calling all doctors, physical therapists, and chiros!

Parent Cafe
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<p>Hey guys, I know I will most likely receive complete backlash for this post, as it does not relate to college other than the fact that I spend a good half of my day reading and reading through collegeboard, but please please do not stop reading now. I know how warm and helpful the parents can be on here, and I was hoping there were some doctors or PTs or chiros among the group that would like to share advice on this medical and non-college problem. Please…if I could show you me on my knees begging…I would.</p>

<p>I’m leaving for college in just a few months, and I want to get this fixed before I leave! Exactly 3 months ago in the morning, I randomly felt my lower back hurting (like I had been on my feet all day). It progressively got worse over the next few days as well. I am a healthy 18 year old girl who used to dance for 10 years but quit almost a year ago. 6 months ago (3 months prior to my…injury?) I took up sprinting every other day. I never stretched my back that well–didn’t occur to me–but I don’t think that was the reason for my injury as I hadn’t even done anything active for days before my back started hurting. I took it easy, stopped working out, iced it, etc. But it never, ever, stopped hurting. The pain is in the two main muscles running up and down alongside my spine.</p>

<p>I finally went to the doctor after a month and she took x-rays, blood tests, and urine tests, and said everything was fine. She did not give me any advice but gave me some back stretches to do. I did these for a week and they doubled the pain by the end up each day, so I stopped. The pain is still the same constant in my lower back (like low low back; around pelvic bone area), but now it seems like the rest of my back is extremely fragile as well. If I lean a certian way for 10 mins, I get a new ache in a new part of my back that lasts the rest of the day. Even sitting up straight causes pain in my upper back and neck in addition to the already present one in my lower back. It hurts the most when I sit, and I’ve realized that doing anything requiring me to bend over or forward seems to give relief while I do the stretch, but 5 mins later the pain sets in worse than before. So basically a straight back with no mobility is the only way to slightly help reduce pain, which isn’t possible when you have to…live. It also hurts when I breathe. When I take a deep breath, the part where my rib cage is extremely hurts. My guess is some part of the muscle gets stretched when I take a deep breath. Yaay no more breathing for me!</p>

<p>I am tired of taking pain pills and tired of letting this run my life. I’m hardly 18 and I have to turn down offers to go places or be active with my friends, and even stopped doing my community service and job because it requires bending over. I’m tired of popping pain pills everyday when it only numbs the pain. I want to live normally again. I know it sounds rediculous but 3 months is a long time for me personally for a constant pain.</p>

<p>My question is, where should I go from here? I hear mixed reviews about chiropractors, and that many of them are only out there for your money (not my words, please don’t be offended!). Physical Therapy has similiar reviews, and I am also hesitant because it’s so expensive and I need the money for college. I just want the pain to go away. Does anyone have advice on who I should see? Or should I just wait it out?..Yes, I have asked my doctor this but she has not really told me anything other than ‘try the stretches’.</p>

<p>Thanks for letting me post this. Sorry it’s not about college. Well…sort of?</p>

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<p>Please see a doctor, even if it’s another doctor. With your history of dance, and then another vigorous activity, the cause of the pain is not something that will be picked up on an Xray. Strongly recommend sports orthopedic doctor.</p>

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<p>A PT weighing in here to say no one professional will presume to give a clinical opinion based on an internet forum posting.<br>
Was the doctor you saw an orthopedist? If not, I would recommend a second opinion. Call your insurance and find out if you need a referral to a specialist (orthopedist) or PT. Some states allow direct access to a PT, but many insurance companies will only cover the treatment if referred by an MD. Ask your doctor if they can refer you to someone with experience treating backs and/or athletes (since you are young and healthy). There is a specialization process that some PT achieve through the American Physical Therapy Assoc for either orthopedist or sports injuries, but there are many, many competent PT’s who do not have that board certification.</p>

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<p>Both of our daughters are dancers. Our older one used ot get bad back pain, especialy when she used to dance a lot. We found a very good kinesiologist/chiropractor for them in NYC. He works mainly with dancers and athletes. It is more than just bone alignment, often it’s the muscle that’s out of alignment, hence pulling on your spine which then causes pain. It’s the case for our girls. </p>

<p>A few years back, our older daughter’s back went out 2 days before a recital. She couldn’t bend down, even walking was painful. There was no backup for her and she was determined to dance. The kinesiologist worked on her muscles(wet heating pad, electric stimulant, massage) for hours then cracked her back. She was just well enough to do the recital two days later. She continued to see him for 6 months. When she went away to school, we also found someone for her to go to. She has been feeling a lot better. </p>

<p>With our younger daughter, we bring her in to get worked on from every once in a while to prevent similar problems later on.</p>

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<p>I had many instances with lower back pain one of which has ended with ambulance taking me to Emergency room because the pain was so severe that I simply could not get up from the floor. My advice - FIND A GOOD CHIRO! He will not only help you but teach you how to deal with it thru certain exersizes and even prevent it from coming back. I used what I learned from my chiro to deal with my H’s severe back pain and got him on his feet in 3 days by myself without any doctor. His pain was so severe, that he could not go to work being a person who goes under any circumstances even when he is sick.</p>

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<p>Are there any osteopathic physicians in your area? (D.O.) They have the same education and training as M.D.s but have additional training in manipulation, similar to chiropractors.
That way you could be more completely evaluated as to the source of your pain, ie bad disc, muscle strain, etc. and you would have a wide range of treatment options.</p>

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<p>Seek an evaluation from an orthopedic physician, a chiropractor or a PT if you can see one without a referral. Don’t bother with another primary care physician or evaluation, and see an osteopathic physician only if they actually still practice manipulation. Some now do primary care and specialty care in such a way that they have mainstreamed and no longer actually do as much manipulation.</p>

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<p>You are in that tough spot where you are not sure who can help, assuming you don’t have good insurance so the cost is a factor and you want to find the right person to assist with quality of life. That is not always easy to do, but you can start out by finding recommendations from an athlete or athletic team, a large part of the solution to quality of life issues is finding the right person for you.</p>

<p>I have had incredibly helpful chiropractors with the hands of God when my neck went out and others that didn’t make much difference.</p>

<p>We found a PT for my DD who was associated with a national sports team in her sport and he was amazing, especially as he understood her & her style & motivation and he was honest about what he could and could not do and helpful.</p>

<p>If you have a pain issue you are smart to get some official sports med diagnosis, make sure there are no structural defects with your discs etc, then find some one, PT perhaps, who can help you learn your triggers & how to avoid them and how to improve the situation.</p>

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<p>I second the D.O. most are highly competent physicians</p>

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<p>I would find a good chiropractor who has a lot of knowledge and experience dealing with sports injuries.</p>

<p>I have been to a number of chiropractors since I was a teen, but the one I go to now is incredible. He treats members of the professional sports teams here, as well as Olympic athletes and members of our ballet.</p>

<p>Being an athlete, you want to find someone very knowlegable in sports injuries. Good luck.</p>

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<p>I don’t have anything to add to the suggestions above, having never gone to a chiro or sports physician, but I’d like to suggest yoga:
[url=<a href=“http://www.yogajournal.com/health/2553?page=4]Yoga”>http://www.yogajournal.com/health/2553?page=4]Yoga</a> Journal - Yoga Holistic Healing - Watch Your Back<a href=“I%20hope%20I’m%20not%20violating%20any%20rules,%20and%20sorry,%20I%20don’t%20know%20how%20to%20make%20this%20a%20live%20link.”>/url</a></p>

<p>I do this exact sequence whenever I have lower back pain and it always works (not immediately, but almost). It’s gentle enough that you will probably not exacerbate your condition. It might not help but it won’t hurt!</p>

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<p>You say you did stretches for a week, then quit. But you didn’t go back to your doctor. A week is no time at all when dealing with muscle problems.</p>

<p>You did not get into this mess of sore muscles in a week. It will take a while to get out of it. You will need to be patient and gentle with yourself. It will take at least as long to heal your back as it took to mess it up. </p>

<p>I have spent almost a year now healing a back that was knocked out of balance by bone cancer in my knee. Spend a few years limping, and your back muscles will twist. The first MONTH of physical therapy was excruciatingly painful; after that my back began to heal. (And the stretches were the worst–and most essential–part.)</p>

<p>I would recommend that you start by going back to the first doctor and ask for a referral to a sports medicine specialist, who will determine what kind of injury you have in your back, and then (probably) refer you to a physical therapist. Go to the physical therapist, do EVERYTHING s/he recommends, and be patient with yourself.</p>

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<p>I second DMD. Return to the first doctor, get a referral to either sports medicine or PT. A good PT can work wonders, and is paid by insurance with the proper referrals. The PT will teach you how to move, what to stretch, what to strengthen, and work on the tight places. </p>

<p>A good chiropractor can be of benefit, but for longer lasting relief, the education in how to take care of yourself, from the PT is worth more. Some chiropractors do provide good instruction in how to move and exercise as well. You can ask around for a good chiropractor. I assume you’re still in HS? Is there a school nurse who might be able to provide some advice on you situation? </p>

<p>Yes, taking care of this before going off to college is essential. Hope some of what you are hearing here can help you, as living with pain is awful.</p>

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<p>Thanks so much for your help.
Oh, and my original doctor told me last time, a month ago, I could come in and she would write a prescription for physical therapy if I wanted.</p>

<p>I went through our insurance website and you can select specialty doctors. It gave me the options of physical rehabilitation, sports medicine, orthopaedics surgery, and pain medicine. All of those seemed to fit the advice you guys gave me…so I am still not sure which to pick. </p>

<p>Sports medicine seemed promising, even though I don’t think I hurt it by exercising (& that’s the only active thing I do). But actually…I have no idea how I hurt it!
-I looked and there are no physicians under the category of sports medicines (including Neuromusculoskeletal, Orthopaedic, Physical Medicine/Rehabilitation) w/in 100 miles from me. (I live on Oahu, HI…which gives me drastic limits).
-I found a regular old Orthopaedic Surgeon, but it says that those doctors deal with the spine and joints…and surgery. I don’t think my spine is the problem?
-I found a bunch of normal Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation people…I assume PT? I also found one D.O. amongst the PT people.
-There are no physicians for pain medicine w/in 100 miles of me either.</p>

<p>I truly apologize I am so very clueless. I just have so many doctor options and so few doctor choices and I feel guilty going to random doctors as I am sure it must be expensive and taking away from my college fund. I know you aren’t my doctor and I should ask her these questions, but I don’t really have a doctor!</p>

<p>Thanks for the help…I feel like I am on a deadline. 3 months til I leave for college…have to get better by then!!</p>

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<p>When I hurt my back recently, I went to a spine doctor. In my case, I had 4 herniated dics, but had it been a muscle problem, he would have referred me to the proper professional. Without an MRI, you don’t really know whether this is a muscle problem or a disc problem. When you have a disc problem which is aggravated, all the surrounding muscles will spasm and tighten up. This can cause as much pain as the disc problem. My advice is that you see the spine doc, rule out disc problems with the MRI, and go from there. In my case I had lots of PT which helped only a little. I then progressed to steroid injections, which have helped immensely. </p>

<p>Good luck, I truly feel your pain and frustration. My first back problems occurred when I was only 16.</p>

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<p>Physical med and rehab people tend to be (at least in my experience) for those recovering from severely debilitating hospital stays, strokes, car accidents and the like. </p>

<p>Start with the first Dr. and get the PT recommendation, especially as specialists in your area are limited. You can call his or her nurse, and just ask for a referral to someone who specializes in backs, if getting an appointment means a long wait. But if PT is not helping, after a few weeks or more, you can return to the Dr. and talk to him or her about whether some other sort of testing needs to be done, or referral to another sort of Dr. Sometimes MRIs are not done as an initial diagnostic tool for back pain, unless there are other symptoms-because they are so expensive. </p>

<p>As you can tell from the above posts, there are a variety of approaches to back pain, and health care is called a maze for some good reasons. It can be hard for someone new to the system to figure out how all these things fit together.</p>

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<p>You should get evaluated by a doctor, but this gadget helped me a lot:
[Amazon.com:</a> Back Magic: Toys & Games](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Back-Magic/dp/B000YHP8HY/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1239910686&sr=8-1]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Back-Magic/dp/B000YHP8HY/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1239910686&sr=8-1)</p>

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<p>My chiropractor is really moving into the area of physical rehabilitation. It seems like every time I go in, he’s got new equipment for me to work with. He is also about to move his office to a bigger space so that he has the room to do more physical therapy.</p>

<p>No matter who you go to, I’ve found that ultrasound has been a great reliever of muscular pain for me. I also see a massage therapist twice a month. Most PTs will not do traditional massage therapy anymore, but chiros often have certified massage therapists working in their offices, therefore, your insurance (if you have it that covers chiro care) will cover the treatment by a massage therapist if the prescription is written by the chiro.</p>

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<p>rainsdrops–I googled “Oahu sports medicine” and got a long list of doctors, so perhaps your guide simply doesn’t list the doctors that way ([Physicians</a> - Sports Medicine - The State Of Hawaii](<a href=“http://www.thestateofhawaii.com/physician/physician-sports-medicine.html]Physicians”>http://www.thestateofhawaii.com/physician/physician-sports-medicine.html))</p>

<p>In any case, go back to the original doctor, take the PT recommendation, go there, do what they suggest, and if that doesn’t work, ask them who else you might see–as well as going back to the original doctor.</p>

<p>As for thinking of going to college as a deadline, it’s not! Colleges have all kinds of doctors nearby, too.</p>

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<p>I would recommend seeing an orthopedic doctor who could coordinate whatever you may need. I hurt my shoulder (I don’t know how) and with the advice of the orthopedic doctor and PT I got better. BTW PT hurt alot, and after a couple of months I did not want to do it anymore, and the orthopedic doctor said it was ok to stop, and about a month later, I felt so much better.</p>