lower back deep pain -help

Hi guys,

Any suggestions welcome to alleviatel lower back deep pain one side- which has me bending over like an old man. Pain in the upper buttocks region (one side) and this often travels down the sciatic neve in my leg.

I've had an MRI- nothing found.
Had acupuncture- followed by a chiropractice session ( or two) when it was said that I was kinked on one side and the muscles were objecting!....a little pushing and pulling -the session relived the pain for a few days but its back again and really annoying... I've also take difene- but again to no avail....

I swim and the massage jets in the water relieve the pain for a while- but not fixed....

going on over a month now- and no real relief....

Even as I read this- if I was a horse- I'd probably shoot myself..

All ( non firearm) suggestions welcome

Selym

Re: lower back deep pain -help

hi selym59,

MRI clear is a good thing. It means you probably have a loading pattern that irritates the nerve on one side. It is kind of like bending your finger back lots of times - it doesn't really hurt at the start but by the end of the day, it would kill.

Can you help me with a few more answers please?

1. Why did it start? You said a month or so now but when did you notice it - after ...?
2. What activities make things worse?
3. What do you think is wrong? "If someone could just ..., things would be better."

thanks

Re: lower back deep pain -help

Hi Selym !!
read through your history .. Well What i fee is you could probably start with some kind of a piriformis stretch .. which would for sure be of some help.. ,most of the time since there is a piriformis syndrome, ppl tend to get this shooting pain like sciatica and ,the change is posture can merely be due to muscle spasm.. You could do a few reps of piriformis stretch along with gleuts stretch , and combine it with lateral bending to the opposite side of pain (contralateral side ) it would slowly hep in releaving the muscle spasm .
Hope that helps,
All the best ,
Radhika

Re: lower back deep pain -help

Hi Alophysio,

Thanks for the reply.

To answer the questions- This "episode" began just over a month ago, I've had others in the past, perhaps two or three a year, but never as long...usually a week or so sorts me out..... Typically, if I do some stretch/rolling side to side on a solid surface, and take some Difene- it generally goes away.

I think of myself as having a "dodgy" back. I know that if I haul and drag, or lift heavy objects, I'll trigger an episode, and therefore I'm generally careful. Over the past 18 months when in trouble , I've seen the GP- who said "I was getting old!!" - I'm fit- walk, not overweight- and 51 - I' didn't put too much faith in that diagnosis.

Got the MRI subsequently- and it didn't show any problem.

Tried some physio sessions / massage - but it really onlygave perhaps 4-5 hours relief, and quite honestly, I could not afford to spend €200-300 a week on these after the third one which got me to €200.

Took up swimming- and can do 12 lengths without much trouble and the massage jets in the pool really help- again though only for a few hours.

The recent episode just came on me at work- though 3-4 days previously, I had been working in the garden- I did not feel I twisted, lifted or hurt myself, and came in, showered and relaxed with no problem.

"if someone could just...."....I think let me wear a weighlifters thick leather belt all the time...to keep my back straight and hold me upright,.....I've tried the lightweight ones in the garden etc- but I always feel less inclined to depend on them as I feel it gives artificial strength to the back and without them I might be worse off.....I typically describle what happens as me losing my lower back strength...as if you melted it...I know this affects my posture- my stomach then goes loose, and the cycle begins again..

The pain can shift from side to side, but is mostly on my right side..centralised on my upper buttock, just near my lower spine. then the legs stuff happens.

This episode is going on too long- I can live with the "doddgy" back and 4-5 days of discomfort- but this is different.

thanks again for the consideration

Selym

Re: lower back deep pain -help

Hi Radhika,

Thanks for the reply.

Can you advise a link or some information to Piriformis streching techniques- I've not heard of itt.

thanks again for the consideration

Selym

Re: lower back deep pain -help

Hi Selym !!
Here you go wih the link .
1).YouTube - Piriformis Stretch For Back Pain and Sciatica...Done Right! and another one that would help is
2)Piriformis Stretch Exercise for Good Posture | eHow.com
Hope this helps .. do drop in some feeds if you have some doubts ...
All the best ,
Radhika

Re: lower back deep pain -help

hi...if i am going to guess...and it honestly will be a guess...then i would suspect that you have a "mal-adaptive flexion control problem" cause strain to your posterior elements of the lumbar spine.

In other words, you like to bend your back too much and not your hips.

Instead of bending over and loading the strong leg muscles that God gave you, you prefer to use your back and "hang off your ligaments" so to speak.

As you are in Ireland, i don't any movement retraining physios there but i have irish connections...can you tell me where in ireland you are? Otherwise going to Yoga or a good Pilates studio would be helpful.

It is very difficult to teach you this online. You must be selective in who you choose to treat you. They should know what a flexion control problem is as the terms are used in research by Peter O''Sullivan and those trained like i am will know what that means and how to treat it.

again i am guessing but i hop[e that helps. Perhaps stretching your piriformis might help. Who knows? What we do know is that since nothjing is "damaged" you have a good shot at retraining your habits which is likely to help you a lot...these include ytour posture in standing, sitting, bending over etc as well as they way that you move and do things.

Good luck. If you let me know where you are, i can possibly ask my irish friends about who might be able to help you

Cheers!

Re: lower back deep pain -help

And don't rule out tight hamstrings (and calves). They can create a ton of issues with the low back and glute/piriformis muscles.

Re: lower back deep pain -help-update

Hi Guys

Thanks for the suggestions- quick update.
I'm finding the piriformis stretch really helps loosen out the pain for a little while...just driven for 3 hours and stopped three times to complete the sit down stretch and it really helped the journey- other suggestions for the gluets stretch and others would be appreciated.

Re Location, Alophysic- I'm based near Cork in Southern Ireland and would appreciate your offer of references/contacts- and any specific references you might recommend to the Flexion Control/Peter O Connell study

Again many thanks for the help- if I alleviating slightly- it might be soon that I can eliminate.
I will continue to draw on your expertise asnd goodwill if you don't mind- all suggestions/exercise regimes/stretches welcome

thanks

Selym59

Re: lower back deep pain -help

Dear Mr. Selim! Writes Marc Kapitov from Israel. Judging from what symptoms you described you likely spasm gluteus maximus, rigid mount which is located in the you pain center. Muscle fascia comes down to the knee. The pain may be felt in the tummy and escaped in the leg. Judging by the length of pain in muscle tissue have physiological scars. That fact that water sprayers help, proves the diagnosis. Targeted muscle improves tone that could temporary decrease in pain. Recommended to be deep massage of hip and pelvis of the feet using techniques eliminate physiological scars, and application of the method of triginpoide.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

Re: lower back deep pain -help

As per my experience for lower back pain is solved by Pilates classes. I have lots of patients, those who are suffering from lower back pain and after Pilate all are feeling well within 2 week. Also it will help on the improving a health also. Pilates classes helps in increasing blood circulation so effect in better health. Mostly patient are trying all the other treatment, wasting money but there is no positive effect after that decided to join to Pilates. If you have any kind of question regarding treatment consult to the gym member as well as consult to the physiotherapist you will get a correct and complete details.

Re: lower back deep pain -help

Hey,

The Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists is a physio site you can seearch for someone down there - still waiting to see if any friends can recommend someone personally.

Thanks