Cathe need advise on back pain

E

Eeyore366

Cathlete
Cathe or educated crowd,
For the past two months I have had lower back pain. I have taken three weeks off from working out (two right in a row) and have been icing it and doing exercises for lower back to relieve sciatica nerve pain, which is what it started out being. They worked for a while, yet I still have a tightness in my middle lower back - right near the tail bone - the pinch-ness has gone away. It doesn't hurt much when I move, but when I bend over to pick something up, it feels like the muscle is pulling or that it is very tight. If I stand in one position for more than 5 minutes it starts to hurt and I have to sit down.

I've stretched out my hamstrings, my hips, my low back. The pain was gone last week and I was able to almost workout to my usual intensity. I took three days off with my dh on a mini vacation this past weekend and then I did High Step Challenge (Adv.) on Monday and I'm in pain again. I just don't understand why this pain keeps persisting.

Has anyone on this list ever had this problem? I know I need to go see a doctor but my dh and I do not have medical insurance and with past experience with this almost identical problem, they will just tell me nothing is wrong. What helped me about three years ago with this problem was steroids the doctor put me on. Cathe, has anyone you know ever had this problem? If so, what did they have to do to fix it?
Thanks for your time!
Debbie in OH
 
Hi. I'm so sorry to hear that you're in pain. It must be very frustrating to not be able to work out -something that is obviously a big part of your life.

First of all, let me say that something IS obviously 'wrong' with your back. I havent examined you but what you describe is similar to what i encounter in my patients on a daily basis. I think you realize that going on steroids is not the long term answer but more of a band aid solution. There is an underlying (likely mechanical) problem which must be fixed or this will keep creeping up on you and will likely get worse with each flare up.

I sincerely hope that you'll try chiropractic for this problem. You will be pleasantly surprised at how painless, simple and effective chiropractic is and you will undoubtably feel much better.

Good luck!

yours in good health,
angela
 
Hi Angela,
I appreciate your advice, and please do not take this the wrong way, but I think a chiropractor is what put me in this position in the first place.

When this pain originated back in the late 1980's (can't remember exact year), due to me doing a deadlift with too heavy weights, I went to a chiropractor for 6 months, once a week. Each time he would lay me down on a table, strap my ankles and shoulders to each end of this table and then the table would split in half, taking my body in two different directions. The pain was excruciating but the doctor kept telling me this would bring my body back into alignment. Like I said, I did this for 6 months and then I just got tired of the expense and the pain, it was not making the pain go away.

Believe me, if I could find a chiropractor who could take care of this problem in maybe three sessions, I'd do it. But every one I have talked too say you have to go back each week or every other week to keep your body in proper alignment, I don't believe this nor do I have the time or money to be making these appointments every week or every other week.

There has to be a fix for this problem, it is a common problem. I read about them often. I've done everything from buying new arches for my shoes to changing my chairs. Some days the pain is almost gone and others I can hardly sit down. I wish I could get someone out there to just tell me how to fix this problem. I guess I'm wishing for a bit much! LOL!
Debbie in OH
 
I have THE SAME PROBLEM. A good chiropractor, yoga, weight training, and modified step training are the only things that have helped me. Currrently, I go to the chiro. once a week @ $35.00 per visit. This may seem like a lot of money, but it's completely worth it. Even twice a month (every other week) would help.
 
Oops, I didn't read your experience with chiropractors!

Another approach is to do yoga and pilates programs developed specifically for back problems. I have a yoga rehabilitation yoga book I've used for many years, and it helps immensely. I can't remember the author's name right now... I'll look it up tonight and post tomorrow.
 
Here's the name of the book:

Back Care Basics: A Doctor's Gentle Yoga Program for Back and Neck Pain by Mary Pullig Schatz.
 
your experience with chiropractic is unfortunate, however, it IS only one experience and shouldnt keep you from seeking more help. if you go to a dentist you dont like, it doesnt make you swear off dentists. what it sounds like the chiropractor did, was traction treatment. there are many different adjustment techniques and that truly, isnt an adjustment, it is only traction. they are very different. i'm not trying to convince you to see a chiropactor but i just want to let you know that there is a vast array of styles and i would be extremely suprised if adjustments did NOT help you.

as for having to keep going once per week. we tell patients to maintain their backs with maintenance care on a once per month basis. sometimes it is more, sometimes less depending on many factors individual to each patient. you dont have to continue with care beyond the intial phase once you feel better but it is a good idea to keep your spine healthy and prevent recurrences.

hopefully you feel some relief. good luck.
 
I went to a chiro several yrs. ago for a stiff, sore neck that I thought was due to high impact aerobics. After seeing a chiro for a bout a month my neck was worse. One morning I woke up and couldn't move my neck. I saw someone else, the same thing. When I quit going, after a couple weeks the stiffness went away. So I hear you Debbie when you say you think the chiro made it worse. I will never go to one again! Now, my neck has never felt better!

I would go to an MD and have it checked out. Could it be a herniated disc? I also got back pain from deadlifts. I quit doing them and no more back pain. I have heard sports medicine docs are pretty good for this kind of stuff. It might be worth a try.
 
Forgive me, but I can not just ignore this post. Even though that wasnt a personal attack per se--it certainly painted a negative picture of my profession and I think it was unnecessary and inflammatory.

Chiropractic helps millions of people each year with neck and low back complaints. It is proven in studies to be effective. Many of my patients have seen medical doctors for their aches and pains to no avail and have been helped tremendously by chiropractic.
 
I appreciate everyones comments and Angela, we did not mean to offend your profession. Its just some of us have had terrible experiences and do not wish to do it again. I know I don't. I didn't want this to become a flame war, I just wanted opinions on what I might be able to do. Thank you (can't remember your name) about the book title and author, I may check into that.

I am trying one more thing since this pain has been persistent, but not getting worse. My dh told me to stop taking all the vitamins I take (I take tons) and see if it could be my kidney's not being able to process what I'm taking. I know kidney problems can cause back pain. This pain started to creep on me slowly, it wasn't like I did a deadlift and then felt a pull. So now I'm wondering if it could be my kidneys. We shall see. I know Vitamin A is dangerous in high dosages and it is in my multi vitamin. My kidneys may not be able to handle certain vitamins. If this is the case, I will start taking them again, but not as many and maybe even not every day. I'm crossing my fingers that this is the problem.
Debbie in OH
 
Debbie,

Fat soluble vitamins in large doses like Vit A are not necessary to supplement on a daily basis (and can be harmful) if you take a multivit and eat a balanced diet. Unlike water soluble vitamins, which are excreted as soon as your body has enough of them, fat soluble vitamins are stored in your body for long periods of time. So laying off the extra dosing is a good idea.

Regarding your back, I had suffered from low back pain for several months before I saw an orthopedic surgeon who told me that an operation, or physical therapy for that matter, would be the last resort. Since I exercised on a daily basis, doing Cathe when my back allowed it, he told me to continue to keep at it. I avoided high impact and step for a while, but I did do lots of core strenthening, yoga and treadmill walking for about 2 months and before I knew it, I was back to my old intensity. However, if I slack off on the core work or yoga, my back pain comes back in no time. You might want to try this approach.

Good luck! I know how frustrating this can be!
 
I have the same problem, been going on and off for years. Mine is definetly the "pinchy" pain. I think I figured out how I am aggravating my back the other day, when I go to lift the barbell over my head for leg work, I seem to swing my back inward as I am hoisting the barbell overhead. Its more weight than my upper body can handle and I swing for momentum and bingo..I think this is what is causing this for me, maybe your doin this?? I dunno but when your back hurts it just makes you miserable and crabby allover dont it? Happy and healthy backs to all :D
 
In May 2003 I was at a point where I had numbness and tingling all the way down to my toes. I investigated my options, decided to go to a chiropractor and began treatment in June 2003. This chiropractor was using a technique of lying on my side and pulling the hips while pushing the shoulder. I started out going 3 times a week and as I improved, it cut back to two times a week. Eventually it would have gone to one time per week, then maintenance. Unfortunately, insurance pulled the plugged(and to the chiro's credit, he offered to treat me for free), and I went the physical therapy route. PT helped some, taught me exercises to do, and there was some improvement, but when I tried to increase activity, I always was back where I began.

In January of 2004 insurance changed, which enabled me to return to the chiropractor. I explained that I did not think the technique he was using was working well, so he switched to a drop table method. Within 3 weeks, he had reduced my time to 1 time a week, and April-July, I went once every 3 weeks.

My issue is like many, many women, I have a problem with SI joint locking which presses on the sciatic nerve. I am also hypermobile which compounds the problem. I have learned deadlifts with weights are a big no-no for me. Unfortunately I fell off a starting block doing a parents relay at my kids swim meet, and messed up the SI joint again. Again, this is very common in women because of the way
we are made. It is also very common to have reoccurences if this is your problem.

You can go to a Doctor and get physical therapy and some
pt's even do similar manipulations as chiropractors. I was reading articles today about the SI joint and yoga. These articles talked about the good yoga can do, but also cautioned that certain moves if done incorrectly can aggravate the joints.

If you got to a Doctor, chiro, PT, make sure you communicate that the method does not work. My chiropractor would never do anything to aggravate an already inflamed situation. Today he tried one very gentle stretching method that I absolutely could not tolerate becaue of the pain and knotting so he immediately switched and told me to let him know if anything he did was intolerable.

Links: http://www.yogajournal.com/health/562_1.cfm

http://www.hughston.com/hha/a.rhbsacjnt.htm

Good luck, don't give up, keep looking for the solution that is RIGHT FOR YOU!
 
Oh my goodness, that's traction! I have had that done and swore I will hurt the next person that tries to do that to me again. It was one of the most painful experiences I've had and was absolutely the wrong thing to do to me. Traction can be valuable but I think it's often used inappropriately. Chiropractic should not hurt unless you are already in a lot of pain and your Chiropractor is in contact with that area. It can certainly be uncomfortable at times but I've never found it to be painful.


I have found Chiropractic invaluable for my back pain (I sustained an injury to my back 5 years ago) and would heartily recommend this type of treatment to anyone. I coordinated my care with my GP, the hospital, my Physiotherapist and the Chiropractor and it was the Chiropractor who got me walking again. I know there are rogue Chiropractors out there but there are rogue medical Doctors, hypnotists, diet gurus and heck, fitness instructors out there ;-) but there are many, many, many more fine practioners of all kinds. This is my recommendation to you... if you are thinking of trying Chiropractic again, ask around. Tell people you are in pain and need a gentle touch. A Gonstead Practitioner of Chiropractic may not be what you're looking for but they are brilliant, but an SOT or a Chiropractor who practices Craniosacral Therapy could be just the thing. I usually have Craniosacral Therapy from my Chiropractor these days and I feel absolutely wonderful.


Another option would be the Bowen Technique: www.bowtech.com A good friend swears by this for her back pain.


As far as dealing with the pain you have now, try Arnica. You can buy it in all kinds of preparations and proven to be good for back pain among many other things. Arnica will help with pain and inflammation.


Another poster has said that Yoga has helped her. Bryan Kest's Spinal Strengthening CD+book (www.poweryoga.com and Amazon.com) gave me my very first pain free moment in 5 years. Pilates is also worthwhile and is often recommended by anyone in the business of caring for backs. The Back Care Basics book is also excellent and so is good strength training. Cathe's Slow & Heavy Back helps me a great deal too.

On a side note, try not to let yourself feel frustrated by your pain. Take care of yourself, body, mind and soul. There is a CD called Healing Meditation: Nourish Mind, Body and Spirit by Kelly Howell which I find helpful for dealing with pain and the issues that pain can bring into your life. All you need is some headphones and 30 minutes of undisturbed peace. It's not religious (if that bothers you) it's simply relaxation and visualisation but very effective.

{{{hugs}}}
ATB,
- Lisa :)
 
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