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December 4, 2010 - 11:11pm
Low Back Pain Advice
hi everyone.
I have been following this forum for some time since injuring my back in FEB 2007 (L5-S1 disc herniation with dead leg, sciacta etc). Since then I have been trying all conservative treatments to fix it ever since. After seeing many professionals (some terrible and some good) I have finally concluded what is wrong with me. I wish to ask all my fellow pain suffers for their advice.
I know my condition is nothing compared to some others so i truly appreciate you reading my post. After the initial injury i put myself in a bubble, got severely depressed and always made excuses from living. In doing so, my deep stomach muscles stopped working and my back extensor muscles took over. To realize that the last 1 or so years of pain have been related from extremely over-worked and exhausted back muscles annoys me.... (as it is only muscle pain... I think)
As we all know, the outer extensors are not 'endurance' muscles and since they are always switched on (rock hard) it is causing LARGE amounts of muscle pain.
It sounds like nothing but i need to fix this and am desperately seeking help as all the 'specialists' i have seen dont seem to have a definitive answer.
Here is my question how the hell can i switch them off????? I am still trying to strengthen my core to alleviate it but with no luck. Is it a mental thing?? Does anyone recommend anything in particular?? I am willing to try anything as a twenty year old male i need to live again....
Once again i value you reading my post so much!!
I wish everyone a recovery and a i look forward to your suggestions.
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Physical therapy has several modalities aimed at reducing muscle spasms and stretching and relaxing the muscles of the back, since spasm is one of the main pain generators even in injuries like herniation or fracture.
The last PT I went to used heat, then mobility and stretching, then deep tissue, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, light therapy, and cold. Only after a couple of weeks of that treatment did they move on to strengthening, much of which was done using some more modern methods to focus on the right muscle groups.
So much of the back pain we suffer is due to those muscles! I have to say the PT really did help. Of course, I have issues it did not help with, but having a strong core and regular work on the spasms improved my range of motion quite a bit.
11/2007- equestrian accident. Fractured L2, 90% loss of height, retropulsion, bone fragments. Moderate-severe chronic pain treated with epidurals, facet ablation, medication.
12/15/2010- L2 corpectomy and L1-L3 fusion via thoracotomy. Posterior plates installed next day. Total surgery time 9 hours!
I agree that physical therapy really does help, however, not all pt's are the same. Over the past couple of years I've had a few different pt's and I was surprised and the difference in how they approach my problems. Check with others in your area to find a good pt that has had training in spine issues.
Saultup
I agree about finding the right physical therapist. One of their techniques that worked for me was PRRT which stops the reflex that is switched on when you have an injury. You can ask a lot of questions when looking for a therapist, but it is always good to get a recommendation from someone in your area.
These are my opinion, not medical information:) But I was lucky enough to have a good physical therapist!
hi and welcome to the forum!
we are here to offer you advice and answer what questions we can. it is best to see a professional about your problem...in the meantime, have a good look around and make yourself at home. good luck to you! Jenny 
be impeccable with your word..
It is imperative that we understand back pain before we commence treatment.Four in five adults will experience back pain. Yet, because the back is so complex, every sufferer needs individual treatment options.This site offers back pain advice and tips that can improve your quality of life and more importantly reduce or eliminate your back pain.
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Ron DiLauro, Spine-Health System Administrator 06/01/11
Thanks for suggesting some very good things for Low Back Pain. My mother have Low Back Pain problem and therefore, she not able to do some work. At night this pain is increase and she can't able to sleep. I think your tips will help her to reduce the back pain at some point.
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Ron Dilauro, Spine-Health System Administrator 12/29/11
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