Thanks for the feedback! I think I've run into the right place.

First, the back. Normally, I don't tell too many health stories, but this back injury caused permanent damage and I want to tell people how it happened so they can avoid it. If you want to skip this part, go down to ##### below.

I herniated disc 18 months ago while lifting one end of a bundle of shingles on the ground and swinging it way to my right. Blam! I went down on all fours. Couldn't move for several minutes. Eventually crawled to a fence and managed to stand up. Hey, not too bad. No major pain. Until three days later. Three days of pain down my leg like nothing I've ever felt with weakness in my right leg. They found the herniation plus three older bulges. Probably caused by lifting my portable Dewalt table saw from the ground. Another caused by lifting one end of a fold-out bed.

Had surgery for it but the nerve damage leading to the right front of my leg remains still. When standing, I can't rotate the front of my foot up off the ground. If I stand on my right heel, it slaps down. When I walk, the front slaps down. It's a mild form of foot drop. I've learned to walk to minimize it and strengthen the leg. Do 2 to 3 miles a day fairly quickly.

Last year, I was putting a piece of PT 2x4 at the base of a fence. It was on the ground and I tried to push it to my left, but since I was leaning on it, I lifted my weight off it and jerked it to my left. I got a little zing in my back on the left. No big deal. Three days later, more pain almost as bad as the first time. Doc said, not too bad so no surgery since they might have to fuse two vertebrae. Pain slowly went away.
Did it another time on the right while kneeling on the floor and twisting to one side while leaning over. It didn't hurt much but I felt instant increase in numbness in my leg that went away in a couple days.

How I avoid repeating this - You probably have gotten away with it many times, lean over and lift an object, right? Heavy object, NO, of course. No light ones, either. Do not twist your upper body without rotating your hips, too. While kneeling, as in pulling weeds, always have one hand on the ground. Don't lift both hands while kneeling. I can no longer get away with any of these without bad results. I can't lift anything unless I keep it right against my body, otherwise the leg front goes numb and weak, which affects walking for a few days. Balance while walking is not good. Several times I've twisted my head to check traffic. I feel a tiny 'crack' followed by the numbness. I get a lot of those little 'cracks.' It is SO hard to break old movement habits. Now I have to think through every move. But, hey, it could be MUCH worse. Be careful!

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Now, I've spent too much time on the back story and advice. Sunny day. I have to get out and pull up a 20' spruce that blew over in a heavy wind. Use a come along or two and put some augers in the ground. Tie it up on four sides and it will survive. I did it with a 35'er and it's still good 3 years later. Most people just cut them. Too bad.

Got to go! I will respond to your ideas and suggestions later.