Lower back pain sucks

[iwannadie]

I some how screwed my lower back up over a week ago, I work a pretty physical job and can't pinpoint when I messed my back up. There was never any sudden pain or a specific moment to indicate an injury. I have been at the point that it's hard to put my shoes and socks on because I just can't reach for over a week now. I've tried ice, heat, stretching, resting not moving at all and nothing seems to help.

If I am up and about moving for a few hours it eventually seems to loosen up so that is why I've been going to work. At this point though when I wake up and it literally takes a few minutes to stand up out of bed something is just not right ha. It is weird that I have the range of motion just not when any weight is on the muscles. I can't bend over at the waist more than a few inches. If I put my hands on a wall and take the weight off my back I can bend over far with no problems.

Of course my job is not happy, telling me to just go ahead and come into work it will help and stretch it. Stretching is their answer to everything and it has gotten old hearing that over and over. I think I am going to make a doctors appointment today and see what is going on. I dread going to the doctors, any mention of pain and they look at me like I am drug seeking. I hate pain killers and don't want them, I want to know what the cause is and how to fix it. I guess I'll see how the doctor goes today, ugh back pain just makes everything miserable.

 

[Lowrange2]

About once a year I get in the same boat you're in now. Actually, this past Monday I screwed up my back picking up a tire.

I stay on Advil, heat for 8 hours every other 8 hours, and visited the Chiropractor as soon as possible.

Just go straight to a Chiropractor. Costs 25 bucks for an alignment, therapy and heat. (Around here anyways.)

Last week I felt exactly how you're describing. It's not completely gone but feels MUCH better now.

 

[iwannadie]

Ok, not to step on what works for anyone certainly if it works great but I personally refuse to see a Chiropractor. I am going to go see a doctor today, my sister(a nurse) swears by this place. Supposedly they treat all the big sports teams here and my insurance will pay for it all.

 

[indianajeeper]

I feel for ya man, I have the same issue and the chiropractor has been no help to me, my doc hasn't done anything about it either.

 

[sdspearo]

Chances are you have a herniated or ruptured vertebrae disc. Go to your doc and INSIST on an MRI, not x-ray, an MRI. MRI will be able to see the soft tissue of the disc. If you're lucky, your pain won't be disc related. At least the MRI will rule this out or confirm it.

I went thru years of on-again off-again lower back pain from an old water skiing accident and finally got an MRI which pin pointed the exact cause of the pain. Long story short I ended up having minor surgery which only partially fixed it. If you do have a herniated disc, don't waste your time with Chiropractors (speaking from experience).

Hope you feel better...back pain sucks.

 

[iwannadie]

Just saw the doctor, nothing major wrong. He said there are 2 slight compressed discs higher up but nothing to worry about for now at least. The lower back is just a muscle strain and a few weeks taking it easy and stretching I should be fine. I was glad to hear nothing major wrong.

 

[TRNDRVR]

Chances are you have a herniated or ruptured vertebrae disc....INSIST on an MRI.....Hope you feel better...back pain sucks.

I've been off work for 3 weeks now. I have on a 24hr a day Fentanyl patch. My surgery is this Friday.

They're expanding/extending my spine, 2 titanium rods, mesh(?) fusion, spinal laminectony and discectomy. Four to five days in the hospital.

Not going to say anything bad about chiropractors, but when you need surgery, you need surgery. Have it done!

 

[bigalpha]

Nothing wrong with a properly qualified Chiro.

 

[iwannadie]

My back is close to being fully recovered, taking it easy for a while has really helped.

 

[Boatwrench]

Nothing wrong with a properly qualified Chiro.

Chiropracters are like therapist, you temporarily feel better after seeing them, but you're not cured.

 

[bigalpha]

Chiropracters are like therapist, you temporarily feel better after seeing them, but you're not cured.

My chriopractor never claimed to cure anything. It sure was nice getting popped and massaged, though.

 

[Lowrange2]

Chiropracters are like therapist, you temporarily feel better after seeing them, but you're not cured.

Yes, in my case it works because I've only usually pulled a muscle or something isn't lining up right.

Since I made that post I feel 100% better. Cartwheels and all.

 

[5-90]

A chiropractor can help.

An osteopath can help more and faster.

(I've been to see both. In two months with a D.O., I was able to make more progress than I could with four D.C.s over ten years!)

Think of an osteopath as a cross between an M.D. and a high-powered D.C. - they can prescribe, they can inject, and their adjustments are far more effective.

Considering everything I've been through, I was a D.C.'s dream patient! Problem is that I'm usually so tight that, unless I'm dealing with someone hugely strong, they just can't get anything loosened up.

Going to see a D.O. - things are a bit different:
- They assess where you're having the trouble.
- Mine used a standard injection of lidocaine and marcaine to temporarily "deaden" the muscles that were pulling me out of alignment (one of the big problems I have is scars across the erectors - both sides, ~60%. Tore 'em good about 20 years ago...)
- You use your own strength to make the adjustment, he provides resistance.
- The muscles "wake up" in the more correct position, instead of immediately fighting the adjustment. You build a new muscle memory much faster!

And, if you end up needing meds (not pain meds, but stuff like muscle relaxants or heavy-duty anti-inflammatories,) you can leave there with a scrip for them.

In addition, my D.O. is also an R.Ph., and has compounded a lot of his own meds. Probably the only non-narcotic pain meds that are of any help to me, with my resistances to damned near everything.

I started seeing my D.O. on a recommendation/referral from my pain management doctor (you should see my medical history - I'm living proof that the human organism can survive a positively frightful amount of trauma...) and haven't regretted it one bit! Dr. Jadali is an excellent physician (although I do sometimes wonder about his administrative support...)

Anything an M.D. can do, a D.O. can do - and then some! Well worth the cost, they've got chiropractors beat all hollow...

 

[Jeep450r]

The lower back is just a muscle strain

Thats what the doctors told me too. They said I could still play sports and do normal day to day activities, but just couldnt lift stuff.

Turns out I had a stress fractured L5, and degenerative and slightly bulging L4-L5 and L5-S1 disks. I was 17 at the time too.. a Junior in high school. 19 now and my activities are still limited, but I am working my way back into playing sports and doing other more physically demanding activities.

 

[OverlandZJ]

I have a bad back from a work related injury in 1995, surgery was suggested and i just couldnt do it back then 17 years ago. Felt i was too young and most i spoke to in therapy wished they never got the first surgery.. which led to more.

Lately i have been reconsidering the last few years. I'v been almost bedriden the last few weeks. Popping pills like M&M's..

If you have a good back now take care of it.. dont wish bad back pain on anyone.