ANyone's back ever "shifted"?

Hey!

I"ve been dealing with neck problems for a year----and it seems like the neck problem is getting somewhat better!  HOWEVER (isn't there always.....), last Saturday (the day before Mother's Day)----I thought I 'threw out' my lower back.  Laid in bed and on the floor until Tuesday---was taken Relafen (?) and pain meds.....ended up looking in the mirror one morning--and I looked "crooked"/"shifted"!!

My hips were 'square', but then, above that my body was leaning to the right!!

I went to my chiropractor---and he took one look at me and said, "HEY!  you've shifted!"  WHAT?!!!  He showed me some exercises that do help straighten me out----and then he manipulated me a little---and am starting to feel a little better--but, I am still 'shifted' to the right.

Wondering if this ever happened to any of you?  What exactly does it mean?  I did go for a LUMBAR MRI----we'll see...but, just looking for some guidance!

Thanks!

Laurel

 

Hey Ry!

Thanks so much for responding! I wouldn't doubt if it were muscle spasms---I had bad spasms when I threw-out my back! It makes sense! I will ask the chiropractor about that when I see him on Wednesday! FUnny--I asked my Back Dr. not the Chiropractor) about taking a muscle relaxant--and they didn't give me one--just relafen(?) and tylenol w/ codeine (3)!

Laurel

Laurel,
There are so many things that could cause us to "shift", as you put it. The body is basically designed to be symmetrical - the same on both sides (if everything's "correct", which is rarely is with our bodies). The skeleton is held in place by a complicated system of muscles and tendons and ligaments. So if, for example, you have a muscle tighten it can pull that area out of its correct alignment. If it occurs reguarly in the same spot, the muscles can literally shorten on one side and legnthen on the other, leading to regular misalisngment. Take the example of us women always carrying a heavy handbag on our left shoulder. Do that for years and you'll likely have a problem on one side of your neck. I have learned I can never carry a shoulder bag, and it took a year or more of regular stretching to get my neck muscles relatively straight. I say relatively because they're not ok due to cervical problems which are related to the bones in my neck. See, it's all so complex! Right now I'm wearing a belt to help tighten the ligaments in my SI joint (around the hip area) which my physical therapist told me loosened when I took a bad fall. Ever since then if I don't do exercises to tighten the ligaments, they loosen, the joint shifts and my body is out of line. Add to that it puts more pressure on that sciatic nerve and all my pain cranks up to an 8 or more, even with meds! So yes, we can shift! The sad thing is it's very easy to stretch a muscle, etc., and takes oh, so long to fix it, and in some cases, depending on what's causing it, it may be a condition you have to manage rather than cure.

Hope this helps.

PaLady

Laurel,
Just make sure you follow through with whatever exercise program is recommended. I know it takes time, but that's how you get things back in alignment. Your MRI should also yield more specfic information about what may be causing the problem. Let's hope it's nothing significant. If you just have a muscle that's tightened, you shoulld be able to fix things over time. You seem to have had good luck with your neck, so you have some idea that this can take time, but improvements are possible.

Good luck!

PaLady