OT Back Problems OT

g8golfer

This is kinda off the wall so I'm just trying to get a feel on what I should do. Hopefully a doctor in the house? I'm 32 years old and started having lower back issues about 1-2 years ago. Started mostly after I played a round of golf. Would be normal and all of a sudden I would just about drop to my knees I was in so much pain. It would last a couple hours then go away. Then it would go from 1-2 times a month then just about once a week. Got so bad then I couldn't hardly walk. So I decided to go to a chiropractor instead of a doctor and he said hey it's an easy fix. He does X-rays and says the gaps in my lower spin has collapsed from playing golf and normal wear and tear and it was pinching a nerve. Says come 2-3 times a week for a month and we can fix it. So I did and he fixed it I thought. Slightly a pain occasionally but nothing major. So after he fixed me I stopped going but now it's back again. I haven't been to the chiropractor in 5-6 weeks cause I had 0 pain. My insurance from my employer sucks and it's $30 every time I go to the chiropractor and going 2-3 times a week adds up quickly. Should I just bite the bullet and keep going to the chiropractor or should I go see a back doctor? If I decide to go to a back doctor I have to first go see my family doctor then get a referral to a back doctor. I know this is completely OT but I just trying to see what you guys think. It functions fine but it's starting to hurt again and I know that it's going to eventually do the same just a matter of when. I work a lot and play golf 2-3 times a week. Tell me what you guys think? 

Thanks Gary 

dmchicago

Don't take this the wrong way but what is your height/weight?

g8golfer

5 11
220-225
very athletic played sports all my life and still do. Should have been a runway model 

thetrim

g8golfer

@thetrim i heard an ad on the radio a couple weeks ago for this but didn't know if it was good stuff. 

calracefan

I was going to a chiro, ended up in hospital for 4 days. Have a slipped disc L4 L5 ,had a steroid injection in the hospital that helped but ultimately will need surgery most likely. Good luck, think I would go see a Orthopedic Dr if I were you .

g8golfer

@calracefan I think so. I have been going to the chiropractor since Jan 2017 and have spent about $600. It worked don't get me wrong but here I am 7 months later and the pain is starting to gradually come back. Like this morning my back is ok but I have throbbing sensation going down my right leg and ankle. The chiropractor even told me it was a nerve that was causing the pain. 

Kayak

Go to a real doctor.

Eggcelsior

Are you still golfing? That may be the cause and the chiro could just be a temporizing solution. You may need to hit the gym to strengthen your core muscles which will help take pressure off of your spine. Is the chiro teaching you stretches to do at home? You may want to see a Physical Therapist if not. Also, make sure you are standing a few minutes every hour at work. Sitting is terrible for low back pain, especially if you have poor posture.

Near future worst-case? You may need to give up golf for a while(weeks to months) to see if things improve if you are still going multiple times per week. I would recommend seeing you PCP to get further imaging(MRI) which will assess soft tissue, including disks. 

Spring Chicken

Like most men who are overweight and under-exercised, I had back pain, and it was progressively getting worse.  Cortisone injections helped immediately, but gradually wore off, so I asked about surgical intervention.  It was my choice, of course, because back doctors tend to try everything else before resorting to surgery, mostly due to the risks involved in any surgery.  

It turned out to be some bone growth (probably genetic) pressing against my nerve bundle in the L3 -L5 area.  The next morning I felt great, so much so that I could have exercised. 

As I progressed through my therapy, it was made clear that we Americans don't get enough of the right kind of exercise to help support our ever increasing body size and activities.  Our back muscles are too weak and cause muscle pain when used a lot, such as when playing golf or performing manual labor.  That kind of pain will usually heal, but with the weak muscles and possible bone loss, any serious activity may contribute to a gradual decline in the overall ability to perform any kind of activity without pain or even more damage.

I would go see a good back doctor.  In your case, perhaps someone who deals with athletes.  Maybe even an avid golfer.  I know the injections work, but it's not always a cure.  About all it does is reduce the inflammation at the specific spot where it is inflamed.  And that may allow the tissue and bone around it to heal over time, during which specific exercises are strongly recommended.  If not, I say go for the surgery before you damage yourself to the point where even surgery can't fix it.

Good luck man.  I feel/felt your pain.  But I'm pain free now.

Spring "It Hurts When I Do This. Then Don't Do That" Chicken
Covington Louisiana USA

g8golfer

@Spring Chicken i agree 100%. I'm tying to avoid any kind of surgery or medication that's the reason I went the chiropractor route. On my X-rays the chiropractor showed me that playing golf had made the gaps in my spine narrow and therefore cause some nerve damage. Golf movement in my lower body had caused it. Said it was common in golfers. @Eggcelsior I took a break from golf in Nov 2016 and that's when I went to the chiropractor in Jan 2017 cause it got no better. I knew I could start a topic on this forum and get some great feedback. 

MJG

I had a similar experience with my back as I got older. Once I hit my 40's it seemed to happen. FWIW I'm 6'4 230...waist size grew as I aged. Core strength was what I had lost and it showed up as back pain. I went to PT for a bit and that helped. Therapist recommended yoga, don't laugh, and it worked like a charm for me. 

JohnInCarolina

Don't take this the wrong way, but do you have a decent sized gut?  Is there a recent pic of yourself you'd be willing to share?

I've had back problems myself, off and on dating back to when I was 24.

rpeters

My advice is to see a doctor. I was in a similar situation. I had back pain about 4 years ago and saw my doctor and had a herniated disc on my sciatic nerve, L5/S1. Didn't require surgery at that time and did PT which really helped. At least I could manage the pain and when I had bad pain again, I knew the exercises to do and could get quick relief. But about 6 months ago, it got worse and decided to go back to the doctor. The herniation got bigger and doctor said surgery would be the best option. I had the surgery about 6 weeks ago and so far it has been one of the best decisions. I had a bone spur in there on top of the herniation making it worse. It was out patient surgery, took about 1.5 hours and I could feel immediate relief the same day. Doctor said if I didn't have the surgery it was just going to get worse. 

I know that some of mine was related to being overweight, but also related to playing volleyball and soccer.

Recovery is the worse because I feel much better, but can't do much because of risk of causing more problems until the muscles heal. I am just now getting back to exercise and working on the core muscles to strengthen them.

pab

I too have experience lower back pain and have gone the chiropractic route. The multiple appointments seem overdone at times but one thing I do is go one time a month whether my back hurts or not for maintanence purposes. I also started using a leg pillow to help keep my spine aligned as I am a side sleeper. Combining these two things have helped me.

GATraveller

Go to a real doctor.

Battleborn

I spent the first part of my adult life building and loading heavy ordnance on jets. At 30 my back and knees felt like I was 70. I would recommend going to a real doctor and then, if possible, a physical therapist if the doctor recommends it. A PT will help you a significant amount more than a chiropractor. You could also give yoga a try. It has helped me so much. 

gdenby

I'll also suggest a real doctor. While both my daughter and an old friend have relied on chiropractors 'cause of no or worthless insurance, in my daughter's case, it seems to be getting a lot worse. She was in a car wreck, and didn't get an X-ray, which would have discovered the problem. At least you have some handle on what you've got going.

Myself, about 25 years ago, I was an avid cyclist. I either biked or jogged to work, cycled 4 hours every Saturday morning. One day, I had to stop, get off my bike, and lift it up to get over a raised rail line. Did it sloppy, and felt a twinge in my back. Next day, I collapsed walking down a hallway. Thought it was a torn muscle. This repeated maybe every 6 - 9 months for a several years.  would take a bunch of aspirin, and lay down for a day or 2. Then, 1 day at work I moved a 6' folding table, something I had done many times. Felt a twinge. 1/2 an hour later, the para-medics were wheeling me out on a gurney.

In the end, the doctors found I had small spurs growing on my 2 vertebrae that were eroding the disks, which were popping out. Told me after the 2nd time I'd have to have a spinal fusion if it happened again. Learned to do things with a much more limited range of motion. No more cycling. I couldn't lean forward for more than a few minutes. No soft chairs, no soft mattresses. Etc. Learned some specific exercises that strengthened the lower back muscles. Never had to have the spinal fusion, tho' with age, I'm beginning to think it would have been a good idea when I was still young enough for a quicker re-couperation.

Killit_and_Grillit

I'm with @Battleborn. Trashed my shoulder in 2012 and the military promotes drinking water as a healthcare solution. 

I was finally told to go work with ortho and did surgery, rehab, pain management, chiro, and acupuncture. Acu and chiro helped some with pain, but wasn't fixing the problem. The physical therapist is where I saw the most improvement. 

YukonRon

Go to a specialist. Worth every penny.

fishlessman

this is different for everyone. go see a doctor and a second if surgury is involved. back in my late teens early 20's they said it was extendede spikes on my spinal chord causing the sciatica and they put me in physical therapy. i was in the 90 pound class when i started college skiing maybe 30 times a winter, hurt my back on a slalom course, took me out for 9 months. after that my back went out doing simple things, tying shoes, picking up a piece of paper off to the side, a sneeze, etc, always put me down to my knees, always 3 to 6 months sometimes more. i do not sit on weekends, tore the chair out of the boat, 30 years later the problem mostly went away, just a little soreness now and im as heavy as ive ever been at 230 right now 5-10.  my doctor back then said surgery was the last thing i should consider but that was back then but then again i know some people that are pretty messed up from surgury. i went the grin and bare it route, lots of bottles of ib, i have a bottle in several convienent locations and take one now before it happens, i wont go on the boat without taking one. christ, my body goes through a routine just to sneeze now

g8golfer

@JohnInCarolina I have mostly love handles no belly. My pants are 34/30. I get u a pic but I warn you I could be the sexiest man you have ever seen. 

DoubleEgger

Before you go to the trouble and expense of going to the doctor, make sure you are prepared and willing for the only three outcomes they offer 1) Surgery  2) Physical Therapy 3) Pills 

g8golfer

So if I do go to a doctor what kind of doctor do I need to go to? 

DoubleEgger

g8golfer said:

So if I do go to a doctor what kind of doctor do I need to go to? 

I see a neurologist for similar neck issues 

g8golfer

@DoubleEgger I'm game for PT and surgery at the last resort but having to take pills I hope not. 

g8golfer

Thanks to everyone. I really appreciate the feedback. Exactly what I was hoping for. 

DoubleEgger

g8golfer said:

@DoubleEgger I'm game for PT and surgery at the last resort but having to take pills I hope not. 

Go see what the options are. If you don't like any of them, you can always go back to what you're doing or try something else. Maybe one of those inversion boards would help 

g8golfer

Just to give you an example of how bad it was. Nov 2016 I got invited to an all expenses paid trip to Kiawah Island, SC to play the ocean course. It's $400 a round per person. I had to decline cause I couldn't hardly walk. It's a once in a lifetime trip for a golfer. I still get sick thinking about it to be honest. 

fishlessman

take an ib before playing golf if that does not work see a doctor, see the doc anyways. most of the pt was hot pads, then stretching, then the stationary bike,  you could get a bike, stationarys suck.  there will be the advice about beds, so far ive tried water, soft, medium, hard, wood floor, and couch when i could not even roll off it, non of those work for me    they put me on a stationary bike even though i was riding maybe 40 miles 3 times a week back when i was younger, really not sure the pt was for me or bluecross blue shield payments back then

JohnInCarolina

rpeters said:

My advice is to see a doctor. I was in a similar situation. I had back pain about 4 years ago and saw my doctor and had a herniated disc on my sciatic nerve, L5/S1. Didn't require surgery at that time and did PT which really helped. At least I could manage the pain and when I had bad pain again, I knew the exercises to do and could get quick relief. But about 6 months ago, it got worse and decided to go back to the doctor. The herniation got bigger and doctor said surgery would be the best option. I had the surgery about 6 weeks ago and so far it has been one of the best decisions. I had a bone spur in there on top of the herniation making it worse. It was out patient surgery, took about 1.5 hours and I could feel immediate relief the same day. Doctor said if I didn't have the surgery it was just going to get worse. 

I know that some of mine was related to being overweight, but also related to playing volleyball and soccer.

Recovery is the worse because I feel much better, but can't do much because of risk of causing more problems until the muscles heal. I am just now getting back to exercise and working on the core muscles to strengthen them.

Quite the first post!