For about 3 months I have had an ongoing problem with back pain that goes from the lower back down my left leg. It is aggravated most after exercise and then being idle (standing after golf is the worst part). Lately it has gotten worse and sometimes keeps me up or wakes me up at night. Anyone else have this problem and what has been the best way to handle it?

http://www.back.com/symptoms-sciatica.html

this is what a lot of people have told me it is - this has a lot of [words] so don't read if you don't care that much.

9/18/2006 9:56:48 AM

that is my guess

9/18/2006 10:00:11 AM

ah back pain, my good friend unfortunately

i used to have msucle spasms that would basically keep me from moving my torso or doing anything active. i went to see a chiropractor and he loosen up my back and i have never had problems since... though i continually crack my neck and back throughout the day to keep it loose

i have also slipped a disk in my lower back before, you can tell when this happens as it is absoultey excruciating pain, hell i couldnt even put on socks or shoes on my own cause i couldnt reach caue my back hurt so bad and iw uld getting shooting pains down my leg on the side it was slipped out on

i would say you are closer to the former than the latter, but that is my guess

oh and i absoutely cannot stand for long periods of time, my back tightens up like youwouldnt belive, i cant even walk for long periods of time when the surfce is cement or something really hard, that wont ever go away, jus thave to deal with it

[Edited on September 18, 2006 at 10:27 AM. Reason : ]

9/18/2006 10:25:08 AM

Chiropractic Partners on Capital BLVD. (Dr. Smith) or Creech Chiropractic in Apex on 55

Both are good, and specialize in treating those who are physically active in sports or training.

I have used both, and they arent crooks doing weird stuff, and also require you to do therapy related exercise. Sort of a blend between physical therapy and chiropractic

9/18/2006 10:30:43 AM

bttt

2/24/2007 11:07:35 AM

I've been having some bad back pain in the past week or two, and it fucking sucks. In the past I've had a friend or two who have complained about it, and I thought they were just being whiny bitches. Now I know they weren't

I'm on my feet a lot for my job, and if this doesn't get better (or gets worse) in a few weeks it's going to be a problem. Has anybody had any success with chiropractors? I've heard (anecdotally) that doctors aren't a lot of help for this sort of thing...any advice?

2/24/2007 2:31:48 PM

mine has pretty much gone away over the last few months. don't know why, haven't really changed anything.

2/24/2007 6:39:17 PM

definitely sounds like a sciatic nerve problem. you need to see a doctor about it if it's bad enough to keep you awake at night.

2/24/2007 7:01:03 PM

but it used to keep me up, but it went away.

2/24/2007 8:07:24 PM

Oh my fucking god.

I'm making a doctor's appt. on Monday. Any recommendations? My pain has gotten a lot worse in the past two days. I can't stand it.

4/13/2007 7:47:37 PM

lose weight.

4/13/2007 9:15:39 PM

I've lost a lot of weight in the past year. Now that my back hurts, I can't exercise.

4/13/2007 10:17:31 PM

I have had back spasms cause Im lifting kegs and shit, and I've found that weight lifting has had the best response. Most people have slipped disks and the odd back formation. Though many do not have back problems, some do for varying circumstances. Ive also lost some weight and It has helped ten fold.

best thing to do is try to exercise your abdominals, most people have poor posture due to weak abdominals, because you are compensating for the weakness of the abs.

Lay on your back on bench, take a weight hold it parallel to the bench and then attempt to raise it to the ceiling. It helps work out muscles in your back, so that your are not trying to compensate with your other muscles.

Sciatica is caused because of a pinched nerve. You can take the medical or nonmedical approach (pills/surgery or exercise/chiropractor). it depends on how bad it really is.

4/13/2007 10:48:58 PM

Yeah, I have to do heavy lifting at work on occasion (not bad, though...moving ~100 lb packages, more or less, maybe just once a week). As the day has gone on today, I've actually felt better...I might have just slept wrong on it last night and it aggravated what was previously just a pain in the ass (GET IT?!?).

4/13/2007 11:20:20 PM

i had work injury cause a ruptured disc in my lower back causing sciatica, it was miserable. it got worse and worse to the point i couldnt even stand in line at the grocery store holding a loaf of bread.

i wound up going to an orthopedic clinic.

no surgery, but about 6 wks worth of steroids and rehabilitation type lower back exercises.

its since completely recovered, and probably 8 years since, ive not had any problems at all

try to avoid surgery at all costs. you may have to go on light duty at your job. or even take a leave of absence.

whatever you do, dont fuck around with your injured back. thats serious business.





[Edited on April 13, 2007 at 11:44 PM. Reason : ]

4/13/2007 11:43:49 PM

as we get older, picking up those heavy things that were a problem in our younger years are now...and all those injuries that seemed to just go away back then are coming back.....

4/14/2007 2:02:37 PM

im not sure what your point is, but anyone can injure their back at any age.

in my case i went to pick up what i thought was an empty plastic bucket, but i grabbed the wrong one that was full of sheet rock mud.

so when i was strolling by and casually tried to snatch it up i found that instead of weighing 1/2 a pound like i was expecting, it weighed about 50 pounds.

and there went my back. at 25 years old. talk about a mind fuck. luckily 4-6 weeks of rehab was all it needed to fully recover

its really has got nothing to with age.

4/14/2007 2:46:19 PM

4/15/2007 10:50:55 AM

Went to the doctor for the first time in like five years today.

She was really good. She gave me prescription aleve and some muscle relaxers that make me all loopy, and some exercises to do and stuff. She said I had an irritated vertebrae (or something like that) and that with a little rest and abdominal exercises it should get better. This was at Blue Ridge Family Physicians, btw, who saw me with about an hour's notice and I didn't wait five minutes once I got there. A++ would get sick again.

4/16/2007 5:20:23 PM

^ well, at least you've had luck with doctors

I went last week to an orthopedist to see about the pain in my lower back that I've had for 2 years and the doctor took 1 x-ray and told me that since there was nothing wrong with the bone there was nothing he could do but make me have an MRI, and even if there was something he found wrong with that, I'd have to live with it, because he only operates on bone X.X

Considering I have problems laying down on my back, I asked if I should go through physical therapy. He asked me if I exercised regularly, which I do, and he told me that therapy would be a waste.So I asked if there was something I could do about the pain and the guy said I would have to go through pain management classes for a year before they would perscribe anything, just told me to take tylenol, which doesn't help at all.

So now I'm fighting for a referral from my regular doctor, whos telling me she cant give me one because shes already given me a referral before, so I'm stuck.

4/16/2007 5:43:01 PM

God, I feel so much better today. Hurray for drugs and rest.

Also, the two prescriptions came out to a total of $16, which is amazing because I don't have insurance. All in all, this has cost me about two hundred, and it won't go much higher unless I have to get an MRI down the road.

[Edited on April 17, 2007 at 10:53 AM. Reason : ]

4/17/2007 10:51:32 AM

I go to Osborne Chiropractic, it's near the corner of Duraleigh and Glenwood. I have been going there for about a year now, and my back has improved a lot. It's not perfect yet, but I am pleased with the progress. It takes time to regrow nerves that may have been damaged, and even after the pain is gone, that doesn't mean you're fixed.

Anyway, I love my doc.

4/17/2007 3:21:20 PM

acupuncture - sounds silly, but it works

4/17/2007 4:42:47 PM