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I've suffered from sciatica and bad lower back pain on and off for several years.
I am in really bad pain today (can barely walk, it was a struggle to put on socks, and sitting is excruciating). This is the second time in about a month that I have had bad lower back pain, so I'm biting the bullet and seeing a chiropractor tomorrow.
Have any of you been before? What were your experiences like? If there is a true spinal/disc problem do they refer you to an orthopedic doctor?
How did you manager you pain?
I love mine. I swear I get so much relief from it. I do not sciatica but was in a bad car wreck in October. I've been going at least twice a week (bad weeks I go three) since October. The biggest thing is just relaxing. The more relaxed you are, the better he can adjust you.
My FI has sciatica. He gets massages for it. We also use a lot of biofreeze on the area.
I have never been to one but I have a friend who has major back problems due to a chiropractor. From the reading I have done about them, they honestly freak me out a bit.
@MissAsB: I'm a little wary of them as well. This one is recommended by 2 of my friends. I will not let him do any cracking "adjustments". He seems more of a medical chiropractor (takes xrays, ultra-sounds, etc).
I am just in so much pain and need relief. I am only comfortable when laying flat on my back with my knees up.
Everything else is near unbearable.
I hope that it helps you! I had a few car accidents and the thing that worked for me was massage and physical therapy. I know those aren't covered as much by insurance though.
@MissAsB: Yeah. It sounds like this guy incorporates massage & PT type work into the practice, so maybe I can get that sort of treatment under the insurance heading of chiropractic work.
@KatNYC2011: He sounds pretty legit. My chiro does a lot of massage too. Good luck, honey. I hope he can help your pain.
@SoontobeMrsA: Thanks. I usually just suffer through the pain for however long it lasts. But it is happening too often now to just "deal" with and I'm taking too much Advil for it to be healthy.
@KatNYC2011: There are natural anti-inflammotories you can try too. I don't know much about them but if the chiro does'n't work out maybe you can google that?
@KatNYC2011: I hope it goes well. I LOVE my chiro at home where I grew up, and went often. If it's a legit chiro with good recommendations and a good manner, it should be great. I agree with the recommendations to relax, get some icyhot/biofreeze, and drink wanter after (sort of like a massage, you want to flush toxins). Best of luck, I really hope you feel better soon!
I was very skeptical of chiropractors. But nearly 3 years ago I began suffering from severe shoulder pain. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and I let my now fiance take me to his chiroprator. He reasoned she could at least tell me if I needed to go to the ER (at the time I only had emergency insurance, like dismemberment and death). 3 years later I still frequent the chiropractor. It really is amazing. I called it magic for quite some time.
@NDBee: Thanks... I'll report in tomorrow after my appointment. I just really hope there isn't something serious wrong with my back.
I've been putting on icy/hot, drinking tons of water, advil, gentle stretching, and gentle rolling back and forth on my back to massage my back btw the floor & hip bones. Usually that combo of things keeps me ok, but I just cannot deal with this much pain on a daily basis. It is affecting my work and concentration (as well as my mood!)
DH has back issues from his job with professional baseball, and he was referred to a sports medicine doctor. The doctor took several x-rays, and he ended up having to have physical therapy once a week for a few months.
@Lindsay12.31.2010: I've been to sports medicine doctors before for shoulder issues, but my insurance covers so few visits a year it's hard to really get any physical therapy.
I love my chiropractor. I got every 3 weeks for an adjustment. I have poor hip stability from dance, gymnastics, and horseback riding. He starts each session with 10 minutes of heat and soft electronic pulses (think those circle sticky pads you see on tv connected to wires) to loosen up my muscles.
I haven't been diagnosed with sciatic pain but I heard it is awful. I think a chiropractor will help a lot. The readjustment will relieve the pressure of the nerve. The sciatic nerve runs in between the muscles in your hip and back and they are compressed by swollen discs, or misaligned vertebrate, you feel that pain. I do notice some shooting pain when I am an in need of an adjustment, but nothing as substantial as you are feeling, and my appointments relieve this.
@sleepingbeauty88: I am a horseback rider too and I think that's what spurred this round of pain. Had a lesson on a horse with a jarring gait on Saturday and then rode 2 more on Sunday.
I need to figure out how to keep my back in check without having to give up my riding.
i went to a chiropractor for whiplash from a car accident. It somewhat helped but, the next day i went to a masseuse and got a deep tissue massage and this did wonders compared to the chiropractor.
@KatNYC2011: where does it hurt? Is it really low on your back? It may actually be your hip. for the longest time I thought it was my lower back, but my pain is really low. sometimes the pain is also deep in the butt cheek.
@sleepingbeauty88: Really low back, kind of where the points of your pelvis are in the back.
Today it's also radiating around my left side into my left hip bone.
I did have a fall about 6 years ago that resulted in bursitis in my left hip. I also had a horse fall on my left leg 1 1/2 years ago and still have a hard spot in my thigh from it. I landed on the edge of a concrete outcropping and my thigh was pinned between the horse and the corner of the concrete.
My left side may be horribly out of alignment between those 2 incidents.
@KatNYC2011: mine is my left hip as well. sounds very similar to the problems I have. when i am out of line, i get a twinging pain down in my knee, and my whole lower back and left hip just aches and feels stiff. I also commonly get restless legs with my symptoms and can't get comfortable sitting, standing, or laying down in any position. icing helps with the swelling and can help alleviate pain along with some ibuprofen or any over the counter anti inflammatory. my chiro appointments are scheduled 3 weeks apart to keep it from getting too bad. i have a desk job, which is about the worst job you can have for your back and hips. you may not need to continue the treatment like i do, but i think it will help a lot. Definitely ICE though.
@sleepingbeauty88: Sounds very similar. I get a lot of burning pain all the way across my low back. And then I get shooting pains both up my back and down my legs, plus very limited range of movement/flexibility. Right now the pain is shooting into the point of my thigh where my injury from a 1 1/2 years ago was, maybe it's all related.
I really hope they can help it out. I haven't tried ice yet, just heat, but will try ice tonight.
Ibuprofen and I are best friends right now.
@KatNYC2011: i think they are definitely related. hope icing helps, good luck at the dr!
@sleepingbeauty88: Thanks! I just hope I can get some relief.
I remember when you mentioned your back pain a few months back. Sorry it is acting up again. Back pain is the worst! As I had told you then, the chiropractor I saw totally fixed me up the week I hurt my back!! I could barely move and was in agony. Full blown muscle spasms..it was the worst pain! He was recommended by two people so I saw him 2x a week for three weeks and that was it. He made me pain-free! I had a bulged disc in my lower spine. I had a very positive experience and would see him again if I ever have any issues. Good luck!!!! I hope you get relief and fast!
@Jenn23: Thanks! I'm worried about disc issues and I want to make sure nothing is seriously wrong. I know aches and pains only get worse as you get older and I cannot live like this.
I couldn't believe how bad it was, but it really made me think when it was a struggle to reach my feet (even while sitting) to put my socks on this morning.
@KatNYC2011: No, you shouldn't have to live like this! I remember not being able to even put on shoes or socks at all. The pain was unreal. I'm so sorry. I'm sure he will be able to help you. Let us know what he says!
Back pain is like no other. I feel for you because I suffer from it too. I've had some very bad experiences with chiropractors in the past and just like you, I was at the point where if I didn't get some relief because I was in so much pain, I was just going to cry.
So I did it and found, for me, the best chiropractor EVER. He owns a wellness center so it's focused not just on chiropractic care, but massage therapy, physical therapy, acupuncture, etc. I was very nervous going to him but he immediately ordered an MRI of my lower back (no other chiro or medical doc ever did that...rather prescribe pain killers). And from the MRI we found the issues I've been dealing with for most of my life.
You definitely want a chiro who doesn't twist and contort you. My guy practices very gently and never once has twist any part of my body. Everyone here gave great advice, but you need to be comfortable with who you go to. And the first chiro may not be the one for you. I hope you find some relief, you poor thing.
@stephinPA: Thanks. One of my friends who went said he took x-rays of her back and watched her spine movement. Then felt all the vertebrae up and down (no twisting or contorting). The fact that he's ordering x-rays and looking at vertebrae movement makes me a little more comfortable. He also does work with muscle stimulation like they do in PT.
I just wish I could get relief. I'm walking around the office every hour, but sitting here in this chair is killing me.
UPDATE
Just got back from the chiropractor, nothing conclusive yet.
He examined me and said that he doesn't know how I sat in a chair all day yesterday my lower back is so tender and inflamed. He also told me there is nerve involvement (decreased reflexes on the left side as well as decreased feeling).
He took x-rays and wants to see me back tomorrow to review. He told me not to use heat on my back and ice it for 15-20 min every hour. Also he said Advil slows the healing process so I'm trying hard to be painkiller free.
Back at the office now and just trying to make it through the day. I really hope the x-rays don't show any spinal degeneration. The fact that he wanted to see me back so quickly, is really worrying me (my friend went and saw him a week ago and he didn't schedule with her to review her x-rays until next week).
@KatNYC2011: I'm glad you will go back tomorrow for the x-ray results. That's interesting that he said not to take advil. You shouldn't have to be in pain. My chiro told me to take 800 mg advil, plus a muscle relaxer (prescription) which I only took one night because it made me so groggy in the morning. Is your pain the same today? You shouldn't have to sit there in pain! What did he say he thinks it could be? A disc problem? Hang in there!!
@Jenn23: He said I could take Advil but said it slowed the healing process. So I'm going to try and fight through the pain. He said he didn't want to speculate on the problem before seeing the xrays but he was very guarded about me even going to work. He said I could as long as I iced my back and suggested a back brace.
He did call me "one tough cookie" which made me feel a little better knowing that I don't just have a very low pain tolerance or am making all this up.
He said he hoped not to see any degeneration in the spine but we wouldn't know until tomorrow. Definitely something is putting pressure on a nerve, but he's not sure what yet.
I keep wanting to cry, not sure if it is because of the pain, or because I'm worried about what the xrays will show.
I'm now addicted to my chiropractor! I had horrible shoulder and back pain for about 10 years. It would cause severe migraines and dizziness. I finally went to a friend who is a chiropractor for massage therapy, regular adjustments and some ultrasound. I am amazed at how much better I feel in just a few months. I now notice when I need an adjustment because things feel off and tend to ache. I get annoyed when people rag on chiropractors for not being a "medical doctor" and not being "real doctors". I don't freaking care, my chiro did more for me than any of my other doctors who wanted me to have a CAT scan to look at my head for the cause of my migraines.
WARNING: Go easy on the ibuprophen and anti-inflammatories. I used to take 4-5 in one sitting for migraines and back pain... as a result, I destroyed my stomach. I now have all kinds of issues with eating foods and my stomach is super sensitive. They have limits and warning labels on the bottle for a reason.
@liciabelle: I already have reflux issues, so I only take advil when I absolutely need it. But this has been some severe pain.
I haven't read through the responses, but I can share my experience. I'm 22 and have been going to a chiropractor since I was 12. I pulled my shoulder during a swim season and needed an X-ray. Turns out my shoulder was fine and my the X-ray revealed scoliosis. I've been going to the same chiropractor ever since. He's like family! He greatly improved my scoliosis before my growth plates sealed with no surgery - only adjustments and special exercises. I do still have a floating rib (due to a rotation of my spine), so I do have to see him on an as-needed basis. However... he's wonderful and I don't think I could trust many other people to do what he does on my body.
@KatNYC2011: I forgot to mention I had to get a back brace as well. I used it for the first few days a few hours three times a day. (At work too, under my shirt) That did help! I'm sorry you are suffering and hopefully tomorrow he'll get to the bottom of this! :)
@MsYellowJacket: Thanks, it's great to hear the good stories too. I'm very wary of adjustments as I know they can sometimes cause more problems then they solve.
@Jenn23: Thanks, I have ice on it now and it is actually helping a lot. There are things I want to do so I will push through the pain. I may stop at CVS and get a back brace if I have time today.
So, I went back and saw the x-rays. Chiro said I have an over arched lower back and that is pinching one of my discs and that my spine is tilted slightly right.
He wants me to come in 3x per week for a month, then 2x per week for 6 weeks, then 1x per week for 10 weeks.
I think I'm going to take my x-rays elsewhere and get another opinion (ortho/PT).
I know I'm not a doctor, but I was a bio major and everything looked nice to me. There was a slightly smaller disc space between one set of vertebrae but other than that things looked ok (no calcification on the edges of the vertebrae and no spurring).
What actually worried me more, was there was a strange "string" (for lack of a better word) of calcification in my lower abdomen area (like the bladder region). He said it's probably calcification in the bladder and not to worry, but that doesn't seem normal to me.
My back is slightly better today, but I think that's from spending all day working from home and spending most of the day flat on my back resting.
I'll take a week of horseback riding and just rest my back. If it still hurts next week, I'll see an orthopedist. I should probably see one anyway for all the hard tissue in my thigh from my horseback riding accident 1 1/2 years ago.
Oh well...
Crap, I just wrote a long response and it disappeared. I'm sorry I just now saw this update of yours. I hope you are feeling better. Did you seek a 2nd opinion? I would! As someone who had a lower spine disc problem, it is good to get treatment, so it doesn't get worse! I really hope you are feeling better. Back pain is the worst! As far as the bladder thing, are you going to see a doctor for that as well? I would, to alleviate your worries.
This is late but maybe it will help. Defintely get a second opinion. You can see a pain management doctor/specialist or an osteopath or a physical therapist, it doesn't have to be another chiro.
I have also suffered from low back pain and sciatica and associated nerve pain. I had an MRI done (through my PCP) and she determined from the report that there was no physical reason for my pain. It wasn't until I saw a back, spine and pain management specialist that he determined (by looking at the MRI) that I do have 2 herniated discs. I had 3 epidural nerve blocks and he had me see a physical therapist. I got some but not full relief (especially from the nerve issues and muscle twitching). The pain specialist and PT both did not have good opinions of chiropractors in general.
Prior to all the above, I saw 2 different chiros. Both were bad experiences and I got very little if any relief from my main symptoms. However, they wanted to treat me for long periods of time (basically the rest of my life if they had their way). One also pushed her alternative therapies and supplements very hard. Sketchy. I know some people who see a chiro and have been doing so for years...and it works for them and they get temporary but actual relief. I would just listen to your instinct and what your body is telling you. I think there is a reason why some people are a bit mistrustful of all the claims chiros make. I'm sure there are good ones out there, I just have yet to find one.
Another low back pain sufferer recommened this to me: Dr, John E. Sarno's books about healing pain. I'm still undecided on his work, but it is worth a look into if you are really in a lot of pain and sick of it.
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