what kind of doctor do I need?

all joking caused by that title aside , i've had back problems (spasms, pain, etc) for the last 10 or so years of my short life. I'm currently dealing with an episode and it's darn near unbearable. Painkillers used to help, but I found out last year that I'm allergic to vicodin, codeine doesn't really work, and the ER won't give me anything much stronger than those. I'm not a fan of doctors, since they usually give bad news , but I'm thinking it might be time.

I'm definitely not a fan of chiros, for every friend I know that's been helped by one I know 3 that haven't been helped or have been made worse. Can a general practitioner help me, or do I need a specialist? Is it possible for them to diagnose whats causing this when I'm not in the middle of an episode?

excuse the rather left field question, but this *is* off topic and I'm stuck in bed with a heating pad so amuse me

Sounds like a pinched nerve to me.... :dontknow: I don't know man. I think a regular checkup would be a good idea tho.

Try acupuncture. make sure you rest for a couple days after.

I have been meaning to for my right arm but haven't had time as of yet.

Will

I F'd my back up years ago - Herniated disk (sp?). TONZ of pain down the back of my right leg.

I tried the chiros - didn't work.

Ended up going to a back specialist, getting an operation, and 10 years plus later, all is good! Best decision I could've made for my situation.:rock:


I wish you luck in getting better ASAP!

Annette (My Wife) Had back fusion surgery 2 years ago. They have new technology and it's really amazing. Her spine actually severed in two, and had to be fuzed together. Now she runs and plays with me (shut up Mikey) all the time. You will have to see a specialist but becareful you don't wind up with a bonehead. Check your doctor with a few different sources to make sure he or she is legite!!!!!!

I have gone through bouts of back muscle spasms too. Mine occur low in the back like a charlie horse and pull my hip out of alignment which then pinches the sciatic nerve. If this sounds like your situation, you may want to try some muscle relaxers to loosen the muscle spasm. That and rest is what makes the difference for me. Good luck.

Did it happen after a certain event? Are you overweight? Do you workout at all? You may benefit from building up your lower back muscles. Also build your abdominal muscles, so important in posture.

First....kill the heating pad....

Ice it and then use heat back and forth each day.

Get a MRI, could be degenerative discs and or herniated disc(s). Not that you can do much about it unless its really serious but knowledge is key here.

Once you can move, keep moving..Stretching, walking, etc..

At 85-90% stay active and stretch your hamstrings, strengthen your abs.

Have had a bad back for 20 years (I'm only 37) and have seen it all. (got two bad knees as well)...too mutch football and rugby....anyway, exercise is your friend


Good luck with the rehab, been there at least 50 times

Stretching! I have had a bad back since 1978 (because of jumping a motorcycle) and best thing is slowly, gently stretching in all directions. First lay on your back and one at a time bring your knee as close to your chest as you can and hold it there. Do both legs at least 10 times. Then take both legs and bring your knees to your chest and hold them there. Do this at least 10 times. As you start feeling better try standing with your feet about 15 inches apart and slowly bend over trying to touch your toes. Do this at least 10 times. As things keep getting better try standing with your feet about 15 inches apart and lean to one side as far as you can, then the other side. Do not ever force it, take it slow and easy. After a little while you will be able to bend quite far, and your lower back will never hurt as long as you keep stretching on a regular basis. This is how I live my life, I know what I am talking about on this.

Bill.

I did forget to mention that hamstring tightness is a major issue. I have horrible flexibility and when I blew my back out in college, it compounded the problem. Overtime I've built my lower back and abs and it hasn't been an issue since. My hamstrings are still real tight however.

Yes, stretching and physical therapy. It will strengthen the smaller back muscles.

Also try a spa:
http://www.chopra.com/124116.html
http://www.chopra.com/3.html

Also, yoga and/or Tai Chi.

You might be surprised with the results.

thanks all!

some background: I'm a big guy. 6'3"+ (if I stood up straight), broad shoulders and I fluctuate between 220 - 260. I'm probably in the 240-250 range at the moment. Overweight, not very active with exercise or weights. I spend 60ish hours a week in front of a computer.

Historically, my back pain has typically been lower back on the right or near the middle but lately the pain has moved up to middle to upper center of my back. This time specifically it seems to be just left of my spine near my left shoulder blade. Since it's moved upwards, it's been more difficult to deal with. In really bad cases it can hurt just to breathe, and it's fairly normal for the upper body contractions of a sneeze, cough or hiccup to cause me to yelp out in pain.

It looks like either an ortho or a neurologist can handle spine/back problems. I saw an ortho for a motorcycle shoulder injury last year at UCLA, I'll give them a ring and see if they can see me or make a recommendation.

sqweak said:

thanks all!
It looks like either an ortho or a neurologist can handle spine/back problems. I saw an ortho for a motorcycle shoulder injury last year at UCLA, I'll give them a ring and see if they can see me or make a recommendation.

Click to expand...

Do you live in CA?

My first recommendation would be to lose 30lbs. Not having to carry that around, especially if you carry a lot of abdominal fat, will help out quite a bit.

I have suffered from back pain since I was 25. It was a dumb shit injury, but that's another story. If the pain is a result of bone, disk, or nerve damage they may be able to help you with surgery.

In my case it's a result of severe muscle damage. Not a whole lot they can do to help me out.

Best thing is to see a specialist and have them diagnose what is causing the pain and go from there. Believe it or not, doctors are trying to help.

Good luck.

Begood said:

Stretching! I have had a bad back since 1978 (because of jumping a motorcycle) and best thing is slowly, gently stretching in all directions. First lay on your back and one at a time bring your knee as close to your chest as you can and hold it there. Do both legs at least 10 times. Then take both legs and bring your knees to your chest and hold them there. Do this at least 10 times. As you start feeling better try standing with your feet about 15 inches apart and slowly bend over trying to touch your toes. Do this at least 10 times. As things keep getting better try standing with your feet about 15 inches apart and lean to one side as far as you can, then the other side. Do not ever force it, take it slow and easy. After a little while you will be able to bend quite far, and your lower back will never hurt as long as you keep stretching on a regular basis. This is how I live my life, I know what I am talking about on this.

Bill.

Click to expand...

mmmmtorque said:

First....kill the heating pad....

Ice it and then use heat back and forth each day.

Get a MRI, could be degenerative discs and or herniated disc(s). Not that you can do much about it unless its really serious but knowledge is key here.

Once you can move, keep moving..Stretching, walking, etc..

At 85-90% stay active and stretch your hamstrings, strengthen your abs.

Have had a bad back for 20 years (I'm only 37) and have seen it all. (got two bad knees as well)...too mutch football and rugby....anyway, exercise is your friend


Good luck with the rehab, been there at least 50 times

Click to expand...

Both good recommendations........

Specially the alternating Ice and heat....20 mins ice 20 mins heat....

Get the MRI...............It could reveal something the Docs have missed...

Backs are nothing to be ignored.........

Is the pain in the spinal (center) of your back? Or is it lower back on two sides around the beltline..... If this is the affected area it is more than likely a sacroilliac sprain which is no biggie....But it can be very painful.

This area...at the juncture of the sacrum an the illium is a joint that gets very little backward flexibility...It only gets forward flexibilty when we bend over.... Unfortuantely the weight of our entire upper body, head, spine etc compresses this one little area....Literally thousands of pounds of weight fall onto our lower backs each time we bend forward.....

Do some press ups each day...... It is like a push up...Lay face down on the floor and do push ups without lifting your pelvis off the floor... This stretches the sacroilliac joint backwards and strengthens it.....

You can also do it standing up by placing the palms of your hands above each of your buttocks and gradually press your hips forward while bending backwards to stretch this area in a rearward motion.

This excersize is only effective for the sacroilliac area of the lower back and may not be recommended for your specific back problem....

I was a water delivery man for 6 years and had lots of back issues....

SD

You need someone to take the time to find out what is the exact source of your pain and impairment. There are no global answers. The information that you have provided is too limited to give any assistance. Your age, general health, number of prior episodes, information from diagnostic imaging (x-ray and MRI), types of prior treatment or lack thereof, are essential to even ballpark the type of practioner you should see at this point in time. If you PM me your location and some of the above information I would be happy to assist and try to give you some starting points for a good first contact.

Classic conditions...... You are asking for it.

Once you can move again....exercise, keep stretching, stay in shape. MRI will tell you if you have anything serious. Back surgery should only be done in extreme cases unless you are over 50. Cant emphasize enough to stay away from the heating pad

Ice is your friend, most people run to heat for a back conditions such as yours...Worst thing you can do. Need to modulate ice and heat but stay heavy on the ice for the first week.

Start stretching as soon as you can and keep it up.

Then hit the gym.

First go see a board certified neurosurgeon. Not just anyone...be sure you get several referrals from people who have had successful encounters. Be sure you tell him/her that you are interested in non-invasive approaches first. I truly believe in stretching, and physical therapy, but if you have an injury that has to be corrected first your neurosurgeon will find it.

My best piece of advice is this...when you see the specialists, ask them if you can call them by their first name...and then do so...it's hard for a physician to look at you as revenue if they are on a first name basis with you...rather they will deal with you as a neighbor...which is what you want...

Just my opinion...as an old retired hospital administrator...

bone: yup, I'm in SoCal

1fast400: to answer a previous question, yes it's (usually) traceable to a specific incident but not the "I dead lifted the engine...alone" type...more like the "I rolled out of bed", "I was putting on my seatbelt", or "I sneezed" type. This time it wasn't something that made it go. I "felt" it coming on for about a week (which sometimes happens before it "goes"), and then I woke up Sat AM in pain.

drcraig: I wasn't expecting a diagnosis or medically sound advice. More so just "ya, I've got back probs go see your GP and he'll point you in the right direction" or "you need to see a (insert medical specialty here)". I appreciate your offer, and will pm ya.

mmmmtorque: This is actually the only time I've ever used heat. I'd normally just try and rest until it stopped (usually a day or 2), but that hasn't been helping. Mags (the wife) encouraged me to try heat in short bursts and it's been helping. I'll add ice into the rotation. Trust me, I'm not gunning for surgery, I'd just like to see someone and get knowledge before it comes to that (if it hasn't already).

silent d: it's in the upper middle back these days. used to be lower beltline like you're describing.