Lower back is slowing me down!!

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dcain2
dcain2 Posts: 102 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I don't know what to do. I am part of a fitness bootcamp that meets three times a week and I play roller derby which practices 4 hours a week. Excercise was really helping me alot. Several weeks ago I started having pain in my lower back. Went to the chiropractor who says I have muscle strain that is causing joint restriction. (no xrays or anything) Have had about 4 sessions with him, but now I can't even lift my legs in the morning to put my underwear on!! funny but not really funny! Just getting worse and worse. Anyway I haven't exercised in over a week and it hurts worse than ever. Taking a ton of tylenol and at times not eating right (my mother passed away a week ago and emotional eating took over a few times). Thursdays are my weigh in day and it was no surprise when I had gained three pounds in a week. :angry: Anyone else out there deal with lower back pain? What did you do to correct the issue?? I need to exercise!!

Replies

  • bmontgomery87
    bmontgomery87 Posts: 1,260 Member
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    Do you stretch daily? I'd reccommend looking up some good stretches for your lower back and work on strengthening you body.
  • donrob
    donrob Posts: 4 Member
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    You should go to a medical doctor. They would more than likely prescribe mussel relaxers. I have been down that road & still have some back problems. Most of mine are from playing golf though. Hope you get better.
  • JenWorthen3
    JenWorthen3 Posts: 64 Member
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    Do lower back stretches! One is simply laying on your back and pulling your knees up to your chest -- one at a time if you need to. Hold it for a few seconds and repeat a few times. Another is to put your foot on a table that's about knee high and lean into it slowly and carefully. Do this on both sides. You have to strengthen your back muscles to be able to support everything you're trying to do. Once you get a little bit stronger, start doing planks and squats regularly to strengthen those muscles. If the pain doesn't go away soon, talk to your doctor about getting a physical therapy referral. I had my pelvic bone go out about a year ago (from having 4 really big kids that really seemed to love to chill out on my left side) and had to go through physical therapy for it. It was so worth it! They gave me the tools I needed to be able to fix the problem at home. They also helped do lots of stretches that I could teach my husband so he could help me at home when it gets really bad. Good luck and I promise it does get better!
  • Sporty98
    Sporty98 Posts: 321 Member
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    First of all, I'm so very sorry to hear about the loss of your Mother.
    I have recently been battling a "bad back"....i.e. lower back pain that isn't going away with pain relievers, heating pad, and "icy-hot." My solution may not be the best one, but here it is: I took some time off from exercising, drank lots of extra water, and rested my body. I, too, gained a few pounds (which come right off once you start exercising again). This morning I am feeling closer to "normal", with some back pain, but nowhere near what it was. I am going to attempt a work-out this morning....If it's still giving me trouble, I'll take more time off.
    I would recommend that you see your doctor, though.....If you'd had it this for several weeks it could be a sign of a bigger problem. With the kidneys in the lower back region, a lot of back pain could be related to kidney issues. I did not see my doctor, but promised myself that if I was still "laid up" by Friday (tomorrow), that I would get in to see my doctor.
    Good luck, and I hope you're feeling better very soon!
  • waynp
    waynp Posts: 4
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    Your core is key to supporting your lower back. It could be that you have a weak core, which is basically that bit around your and waist and groin area. I did and it lead to years of recurring lower back spasms that meant I couldn't stand up straight, I could only shuffle around bent over like and old man,

    If your core is weak then starting with low impact core strengthening like Pilates is good at first. You have to engage your core before and throughout every exercise while breathing correctly. Once you have built up some core strength, say after 12 one-hour sessions you can think of moving on to gym-based core strengthening. Avoid impact exercise like running and use the cross-trainer (or similar) instead. If you are a member of a gym don't be afraid to ask an instructor for advice before using any machine or doing any exercise for the first time. Doing it wrong can be worse for you as you may put undue stress on the weakest parts of your body.

    Hope that helps!
  • DoReMiFaSoLaTiDo
    DoReMiFaSoLaTiDo Posts: 296
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    you also may wanna try Yoga ( it will help with the stress as well as your back issues)
  • keljo05
    keljo05 Posts: 173
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    he didn't take xrays? ugh. I would go to another chiro and see what they say. Our office would definitely refer out for films especially given your roller derby activity.

    I however did over yoga early this week when trying to stretch my overtight hips... and have the same issue with my legs when I do this( not the first time i've done this to my low back). I've just kept up with Aleive once or twice a day.. lots of icing ( 10min on per hour).. rest and light workouts. Oh and a few adjustments at work.. but I think I've only had 2 for this episode as its been a crazy work week.
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
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    First of all, I'm so very sorry to hear about the loss of your Mother.
    I have recently been battling a "bad back"....i.e. lower back pain that isn't going away with pain relievers, heating pad, and "icy-hot." My solution may not be the best one, but here it is: I took some time off from exercising, drank lots of extra water, and rested my body. I, too, gained a few pounds (which come right off once you start exercising again). This morning I am feeling closer to "normal", with some back pain, but nowhere near what it was. I am going to attempt a work-out this morning....If it's still giving me trouble, I'll take more time off.
    I would recommend that you see your doctor, though.....If you'd had it this for several weeks it could be a sign of a bigger problem. With the kidneys in the lower back region, a lot of back pain could be related to kidney issues. I did not see my doctor, but promised myself that if I was still "laid up" by Friday (tomorrow), that I would get in to see my doctor.
    Good luck, and I hope you're feeling better very soon!

    This^
  • dcain2
    dcain2 Posts: 102 Member
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    Thanks everybody, I appreciate all of the advice. Will definatly be trying most of your suggestions.
  • michelellawrence
    michelellawrence Posts: 81
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    I have battled a bad lower back for years. I work in a factory, with lots of twisting and bending... the best thing I have found is called and invetrac... it is a machine that stretches your back, allowing any inflamed discs to be pulled back where they belong. I normally "blow" my back every year or so, but since buying this I have not even had to go to my chiro.
  • lisaidem
    lisaidem Posts: 194 Member
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    I ditto the "try another chiro" suggestion. I have had recurring lower back issues for the last 5-7 years. It would either build up to the point where I couldn't move by myself, or sometimes I would wake up in the morning the same way--it was never really consistent. When my chiro did X-Rays, he could see that my left hip was being "torqued" forward and up, which was making my gait uneven, along with unbelievable pain.
    If you cannot even function (I would consider not being able to dress yourself as not really functioning), you should be seeing the chiro once a day until the worst has passed. Your chiro should be giving you a routine to follow, whether that includes just ice, or heat and ice, stretching (or not), and usually an anti-inflammatory.
    Something that has helped me in the past year, and something that almost no one thinks about, is POSTURE. We have evolved to stand upright by ENGAGING OUR CORES. Most of us slouch, and stand with our pelvis unnaturally forward, with absolutely no core engagement. Instead of thrusting your pelvis and/or shoulders forward or back, it helps to concentrate on being a solid pole--with your head and pelvis centered with your core. When I am just standing around, I focus on standing on both feet (not putting all my weight on one foot, with my hip out), and keeping my pelvis tilted "up." There are lots of sites and books that can explain this slightly better. This has a good picture and some basic info: http://www.iptmiami.com/News/Lets_talk_about_your_posture/?p=1
  • frmeital
    frmeital Posts: 36
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    The best thing to try first is lower back pain stretches. This is an article about it, hope it helps:\

    http://ezinearticles.com/?Lower-Back-Pain-Exercises---A-Simple-Little-Stretch-Instantly-Relieves-Lower-Back-Pain&id=5203145

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