Question:
I have had on and off back-pain since 1994. I am 36 years old and have no idea what may have caused the onset in the first place. There are occasions when my entire lower back will seize up and at that point, it takes me 3 or 4 minutes to roll over in bed! This complete seize-up has occurred about 4 times since 2000 and each time, after the initial onset, the recovery is a couple of weeks where I can gradually, get up more easily, them move around more easily, etc but I am typically laid up for 4 straight days when it first comes on. Right now, I am in pain when I sit upright, or when I stand from a sitting position. Once I get up and slowly stretch my lower back by leaning arching my back a little bit, I am fine (as long as I don't bend over).

A couple of years ago, I went to an osteopath and on my first visit, I was a new man! This lasted for about a year or so where I had almost no indication of pain at all doing anything including bending over, lifting, etc. Then my situation came back and the last time I went to see him in Sept 2003, he was not able to perform the same magic. He had said that my S1 joint was frozen or something like that but he wasn't able to fix it the last time I went.

Just a couple of days ago, I went to an orthopedic doctor and he said that my muscles are weak and that is what is causing all of my problems. I have tried to exercise during times of good back and quite often, the exercises would aggravate my situation so I would no longer have a good back so of course, I would discontinue them. I just don't know what to believe because if my problem was caused by weak muscles, why is it that on my initial visit to the osteopath, I was completely cured for a long while? I just want to have a normal back. I mean, I can't do anything anymore. I can't swing a golf club, run around (without being very aware of my movements)... I am 36 and I have a lot more living to do and I would like to have a decent back! I would even contemplate surgery on a bulging disk (that I do have according to an MRI) but it seems that if there is no sciatica, there is no disk problem Anyway, does anyone out there have a similar story or want to throw some advice my way?

Answer:

Forget the surgery until you have exhausted ever know method known to man and woman. Seen it and it usually doesn't help. Can you say "arthritis. they opened me up and let it in"?

See a Chiropractic Doctor and a Physiotherapist for proper exercises and spinal alignment.

Sciatica is only a common nerve problem and it comes out two places in the spine. The rest of the alignment problems will not affect it.

For almost immediate relief get yourself an inversion machine and build up to 4-5 minutes per night before bed. Put an icepack on the afflicted joint right before falling asleep to reduce disk swelling. Drink lots of water to rehydrate the disks. Do NOT get an operation as the disks can mostly contract again like a swollen bruise does once the problem is corrected.

Take care of it and in a few years you will have forgotten about it and gotten on with your life. You have to modify a few ways you do some things but you can do it.

Massage, Acupuncture, Yoga, and/or Physical Therapy may have the solution to your condition. If your muscles are weak, the latter two may be appropriate, but seek an experienced practitioner/instructor. Massage is very low risk and likely to make you feel a bit better.

Acupuncture is often used in conditions like yours. If your disk is too damaged, it may be of no practical use. However, lots of people report good results and the National Institutes of Health finds value in it.

I went through the lower back pain when I was 34, after two rear end collisions, just two months apart.

In the beginning I went to a Chiropractor almost every day, for a year. The adjustments felt good, but were short lived. After a year a disk ruptured with intense sciatic pain. The Chiropractor sent me to an ortho doctor who kept me home flat on my back for 3 months with muscle relaxers, pain and anti inflammatory medications.

Then I went to physical therapy to learn new stretching exercises and new ways to move/pick up objects that would help me get back into life. It didn't get all better immediately. I had episodes of back muscles seizing up bad. Finally the ortho doctor told me that this was as good as it's going to get without surgery. The doctor said jogging and high impact exercises were out. He also said that for the rest of my life I should not: stand too long
sit too long
bend too long
squat too long
lift too long
walk too long.

I did have to change jobs and find new places to work where I wasn't at a desk looking down all day (my neck would also seize up). I think the greatest help was changing positions often. It warded off the muscle strain from being in one position too long. Also sleeping with a pillow between or underneath the knees helps avert muscle seizing while sleeping.

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