Lower back pain - need some help

lindustum
lindustum Posts: 212 Member
in Motivation and Support
Dear MFP'ers,

SORRY FOR THE LONG POST.

I am glad I found this community and it's all going well so far, just to summarize the weight-loss-part.
I am 23 years old and for most of my life I have struggled with lower back pain due to bad posture. I have a very minor scoliosis in my upper back but according to my orthopedist, it is so minor that he wouldn't consider it a problem.

All was okay, the backpain was always acceptable (it came and went), I played football all my life (love it) and also did some weightlifting after I met my bf. Then, in February 2011, I dislocated Sacroiliac joint (one of the joints in the pelvis) during a playfight with my better half (yeah I know :p). I noticed pain and numbness in my leg, and after days of severe backpain I went to my GP (I moved country), who discovered the scoliosis and insisted that it had suddenly started causing the intense pain- and subscribed me pain killers.

I went to him again, asking for an x ray or referral to a specialist but he was quite insistent. So I continued playing football, went to the gym (without a trainer, and did most of the back exercises terribly wrong)- the pain intensified, so I stopped that and stuck to jogging. I went to the GP again who told me jogging was extremely bad for my spine because of the compression caused by the running, and I should not do any sports until the pain goes away.

Well, on my visit back to my family I saw my old orthopedist again, whom it took a grand total of 3 seconds to discover the dislocation- by which points, 5 months later, all the mucles had been strained, shortened and in the wrong place. He popped it back in, gave me meds and said I could only do light physio exercises in order to stop the joint from dislocating again.

And so I went and did that- the joint stopped dislocating and the pain eased. After some physio and massages, I was allowed to cycle and swim as my only form of exercise. This was last summer (2012) and in December I saw my physio again, asking about exercise and she said I should not do lifting or gym because of my competitive nature, I would tend to overdo it and cause damage.

I have been cycling for a year now. 3 days a week, 45 mins usually (stationary). Yes the pain is nowhere near where it was at the beginning. But I am extremely tense I can't stretch most of my muscles very far. I can bend down and touch the ground with my fingers because that is what I was told I should work on- but I can't sit cross-legged without pain in my sides. So against that age-old advice I started Jillian Michaels to see how I would cope. I did the first week, adding an additional rest day when I felt my back was sore. I adjust all back-heavy exercises and am doing very well. I have not had more backpain, and I have started to actually stretch the muscles around my back, and I feel that this is much more helpful than always the same exercise month after month with no improvement. I also found ways to change my posture and finally, taking walks no longer causes pain!

However I have had a very bad week last week with alot of anxiety, which is always what kills my back- and here I sit, with pain. Not terrible, but annoying. I have a desk job and I have stopped JM because I am scared that would cause damage. I have been to different GPs and none of them referred me. What should I do? Does anyone else have experienced something similar?

I am only 23 and I love sports, and the backpain is only muscular- there is no injury or anything else. I really want to get rid of the pain :/

Any advice?
So much appreciated, really

Replies

  • Blitz_40
    Blitz_40 Posts: 110 Member
    I have decided that my lower back pain (muscular) is just plain weakness. I sit all day at a desk, have terrible posture (working on it) and some mild scoliosis. I started working specifically on my core/lower back using a ball about 6 weeks ago. It's definitely helping because I just finished vacuuming the whole house with barely a twinge. Normally this activity would make my lower back ache (ridiculous, or what?) so I'm going to keep focusing on strengthening those muscles. That said, just be careful to pay attention to your back with whatever exercise you do, so you won't make it worse.
  • lindustum
    lindustum Posts: 212 Member
    I have decided that my lower back pain (muscular) is just plain weakness. I sit all day at a desk, have terrible posture (working on it) and some mild scoliosis. I started working specifically on my core/lower back using a ball about 6 weeks ago. It's definitely helping because I just finished vacuuming the whole house with barely a twinge. Normally this activity would make my lower back ache (ridiculous, or what?) so I'm going to keep focusing on strengthening those muscles. That said, just be careful to pay attention to your back with whatever exercise you do, so you won't make it worse.

    Yeah I have the same thing with vacuuming!
    Thank you for your response. This is also my tendency at the moment. Whenever I stop exercising, tension gets worse and thus the pain. My instincts seem to help me more than the professional advice, but on the other hand I am worried that doing just that will get me in a worse position.

    I try to pay as much attention as I can, thank you :)
  • jenswan70
    jenswan70 Posts: 40 Member
    I've had a tension headache for almost 28 years that nothing can get rid off except major narcotics. I've recently began doing yoga (2x/week for 90 minutes), which has improved my posture and reduced my pain levels significantly. I still have the headache but no loner am popping Aleve/Tylenol/aspirin like candy just to get through the day.

    I tried 30 Day Shred but had to quit after 3 days. It was too high impact for me. I've just completed day 13 of Hip Hop Abs and haven't had any difficulty. I do the majority of the modified moves with the occasional higher impact just to see where I am. If it hurts to do the more difficult, I drop it back down.
  • thescrumisfun
    thescrumisfun Posts: 355
    Where exactly is the lower back pain? Mine was on the left side of my buttocks, right near the tailbone and down. After struggling with it since last October (and while also playing rugby), I FINALLY went to the chiropractor on Friday, and mine was all muscular issues too! I have a very tight psoas major (hip flexor) and tight quads (which have been compensating for the psoas major). My chiropractor made some adjustments and stretched me properly, and I am feeling a million times better. Maybe something is reaaaaallly tight, and causing the discomfort. A tight hip flexor, for example, can put pressure on discs, causing the discomfort. Go to a reputable chiropractor again and see what they can do. You shouldn't have to be put out of activities for something that could be fixable!

    My pain really wasn't "pain" in the typical sense - rather, my range of motion was being inhibited, in my case by a vury tight muscle.

    http://yogainternational.com/article/view/how-to-stretch-and-strengthen-the-psoas
  • lindustum
    lindustum Posts: 212 Member
    Where exactly is the lower back pain? Mine was on the left side of my buttocks, right near the tailbone and down. After struggling with it since last October (and while also playing rugby), I FINALLY went to the chiropractor on Friday, and mine was all muscular issues too! I have a very tight psoas major (hip flexor) and tight quads (which have been compensating for the psoas major). My chiropractor made some adjustments and stretched me properly, and I am feeling a million times better. Maybe something is reaaaaallly tight, and causing the discomfort. A tight hip flexor, for example, can put pressure on discs, causing the discomfort. Go to a reputable chiropractor again and see what they can do. You shouldn't have to be put out of activities for something that could be fixable!
    The pain is basically where yours is, just moving up instead of down. Everything is really tense and hard around there. Wow I am so glad you found someone to help you, this is really encouraging- I really have to invest the money and see someone besides my GP(s).

    Thank you for the link!! :)
  • recoveryjunky
    recoveryjunky Posts: 162 Member
    Honestly, I'd just listen to your doctor... I have really bad back pain sometimes but it is due to a car accident (and the subsequent muscle loss from not moving when it hurt). If I gave you advice for my injury, it could do something horribly bad for you, you know? I think there are so many types of back injuries that you can't really ask for real help in a place like this.

    I know how bad back pain is when you're trying to be healthy and I sincerely want to wish you all the luck I can. It's REALLY hard.
  • thescrumisfun
    thescrumisfun Posts: 355
    Yes, please see a chiro! It will definitely be worth it. When this first happened, I saw a physical therapist, and he brushed me off as hyper-mobile. I had never had back problems before in my life, and as the aggravation never went away (or sometimes intensified), I wanted a second medical opinion.
    Here is where the psoas major is located: http://www.clearpathchiropractic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Psoas-Major-Muscle1-285x300.png. It's pretty big and important!

    Really though, invest in yourself. I love weightlifting and rugby, and I was so scared I would have to stop due to this issue, when it was something very fixable. You don't deserve to be in discomfort!
  • Wilhellmina
    Wilhellmina Posts: 757 Member
    I have had lower back pains for a quite a while (still somewhat so now and then. What helped me a lot was yoga. Ever since I do that it became way less.
  • Alwayssohungry
    Alwayssohungry Posts: 369 Member
    CHIROPRACTOR ! My husband was in agony for three years - couldn't work, couldn't sleep - agony. He went to orthopedists, neurologists, etc and they all said that his disc is out of line but not out of line enough to warrant surgery. They suggested he find a new line of work - He's a landscaper and loves it - so that was not an option. One night he was tickling my foot and I kicked him in the side and he fell to the ground so he wouldn't wrench his back. When he stood up he could move just fine with no pain. Unfortunately it didn't last very long. Since the muscles had grown wrong for the past three years it took many, many visits to the Chiropractor to get him back in shape - probably two a week for a year. Now he's fine and dandy. Goes to the chiropractor maybe once or twice a year when he over does it. He works like a beast and has out worked every employee he's ever worked with, even the ones half his age.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    I just want to echo the suggestion of finding a reputable chiropractor. I had lower back pain for years due to tight muscles and a problem with my sacroiliac joint. My GP told me to take Advil - in fact, she told me to take "as much as I want." And stupid me, I did! Turns out, she didn't actually believe me... In any case, after suffering for 2 years from back pain, getting a bleeding ulcer from abusing Advil and finally, literally crawling to my sister's engagement party, I started seeing a chiropractor. To make a long story short, he adjusted me (and still does periodically) and showed me stretches and other exercises so that it doesn't occur again. I also needed to strengthen my muscles, but I couldn't have done that without first being adjusted since every time I started a new exercise regimen, I would throw my back out. Now I spin, run, and lift weights on a regular basis without any back pain.
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    Dear MFP'ers,

    SORRY FOR THE LONG POST.

    I am glad I found this community and it's all going well so far, just to summarize the weight-loss-part.
    I am 23 years old and for most of my life I have struggled with lower back pain due to bad posture. I have a very minor scoliosis in my upper back but according to my orthopedist, it is so minor that he wouldn't consider it a problem.

    All was okay, the backpain was always acceptable (it came and went), I played football all my life (love it) and also did some weightlifting after I met my bf. Then, in February 2011, I dislocated Sacroiliac joint (one of the joints in the pelvis) during a playfight with my better half (yeah I know :p). I noticed pain and numbness in my leg, and after days of severe backpain I went to my GP (I moved country), who discovered the scoliosis and insisted that it had suddenly started causing the intense pain- and subscribed me pain killers.

    I went to him again, asking for an x ray or referral to a specialist but he was quite insistent. So I continued playing football, went to the gym (without a trainer, and did most of the back exercises terribly wrong)- the pain intensified, so I stopped that and stuck to jogging. I went to the GP again who told me jogging was extremely bad for my spine because of the compression caused by the running, and I should not do any sports until the pain goes away.

    Well, on my visit back to my family I saw my old orthopedist again, whom it took a grand total of 3 seconds to discover the dislocation- by which points, 5 months later, all the mucles had been strained, shortened and in the wrong place. He popped it back in, gave me meds and said I could only do light physio exercises in order to stop the joint from dislocating again.

    And so I went and did that- the joint stopped dislocating and the pain eased. After some physio and massages, I was allowed to cycle and swim as my only form of exercise. This was last summer (2012) and in December I saw my physio again, asking about exercise and she said I should not do lifting or gym because of my competitive nature, I would tend to overdo it and cause damage.

    I have been cycling for a year now. 3 days a week, 45 mins usually (stationary). Yes the pain is nowhere near where it was at the beginning. But I am extremely tense I can't stretch most of my muscles very far. I can bend down and touch the ground with my fingers because that is what I was told I should work on- but I can't sit cross-legged without pain in my sides. So against that age-old advice I started Jillian Michaels to see how I would cope. I did the first week, adding an additional rest day when I felt my back was sore. I adjust all back-heavy exercises and am doing very well. I have not had more backpain, and I have started to actually stretch the muscles around my back, and I feel that this is much more helpful than always the same exercise month after month with no improvement. I also found ways to change my posture and finally, taking walks no longer causes pain!

    However I have had a very bad week last week with alot of anxiety, which is always what kills my back- and here I sit, with pain. Not terrible, but annoying. I have a desk job and I have stopped JM because I am scared that would cause damage. I have been to different GPs and none of them referred me. What should I do? Does anyone else have experienced something similar?

    I am only 23 and I love sports, and the backpain is only muscular- there is no injury or anything else. I really want to get rid of the pain :/

    Any advice?
    So much appreciated, really

    Sorry about your back problems. If you go on amazon.com and read the 1-star (negative) reviews for the 30DayShred and other JM videos, you will find people complain about both back pain and knee injuries. One doctor gave a review on the 30DS and said it can and has caused lumbar spine injuries in people with previous back problems.

    I would stop doing that exercise immediately and see a doctor to be sure you haven't injured yourself again. Also, if a doctor sent me home with pain pills for undiagnosed pain, I would never go back to them. That''s dangerous and incompetent.
  • swampgeek
    swampgeek Posts: 23 Member
    I want to add to the list of find a good Chiropractor.

    I injured my right side/butt in a motorcycle accident and had lower back pain for about 2 years. I finally broke down at a friends advice and went to a reputable Chiropractor (didnt hurt he was very inexpensive as well!). He did some minor adjustments and prescribed some stretches. To this day I still get tense from time to time in my lower back and the stretches still do the trick.

    I have started some yoga, as weird as that is for me to say, and it has really helped me get back into weight lifting and staying on track with the demanding exercise I do.
  • claudialenz711
    claudialenz711 Posts: 50
    As a Sports and remedial Therapist with many years of experience, and having worked with Chiropractors for as long as I've been qualified, I'd say definately a case for the chiro or a good Osteopath to begin with. Bottom line is,the disfunction in your SI Joint will be most likely be aggravated by Muscular Imbalance but softtissue and structural disfunction go hand in hand so you'll have to tackle it from both ends.
    Find a good Sports Massage Therapist who is familiar with your kind of exercises and stick to it. It will make a big difference in the long run and will help Muscles to recover quicker. As an Exercise regime to correct and strengthen, Pilates is still the best for physical rehabilitation after injury (ideally on-to-one).
    If tissues and Joints are inflamed, well good old non steroidal anti inflammatories, ice packs (cold sprays like Biofreeze always work for me) and good old rest to let your muscles recover after exercise will do the job. Fact is it's easy to overtrain, but rest days are vital in terms of injury prevention. Good luck and all the Best ;)x
  • bubblygoldfish
    bubblygoldfish Posts: 215 Member
    When you go back to talk to your doctor/chiropractor, ask about abdominal strengthening exercises. A strong "front" core will help to support your low back, relieving some of the strain. But make sure you ask so that the activities you try will not further harm your back. Good luck. :smile:
  • 9jenn9
    9jenn9 Posts: 309 Member
    As a Sports and remedial Therapist with many years of experience, and having worked with Chiropractors for as long as I've been qualified, I'd say definately a case for the chiro or a good Osteopath to begin with. Bottom line is,the disfunction in your SI Joint will be most likely be aggravated by Muscular Imbalance but softtissue and structural disfunction go hand in hand so you'll have to tackle it from both ends.
    Find a good Sports Massage Therapist who is familiar with your kind of exercises and stick to it. It will make a big difference in the long run and will help Muscles to recover quicker. As an Exercise regime to correct and strengthen, Pilates is still the best for physical rehabilitation after injury (ideally on-to-one).
    If tissues and Joints are inflamed, well good old non steroidal anti inflammatories, ice packs (cold sprays like Biofreeze always work for me) and good old rest to let your muscles recover after exercise will do the job. Fact is it's easy to overtrain, but rest days are vital in terms of injury prevention. Good luck and all the Best ;)x
    I'm not a professional, so the only thing I'd add as someone who tends to over train (47yo), is that I've found that if I skimp on stretching, I'm asking for trouble. Yoga stretches, pilates and a foam roller keep my muscles and fascia looser and less strained.
  • lindustum
    lindustum Posts: 212 Member
    Wow thank you all so much for you kind feedback!

    I have two chiropractors nearby and they cost 36£/hour, so really pricey for me but I hope it will do the trick.
    I shall stop the JM 30d for now and wait what the chiropractors do/advise me to do.

    Thank you all so much ! I will definitely come back to this thread should something change. Thanks!
  • lindustum
    lindustum Posts: 212 Member
    Hello everyone, I just wanted to post an update because you have all been so helpful and I want to reflect that this way! :flowerforyou:

    I had my initial appointment on Monday and my second one just yesterday, and I think it is going well. My chiropractor is also a sports analyst, so that is really helpful with feedback on exercise as well. He said I should continue doing whatever I am doing, however running is still a complete no-go because of the contraction on the spine from the "hopping". He said JM 30DS is fine but if there is a way to replace the jumping-intensive cardio with other alternatives that would be good. I am thinking about using my stationary bike, or simply switch to a light weight lifting program instead.

    He confirmed that my problem is mechanical and that there is no "injury" itself to the spine but rather that my joints are stiff and need re-adjustment. The first adjustment was awful but yesterday was already a big improvement, and I am no where near as sore. This morning I woke up without back pain for the first time in 2,5 years :smile: It didn't last long but hey, that felt really really good.

    I have been given stretch exercises to do every day, and he was also the first one to actually explain to me what exactly is causing the problem! He said the right psosas being extremely short and tight ( yay! @thescrumisfun) causes it to constantly pull one side of the pelvis forward in order to compensate.

    I'm trying to claim 5 treatments on the NHS because frankly I run out of money. But I am glad I did!!!
  • JeremyDive
    JeremyDive Posts: 2
    Many people’s symptoms such as back pain, headaches, etc. are relieved by chiropractic care. But symptoms are not the focus. Symptoms are helpful in determining a diagnosis, and then the focus is on creating better function in the body. The absence of symptoms is a pleasant side-effect of having a body that works better.

    Adjustments to correct spinal imbalance and enhance nerve function, exercises to revitalise muscles and organs, nutritional advice to provide good sources of energy, breathing techniques to oxygenate the cells and strategies to deal with stress and calm the body, all have this ultimate aim.

    Read more here how chiropractic care could help you...http://onewaychiropractic.com.au/what-does-a-chiropractor-do-2/
  • JeremyDive
    JeremyDive Posts: 2
    You may want to seek chiropractic care where you may need adjustments to correct spinal imbalance and enhance nerve function, exercises to revitalise muscles and organs, nutritional advice to provide good sources of energy, breathing techniques to oxygenate the cells and strategies to deal with stress and calm the body, all have this ultimate aim.

    Here's more information about what chiropractors do...http://onewaychiropractic.com.au/what-does-a-chiropractor-do-2/

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