Back Problems...update (Read 822 times)

Chill.

 

Back pain is very common.

 

It is almost always musculoskeletal.

 

It happens to everybody.

 

It happens more than once to many people.

 

A huge number of adults getting back MRIs have bulging discs, but that does not mean the disc bulges are the cause of the problem or need to be addressed in any way.  In fact, any time you get any medical test, you risk identifying incidental  findings that would never have been found or caused any trouble, and then you have to worry about what you found,possibly for the rest of your life.

 

A huge number of adults also have bone spurring in their back (and in other joints).  That does not mean that the bone spurring is the cause of the back pain or that it has to be treated in any way.

 

Back pain almost always resolves in 3 weeks, no matter what you do or do not do (physical therapy, chiropracty, exercise, sit on the couch, magical healing amulets, whatever).

 

Occasionally it involves nerves or nerve roots.  Occasionally it involves discs.  It still usually resolves in 3 weeks, no matter what you do.

 

In women, especially in those who have had children, it commonly involves the sacroilliac joint, which is at the base of your spine where it joins your pelvis.  Sacroiliac pain can be caused by lifting, bending or twisting.  It can be very severe.  It still usually resolves in 3 weeks.  No matter what you do.

 

Orthopedic surgeons are experts in the field of back diseases, and seeing one does not mean you need an operation.

 

By and large, operations do not resolve symptoms in patients with chronic or recurrent back pain.

 

By and large, core strengthening and increasing activity reduces back pain recurrence and severity of back pain episodes.

 

Keep running.  Strengthen your core.  As soon as comfortably possible.

 

And this: whenever you invoke the medical establishment, you risk having medical things done to you and can't let yourself get freaked out by being medicalized.  You see a doc for back pain, expect to be put on medications and possibly xrays.  You see a chiropractor for back pain, expect to be adjusted.   This is what we do.  If you can't handle a doc getting tests, then don't see a doc for what ails you.  But then you must be prepared to live with diseases that could otherwise be identified and cured.

Yep.

 

I also suspect this is part of the reason your core and flexibility have improved.

Okay, I've taken a deep breath.  I do like my doctor.  One of the reasons I went to an MD this time instead of a chiro is that I didn't want to miss any work.  Last year, I missed several days b/c I could barely stand up during the worst phase.  My doctor gave me a muscle relaxant and a pain med that would allow me to go to work so I am still moving and able to do what I do.

 

I'm definitely open to yoga and other core work.  I started walking a lot last year and this year had begun running.  I was doing really well with it.  I loved running as a teenager and was 'feeling it' again.  I need to remind myself that this is most likely a bump in the road.

 

Thanks everyone.

I picked up the x-ray report (I need to bring it to my ortho appointment).  These are the notes

 

-spurring is described as 'mild'

 

-there is straightening of the normal lumbar lordotic curve

 

-disc space heights are 'well maintained'

 

-pedicles are intact

 

-no spondylolistesis

 

So, I'm relieved as none of this sounds terribly bad.  This morning it was feeling 'better' so I decided to try going for a walk.  I went a little over a half mile.  I still have a limp in my right leg so I didn't go further but it felt good to at least move a bit.

 

 

I like Trents comment above on invoking the medical community...they will generally "do" something.  Surgeons operate, chiros adjust etc.  This is a broad generalization of course, but pretty accurate.

 

An MRI isn't going to fix anything.  It might satiate yours and your dr's quest for knowledge by providing some indication as to the severity.  Your pain and symptoms will also tell you that.  Basically surgery is an absolute last resort, when you absolutely can't take it anymore.  The surgeons I've seen generally seem to employ a delaying tactic, prescribe...delay, repeat several times.  Probably to get past that point in time where if it is going to get better regardless, then it will.    I had lower back surgery 5 yrs ago after 4 monthes of agony.  I could not function.  I didn't have the cortisone shots, just went straight for the surgery.  Had I it to do over again, I would have tried more options, delayed farther to see if it got better on its own.   I herniated a disk in my neck last October , (well it was probably herniated long before that, but I woke up with the pain then)  Being my neck instead of my lower back, I was far more freaked out about surgery.  It progressively got worse over several weeks.  Pred packs did nothing.  I did everything possible, chiro, PT, oriental med, had 2 cortizone shots.  It still bothers me day to day, but I am able to function.    Month to month, it is gradually getting better.   For my situation, the things that seemed to help the most were the oriental accupressure treatements and the cort shots.  Once managable, activity will help also. 

Thanks Runnerclay, I had 'kind of' started low heart rate training.  I wasn't shooting for a certain heart rate but was running very slowly.  In the past, I had a bad habit of overstriding.  I was really working on keeping my stride shorter and landing over my center of gravity.  That was going really well.  No shin problems, no hip problems.  Everything was good until my back flaired.  I'm really hoping to get back to that.  I'm still trying to decide on pilates vs yoga.  I don't know that I could do a full class right now so I'm just doing some basic exercises/poses now along with the stretching.

 

 

The dr's office called this morning.  He's ordering the MRI.  Since it's still not completely resolved and it's been happening every 6-8 months for the last 2-3 years (each time progressively worse) I think if nothing else it will establish a baseline.  We'll see.

$1500+

yoga