What should I do?

agdeierl

Sorry guys, I know I post ALL the time, but there's not a lot of people in my life who are on this "journey" with me, so not a lot of people to ask when I have questions! I went to the chiropractor today to settle some lower back pain (long overdue) that resulted in sciatic nerve pain two nights ago. I started 30 day shred two days ago, and I was going to continue but now there are two complicating factors: 1.) I started my period, and I have killer cramps that usually require a prescription painkiller so that I can get out of bed and 2.) my chiropractor said my hips were WAY out of alignment and that I should avoid bending at the waist and twisting as much as possible and that I must COMPLETELY avoid bending and twisting at the same time for at least a month. Anyone who's familiar with 30 day shred, do you think that means I should stop and wait until my lower back situation has righted itself? i feel like I could do that, but I've been making progress and I don't want to stall it, and I'm afriad it will be harder to start back up again! But then if I don't put 30 day shred on hold, I probably won't be able to do it as accurately as before, since I'm in pain and my hips are out of alignment, so I'm wondering if that way I won't even get results anyway. What would you do in my situation?

joleanrook

Sorry I'm not familiar with the 30 day shred, but speaking as a healthcare professional I would follow the advice of your chiropractor. If you were experiencing true sciatica you want to lay off of any bending, twisting, jumping, running, lunging, or squatting, until you get that under control.
Pain relievers/muscle relaxers (like hydrocodone, soma, flexeril) can all cause you to gain weight if you're not careful.

The key will be to really focus on your diet during this time and cut back on calories that you wont be able to burn with exercise. You want to keep moving too, maybe you can't do crunches or lunges, but take this time to work your upper body (anything to burn calories). Try doing several reps of bicep curls or arm extensions with 2-5lb weights. Every little bit helps.

Also, don't skimp on the water, it will help with your cramps and keep the Rx from building up and causing retention.

Best of luck!

lilRicki

you're allowed to reply on here as much as you want...i don't think many of us have a support system in our lives...i work at a computer all day so i'm on here constantly lol...as for your back problem...let it heal...or else you're going to have bigger problems...go for walks, eat less calories, it's only for a month

tater8589

I would hold off on anything that would be strenuous on your back. Your chiropractor can give you a list of things you can do. Mine gave me a ball and 3 pages of things I could do, most of them were to streangthen my back after he fixed it (this was 2 yrs ago) I hope you feel better. My hips are messed up too, it affected my knee. I other back problems too thanks to a kid rearending me. Give your chiropractor some time and he/she will help, they work wonders. I couldn't even walk a quarter mile before the chiropractor fixed me, now (though i still have some problems off/on) I can meet military standards and do more.

blueeyeddragon2115

Okay first of all i am one of thoese people with sciatic nerve pain. When you go to your chiropractor the pain should immediately afterward become a dull ache and i don't mean muscle pain, the nerve pain should be a dull ache. I personally can feel the difference between the nerve pain and the muscle pain. If it still is extremely painful after seeing your doctor, find a NEW chiropractor. And honestly if you are looking for a new chriropractor and have the money or the insurance go to a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Specializing in Manipulations. They are much better equiped to deal with real back problems, i would know i've seen countless chiropractors and now i see a DO and i only go to him once a month instead of twice a week. Not all chiropractors are bad but DO's have more training and experience.

Also stretch, the worst thing you can do with sciatic nerve pain is remain completely still. I don't mean bending and twisting but light stretching of the legs will be perfectly fine. If you stand with your legs apart and try to touch your toes bending your back properly, that should be sufficient. Also stretch your calfs and quads. You will need to be still and have good posture when your sitting or lying down but you should still be able to do light walking and anything you would normally do around the house.

Next about working out. Stop until all your sciatic nerve pain is gone you are just stressing your back muscles making it harder to become normal. I would wait at least a week after you see your chiropractor. Your muscles should be back to normal by then unless you have pain.

I have chronic back pain when i am feeling fine without nerve pain the best thing for me to do from experience is workout by bending and twisting. It actually usually helps snap my back into place because my muscles are reordering the verterbrae. I also my hips are really bad. If you strenghen your core by doing back exercises and crunches both upper abdomidals, lower abdominals and obliques, your pain should decrease but that is after you have healed the sciatic nerve pain.

agdeierl

Thanks to everybody for your advice. Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear before, but I am no longer experiencing the sciatic nerve pain. I felt it for the first time ever Tuesday night, but it only lasted a few hours. I haven't felt it since then, but I'm seeing the chiropractor as a preventative measure, and also because of my existing lower back pain (which I believe caused the sciatic nerve pain to begin with)....which until Tuesday night, was only an annoyance. I am not questioning my chiropractor's advice. I will be gentle to myself and not do bends and twists, but I just don't want to stop working out...and I'm not really excited about just doing walking/jogging, because I'm horrible at jogging and don't enjoy it, and walking doesn't have enough impact for me to burn calories. I'd like to continue with 30 day shred, but I'm not really sure if 30 day shred taxes my back or not. That's why I was hoping someone that is familiar with it could tell me?

Mollydolly10

hey Anna-Grace!

30 Day Shred definitely, definitely works your back. And as you level up, I would say it works your back more. That being said, I can't tell you whether or not you should or shouldn't continue - but I guess just know that it does work your back. You could always keep going and when they do back exercises, do something else?

Rworthy

I haven't done 30 day shred, but I have had a sciatic nerve problem (two years ago and a couple of flare ups since then). I would suggest #1) making sure you are sleeping well (flat on your back, or on the side with a pillow in between your legs). #2) Stretching for a full 20 minutes before and after each workout. Try lying on your back with a rolled pillow right in the small of your back and pressing your shoulders down. If you hear a crack, that is a great sign that your back is re-aligning itself. #3) Practice good posture while working out - and try walking instead of doing an intensive cardio workout. (It sounds like the shredding exercise has a lot of bending and twisting, which is not what you need right now.)

A few tips my chiro told me that I have passed along in the years:
DO NOT use a heating pad for back pain. She said 'heating pads are for menstrual cramps ONLY! Dry heat only exaggerates the inflamation. Instead, heat up wet towels in the microwave and use those until the steam is gone. The release of steam actually gets the tension out of muscles. A hot shower pointed directly on the problem areas also works.

Make sure if you sleep with a ceiling fan, that the wind is not blowing directly on you, but circulating up and then down. Direct wind from a fan dries out your sinuses and makes you more susceptible to back injury.

I hope these tips help you when making your decision

turbojanem

i love my Chiropractor...so i'm not saying go outside of chiropractic care...but have you considered a 2nd opinion? did he suggest what you should do for the month for exercise?
if you can't do this program then you need to a gym where you can do cardio and some sculpting for toning for the month. you should be able to get a gym to sell you a month long membership at a discount this time of the year.
don't stop moving...everyone needs regular exercise.
Jane