Let me start with I have been to a chiropracter and am probably heading to the doc today. But I had a question. For those of you who have had bad back issues, what did it feel like? There is something odd going on with my back, I am always the one who gets the weird things, so I want to hear some stories. The chiropracter said I did NOT have a slipped disk, my "psoas muscle" is cramping up. Well now that I have mostly taken care of that, I am still left with pain in the muscle, and then my hip flexor feels bruised. Any random thoughts for what could be wrong with me? I have been mostly incapacitated for over a week and a half now

By Karen~moderator on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 09:15 am:

Have you seen an orthopedist, or just a chiropractor? How does the chiropractor know you don't have a herniated disk? Have you had an MRI?

Often when you have referred hip pain it IS due to myofascial tightness or muscle spasms. Physical therapy or massage therapy could well take care of that.

However, I would be leary of a chiropractor telling me I did not have a herniated disk, as they don't order MRI's, which is what will show soft tissue injuries, like a disk. X-rays won't necessarily tell you about a disk.

By Kaye on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 09:54 am:

Actually the doc that I went to is a chiropracter, homeopath. He didn't even do xrays, but by feeling my back said everything was in very good shape, he only did 2 adjustments. I think it was via reflex kinesiology that he determined no disk issues, but I don't know. His exact quote was clinically I am in very good condition..lol. Honestly though I am 33, I exercise pretty regular, and I didn't injure it, it just started hurting one day.

However, it is an odd pain, today I have considerable "burning", I have loss of motion in all of my lower abdominal muscles, Like if I am laying on my back with my legs bent, I cannot lift my butt of the ground. I keep tripping over my right foot, etc. Just some weird stuff.

By Brandy on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 10:55 am:

Definitely get an xray it sounds like you need to get one. Actually i'm surprised that they didn't do one when you went to the chiro because i have spina bifida and when i called they said i had to have an xray if i ever went to a chiropractor ? i don't know if it's because of the sb or just because they always do xrays? i hope you get to feeling better soon let us know what they say...

By Ginny~moderator on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 02:23 pm:

Absolutely go to an orthpedic doctor, who will almost certainly order x-rays and maybe an MRI (Karen is right, x-rays don't show soft tissue issues. I had 3 sets of x-rays which showed nothing, but the first MRI showed that nasty disk and exactly where it was hitting the nerves so clearly that even I could see it). It sounds to me like you could well have a slipped or ruptured disk, with what is technically called "impingement" on a nerve trunk. I had sciatic pain (hip running down the back of the leg and to the foot) for some time before it resolved as a herniated disk (which is incredibly painful). It sounds very much to me like there is some sort of nerve involvement there and if it were me I'd be getting an emergency appointment with an orthopedic doctor immediately.

And please, DO NOT go back to the chiropractor. His "adjustments" may do much more harm than good.

My own personal feeling is that one should NOT be treated by a chiropractor before being checked out at least by the primary care physician if not an orthopedic doctor. I realize that most chiropractors are very highly trained, and most know their limitations, but still, they are not as deeply or widely trained as M.D.s or D.O.s.

By Ginny~moderator on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 02:26 pm:

Oh, and some of the things going on for me before the disk finally went all the way and I had the worst pain I've ever had in my life, was numbness along the sole of my foot, limping, the pain was worse in some positions than others, and shooting pains in my hip and down my leg.

By Kaye on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 03:08 pm:

Back from the doc. He said probably a pinched nerve (L4). He gave me a steriod and scheduled me for an MRI. Not sure when, as they have to call me after they call my insurance company.

My Chiro is a homeo path, he does very very litte in the way of adjustments, most of his stuff involves massage, and cold laser treatments. I went to a chiro years ago and swore I would never go back, this guy is very different (and could even be a quack..lol). But this leg pain didn't start until 2 days ago, over a week after the initial back pain.

By Vicki on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 03:16 pm:

I have also sworn of chiros. I am sure there are some that are great, but I injured my back at work about 12 years ago and they sent me to him. He messed me up even more than I was! It got to the point where I could hardly walk! They finally sent me to another doctor and she sent me PT at the hospital and it took about 3 weeks for me to get better. I swore them off at that point. As I said, I am sure there are some good ones, but I think once you have a bad one, your done with them. LOL

I hope your feeling better soon. A bad back is a terrible thing to have.

By Karen~moderator on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 04:46 pm:

I was going to say, with what you described - "today I have considerable "burning", I have loss of motion in all of my lower abdominal muscles, Like if I am laying on my back with my legs bent, I cannot lift my butt of the ground. I keep tripping over my right foot, etc. Just some weird stuff" - that sounds EXACTLY like nerve involvement.

Ruptured or herniated disks are a pain all their own - it's completely different from anything else. Sometimes it's a feeling of pressure with pain, sometimes it is absolutely excruiciating. often with burning and/or tingling and numbness, and also weakness in your extremeties and loss of movement. The symptoms you described are from inflammation around and pressure on a nerve, and could well be from a herniated or ruptured disk. This is nothing to play around with. You can end up with permanent nerve damage.

Stay on top of them about scheduling that MRI, and until then, do not get have any more chiropractic work on your back. What steroids did you get - a Medrol dosepak?? That is to help with the inflammation.

Feel free to email me if you want - I'm a veteran of 2 back surgeries - L4/L5 and L5/S1.

By Kaye on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 05:05 pm:

That is exactly what I got Karen..I thought what a strange name..LOL

By Kym on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 05:13 pm:

Kaye, if you want to stick with the natural route, try rolfing, ask your chiro to recommend someone I'm sure he can. I have nerve issues w/ psoas and with sciatic. Try Rolfing first, just make sure w/ chiro and w/ rolfing therapist that you won't inflame it more, it's best to do some physical therapy type exercies first if the inflamation is way high. This has worked for both of my issues, I stear clear of "drugs" whenver I can, and surger, now that scares the bejeezers out of me Karen, I'm such a whimp Kaye I hope you feel better, back pain stinks!

By Karen~moderator on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 06:38 pm:

Kym, I was terrified of both back surgeries, but my disks were ruptured with free floating pieces and I had no choice. I have permanent nerve damage from the first one, and my back has never been the same since the first injury. But without the surgery, I ran the risk of paralysis, and that just was not an option for me. LOL

By Karen~moderator on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 06:39 pm:

Kaye, don't be surprised if your appetite increases on the Medrol dosepak. Steroids usually do that to you. It should help with the inflammation, thereby helping with the pain. But make sure you have the MRI. Come to think of it, my ortho doc put me on the dosepak prior to having the MRI both times, he said something about getting the inflammation down so he would get a better picture.

By Ginny~moderator on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 07:01 pm:

The Medrol pak sounds like a good first step - it is a great reducer of inflammation.

As for surgery, that is way down the road if at all. I agree with Karen, sometimes there is no alternative. But, when my first ortho recommended surgery the third time I had a bad pain episode with my back, I was very nervous about the idea and went for a second opinion to the ortho I go to now, who is well qualified to do back surgery but is pretty conservative about surgery (as am I). He said that as long as the pain episodes were as far apart as mine and pain meds worked, he didn't think surgery was indicated. My first pain episode was when the disk ruptured, in summer of 1980, and I was on heavy codeine for a month, lighter codein for about 3 months, still lighter codeine tapering into heavy aspirin for 3 months. The next episode was in 1983, for about 3 months, and the final episode was in 1984 for about 2 months. That was when the surgery was recommended and I went to a different doctor. I have not had a pain episode since, or, rather, when I do something really stupid I have a couple of days of bearable pain/discomfort, and have only missed about 4 days of work with my back in the last 15 years. The last time it acted up, around 1995, the ortho sent me for physical therapy, and I do the exercises whenever I get a twinge (I'm supposed to do them every day but ...) and that solves the problem for many months. At my age, I am also getting arthritic problems in both my lower back and cervical (neck) spine, and home exercises work for both of them, with occasonal days of Motrin for 3-4 days in a row.

I will admit I have a bias against chiropractors. My father-in-law had diabetes and went to a chiropractor who said he could cure his diabetes and took him off his insulin. About 6 months later he had to have his leg amputated below the knee. As I said above, if your doctor sends you to or approves of a chiropractor, that's fine, but it should be with doctor's (M.D. or D.O.) orders as to what procedures should be done and what should NOT be done, and the chiropractor should be reporting back to your doctor on what is going on.

And Oh yes, I know the L-4/L-5 disk. Not my friend, I assure you.

By Karen~moderator on Friday, April 8, 2005 - 06:59 am:

Kaye, how are you feeling??

By Kaye on Friday, April 8, 2005 - 08:11 am:

Thanks for asking, I am feeling much better. Not 100% yet. Wednesday I went to play tennis and really didn't feel up to it, so I didn't play long. Today I am hoping I can play at least 2 sets.

By Ginny~moderator on Friday, April 8, 2005 - 04:41 pm:

Kaye, does your doctor know you are playing tennis and being otherwise fairly active? If not, I'd strongly recommend you let him know so that you can be advised as to what is and is not a good idea until your back issues are sorted out.