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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
  
| My back is terrible. It wakes me up at night, it's hard to walk when I've been sitting a long time. Driving for more than 2 or 3 hours is awful. All the pain in is my lower back and pelvis. I'm okay when I'm riding, except for the occasional twinge, but when I get off from working one hard, I'm miserable.
What kind of doctor do you think I should go to? A chiropractor always helps, but for like 3 days and then I'm back in a jam again. My spine is very sore to the touch from about my bra strap to my tail bone. I have big balls of knotted up muscles all through my lower back, and they're absolutely horrible. I haven't had the nerve to even go get xrays, afraid of what I'll hear. Any thoughts or suggestions about my next step? I'm to the point where something needs to be done, I'm just not sure where to start? Thanks! |
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 Living within my means
Posts: 5128
Location: Randolph, Utah | My back pain wasn't As bad as yours sounds but I haven't had any back pain since I had cranial sacral therapy. I was really skeptical but it worked. It has been over a month and I still feel great.
Google cranial sacral therapist and I'm sure you can find one in your area, and read how what they do helps.
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| You might try Back On Track products for people. I get really sore in my shoulders, mid back, and upper back, and wearing the tshirt helps so much. It probably won't solve it for you, but it might help. Massage is the other therapy that keeps me going--makes a huge difference if I go regularly. |
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Expert
Posts: 3147
| Go see a neurologist. Neurosurgeon will want to cut on you (I'm not saying that might be the neurologist's opinion as well). |
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Blessed 
Location: Here | BMW - 2014-01-03 9:47 PM Go see a neurologist. Neurosurgeon will want to cut on you (I'm not saying that might be the neurologist's opinion as well).
I agree a neurologist and/or othropedic. most will want a referral from your primary care doctor. Who will order a mri usually but make sure you get the mri done at a great mri place. otherwise you might have to repeat it for the specialist. they want the highest quality one they can get
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I Need a Xanax!
Posts: 2774
| I am interested in hearing what others have to say too. I have been to the chiro 5 times since Thanksgiving and within just a few days my back is back in the same place again. I have a lot of confidence in my chiro though and really hope she can get my back straightened out so it doesn't hurt so much to ride....otherwise I might have to consider giving up riding anything but gaited horses because I can't take the back pain jarring around on my quarter horses gives me.  |
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 Porta Potty Pants
Posts: 2600
| In addition to seeing the doctor … orthopedic … consider or ask about a good massage therapist or physical therapist … one that can stretch your psoas muscles --- hip flexors. They can get tight from all the sitting whether it be on horse back or in a chair or driving. They get tight, hips hurt, lower back on up hurts. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 412
Location: In Husker Land | This summer I thought I was having sciatic nerve issues after a rodeo that was a hard pan. I was miserable, went to doc, got steroids, some pain meds, and massages once a week. Still no better in three weeks, granted was still rodeoing, so chalked it up that wasn't resting, etc. This was early June. Mid July still having issues, was rubbing my leg, hip, and lower back with icy hot, before I rode, before I drove, ect. Another round of steroids, more massages, and injections in my IT band still nothing better. Go back to doc again in mid August. Finally decide on physical therapy, my pt finds with a scour test, laberal tear. Never had heard of this till then, started doing a lot of research and found out how common and how extremely painful these are. I credit my pt for finding this. I just had surgery on my hip on November 4th, already feel so much better. Long recovery period, but is awesome to not have constant pain. I learned this summer, that even when you think it is your back, which I truly did, it could be your hips. I would say go to your doc. Is your pain just on one side? Like down in your gluteus? My pain mimicked sciatic nerve pain. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2276
Location: ohio-in my own little world with pretty ponies :) | I have scoliosis so my spine curves into the shape of an (S). I have a curve right between my shoulder blades and right above my hips. So that's usually where my pain is. Because of my condition my legs are uneven and my pelvis is tilted a little. I get told a lot that my stirrups are uneven!! I always have to explain I'm crooked and that makes one side of me shorter than the other lol. I have a lot of pain on a daily basis especially in the summer when I'm riding more horses and running more frequently. I spend a lot of time at the chiropractor and I stretch a lot which helps ease my pain. Luckily i have a really awesome chiro and he showed my SO a few things to help me crack my back so I don't have to come in as often. Also while I'm there I get a lot of therapy done. I have exercises and stretches to do and they ultrasound my back in my bad spots. |
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Expert
Posts: 4766
Location: Bandera, TX | hckbarrelracer - 2014-01-03 10:52 PM This summer I thought I was having sciatic nerve issues after a rodeo that was a hard pan. I was miserable, went to doc, got steroids, some pain meds, and massages once a week. Still no better in three weeks, granted was still rodeoing, so chalked it up that wasn't resting, etc. This was early June. Mid July still having issues, was rubbing my leg, hip, and lower back with icy hot, before I rode, before I drove, ect. Another round of steroids, more massages, and injections in my IT band still nothing better. Go back to doc again in mid August. Finally decide on physical therapy, my pt finds with a scour test, laberal tear. Never had heard of this till then, started doing a lot of research and found out how common and how extremely painful these are. I credit my pt for finding this. I just had surgery on my hip on November 4th, already feel so much better. Long recovery period, but is awesome to not have constant pain. I learned this summer, that even when you think it is your back, which I truly did, it could be your hips. I would say go to your doc. Is your pain just on one side? Like down in your gluteus? My pain mimicked sciatic nerve pain.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm going to have my MD look into this. I'm sick and tired of suffering with this pain. My pain is over the Left Hip and Left back. I can barely do a figure four strech. I used to be very flexible not so any longer. I've been doing all the things you mentioned. Was about to consent to the internal MS drip but then I'm very limited in my driving activities and what I can do here at work. |
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Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Thanks for the next steps! I'm glad about having some sort of road map. Appreciate you. My pain is straight down my spine into the top and center of my pelvis. Been on ongoing thing for about 8 years but seems to be peaking and fast! So sore. Thanks much! |
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Blessed
Location: Here | The first thing you need to do is get it properly diganoised then you can get help |
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Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| I know thanks. :)
Needed to know what kind of doctor to even go see. It's about a two hour trip to real doctors, and I didn't want to waste time and money getting into the wrong office. Nothing more frustrating than the "I know you took a day off work and spent $150 to get here, plus here's my new patient fee and your appointment fee, but I can't help you. You should have gone to X kind of doctor." Nothing like a thousand dollar pointless trip. Thanks for helping guys! |
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 I Am Always Right
Posts: 4264
Location: stray dump capital of the world | SG. - 2014-01-04 8:04 AM The first thing you need to do is get it properly diganoised then you can get help
You would be amazed how difficult getting a proper diagnosis is. After fracturing my pelvis, sacrum and coccyx in April, I have seen my family doctor who referred me to a neurosurgeon who wasn't quite ready to do surgery on me. The neuro guy sent me to an orthopedic surgeon who again, was not quite ready to "whittle" on me yet, and he sent me to a pain management guy. I went to this guy beginning in September and got one injection which stopped the spasms in my sciatic nerve, but I still have issues. I returned for a follow up on Thursday and mention to him for the 3rd time, just as I have mentioned to the other doctors, that I would like to figure out what the hard knot in my lower back is and why I continue to have swelling 8 months out. He looked at me like I was speaking Greek. Mind you, I've had an MRI, xrays from my family doctor, and xrays at the orthopedic's office which this guy has. He starts pushing on my back and then mumbles something about that knot not looking good. He sent me for more xrays yesterday because he thinks the knot he feels is actually a bone protruding. If this is true, how can it be that so many professionals missed it? Of course, I don't go back to him until the 23rd because he is booked up. I feel like a turd in a toilet bowl going around and around. My family doctor is pretty aggressive, but he is only a family doctor. I feel like I should go back to him because when I complain, he listens and tries to direct me to the proper help. I haven't seen him since April when he sent me to the neuro guy. I honestly don't know what to do at this point, but the pain is excruciating and I'm tired of living like this. |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | I agree with SG about an MRI. IMO..without it it's nothing but a guessing game. |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| After you get a good diagnosis you may have to go to several and have to travel if you live in a rural area. Meanwhile askmaround find someone who is a good massage therapist they will help you more than pt. I have ra and it has messed my back up just found out more than i thought went for a chest xray for sinus surgery found out that i have a signifigicant amount in my mid thorasic and that was not on the one i had in 2010. the ra doc will be sending for a mri and of my hips also i am sore all the time. But when i get a massage i feel good for a week or so imget them every 3 or 4 weeks. |
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 Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
Location: Alberta | I was lucky to find a chiropractor who actually takes x rays and sees what going on inside....I have comes leaps and bounds with back pain due to it....
You've had great suggestions to get onto a good track of health & wellness :) |
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 Veteran
Posts: 151
| I have had two back surgeries in the past year and a half. The first was voluntary (after years of pain). The second was emergency surgery.
Before the first, I tried PT, acupuncture, chiro, massage, and injections...no relief! Surgery was awesome! As much as I fought having it, I was 100% the next day. It was miraculous.
The one thing I want to impress upon you is that with MOST back problems -X-rays will not tell you anything! MRI's are the only way to go, so please push for that if your pain persists. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 429
Location: Kansas | A diagnosis is the best option. If you want to send me your e-mail address, Monday I'll send you my back exercises from my doctor. I've had back surgery. Every time I have back problems now, I do these stretches, exercises twice a day for relief. I get it pretty quickly. Good luck!! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 787
Location: NE Pa-Gods Country | start taking vitamin D3 and msm...my hip joints hurt awful from arthritis and standing on my feet for 34 years at jobs. i started taking 1000 iu of D3 and MSM and the pain went away after 2-3 weeks. you should also see a chiro that has massage therapists to release the knots so the bones stay where they are supposed to...my back hurts most when i wear shoes/boots that do not lace up. |
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