with first and it's not disc, pelvic issue, impingement etc. Get a scan, if there is nothing sinister there, then crack on with back strengthening work & from a mental point of view at least you will know there is nothing sinister there and you can stop worrying and concentrate on recovery.

Wear and tear is standard in what we do, it's essentially manual labour but I only got that diagnosed through mri, ultrasounds & x-rays. Have you got one to properly verify what she said? I got to the gym, I was advised to and I do palettes stretches and specific lower back work to strengthen the lower back but also to keep it supple. Upward & Downward facing dog, cat and cow pose genuinely do work... I scoffed at palettes for years... absolute idiot!!!! I truly wish I had of known/listened to all these things back in the day, it would have saved me thousands and so much anguish.  In my gym most people will do these exercises in one form or another. Sports science has caught up and they are learning new ways to maintain the body that nobody knew years ago.

For trad work I bought the tripod bucket stand few years ago aswell as 36" Sorbo to combat back pain & with the stand I don't have to carry a bucket around, I just wheel it through the malls in centres.... brilliant buys! I was also lagging around 25l barrels for a few awhile before I got a van system with electric reel... best thing I've ever done! Anyone who does that long term, I can only take my hat off to you. I have a Phantom 18' which I bought about 5 months ago and it's like a feather in comparison to my slx 22 and 27. I also have an Edge 40', it's honestly like you have moby **** on the end of it. The money side of things is short term, having equipment that prolongs the body, makes the work easier & allows you to earn more money is a smart long term plan imo. I'm new enough to wfp and I suppose I have learned through trial and error like most of us. I will be buying an extreme too in the next few months and phasing out the slx 27.

Shoulder pain imo is part and parcel of our job, every single guy or girl on here that does this for a living, as sure as water is wet... will suffer from some sort of shoulder pain. With the work that I do in traditional window cleaning which is store fronts, alot of the glass goes right down to the floor which is where the back issues started. Also, when tradding your shoulders internally rotated (I was explained this by a physio, compressing the joint) a lot of the time, bad form/posture hunched over and that's why I get a lot of rsi in left shoulder & back pain. Sooooo, every day before, during and after work I take a minute and do some exercises to externally rotate my shoulder. Think of shrugging your shoulders and try pinch your shoulders blades together and push down towards your lower back. What this does is open up the shoulder joint and gives joint more space to move and a greater range of motion, also try to strengthen upper back muscles so they will support and pull back those shoulders. Doing these will save so much heart ache, less risk of RSI & Bursitis in that shoulder.

Anyways, there's a couple a grands worth of advise I blew, summed up in a few paragraphs. I would implore anybody starting out to learn from my mistakes because we all have to earn a living & the precarious thing about being a one man band doing physical work is, if you are injured, you cannot work.... you earn nothing. Back pain is so debilitating, imo any equipment for work that you can buy that will make things easier & any exercises or stretches you can do for prevention and maintenance of your good self, do it.  I think what it is, is that when there is nothing wrong with you and things are fine , it is very easy to get lax about the way you work & take your body for granted. It's only when something goes wrong that you consider making changes & reflect on your mistakes.

So in a nutshell guys, don't be an idiot like me ?

 
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yes , getting an extreme,   22 or 25.    ill really have to think which one.        maybe the 25 and  take a section or 2 off ,    try both sizes.     all these young lads will not see this coming,       its the upright standing all day.      light pressure pressing onto lower spine.       imaging using those big Brodex aluminium poles all day.      you would be crippled   if used all day weekly.

im wanting to do this in pension years hopefully.      that extra income.

Maybe wearing cushioned trainers will also help.

instead of flat shoes all day long

extremes seem to have a better reviews if looked after.

 
Yeah mate go for it. Might seem sh**y forking out the money initially (we are all in the same boat that way) but you can easily make it back and hopefully the body benefits from it. I wear Skechers, pricey but so comfortable. Certainly not waterproof though but I wear them aswell because I have do interior work and their a bit pedantic when you're going in with workers boots etc, which is understandable I suppose. I'm sure they do waterproof boots but I would say they are expensive. I used to wear flat runners working for years, feet never bothered me but last 5 or 6 years or so changed it up and could never go back.

 
I am kneeling on the ground to reel in at the moment to avoid any back strain, I will be taking up pilates just holding off till after my scan as for back strengthing it all depends on what the issue is my physio says I don't need to strengthen mine but I need to maintain flexibility as this for me may well stop the worst happening later in life a few weeks back he told me if I didn't make changes and do exercises most days then i would have serious issues later in life.  

 
Extreme 18 ordered,        been using SLX 18 for last 2 years most houses,   so should be right.       let you know if any difference

never ever thought id be paying £500+  for a wfp

if it helps it will be money well spent

thanks for replies

 
I am kneeling on the ground to reel in at the moment to avoid any back strain, I will be taking up pilates just holding off till after my scan as for back strengthing it all depends on what the issue is my physio says I don't need to strengthen mine but I need to maintain flexibility as this for me may well stop the worst happening later in life a few weeks back he told me if I didn't make changes and do exercises most days then i would have serious issues later in life.  
I slipped a disc in lower back in 2000 and had a painfull weak back for years after

Took advice from a friend and did deadlifts etc in the gym (was agony at first but within a couple of weeks I was lifting proper heavy weight) and never had an issue since

For me it was all about building up the muscle that supports the spine

 
Extreme 18 and 25 plus hd power up also extreme brushes. 

 
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I am kneeling on the ground to reel in at the moment to avoid any back strain, I will be taking up pilates just holding off till after my scan as for back strengthing it all depends on what the issue is my physio says I don't need to strengthen mine but I need to maintain flexibility as this for me may well stop the worst happening later in life a few weeks back he told me if I didn't make changes and do exercises most days then i would have serious issues later in life.  
IG, I never lift the reel out of the van. Been there, done that, as they say. My son works out of the left side door. Reel is chest high on 650ltr flat Wyedale tank with a rubber mat on top. A bunjy on the reel fastened to the pole tubes under the roof so it can't fall out. I work from the floor of the back doors. I angle the reel to the left and stand slightly to the side of it when reeling in. Easy as pie. I think your physio is right about making changes. Good luck with your back. We always work on the left except on the very rare occasions when we can't. 

 
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IG, I never lift the reel out of the van. Been there, done that, as they say. My son works out of the left side door. Reel is chest high on 650ltr flat Wyedale tank with a rubber mat on top. A bunjy on the reel fastened to the pole tubes under the roof so it can't fall out. I work from the floor of the back doors. I angle the reel to the left and stand slightly to the side of it when reeling in. Easy as pie. I think your physio is right about making changes. Good luck with your back. We always work on the left except on the very rare occasions when we can't. 
It should be easier this week as I was at Purefreedom yesterday getting a frame fitted around my tank along with rollers through the floor, I had a quick go last night when I got back and it's a lot easier reeling in

 
It should be easier this week as I was at Purefreedom yesterday getting a frame fitted around my tank along with rollers through the floor, I had a quick go last night when I got back and it's a lot easier reeling in
Any chance you could post some photos please when you get a minute IG?

Is it just 1 set of rollers in the floor or a guide one aswell? 

 
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