Another safety cautionary tale...

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rafezetter

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I thought I'd post this as I know we all sometimes move larger items we've made, bags of tools or timber and probably pay little heed to potential issues.

So... sunday I was moving my Kity 419 tablesaw, which I've done probably several hundred times without incident, it's 25kg give or take, bag of sand etc, only 3kg more than the allowed weight of a suitcase for flights.

Picking it up from not quite floor level, which again I've done a lot of, with bended knees, something "popped" in my back.

Worked Monday but not strenuously, and drove with a friend to Weston-Super-Mare to collect a facebook marketplace item I bought, had a stroll along the prom, and a sit down fish and chip supper - felt tight across the back but easily tolerable.

Woke up Tuesday morning and something was VERY WRONG, could hardly move and strong tingling sensation down the legs, so took myself to local hospital.

14 hours later and one MRI turns out I have a slipped / prolapsed / herniated disk pressing on my sciatic nerves.

The "how" I have no clue, and apparently this is a lot more common than people think - people picking up a load they are used to, yet can still cause a severe back issue.

So I'm going to dig out my old weights belt and keep it in my work area from now on (or buy a new one if I can't find it) and use it for lifting regardless of weight over 15kg.

I would suggest people do the same, and be more mindful of this potential issue, as this is pretty pipping uncomfortable, and even taking codeine isn't taking it away completely.
 
Was that 14 hours on an NHS plastic chair in the waiting room? I feel for you if that is the case. Miserable thing to happen - and the happy pills don't do anything except make you addicted to happy pills.
 
Trainee neophyte":29hqz6eb said:
Was that 14 hours on an NHS plastic chair in the waiting room? I feel for you if that is the case. Miserable thing to happen - and the happy pills don't do anything except make you addicted to happy pills.

No that was:

5 hours lying on the floor with my feet on a chair waiting for a doctor.
2 .5 hours to be confirmed they would give me an MRI - lying on the floor with my feet on a chair.
20 minutes of MRI.
5.5 hours lying on a bed waiting for MRI scan results to be seen by neurosurgeon.
40 minutes to get drugs and discharge.

Just for the record, I don't blame them it was a constant stream of people - about 40% being foreign nationals - 3 interpreters being required, and one very minor TV person from the team who do the work for the DIY SOS program, who told me about "Band of Builders" Charity, that I might join.
 
Sometimes there is something to be said for living in what amounts to a third world country - I wandered in to my local "hospital", clutching a blood-soaked towel, only to be knocked over by the rush excited nurses and two(two!!) doctors. I had only cut my finger (with a chainsaw, but still, or should that be Stihl).

As someone who does his back in biannually, I sympathize and empathize. The leg pain is the worst of it - can't sit, can lie down, can't stand - always leaning on things to take the weight off.
 
A weightlifting belt done up tight is a great deterrent to slipped discs. However if it does go a good masseur will massage it back into place and acupuncture can speed up the healing. Currently recovering from a slipped disc because I forgot to wear my belt doing heavy carpentry #-o
Regards Keith
 
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