Lower back problem

Ive got a lower back problem that i just cant get rid of(maybe me being impatient).

I have been seing a chiropractor for 3 weeks who has diagnosed my problem as biomechanical,due to running like this for 18 months my spine has become misaligned and my lower back has lowered on one side causing shooting pains and above all difficulty in walking.

Has anyone else had this injury,and how long did it take to recover,also does my chiropractors diagnosise sound right?

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Comments

  • I have a leg length difference which (despite correction on my right orthotic) can give me a tight hamstring and them I get lower back ache on that side.  Regular maintenance sports massage, stretching, yoga helps but I have to stay on top of it.  I'm due to see an osteopath (similar to chiro) this week to check on my spinal alignment, but yes what he sounds sounds feasible...  Many knee, hip, back problems start lower down and actually originate from gait issues.
  • beany bbeany b ✭✭✭
    I have had two orthotics fitted,which i cant tell have made any difference yet because i cant run.the pain has been so unbearable that on somedays i can hardly walk,have had 4 lots of chiro treatment so far and each time it has made it worse which my chiro explained would,it just seems that it isnt really getting any better and when it does get slightly better it is made worse again by the chiro,anyone had similar scenario and how long will this last??
  • beany b

     chiro adjustments can exacerbate some symptoms but it really should only be temporary and be gone within a day or so. If you find you are being made continually to feel worse i would be looking for another chiro... best thing i can suggest is to go with your gut feeling on this.

    Where are you getting these shooting pains? If in your leg and/or butt it could be sciatic nerve related.

  • beany bbeany b ✭✭✭

    Fikalina

    Yeah that seems to be where the pain is occuring,you are right about the pain going after a few days,but i am wondering is it worth it and is it really helping me get over the injury?

    Have you had a similar injury?

  • yep - i've got a prolapsed disk in my lower back and have been suffering from lower back pain and sciatica on my left side for over a year now. I had my disk prolapse diagnosed by MRI.
  • beany bbeany b ✭✭✭
    do you think i should have an MRI then,or does my problem not sound like what you have been going through,have you not been able to run for a year then?
  •  It does sound similar.

    Maybe the best thing to do is to go and see a sports medicine doctor as they can refer you for an MRI if they think it should be done (which is what id did) - and if you do have a disk problem, this will show up what exactly is going on. Chiros sometimes do x-rays but an x-ray will not show a disk prolapse.

    With regard to running, the short answer is that physios ( i saw at least 5) told me don't run and also gave me loads of exercies to do which it turns out were only aggravating my symptoms  - but you trust what your told to do right?  Well, after a year of chasing my tail really and not making much progress and having an epidural cortisone injection (which did nothing really)  i decided to try my luck with a chiro...after always having been a bit oooh not a chiro but seeing as fizz was getting me nowhere i had nothing to lose. Anyway, within a few visits to chiro I had made more progress than a year of fizz, and chiro also looked at my MRI and said he didn't see any reason not to run and to try....so a completely different approach to fizz approach but one that seems to be working and i am back running about 3 x times per week but only for 20mins at a time but hopefully i will gradually increase that. My chiro also does Active Release Therapy which is a soft tissue therapy and has done wonders to treat some of the symptoms of my sciatica.

     Will you keep us posted?

  • beany bbeany b ✭✭✭

    Yeah my chiro reccomended speed walking initially and as the pain subsides over time to give running a go,i am walking 6 miles a day,which seems to be helping and certainly isnt aggravating it or making it worse,although at the moment i dont feel i can land to heavily to give running a try.

    You have certainly had a tougher time of it than me,i have only been out for just over three weeks and already am being totally impatient,expecting to wake up to find the pain gone and to commence where i left off(yeah right,ha).

    Glad to hear that you are on the road to recovery and at least running again,does it hurt whan you run now?

  • I think it is also worth noting that different chiro's work in different ways and use different techniques.   I had been suffering horrendous pain for months (well, on and off for years, really) and physio was no longer helping.  All the Dr wanted to do was to pump me full of drugs and the waiting list for a back specialist is months.

     I started seeing a chiropractor who sent me for an x-ray which showed my pelvis is twisted and this is pulling my spine out of line (this is a very condensed version of the full issue!).  After 5 weeks of treatment (3 times a week) the pain was not diminished (and I was broke!) so I tried a new chiropractor.   Unbelievably, after 1 treatment the pain was nearly gone and a few treatments later I felt amazing.  He used a totally different technique than the 1st guy and it just worked so much better for me.

    I tried a bit of running on Monday but the pain started up again (not as badly) so I am obviously not quite ready yet, but I think as long as I go slowly and build up to it I should be OK again.  Swimming is probably a good option for a while

     Good luck with your treatment - let us know how you get on.

  • beany bbeany b ✭✭✭

    RunningKate

    What was your problem caused by?,glad you have finally resolved it and you are back running again(nearly),its frustrating to get to the real cause of the pain and get back to running again!!

    I have another session with my chiro on monday,gonna see how i feel this time,not cheap this malarky though is it???

    I have done a bit of swimmimng and also found a few stints on my turbo trainer have been ok,so hopefully my fitness is not going to suffer to much while im recovering,had to cancel marathon in april though,which is a bit of a downer.

    Let us know when you how your progress goes too.

  • beany b,

     I have had back problems for the past ten years and have seen various specialists with varying diagnoses.  I have no idea if this was the problem all along, or if this happened because of another issue, or if it was something I did...basically there doesn't seem to be an answer, which is v frustrating!

    i went to my first Pilates class in months yesterday and my back didnt hurt at all (although everything else did, it was a tough class!) and i plan on going swimming a few times this week, so i will see how that goes.  I am missing running soooo much!

    how did your chiro session go?  you're right about the expense - wish you could get this treatment on the NHS! 

    sorry about the marathon.  i was hoping to get a few HM's in this spring, but not much chance of that!  going to concentrate on getting strong then slowly getting some easy runs in.  hopefully soon!

     RK

  • So many back problems, so  many opinions.

    I've just finished an NVQ and the lecterer was of the opinion that 90% of back problems can be prevented. I'm inclined to agree.

    I don't believe in chiropractors. In saying that I mean that I worry more about things that they do causing long term problems to create a short term fix.

    Embrace pilates. Research functional training. Its a lot cheaper than the route you're going down and I'd have a lot more faith in it than many other methods.

  • beany bbeany b ✭✭✭

    RK

    Glad to hear that you had a pain free pilates class(in your back anyway),ive never tried pilates,yoga or anything of that orientation before,perhaps i should.!!!

    The chiros went okay today,he says that im on the mend and that my back is a lot squarer than it was,my legs are the same length now,whereas before my right leg was 2cm longer,so something must be going right.

    To be honest the past couple of days have been ok,and i have been walking fairly pain free,there is still that constant ache apart from that i think that things are looking up,hopefully,even managed a road ride yesterday.

    Like you i am gonna ease back into my running,still dont think that my back is ready for the impact of it quite yet,which is frustrating(missed a 10k race yesterday that i had enterd)before i got injured.oh well!!!HA.

    Keep me posted on your progress.

    Beany b.

  • SezzSezz ✭✭✭

    Beany, try the Bowen Technique.  We have a move that can correct leg length difference in ONE treatment.  It works, I had it last year and went out and ran 20 miles that weekend with no problem whatsoever.  

    I used to have chronic lower back problems for nearly 20 years and a misaligned pelvis.  The chiropractor would help but it was only temporary and I'd be back within 6 weeks later.  Two years later after having Bowen, I'm still absolutely fine with no lower back issues.

    Email me if you would like any further info.

  • beany bbeany b ✭✭✭

    Sezz

    I am intrigued,please tell me more???

  • SezzSezz ✭✭✭

    Bowen is a soft remedial tissue therapy, using gentle rolling moves with thumbs and fingers over muscles, ligaments and tendons. It looks at the body holistically and usually the whole body will be worked on, not just the symptom.  There is no manipulation or hard tissue adjustment, nor is there any massage.  It can be done through light clothing and is very relaxing. 

    A feature of Bowen unlike other therapies is that there are 2-5 minute breaks betwen sets of moves.  These breaks stimulate the autonomic nervous system, allowing the brain time to work out that something has happened witin the body and that some sort of action needs to take place.

    Many people find immediate relief with Bowen and generally only 2-3 sessions would be required to see a huge and often permanent positive change.  

    Bowen has huge benefits for back pain, joint problems and things like frozen shoulder and knee and ankle pain, but also is excellent for treating such things as asthma, hayfever, IBS, ITBS, carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, headaches, migraine, bells palsy etc etc etc.

    I could go on and one, but I won't as I've probably bored enough people on this forum with my enthusiasum for this therapy  image

  • beany bbeany b ✭✭✭

    Sounds interesting,but it also sounds to me that you have got to beleive in this therapy before you undertake it,a little like hypnotism or the like.???

  • Sezz ,wherebaouts in London are you? Thinking i may like to try this!
  • SezzSezz ✭✭✭

    Absolutely nothing remotely like hypnotism!!  It's a bodywork tissue therapy.  You don't have to 'believe', in the same way you don't have to 'believe' if you go to a GP, physio, chiropractor or osteopath.Check out www.thebowentechnique.com if you want more info.

    Fikalina, I'm in Barnet.

  • beany bbeany b ✭✭✭

    Sorry my mistake having read the website it does sound worth a try,is it costly???

  • it's so hard to know what to do for the best!  chiropractic has really helped but it's sounding like i am going to have to keep going back - which isn't ideal. 

    i can keep up with the pilates and yoga etc - but i have had so many problems for so many years that i am not convinced that this will 'cure' all my issues.  

    i know i have a twisted pelvis and a curvature in the base of my spine because of this, and i dont think any amount of pilates could solve that?  please correct me if i am wrong!

     would be willing to give bowen a go, but that would mean stopping the chiropractic, which i know is working for now...aargh it's so difficult!  i just want to be strong and able to be active (and run!!)

     Captain Nugget - you said that chirpractic can cause problems in the long term - do you know what kind of problems, and do you have any references for this, or is it anecdotal?

  • beany bbeany b ✭✭✭

    Yeah it is hard to know what to do for the best,Captain Nuggets claims were slightly worrying and to be honest going to a chiro was my last option,but saying that it does seem to be working and i think we have established what caused the lower back problem in the first instance,i think if this does persist again, after eventually getting back into running the bowen route may be the route i will go down.

    Running Kate,did running cause your problems?

  • that sounds like a good plan beany b - i just e-mailed a Bowen practitioner near me giving them a brief history so i am waiting to see if they think they could help...

    no, running didn't cause the problem - i've had issues with my back for 8 years and only started running 2 years ago.  to be honest until recently my back has felt stronger than it ever has, and i've had no problems at all - then in december it went worse than i've ever felt it.  so i don't know if the running had been gradually making it worse, or if I overextended in yoga, or if it would have happened anyway... i'm clueless! 

    how about you, is yours running related?

  • beany bbeany b ✭✭✭

    Yeah,ive had it a few times and it only happens when i up my mileage for marathon training,initially its ok then when i get into the high milage weeks,20-22 mile long runs,tempos etc that is when my body(back cant cope.

    My chiro has put it down as my bio-mechanics and the fact that i am flat footed,i now have orthitics for my running shoes,which he has said will control the way that i land and hopefully my injury wont happen again.

    The treatment that i am getting is to basically to straighten out the damage that i have caused to my spine and lower back over the past 18 months i have been running.

    Was yours maybe caused or aggravated by a sudden increase in mileage or perhaps an overtraining issue maybe?

  • hope it works for you beany b, sounds like you are very into your running.  i can't wait to get started again!

    i wasn't actually training so much when it got back and hadn't increased the mileage at all, so don't  think it was that.  i do remember having quite a lot of pain one yoga class when i was extending, so it could have been related to that - but having had pain on and off for years anyway, it's unlikely to be one specific thing.  my back is just generally buggered it seems!

  • beany bbeany b ✭✭✭

    You cant beat running and i really enjoy the races,which is the main reason i train so hard.

    Like you said you really cant pinpoint the cause of a back injury,it does sound like your yoga did trigger it though.

    Hope that your chiro sessions get you back out there knocking up the miles soon,sounds like you could do with some luck having suffered for so many years.

    I didnt realise that there was so much involved in running when i first started out,how wrong i was!!ha.

  • haha i could spend hours reading about running and everything surrounding it. 

     i have decided that yoga and pilates are going to be an essential part of my training regime from now on - before it was all a bit too sporadic.  of course i am going to be v careful not to overextend myself! 

  • Regarding what I said about chiro's, I don't have any hard evidence. I was concerned about what was being done to me when I went. I didn't feel at all comfortable with it. Also I might as well have just put the money down the nearest drain for all the good it did me. My comment came from conversations I had with 3 different physios, the lady that does my sports massage (much more worthwhile than the chiro), my podiatrist and a friend who is a biomechanics expert. None of them believed the chiro was the way to go. I don't part with money easily and I spent a lot of time researching what was best for my back pain.

    Fact is that when  I 1st filled the form in to enter an Ironman I couldn't ride my bike for more than 30 minutes without developing amazing back pain, and running wasn't much better. 3 months of chiro I was no better. I only made improvements when I discovered pilates. Now I do regular pilates and at least one functional resitance session a week and I haven't had any problems with my back for over a year.

    I'm a convert, and I believe that if other people thought the same there'd be a hell of a lot of therapists going out of business.

  • beany bbeany b ✭✭✭

    Think i should try a pilates class then!!!!

    I must agree with you captain nugget,it doesnt feel very natural to be clicked and clunked,the way that chiros do to you!!

    Out of interest did you do your ironman?,that is one of my goals for the future???

    RK.I think i would go as far to say i am obsessed with running,magazines,books, internet,you name it i read it, mind you not being able to join a running club in the evenings,everything that i have learnt has been self taught,obviously learning from many silly mistakes as i go along!!!

    Sounds like you are hooked on pilates and yoga,i think i will seriously give it a go,i know there are some clases at my local gym.

  • beany b, I did my Ironman, with no problems at all from the back (the feet were  another matter though). And I'm at it again this summer.

    Look at it this way, there's some big muscles in your core/trunk that do very important jobs. We spend our time training the ones in the top half of our bodies and the bottom half but not the ones that connect them in the middle. Why? Because its not visual.

    Too many people accept lower back pain as part of age related deterioration and are happy to throw pain killers down our necks and maybe visit the physio and hope for the best. It doesn't have to be like that.

    My core/ functional routines are right up there as one of the most important sessions I do. Simply because without them I wouldn't be able to do the rest.

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