back pain

Hi worriedgirl,

I'm sorry to hear about what you are going through, it does not sound like fun. That being said, I would be leery about letting a chiropractor diagnose you. They can assess the biomechanics of the spine, and sure they can pick up on obvious degenerative changes on xray, but they are not MD's, and they are not trained to read and assess xrays the same way that a radiologist or spine doctor would. The fact is, most of us have evidence of DDD and spinal arthritis as we age. However, these diseases are often not painful (though yes, sometimes they are), and many people don't even know that they have them until someone xrays their spine. So even if you have these changes on xray, whether or not that is the cause of your pain remains to be seen.

While having a chiropractor work on you probably isn't going to hurt, and may help, if this pain continues, you really need to go back to your doctor and have more advanced imaging done (typically an MRI). That still may not definitively tell you the cause of your pain (it may also come back with nothing more than the DDD & arthritis which leaves you in the same boat, wondering whether or not that is the cause of your symptoms), but it will detect any nerve root compression or other problems with the spine and/or surrounding tissues that may be causing your symptoms. The reason that your doctor hasn't rushed into sending you for any testing thus far is probably because statistically speaking, the majority of people with lower back pain and/or sciatica will get better on their own within 2-3 mo, and thus many doctors won't even consider doing imaging until the patient is at least about 8 wks out. It sucks when you are the patient and are in pain, though.

In the mean time, you might consider talking to your doctor about trying a course of steroids (if you can take them with your diabetes, since steroids also raise blood sugar), in case this is some acute inflammatory process (steroids are much more powerful than the NSAIDS you already tried). If you can tolerate it, massage might also be something to try. As would physical therapy -- they can help with both pain reduction techniques and stretching and strengthening. Ice and heat are also your friends. And OTC products like the bio freeze your chiro used, lidocaine gel, icy hot, arnica gel, etc, can also help temporarily. If all those things fail, depending on the cause, you're probably looking at trying epidural steroid injections.

And a word of advice -- don't compare your pain to someone else's. Yes, there is always someone else "worse off," but we all experience and respond to pain differently. It doesn't matter if your pain tolerance is high or low. Pain is pain and will wear you down emotionally and physically, and you are justified in your feelings and your desire to seek help!!

I hope you feel better soon! Please let us know how things go.

Skeye

Post Edited (skeye) : 12/28/2017 7:27:16 PM (GMT-7)

Worriedgirl, I understand the pain, we all do. Many different things can bring this type of pain on without any warning. DDD & arthritis can lay dormant & suddenly rear its ugly head & make us miserable. Moving the wrong way such as unloading a dishwasher, taking clothes out of a dryer or putting a gallon of milk in the refrigerator. All normal things we do on a routine basis, these are just some examples. Weather changes is a big trigger for me, especially this time of year. Also, has your GP checked your vitamin D level recently? Low vitamin D will cause joint pain, however, you should supplement it unless you are low.

Look at the type of shoes you are wearing, if they have little support get out of them. Good shoes are a must, I wear sneakers (running shoes) because of all of the support. It makes a big difference having a shoe with good support. What type of mattress are you sleeping on, is it old?

Have you tried moist heat? Moist heat works better than dry heat. As Skeye mentioned lots of OTC things available to help us out. I have used the Salon Pas on my back & shoulders & they actually give some relief. I also use Tiger Balm a lot, lol. Do light stretches, we have to keep moving. The old saying move it or lose, is so true.

When you see your GP ask for a referral to PT. I would want an xray done that is also read by a radiologist. Chiro's are not trained to read films like a radiologist. All drs will treat conservatively any time there is an onset of this type of pain. Make a list of everything you have going on to discuss with your GP.

I would stay away from steroids because of your diabetes. Steroids will really jack up the sugar. I am borderline diabetic & the last time I was in the hospital they had me on IV steroids. My sugar went crazy & I was put on insulin shots to counteract what the steroids were doing.

Keep us posted on how you are doing.

Yes, disc degeneration can and does lead to arthritis over time, as the discs normally cushion the spine/absorb and distribute shock as we move. As the discs wear down, more stress is placed on the vertebrae, leading to structural changes within the bone and articular surfaces, collectively known as arthritis.

Don't be surprised if even if you are able to get a copy of your xrays from your chiropractor, your doctor disregards them and makes you have new ones done. Chiropractors do not necessarily position you the same way or take as many views as spine doctors and radiologists would prefer. The xrays may also be of lower quality depending on the type of xray machine, detector, processor, and settings used. Having an extensive medical background, I have not been overly impressed with the xray skills of chiropractors. How they take their images may serve their purpose for evaluating the alignment and biomechanics of the spine, but they are often not up to par with what would be considered diagnostic quality images.

Hope you feel better soon. Don't worry about having to take pain meds for now. None of us likes taking pain meds, but sometimes it is necessary. Hopefully it will not be a long term thing, but you clearly need them right now.

Skeye

another question is sometimes the pain goes up to my shoulder blades and sometimes my shoulders feels like it is burning. I hate this pain. im sorry to complain so much

i do sit yes but I get up off phones and walk on breaks which is two 15 mins and 1 30 min lunch. I also stand at work while in between calls to keep from sitting so much. I have a straight back chair to make sure I am sitting upright. everything I can think of to help. on top of that I am now out of the pain meds that do help minimize the pain and down to the stuff that has no effect on me whatsoever. I cant get anything from my pcp as he doesn't prescribe anything stronger than ibuprofen. I guess I will need to go to an er but they lately have been prescribing the stuff that has no effect on me and I don't want to look as if I am a drug addict. I am far from it I am just trying to keep the pain at bay until I can get everything I need ran and get to the right doctor to help me out. I am at a loss. I have a chiro apt Wednesday for the results do I wait and suffer then get into where ever I need to go? or do I go to the er and try to get something to minimize the pain to make it to where I can function.

my daughter's boyfriends mom says if I need a neuro to let her know so she can get me hers and if I need a neurosurgeon to let her know. but I cant suffer for weeks trying to get in I am barely doing it now! my housework is suffering and my cooking is suffering which means my sugars are going to suffer. I worked too hard to let it suffer again! I already feel like a crybaby and I feel like I just want to go away and hide. I am such a wimp!

Bulging disc. Disc degeneration of l5 One hip goes to a angle. My spine is at a angle by the hips which is pinching my spinal cord. He said im toward the last stages and if i don't get treatment i could need surgery. It will eventually make my legs go numb and potentially kill my nerves. At most with treatment ill get 75% better.