Back Pain

[Aurian]

Yeah yeah, my body is falling apart these days

 

Any tried and true methods you have for back pain? I had a whiplash accident over a year ago (I stopped at a red light. Truck behind me didn't). The whiplash ripped some muscles off my spine. (yeah, ow) I have been to doctors and physiotherapists and massage therapists, but haven't had much success with them.

 

I;ve tried muscle creams (work nice, but I stink after I've tried various pain killers (either don't work or make me groggy).

 

Anyone have experience with a chiropractor? I've heard some horror stories so I'm a bit nervous about trying one...

[laboheme]

I've never had to meet with a chiropractor (lucky, whew!), but my manager has some serious back issues, and her chiropractor supposedly works magic. A friend of mine also has some spine problems and yoga seems to be helping her (she has to be careful not to overexert herself though). The only advice I can offer is...shop around for one before committing. I hope there are several options to choose from in your area...Dig up as much information as you can, read as many reviews as you can find, etc. God luck!

[shes2smart]

I've been going to a chiropractor on a regular basis since 1988.

 

My first chiropractor did wonders for my headaches. I believe chiropractic treatment was also intstrumental in staving off a herniated disk in my neck for several years.

 

I was involved in a horseback riding accident in 94...went head-first into a cement block wall, cracked my riding hat in two and was pretty much one solid bruise from the waist down. No other obvious injuries, though. Six years later (2000), I started having a lot of weird symptoms and discovered I had a herniated disk in my neck. As I did research, I found that an injury like my sailing into the wall weakens the cervical spine and is likely to result in a herniated disk by the time you're 35-40.

 

I firmly believe the fact I was getting regular chiropractic care put off the herniation (and the surgery that followed) for several years. I took my chiropractor's recommendation of a neurosurgeon and was quite pleased with that doc and the results of the surgery.

 

I only switched chiropractors because I moved out of town.

 

I see my current chiropractor once every 3 weeks for maintenance adjustment. Helps keep the migraines at bay, and also helps with upper back/shoulder/neck issues due to computer usage.

 

If you go to a chiropractor, the first portion of your treatment will require 2-3x/week visits for the first month/month and half. After that you will taper off to more of a maintenance schedule.

 

When we first moved here, we had a health insurance gap of about 3 months. (there was a 90 day waiting period for my new job's insurance benefits to kick in) So that was 3 months without chiropractic adjustments. It was the longest I had gone without an adjustment since 1988, and I definitely felt a difference...and not in a good way. I was really, really glad to get back to regular chiropractic care after the new job's insurance kicked in. I feel so much better with those every-three-week visits than without them.

[mysteryman]

I've had minor back pain and a hot tub and sauna helped me.

[Aurian]

Problem is... my insurance doesn't cover chiropractors, so... regular visits would be problem then. Sounds good though... maybe I'll try one visit and see if it helps a bit and decide then.

[avman]

There are lots of great stretching exercises for back pain. I fire those up whenever I start having back pain and they usually do the trick in about a week.

 

I did see a chiropractor after my car accident (I also had a whiplash injury) and it helped to a certain degree. The best things that worked for me was a portable TENS unit that I could wear all day and it blocked the pain. Also cold stone massages really worked wonders. They tried hot stones but it aggravated my injuries so I had to stick to cold treatments.

[Eto]

I have some back problems in my upper spine that cause me major problems here and there. The only treatment that has helped to an extent is accupressure/energy work. Some insurance companies are starting to cover alternative health treatments. I don't trust chiropractors at all. The two that I've seen were completely worthless and seemed way too concerned with how much money they were making.

[loveualot]

het there im a physiotherapist...can you tell me exactly wat your heath prob is ..i may be able to help u... coz i deal with back pain and aiming for my masters in this field....

[Aurian]

Hey Loveualot. A physiotherapist told me that the muscles in my mid-back don't seem to be connected to my spine anymore (the tendons and ligaments got ripped apart with my whiplash). I don't feel much there unless someone touches the muscles on either side of my spine. (PAIN!) The problem seems to be the other muscles working harder to compensate. My upperback between my shoulders burns all the time. My lower back above my hips is frequently sore. Even my ribs hurt all the time because it feels like I am clenching my ribs to hold myself upright instead of using the back muscles.

 

My spine also seems to be out of alignment. A past physio was able to "crack" my back and it would feel better for awhile. But it always slipped out of place again, and the excerises he gave me to do it myself never worked. I've tried to do the exercises, but always end up giving up because of a great deal of PAIN I get afterwards. My back is so lousy, I need to lie down after just walking for too long.

 

I've been to 4 Physios in the last year, but I am frequently frustrated by them. I;ve been hooked up to machines and forgotten, and been in a great deal of pain for weeks after one of those sessions. The exercises makes the pain worse. That's why I am looking around for other treatments.

 

Avman - I think a TENS unit is what they used in physiotherapy. It vibrates right? That actually put me in more pain.

[Aurian]

Hmm... I wonder if mentioning the insurance would help a bit....? At any rate, I am glad to hear some good stories about chiropractors. Even if I can't get a reduction, I'll look around and see if it would work for me.

 

One thing... what's a good way to get a good one? My doctor is not in the area (I moved and there are no openings in this area), so she cannot recommend one near me. Do I look online for websites and hope they post positive comments or something? I don't have any friends who used chiropractors so I can't ask them.

[shes2smart]

As far as finances, my chiro offers a pre-paid plan for people who don't have insurance. Basically you can pay for a package with 6 or 12 visits up front, with a discount on the per-visit rate. With the 6 visits, you pay for 5 get one free, with 12 you pay for 9 and get 3 free.

 

Many chiropractors offer free initial consultations...it give you a chance to meet the doc and see if you feel comfortable with him/her and gives the doc a chance to give you a brief exam so they can determine if they might be able to help you.

[Aurian]

Just an update. I have found a chiropactor who seems really good and is not too expensive. And amazingly enough, it seems to be helping!!!

[darkblue]

I found that heat pads worked well for me.

 

If you found a good chiropactor then all the better.

 

Let us know how it goes - I might just take your advice if it works!

[bulletproof]

Try reading a book called Healing Back Pain by Dr. John Sarno. I rarely have back pain, but a friend was suffering from it so I recommended this book because I had heard so many miracle stories resulting from it. It helped her, and we then passed the book on to another friend who also found himself cured. Please give it a try- it can't hurt, right?