Bad back

[imtommygunn]

Benny there's really a standard set of exercises like squats, bridges, planks, lunges etc which you are maybe doing.

One thing i would recommend is pilates and a couple of things to think about... From all your exercises i think you should try and do your bridges a few times a day - i.e focus on it slightly more than others.

With me my upper back/ shoulder area always tightened a bit. I'd recommend keeping the shoulders and upper back well stretchd too.

[bennydorano]

bennycake - physio never mention Orthotics for muscle imbalances?

[BennyCake]

bennycake - physio never mention Orthotics for muscle imbalances?

No, what is that?

[Mayo4Sam]

I've been lying in bed wide awake for the past few hours feeling sorry for myself due to sciatic type pain down my leg! Started getting pain about 6 months and it has gotten progressively worse. I am a very active and sporty person (Gaelic football, golf, Crossfit, cycle and swim) but the past few months I have been unable to do any kind of sport at all. Even swimming is hurting me ffs. Driving and sitting down give the most discomfort. I have been going to a physio with a good reputation for fixing backs but he has been unable to do anything for mine. Got an mri scan and there is a disc protrusion in my lower back. I've had two injections (the second one was just yesterday) and they have done f**k all as well. I fear the next step is an operation which I want to avoid as I am a sub teacher at the minute, so if I don't work I don't get paid.

Ive had all the usual sore back pain, hamstring injuries, etc that come with playing sport but this is the most depressing and debilitating injury I've ever had.

Anybody had similar problems? What did you do to fix it?

Jim I had pretty much exactly what u described there, I blamed its beginning on three things that happened over the space of a week, a hospital pass in football on the Sunday, drove from Cork to Belfast on the Wednesday and went hill running on the Thursday.
After 6 months it got to the stage where I was in agony, couldn't walk for more than two minutes without needing to sit down, sleepless nites, was on diphene and pain killers. Got the MRI and the consultant said she could give me the injection but she felt it probably wouldn't be affective and that the operation would be my best option.
Went in on Dec 21st last year, left the following day, pain gone competely, and went to the physio the following day, spent a week in bed doing my exercises and then a lot of time lying down but loads and loads of core work. After six weeks was back running and back on the bike soon after, spin classes, managed to lose 2 stone in 6 weeks.
Managed 9 triathlons this year and did my first marathon this week.
For me it came down to the absolute pain i was in beforehand & I trusted the doc, she told me a 96% of success so I was happy enough with that.
So I couldn't recommend it highly enough but I do understand that some people can be afraid to go down that road

[bennydorano]

bennycake - physio never mention Orthotics for muscle imbalances?

No, what is that?

Like contoured insoles in your shoes,  meant to rebalance some muscles, i currently have them for an unrelated knee injury. All done through Doc / NHS physio route, worth a mention.

[JimStynes]

Was at surgeon today and he has recommended I get surgery ASAP. Gutted to be honest but I want to get rid of the pain. Have to go in Thursday 6th of Dec. Before I do though I am going to go see a fella Ralph McCutcheon. He is an osteopath working out of a place in Holywood. Anyone every heard of him or dealt with an osteopath?

[BennyCake]

bennycake - physio never mention Orthotics for muscle imbalances?

No, what is that?

Like contoured insoles in your shoes,  meant to rebalance some muscles, i currently have them for an unrelated knee injury. All done through Doc / NHS physio route, worth a mention.

I'll mention it to him, thanks.

[BennyCake]

Was at surgeon today and he has recommended I get surgery ASAP. Gutted to be honest but I want to get rid of the pain. Have to go in Thursday 6th of Dec. Before I do though I am going to go see a fella Ralph McCutcheon. He is an osteopath working out of a place in Holywood. Anyone every heard of him or dealt with an osteopath?

I haven't been to one. Maybe someone else can advise you.

Sorry to hear you need surgery, Jim. I'm sure things will improve for you though. All the best with the op (if it goes ahead), and your recovery. Keep us posted on your recovery.

[imtommygunn]

I was at an osteopath a few years ago Jim. At the time I was getting a recurring injury in my calves and reading into it I thought it could have been stemming from the back.  It wasn't the boy you mention - though I can't remember the name - but it was interesting. He didn't find anything untoward but he was checking alignment and all that business.

I occassionally get alignment issues but the physio I go to corrects it. I would love to know where it comes from but 40-50 miles a week on the road is more than likely to be the cause!

I also had sciactic type pain due to a glute issue this time last year. This came from a very tight glute pushing on the nerve and was agony. It was kind of like pirifomis but wasn't quite.  The tight glute stemmed from the alignment issue I say above.

Have you had alignment looked at before?

[Larry Duff]

Benny, like ITG, I had very similar issues with an alignment problem.  Initially it started with pain at the back of the knee then developed into pain in the glute, hamstring tendon and even the tendon in my foot all down one side. I went to an osteopath/physio Jonathon Sinclair from the W.Ryan Back Clinic in Dunmurry (I would definitely recommend him but not neccessarily the others in that practice) who treated it initially to relieve the tightness in the muscles/ tendons. He also told me to get orthotics, which have made a massive difference. These along with the stretching exercises he gave me have kept me fairly pain free for the past year.  Although, if your going to play/ train it is vital that you do all the specific stretches before you go and even when you get home. Trying to do them as part of the team warm up/down is not enough!

[ballinaman]

Was at surgeon today and he has recommended I get surgery ASAP. Gutted to be honest but I want to get rid of the pain. Have to go in Thursday 6th of Dec. Before I do though I am going to go see a fella Ralph McCutcheon. He is an osteopath working out of a place in Holywood. Anyone every heard of him or dealt with an osteopath?

What did the surgeon recommend,discetomy or spinal fusion? I go with his judgement to be honest, if the disc is in bad shape, you could be doing Physiotherapy and Osteopathy treatment and exercises for the next year and only make a slight improvement. Recovery from spinal surgeries is excellent nowadays. Throw us a PM if you need to.

[JimStynes]

He recommended a discetomy. Went to that fella today to see what he could do with me. The osteopath to be fair seemed to know what he was doing but he said himself that I am in too bad a shape for him to do anything worthwhile for me. He said it could take months to try make improvements and it wouldnt be worth going through the pain. He recommended to go for the surgery ASAP. I have been reading online about it and some people have said they have been left with constant pain down their leg after surgery, some said no improvements, some had numbness down one side, some also said best thing they ever done. I know most surgeries have risks and complications but there seems to be a lot more with this type of surgery. Such a f**king about match

[Aerlik]

First things first...get a second, maybe even a third opinion.  I have been diagnosed with spondylolysthesis in the L5/S1 region.  But calcification is taking place which appears to have helped stopped the slippage.  The L5 protrudes by 12mm.  However the Orthopaedic surgeon has told me not to consider surgery but to stop running.    All those times I was complaining about a bad back in Perth are now explained.
Get other opinions.  Who analysed the MRI?

I still cycle alot and that totally alleviates the pain.  Try that if you haven't already.  Also, when I was a lad, I used to lie on a thin mattress on a carpeted floor.  Only way I could get relief.

[parttimeexile]

I had very bad back pain and went to an osteopath who works out of omagh and banbridge. He is very honest and upfront and doesnt bullshit. I had bad back pain, had to get injections to kill the pain and he had me sorted in two sessions. I know that your pain is a lot worse but I have been to numerous physios etc and none of them were able to help. Let me know if you want his details and ill pass them on to you.

[JimStynes]

First things first...get a second, maybe even a third opinion.  I have been diagnosed with spondylolysthesis in the L5/S1 region.  But calcification is taking place which appears to have helped stopped the slippage.  The L5 protrudes by 12mm.  However the Orthopaedic surgeon has told me not to consider surgery but to stop running.    All those times I was complaining about a bad back in Perth are now explained.
Get other opinions.  Who analysed the MRI?

I still cycle alot and that totally alleviates the pain.  Try that if you haven't already.  Also, when I was a lad, I used to lie on a thin mattress on a carpeted floor.  Only way I could get relief.

I have tried everything like cycling, lying on floors, walking, intense stretching etc way at the beginning when I was able to move. It has got to the stage where I wouldnt have a hope of even getting my leg over the bar on the bike. Walking kills me, sitting in the car kills me, i cant sleep more that 2 hours at night and I cant get my leg up more than 5 degrees when trying to stretch. Horrible constant pain.  MRI was analysed by 3 people, surgeon, physiotherapist  (back specialist) and radiologist. I didnt go near an orthopaedic surgeon, went straight to a spinal surgeon and also had my notes checked by a neurosurgeon as they specialise in that area.  He talked me through the MRI scan and showed me where the disc is bulging into my nerves.  Cant wait to get the surgery now so I can get a nights sleep for first time in 4 or 5 months.