Hi all
Not sure what I did but I messed up my back a few weeks ago. Tried the chiropractor for 3 weeks with no improvement, then went to my doctor. x-rays didn't show anything and now I'm told insurance will require 6 weeks of physical therapy before they will pay for a CT scan. I have sharp lightening flashes of pain on a scale of 1 to 10 feels like a 15. Then I also have muscle spasms in my legs. And finally, at times the leg muscles seem to be really tight and sore and that makes it hard to walk.

Sound familiar to anybody? Any suggestions on what might help? I think I'm at 4 1/2 weeks now and I'm ready for this to be over!!!

John

 

Sorry to hear about your back troubles. I had troubles many years growing up and back pain is tough to deal with. I did find that some Chiropractors are better than others. In my experience, any Chiropractors that want you to sign a contract is a crook. I can't offer much help but offer a strange story about how mine was fixed. I had trouble off and on from early teens to 26 years old. When I was 26 I had a 4 wheeler crash in an MX race. Was an easy crash but I hit the ground wrong and knocked myself silly and my back was in sever pain. They toted me off to the hospital and found nothing wrong. After about a week the pain went away and never had a problem since. Don't think that is the recommended procedure for others though.

Will pray for you find freedom from this.

 

I'm sorry to hear that, John.

I've messed up my back a few times, and, as our former President said, I feel your pain.

It sounds like you've got pressure on a nerve, which could be from a disc that's messed up, or could be from muscle spasm where a nerve passes through the muscle.
You've got significant pain for a lot longer than most people will with the "standard" low back injury, and, to me, that moves you up the list for an MRI (NOT a CAT scan).

I think that anyone with 10+ back pain after more than a month needs a more detailed evaluation, by an Orthopedist (a surgeon who is an MD or a DO), which will probably entail an MRI.

Insurance then becomes the sticking point, but depending on the insurer, the policy, and (believe it or not), the employer (insurers will give better service to employees of one employer than of another, depending on the employer's pull), you may have more leverage than you think if you get on the horn to the right person (possibly including the insurance company "doctor" whose job it is to tell your doctor to pound sand), you may well get it approved.

The one piece of advice I can give you is to minimize or eliminate the use of any opioid pain medicines (Percocet, Vicodin, codeine, tramadol, etc.), as they can be addicting, and also their use in back pain for more than a few days has been found to be associated with poorer outcomes.

- Eric

 

I have some experience with back pain myself,so I certainly sympathize with you. From what I know about it is,when pain goes from the back into the legs,something is pinched. I bought an inversion table(Teeter Hangup Brand) and it really helps with the nerves. When you think about the theory of how it works,it makes a lot of sense . If you've seen them advertised,they show hanging straight up and down but really all you need is about 60*. That's the angle that gives you as much therapy as straight up and down. It decompresses the spine and relieves the pressure on the pinched nerves. I'm not a Doctor but I did stay @ a Holiday Inn Express.

 

Back pain is tricky. I have herniated disks. Went to many chiropractors. What I found is the ones that are sales men and dramatic usually don't help. They want to bleed your insurance company. I found an excellent one when I was ready to give up. Unfortunately she is in NY. Long drive for you. Physical therapy is the same story. What did it for me was quality chiropractor, rest then a good physical therapist to show you a daily routine of stretching out. The other thing is strengthen your core. Sit ups, not a good idea. I do planks. Elbows on the ground, head neutral and on your toes, hold your body straight. Like laying on your stomach but off the ground. Hold as long as you can. When you get used to it do 3 sets then 5 sets. Build up slow, start 10 seconds work up to 2 min. Then start doing sets. Eventually you will elevate your legs on a chair, stairs, whatever. Not sure of your age but it's never to late to start. I'm 48 and started at about 38. A body in motion stays in motion. Similar to the cars we work on.
My pain is lower back. It comes and goes, but has not been sever in a long time. Jumped out a window years back and got hung up on a ladder. We wear harnesses around our hips with large D rings right in front so it got caught up on the rail of the ladder when I went out. Legs kept going, body stopped immediately. Good news is I made it out about a fifth of a second before the room flashed over. Bad new is the guy I was looking for didn't. Smoking in bed.
Don't know were your pain originates but if it's lower this could help. Also what you sit on for hours and sleep on has a lot to do with it. Most people don't agree, but I sleep on a medium memory foam mattress. It's not for everyone. I had a 92 S-10 Blazer once and that car did my back no justice.
Good luck with your back. Hope you feel better.

 

I agree with both of the guys above.

You've got some chance of improvement with hanging upside down like a bat.

If you can't get traction on the Ortho referral, or if it's no trouble to you to rig something up to get upside-down, I'd encourage it.

- Eric

 

Look up Williams program back exercise. Its just stretching exercises for your back and leg muscles, and tightening your abs. I worked in physical therapy long ago and had to teach these to pts. There not difficult to do. Tightening the abdominal muscles will help the back muscles to relax. Stretch your ham strings too, start off slow and easy and build up to more and more. Dont over do it. And X10 on the inversion table 66 3x2 442 mentioned. If you can get where you can do sit ups on and inversion table that will really tighten your abs, thus relaxing your back muscles. I would go to a real MD, sorry im not a believer in chiropractors, though some people swear by them. I personally would avoid back surgery until the very last option, seen alot of people come out no better than when they went in for surgery.
Good luck
Steve

 

All I can offer is my old man says Aleve (naproxin) works better on his joints than Advil (ibuprofen).

 

I am a believer in physical therapy. Back in 2008 I fell 10 feet straight down off a latter and shattered the L2 vertebrae in my back. After a couple days in the hospital I wore a goofy looking back brace for 3 months. No surgery. About a year or two later, I started having some back pain. The doctor prescribed physical therapy. It took care of the problem and I have had no recurrence. A few years before that I was working out a lot and my left shoulder started hurting. Physical therapy fixed it. Good luck with this John and let us know how it goes.

 

I've dealt with lower back pain before. Its usually rest, up to a week or more to feel better. Ibuprofen is my go to relief. What has me down now is middle back pain with the same feeling of electricity down my right leg. This is unusual for me, its always lower back.

Since Friday I've been down, little activity as possible. When I do feel a little better I try to do normal things, nothing over active. I to, have no idea what the heck I did to feel like this. I'm getting better, hope you do to. I'm not going to a chiropractor, as I feel they make me worse. The wife, however loves bi yearly cracking.

For me, when I do find a comfortable place to "lie" I stay there. Coughing or sneezing is real bad, and makes it much worse.

I know this sucks, its the prettiest most comfortable time of the year around here, and you're stuck watching re-runs.

 

Years ago I had the significant lower back pain. The specialist MD ran a lot of tests and said that there wasn't much to do and it probably wouldn't get better. They don't like to do surgery. The statistic I heard said that 1/3 get better, 1/3 stay the same, and 1/3 get worse. Next came the chiropractor. There was some relief during the treatment, but it didn't last. I'd avoid or minimize the drugs due to the undesirable side effects. What helped the most was the home treatments over time. You can get alignment devices, vibratory devices with and without heat, and traction devices. Use whatever works best for you. Also be careful about what you sleep on. Today it's not perfect, but the excruciating pain is gone. Best wishes.

 

Two herniated disks and arthritis in my lower back, sciatica. Herniated disk and arthritis in my neck. X-Rays are cheap and showed the arthritis. MRI is not cheap but showed the herniated disks. Not sure what Physical Therapy will do until they know what is wrong. Took the MRI to find out was wrong, then the PT designed exercises for me as well as massages, etc - took 2 years for my lower back to get back to be mostly pain free.

No more bending over, it's all squat and lift.

So to the poster above who mentioned Abs, yes. Exercises to strengthen abs, legs, glutes - but not until they knew what was wrong so that the exercises would work and not worsen the problem.

I still get the occasional muscle spasm in the lower back which can last weeks before it stops.

 

Sorry to hear your feeling poorly. Can't suggest anything but hope you get to feeling better sooner than later.

 

My back problems started when I was 15....I tore a muscle in the lower back and I went down. Doc said at the time there was nothing much that could be done other than rest and various specific back exercises. I have retort that muscle 6 times since then....today I stop and try not to overdo . Heating pad and rest seems to work the best.

Back pain is the worst ...feel for you John...hope it becomes manageable for you.

 

I figure these are for muscle pain as opposed to nerve pain; however, I use these whenever my back aches:

https://www.amazon.com/Icy-Hot-Extra...+hot+back+pads

They work decent and don't have side effects like drugs. As others have said Perocet, Tramadol, Tylenol 3, etc. are addictive. Also be aware that NSAIDs (Ibuprofen, Aleve, Naproxen, Motrin, etc.) can be hard on your liver.

I hope you get relief soon and the doctors are able to fix you up.

 

Thank you for the well wishes and suggestions you've all shared. Yes its tempting to use drugs to dull the pain, but I agree there's a danger there. I'll continue with the physical therapy and need to look into an inversion table. I'm 58 and hoping to retire early, then have a couple decades of being active and doing all those things I've not had/made time to do. Once I get beyond this event I believe I need to get into a fitness routine and take better care of my health. This is a wake up call for me. John

 

I feel your pain literally. In my youth I was a brute and treated my body with reckless abandon and it all comes back to haunt you after 60 years. Football, wrestling motocross, scrambles,car wrecks and thinking you can leap tall buildings with a single bound will make a wimp out of you sooner than you think. I know you know this but from now on take special attention on how you lift anything. Once a bad back always a bad back.

As far a chiropractors or doctors for relief, chiropractors haven't done me much good but my wife swears by hers so it's my opinion it's really a crap shoot. As other have said watch out for the morphine type drugs it's very easy to get hooked and a second opinion is never a bad idea when it comes to surgery.... John best of luck in your recovery, retirement is still the best job I have ever had, let it be yours also... Tedd

 

Sorry to hear about this John. I have dealt with pain issues like this myself. I did go to water therapy and it really helped. The therapist had me do a thing in the deep end with two water noodles under my arms and wrapped around my back so like a float and just hang in the deep end. It is very low pressure hanging traction sort of speak and it helped very much.

Hope you find relief soon

Larry

 

When I pull my back out, I take a hot shower and aim it at the part where it hurts. I have a shower head that you can change to regular spray to massage. Then I apply Salonpas patch or have somebody rub Tiger Balm. Within 3-4 days, my back is feeling a lot better. Try not to lay down on a soft mattress. I have a 10" memory foam mattress that I bought from Amazon. I havent hurt my back yet. Hope you feel better.

 

I've had lower back pain most of my adult life. It usually flares up after working on a car or splitting firewood. It got really bad after getting a desk job last year. Someone mentioned something to me about hip flexors shrinking, so I started doing the stretches. Honestly, it only takes about 3 minutes of stretching before the back pain is gone. Of course, this is assuming the pain is muscular. It would be much different for a pinched nerve or inflamed disc....

 

I've had several rounds of back/shoulder/neck pain over the last 10 years.
I've been to a couple of chiropractors, leaving the office in more pain than I went in with, and orthopedic dr appts that included rounds of physical therapy. No long lasting results there either.

The best results, and the longest lasting relief has been thru a chiropractor who specialized in Applied Kinesiology.

We call him the 'voodoo doctor' since he is also into a lot of homeopathic treatments rather than pharmaceuticals.
He also doesn't do the 'we need to see you 3x a week for the next 4 months' crap either.
He may say 'come back in a week, and we'll see how you're doing', but that is it. And usually, 1 or 2 visits is all it takes.

I've referred several friends to him, and all of them have found relief from their various aches and pains.

Look up an applied kinesiologist, and see how it goes. I bet you see an improvement....

 

It seems insurance referring one to physical therapy before a MRI is not uncommon. Happened to my wife twice before the problem in her shoulders was found. Each shoulder then required surgery. Good advice above. The other bad side to pain drugs is that if you have a problem, you can make it much worse if the meds make you feel no pain and then you just keep working it.
Good luck and hope it gets better.

 

Go to criticalhealthnews.com and do some reading. Most likely a pinched nerve from deteriation of spaces. These areas must be rebuilt. Then off to the Vitamin store for a jug of PH Ballencer, next down to the feed store for a bottle each of Liquid Health K-9 Glucosomine and Fidonutrients. Better to have a long term solution and surgery is not the answer.

 

My back trouble started in my mid 20s. Literally crawling on my belly for a week thinking it would be better the next day. Went to a chiropractor/actupunturist on crutches and carried them out of his office. So, it doesn't matter if some people don't believe in it if it works. Several years later I had a serious back injury and was a year and a half from when it first started to the first time I ran again. Physical therapy, anti-inflammatories and pain killers plateaued after 3 months and my breakthrough came from a week off work doing almost nothing. Anyway how I've learned to deal with these issues is at the first sign of nerve pain I take naproxen and be cautious. Still see the chiro when needed as well as an orthogonal dr. And while you are feeling good some basic yoga will do wonders. Nobody needs to know you can do it in the privacy of your own home and it works.

 

Usually after the first occasion of back trouble our notions of invincibility vanish and we must be, for our own good, always cautious of doing dumb things to the back, and doing whatever therapy helps. It becomes a life long task.

 

John

Go see Dr. Peterson at Barnett and Highland. He diagnosed my problem after I had some of the same issues you raised.

 

Last spring I had a fall. I thought I just hurt my back. The chiro said it was fixable ., load of bs. I finally saw an orthopedic dr. Who told me I had arthritis in my lower back. Not much I can do but stay limber and fit.

 

Take a good look at your bed a new mattress may be part of the cure.

 

I hope your feeling much better John, Nice to see threads like this pop back up from time to time. Nice to see our Oldsmobile friends looking out for each other.
We are all in good hands on this site.
Give us an update when you get a chance.
Eric

 

I too had BAD back-related problems at spring.
They were so bad that in order to get up from bed, i had to roll down to floor and work myself up from there... Hardest day was when i was crawling down-stairs from upper floor to ground-floor.. Walking was a pain, and sitting at wc....? Wasnt far away that i fainted there.

My back got back By sitting at sauna at 80c for hours at every another day, and strechting my back so far it hurt ALOT.. Now its otherwise perfect, but it wont tolerate anymore bad sitting-positions on chair. And i even have good muscles at stomach/ back.

 

You need to go to a orthopedic surgeon or a pain management Dr. they will be able to get you the scans needed approved without the PT.

 

I agree about the chiropractors not being equal. I have lived with back pain from a young age, about 10 years old. It started as a strained lumbar muscle from a backpack. I couldn't do much, as I still needed to go to school, and be a kid, so I lived with it.

At 19 my girlfriend forced me to visit a dr again. Somewhere in those 9 years, I fractured a vertebrae. The Dr I visited noted it was a stabilized stress fracture, minorly adjusted me a few times, and I felt moderately better. I realized I wasn't improving and was done paying co-pays.

Fast forward another 2 years or so, and I screwed up. I twisted picking up a metal sheer, then kept working... I continued to move transes and rears all weekend with my friends when we went to the swap meet. I couldn't move eventually. I was 21 and could actually not walk, I was folded to my side, it took me almost 5 minutes to get up from a chair, not exaggerating. I was rolling out of bed. Putting on shoes could take me 10 minutes of excruciating pain. I tried to ice it and work through it, but after a few days walking around work like a 90 year old man, I realized it wasn't working. At this point, my girlfriend was now working in a chiropractor's office (a different one) so I gave it a shot. That man adjusted me 4 times that first week, every day, adjustments the other guy never did. On day one I walked out of there extremely sore and hurting, but upright. By the end of the week, aside from soreness I was back to myself. It has been 2 years now, I slowly weaned down to 3x a week, to 2x a week, now to once every 4 weeks. I am in the best shape, when it comes to my back, than ever before in my adult life.
Now it would be a lie to say I am without pain, but in day to day affairs, I just have a discomfort, and anything I screw up and throw out is quickly fixable with a visit.

I am here to say, sample the market. A good chiropractor can do wonders if you find the right one for you. I was a major skeptic until I needed one, and stumbled upon the right one.

 

The orthopedic dr. said i could see a chiropractor or do some physical therapy to learn proper stretches. i did none and went about my life. I went from working hourly to working commision so i work even faster now. what i found is i feel better than ever. There is days where it bugs me but im not letting it get in my way. Those first few days i could barely walk i was in sever pain I couldn't take a step with out having shooting pain go through my lower back. I found foot support is huge. I cant wear flat shoes any more. Im actually more comfortable in work boots and if i wear regular flat (skate) style shoes like i used to my feet hurt and my back is soon to follow.

 

Agree --- inversion table. I hurt my back about 13 years ago and ruptured a disc at L5-S1. Had to literally crawl up the stairs at the house for a few days. Never felt any pain like that and the leg cramps and back spasms were terrible.

The inversion table is cheap (compared to a chiropractor) and effective. Just make sure you get a brand that is trustworthy. Teeter is very good and also is the one that I have with heat: https://www.amazon.com/Ironman-Infra.../dp/B003LQZM2G

 

Thanks guys, I finally got the MRI. What they found was a couple discs are bulging, but one location also has a cyst. Between the bulging disc and the cyst they're pressing the nerve against the bone and causing the pain & muscle spasms I've been dealing with. I went to a physiatrist (new one on me) and he's laid out a plan of treatment. Step one, drugs to take down the inflammation. If that doesn't work, step 2 which is steroid shots. If that doesn't work step three is surgery. He believes I'll eventually be having the surgery but that we should try these other steps first.

Man I'm getting tired of this! But I gotta share when I was growing up my Dad was confined to a wheelchair and eventually bed ridden with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). I admired his ability to always see the glass half full and take life as it came. What I'm dealing with is limiting what I can do but nothing like what Dad dealt with. The frustration I feel is giving me a whole new respect for what my Dad was able to accept and live with for several decades.

 

I wanted to share that after reading Mike's thread I did purchase one. When I had my head lower it felt great! But I tried it 3 different times and as I moved to being upright and ready to step off it I had severe pain in the lower back. I'm guessing where my problem is was pressing against the inversion table. So I'm now thinking it will be good for maintenance once I get my present back problem fixed, but for now I'll have to try something else. John

 

Ahh jeez, I wanted to sell mine. I bought it from Model's.
Recently, I bought a 10" Signature Series memory foam mattress from Amazon that a co worker recommended. What a difference from a box spring to a memory foam.

 

Glad to hear you know what you are dealing with. Hoping you can get by with anti inflammatory and steroids. Surgery on the back is not something I look forward to, but if it improves quality of life, I suppose it is worth the risk.

 

John, just a heads up. Wheat is an inflammatory & will hinder the effect of the anti. It might be beneficial to to cut back or even eliminate wheat products for a while. It seems to work that way for me. I've cut down drastically on wheat & my back as well as other joints feel much better. I just can't resist the occasional NY pizza slice.

 

An update

I saw the physiatrist and he did two things for me. He gave me a prescription that's to treat seizures, that stopped the leg spasms! Then this past Wednesday I got steroid injections, one above and one below the bad disc. The pain is different, but I'm still dealing with back pain. The doctor said it may take a week or two to fully kick in so I'm optimistic that will help. I'm walking normally now although I don't want to over-do it so I'm not picking up motors to move around the garage right now
John