Hey guys, first time posting here but I just need to hear from some fellow EMS people I don't see everyday on some concerns I'm having. I work for an urban EMS service in Canada.
I'm coming up on my 2 year mark in EMS, did some rural for about a year and now some city stuff for a year.
I love my job, a lot. I can't see myself doing anything else, and that is why this bothers me so much.
My back hurts. Not debilitating, sometimes it doesn't hurt at all, but probably 75% of the time I have this positional dull ache in my lumbar area that is relieved by contracting my abs and almost pushing them out so that my lumbar area curves more. I have done a couple of bad lifts that I can remember, but the overwhelming majority of the time I squat and lift very good and have had multiple medics as well as my physiotherapist comment on my squat technique. I am very conscious of my form, as well as my body, and like to think I'm pretty healthy. I eat healthy, and go to the gym 2-3 times a week doing core compound lifts like Squats, DL, Bench, Rows, etc. This never used to be like this, I know its from the work.
Couple that with an out of work knee injury (runners knee / patellofemoral pain syndrome) that I'm working on with physiotherapy, but is frequently aggravated by constantly lifting, especially *** to grass squats for immobilized patients. I just feel like this job is beating the piss out of my already and I"m only barely 2 years in. It's all "lift with your legs, not your back". I can't very well lift with my legs when my knee hurts the closer it gets to 90 degrees.
I'm not looking for any specific advice for these problems: it's the internet and it's too hard to accurately describe whats wrong / what to do about it. I see a chiropractor and physical therapist and we are working on it.
I just want to know how the hell do guys do this for 20+ years? Like I said, I love my job, and I don't want to be 'that guy', but really. These constant aches, and trying to get over them with exercise and PT is starting to affect the way I think about calls and this job. I'm a positive guy, and I've got some good stuff going for me. I recently met an amazing woman (the one that gets you thinking "holy :censored::censored::censored::censored:, this is the one"), and I really loved my work up until all this started happening. Now I just question if it worth breaking myself over. This is seriously bringing me down and making me think about finding another way to put food on the table - and I hate that.
I'm coming up on my 2 year mark in EMS, did some rural for about a year and now some city stuff for a year.
I love my job, a lot. I can't see myself doing anything else, and that is why this bothers me so much.
My back hurts. Not debilitating, sometimes it doesn't hurt at all, but probably 75% of the time I have this positional dull ache in my lumbar area that is relieved by contracting my abs and almost pushing them out so that my lumbar area curves more. I have done a couple of bad lifts that I can remember, but the overwhelming majority of the time I squat and lift very good and have had multiple medics as well as my physiotherapist comment on my squat technique. I am very conscious of my form, as well as my body, and like to think I'm pretty healthy. I eat healthy, and go to the gym 2-3 times a week doing core compound lifts like Squats, DL, Bench, Rows, etc. This never used to be like this, I know its from the work.
Couple that with an out of work knee injury (runners knee / patellofemoral pain syndrome) that I'm working on with physiotherapy, but is frequently aggravated by constantly lifting, especially *** to grass squats for immobilized patients. I just feel like this job is beating the piss out of my already and I"m only barely 2 years in. It's all "lift with your legs, not your back". I can't very well lift with my legs when my knee hurts the closer it gets to 90 degrees.
I'm not looking for any specific advice for these problems: it's the internet and it's too hard to accurately describe whats wrong / what to do about it. I see a chiropractor and physical therapist and we are working on it.
I just want to know how the hell do guys do this for 20+ years? Like I said, I love my job, and I don't want to be 'that guy', but really. These constant aches, and trying to get over them with exercise and PT is starting to affect the way I think about calls and this job. I'm a positive guy, and I've got some good stuff going for me. I recently met an amazing woman (the one that gets you thinking "holy :censored::censored::censored::censored:, this is the one"), and I really loved my work up until all this started happening. Now I just question if it worth breaking myself over. This is seriously bringing me down and making me think about finding another way to put food on the table - and I hate that.
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