Ouch! Back Pain - HELP!

I've had my share of soreness, tweaked joints, broken bones, etc., but this is getting ridiculous.

Roughly 2 weeks ago while in Moab, I noticed a very stiff lower back. Considering it was most prominent upon waking, I attributed it to sleeping on my crash pad. It never totally subsided though. Last weekend while climbing at Indy Pass, I was really noticing it. No loss of strength, but definite pain in the lower back, just above my sacrum.

I rested Mon/Tues and by the time Wed. came this past week, I went to the chiropractor. He found the problem to be in the L3/L4 area of my spine and gave me an adjustment that blew my doors off. I iced the rest of the day and relaxed. Woke up Thursday - same pain. I went in for some deep tissue work and have spent the last 2 days icing on the couch (even calling off work yesterday!). Today, still in pain.

Has anybody ever experienced something like this before? I have tried everything to loosen this guy up. This was not something acute, but came on slowly. It definitely feels like a pinched nerve. I am a very regular climber, 4-5 days per week, so I know it's not weekend warrior syndrome.

Please help! Any suggestions would be appreciated. I just want to #1 get off the couch, and #2 get back on the rock!

I get pains & alignment problems sometimes too & need someone to crack my back from time to time.

One bit I got was ligament pulls, maybe not tears, but it's enough to linger, cause mobility problems, can be an acute deal for me at times lasting for weeks; in which my muscles compensate and get really sore. Granted I've had I'd say multiple high impact mechanisms in my life that come back to affect my back & core. But I deserve it, I work and play pretty hard (when I return my body from the life-ride; it'll be a used up rust bucket).

Sometimes taking it easy and rehabbing with some weights is a good idea. After acute pain subsides, light weights with high reps helps me a lot (butterflys & rows). I do hit the vitamin I from time to time, but try to get off of it as soon as I can.

Maybe, just taking it easy & using the hot tub is just the ticket, too.

Buff - Thanks for the reply. What's with the Vitamin I?

B-
I'm glad to hear that you've addressed both the joints and the muscles, but having that severity of back pain hang on for that long is a bit concerning.
I would suggest heading back in to the Chiro or an Orthopod and having the possibility of a disc injury or a more severe sprain/strain situation checked into.
Sorry to not be more helpful but it's difficult to get a good idea of what's going on w/ out asking a bunch of questions and getting to do some kind of physical evaluation.
BA

One piece of really general low back advice is that prolonged sitting and lying tend to aggravate the lower back. If it's not too bad, a nice casual walk will often times help loosen the area up and help keep it mobile. The intensity I'm talking about here is something like window shopping.
Good luck.

Vitamin I = ibuprofen. I tweaked my back a couple years back and couldn't hardly tie my shoes, would wake up at night and have to crawl to the bathroom because I couldn't straighten up. It was bad. Took 800 mg of Vitamin I, 3 times daily and wallah, within 1 week I was feeling better.

Brandy Persson wrote:Buff - Thanks for the reply. What's with the Vitamin I?

Ibuprofen

i just had something very similar. Caused by overuse and a lot of odd bending pushing movements. Mostly pushing wood through my table saw on the ground. Highly not recommended. There is a reason it is called a table saw. Also a lot of picking up my daughter and holding her hands as she learned to walk. One day I woke up and almost couldn't get out of bed. Also I didn't do my core and lifting workouts this winter and after workouts as I used to this year. That was obviously a mistake.

Anyways I went to a back specialist and she said I strained the lower back muscles and ligaments down there. There are a lot of connective tissue around the disks and most likely I strained a lot of these. I rested two weeks and then tried living normally again once the pain was gone...and then it would happen again. This went on for about 6 weeks and finally I decided to take a full month off. From all exercise, heavy lifting, etc.

I'm now pain free and able to ride my bike again. I did a small workout in the climbing gym, but restrained from doing anything twisting or at all difficult. Mostly I spent my time doing core exercises.

If you have anything like I have you might need some significant time off to let things heal. What I read was that it takes about 6 weeks for scar tissue to form and strengthen. If you go back too soon you tear this tissue, even though your pain has subsided. This was exactly what was happening to me. I'm going to do light exercise and a lot of core strengthening over the next month and see where I'm at. Movement is good for it, but not much twisting and nothing too strenuous. I missed the entire alpine season because of this, but every two weeks I was reduced to an old man for 2 or 3 days. Sounds like you might be in for some serious time off and a slow return to action like me.

Icing after workouts helped. Massage was nice. Probably should be in real P.T. or seeing an Oestopath, but money is an issue. I use Vitamen I (Ibuprofen, aka Advil) only for major flare-ups which I'm trying to avoid completely. It doesn't cure anything really. If you have a really bad day 800mg once in the morning seems to do the trick. One 200mg pill didn't do too much.

Agree with Brent that you should make sure there is nothing "structural" wrong.

Sorry to hear about your back pain.

Perhaps one of these books would be of interest?

John Sarno, M.D. has a lot to say on the topic.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=John+Sarno%2C+M.D.&x=10&y=22

Best wishes.

I had a pinched nerve in my back that sounded kind of like this. It lasted for about a month...Does it hurt when a load is applied in the location of pain or is it worse if the load is somewhere near-by...For instance: When I laid on my back, I would get pain in my arm. I imagine that a pinched nerve could cause pain more locally too though...

I have had this same habitual problem return especially acutely this year. I take glucosimine (joint), and fish oil was recommended by my chiropractor. What helped mine the most though, was just water, water, water. I have been drinking a gallon a day, and after 2-3 days the centralized pain in my back was way better.

There is a decent book on the subject called-"Your Body's Many Cries For Water". In this book it discusses how 75% of the weight of the upper part of the body is supported by the water volume in the disc core. In spinal vertebral joints, water is not only a lubricant for the contact surfaces, it is held in the disc core within the invertebral space and support the compression weight of the upper body.

I did not feel dehydrated before beginning my water regimen. The book describes a gradual failing thirst sensation as our bodies become chronically and increasingly dehydrated, from an early adult age. I began to drink more water, it was interesting that I still became more thirsty.
I am a builder/carpenter, and I know this does not help my back, but it does keep it strong. Good luck and drink water a cheap fix!! This type back pain is by far the worst that I have experienced.

Thanks for all the helpful replies. I do feel like a doofis for not knowing what Vitamin I is, especially on a thread. Humility is wonderful.....

Thanks again!

If you are open to alternative suggestions the Sarno route is the way to go. Inner stress and inner tension is the most common cause of lower back pain, sciatica and piriformis. I learned from Sarno 9 years ago and now help people understand this disorder.

The most challenging part of all of this (especially for physically active people) is to not think physical injury (even though you have been doing physical stuff that makes it seem like the likely cause) and instead to think "how am I generating inner tension".

This is a very real physical disorder. Hope this helps.

Much more info and survey responses at: runningpain.com

Monte Hueftle

A number of year ago I hurt my back lifting something at work, and damn, I've never felt long standing pain like that. I can imagine what you're going through, and I empathize, but it may just take some time before you get better. I saw osteopaths, chiropractors, etc, no one could tell me exactly what I did. In the end, I basically became my own chiropractor using yoga stretches, foam rollers, and most importantly an inversion table. If what you have going on involves a displaced vertebrae (which is of course connected to all your ligaments and muscles) then inversion could work wonders for you. You can pick one up for about $200, maybe a little less if you find a sale online. I still use mine daily.

Gravity inversion tables walmart.com/catalog/product… are awesome. I used to have to go to the chiro on a regular basis. Since I have been using the gravity inversion table, and giving myself adjustments with yoga postures, it's been about 6 years since I have seen a chiropractor. When using the table, swing your arms back and forth to get a very vigorous inverted/back up motion going to very dynamically stretch the vertebra. Then just hang completely inverted and pull down a little to maximize the stretch. Be careful and work into it a little bit more each day. Gradually increase the time each day, but don't stay upside down for very long because it can damage the capillaries in your brain and eyes.

However, if you have vertebra out of place, keep going to a good chiro until it is better. When you go, take valerian capsules a few hours or the night before you go. Your muscles and ligaments are fighting the adjustments and probably pull it right back out not long after. Valerian is a powerful herbal muscle relaxer (Don't take it more than 2-3 days in a row).

Instead if Vit I, use bromelain capsules (500 mg, 2400GDU). Bromelain is an enzyme found in pineapples that if taken on an empty stomach is a very effective anti-inflammatory with no side effects. Vit I builds up in your body and can cause liver and kidney damage.

Also, topical arnica gels are awesome! I recently switched brands to one made in Boulder-Peaceful Mtn. They have a variety of formulas. I have been using Tendon Rescue on my knees, and it works so well that I only use it once for each strain event, infrequently. My wife broke her back in a climbing accident (29 yrs ago and before we met), and she deals with chronic pain. She recently started using Back and Neck, and Sciatic Rescue and it actually works! She works hard on many alternative treatments and long ago refused drugs.

I love what J. Man said about water.

I haven't heard of Sarno...will have to explore.

EVS has some good ideas on alternative care.

P.S. A long time ago, I had an unexplained, very painful pinched nerve in my lower back. I read in a running mag about someone with a very similar problem that went vegatarian (also avoiding dairy fat), and cured it. At the time I was eating a lot of red meat. I went cold (tofu)turkey and it cleared up. After awhile, I was missing hamburgers and ate one. The pinched nerve came back the next day. I am not a strict vegatarian now, but always avoid red meat.

Years ago I had nagging back problems. I went to a chiropractor for a while. And that was fine until I had to have reconstructive spinal surgery because it was broken the whole time. I'm lucky I can walk.
I'm not saying chiropractors are bad, I'm just saying it's your bones and a spinal cord. It's not a finger or a toe, it's your spine. Don't ignore it or go for too many 'alternatives' until you know what is up for sure.

1. From your description - especially the fact that it seems to have come on without a sudden movement/bend/sneeze/cough - your back issue doesn't sound like anything too serious. Most likely unhappy muscles and/or unhappy ligaments from a kinked night on the crash pad.

2. Inflammation. The overall situation in your lumbar is causing inflation of effected tissue and nerves (you don't have to notice it externally for it to be there). Inflammation is both good and bad - on the good side, it's your body's self-preservation mechanism to let you know, "Hey something's not right, slow it down a couple notches while I heal myself." The bad part is that inflammation can cause additional damage (in the form of micro scar tissue) and generally keeps the healing process on a very slow track. So an early objective after a back injury (or any injury really) is to minimize inflammation. Ibuprofen (or some other NSAID) taken around the clock is key here. Don't go with a crazy dosage, it's more important that you keep a given level in your system 24/7. Beyond that, ice that back for 20min bouts several times per day. Keep that regimen up for a week or whatever your doc recommends.

3. PT. You should rest the first 24-36hrs after such an injury, but after that you need to start working toward active recovery. I've done a ton of programs for different stages of back recovery, and the one I recommend as the most effective (and the one recommended to me by most of the spinal surgeons I've met with) is via a book titled Back RX, by Vijay Vad, MD. It's great for early stage recovery, and the rest of the book is very educational in regards to whats going on with your back. Great programs for keeping your back in shape after all is healthy again as well.

4. MD. I fully agree with Tony, anything dealing with the structure protecting your spinal cord needs to be taken seriously. Chiropractors *deal* with backs, yes, but the difference between them and an MD spine specialist is gigantic... so gigantic that it can't even be overstated. So if your back continues to cause problems, go see a spine MD. ****Chiros are NOT qualified to diagnose problems, that's flat out fact. They can be part of your treatment options after diagnosis by a spine MD, but until then, I highly recommend staying away from them.

Good luck with your back.

Erik W wrote: 4. MD. I fully agree with Tony, ...

good point there; I brushed past this in my post, but any mechanism I had, I had it scanned and ruled negative. I remember one phone call from the insurance --

"Why did you go to the ER?"
"Well, the whole c-spine indicated from mechanism thing"

"What?"
"My neck hurt from an injury"

"So?"
"So????"

"Well, that's just not.."
"Go F yourself, but in a nice way"

I have a disk that's completely "gone"- L4-L5. 1st: Get x-rays and see what your chiropractor says. I had to quit running and many many weight bearing or "bendy" activities for a while.
I believe in physical therapy physical therapy + core workouts core workouts. And not just some video to get 6-pack abs made by someone who thinks "core" are abs only. Seriously, those little tiny movements like pelvic tilts, leg circles etc.
See a real physical therapist who gives you work to do at home.

It saved my life.

Hey B!

you might also try visiting an osteopath.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteo…

my dad has done normal MD's, chiropratic, and osteopath for his back problems and he swears by the latter now.

Erik W wrote:4. MD. I fully agree with Tony, anything dealing with the structure protecting your spinal cord needs to be taken seriously. ...Good luck with your back.

After three years of chronic lbp (lower-back-pain) and several instances of acute immobilizing lbp I learned that I have stenosis of my L3/L4, L4/L5, and L5/S1. I'm 30 and had this problem diagnosed for 6 years now. My Physical Therapist read the report and did a double take when I told him I was 24. He then informed me that I have the back of a 50 year old.

Go see a MD. Get an X-ray. If he recommends an MRI, then get it. Understand what is going on in your back because, as you now know, it effects every movement in your body and can be completely debilitating.

Also, there doesn't have to be an injury, chronic lbp can turn into acute lbp in an instant.

EDIT: Be careful with a regime of 800 mg ibuprofen, especially for prolonged periods of time, as it can hinder healing and effect the kidneys and GI tract.