low back treatment

[ktm300]

I hurt my back in 2007. Have had periods where I thought it was in the rear view mirror and that I was healed. Keeps rearing its head. 07 MRI indicated a disc bulge at L5 S1 but showed no nerve root impingement. Have tried many different care providers without ultimate success. Back locked up last night and I could barely walk this morning. If any of you have any info. that is one level above mere pseudo science regarding the efficacy of spinal decompression i.e. Vax D etc. please share it with me. I have been working with a physical therapist for four weeks just working on correcting imbalances and gaining flexibility. During this time, have had a lot of spasms. The realignment process is causing a thunderstorm in my pelvic low back region. I am certain that the collective wisdom and experience of this board will yield better advice than I have gotten from the MD's. Thanks.

[Tuney]

I don't have a low-back injury myself but I know a handful of people that do. A key to these is consistency - every morning do some exercise. If you aren't already doing Supermans talk to your PT about them to see if they would be appropriate for you.

Edit: Found a youtube video

 

[Edmund]

Buy this book: Low Back Disorders, by Stuart McGill.  It is very technically written, but it has a ton of great back exercises with illustrations.  Has helped me tremendously, and I have a long history of back spasm problems.

Another of his books is: Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance.  This is written more for the non-medical degree person with some of the same exercises covered.

[MrJones]

I just typed a long a#! response which got erased! I guess I timed out and was logged off.

No matter. My last recommendation was to get the McGill book. Low Back Disorders is available at OPTP.com and you should order it tonight. There is a lot of snake oil out there and you need to educate yourself. McGill is a Phd and has done tons of published research on the causes of back pain, how to modify you activities to stop exacerbating it, and exercise principles that will stop you from doing more harm than good. Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance is not as good a resource (in my opinion). "Disorders" does more education and is just more understandable. 

 BTW. He will tell disc patients not to do the superman and the reason why. And yes, as a PT I used to have people do it all the time. Live and learn. 

 

[Razorskier1]

Low back is tough.  I ruptured L4-5 a few years back.  Nerve impingement caused a loss of about 70% of the strength in my right leg.  Neurosurgeon wanted to do surgery (of course, that's how he pays the bills!).  My PT, who I have gone to for over 15 years, encouraged me to just let him work it and then had me continue on with core flexibility and strength (both planks and mobile strength exercises).  Even with this I get a week or two every ski season where I am out of commission, but because of it I come back much more quickly than I used to.  I still only have about 90% strength in my right leg, but have been skiing ever since.  Surgeon told me to never ski again (my orthopedic surgeon says the same every time he fixes a shoulder).  My PT tells me to keep going as long as I can (I like him!).  Long story-short, I agree with everyone above.  It is all about core strength and flexibility.  Do it every day.  It will take a while before you notice things getting better, but they will.

[Old MS Accout]

90% strength in Razors right leg is like me being at 330%.

[RichardDoane]

http://www.amazon.com/Core-Workouts-Arms-Thighs-Stretch/dp/B000LC4CHO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294424417&sr=8-1

every morning, takes less than 10 minutes to do the abs portion.  has made a big difference.

[clemsondave]

Inversion table every night before you go to bed. Just about eliminated all my back issues.

[A_B]

After getting the disc under control, I would recommend going to a Kineseologist.

 

We have a very good one who is also a Chiro, and after years of low back pain after a slip and fall on ice, he was able to fix it. I had seen MD's, Chiros, and PT's, and no one fixed the core problem. He found it, and did some very painful work on torqued muscles, and that was it.

 

Agree with the suoerman drills, and other core stretches once fixed up.

[Steven]

I agree with all of the core exercises. That is definately your best bet! I hurt the L5 S1 also and hadn't skied for 7 months. This Christmas I got the Power Vest and I truely believe that the PV will now allow me to ski again. At first it is a little cumbersome but you get used to it quickly once you get it adjusted correctly. I'd be done with out it! Good Luck!

[ktm300]

Thanks everyone. I'll keep working at it.

[Ed_Obermeier]

Just to add to the above.  5 - 6 years ago my back was so bad that I thought I needed surgery.    Wore a back brace and a ski jacket with a brace built in just to ski at all.  As a last resort I went to a chiropractor, had never been to one before and didn't put much faith in the chiropratic thing.  The one I went to had a physical trainer from the local gym working there showing people stretchs etc and working with them a bit.  Didn't take him long to diagnose my problem - poor core strength (and locked up facette joints...).  Between the chiro and the trainer they got me going again. 

Since then I've worked super hard on core strength and today, all those years later and at age 55, I have NO back problems what so ever.  Would never have believed it possible coming from where I was when I started this.  Moral of the story - especially for skiing, good core strength is paramount if you want to get serious about it and keep going.  My additional $0.02.

Ed

[Patr]

Here's another 2 cents.  I've had problems with l4-l5, l5-s1 bulging and herniation for about 15 years.  Have had a small amount of success over the years with PT, core excersises, cortizone injections, the McDill book.  I've gone through a lot of prescription anti-inflam drugs.  A couple years ago when it was really bad I visited a doctor down in Fort Wayne who was well known for facett injections.  I was surprised when the doc started out by talking about diet, and how it can be used to control inflamation.  I was desperate for anything that would help so I pretty much changed my diet right then and there.  I cut way down on red meat, sugar, refined stuff, and started eating more fruits, veggies and chicken, and taking fish oil.  Never did have the facett injections.  After about 4 months on the new diet my back started feeling the best it had in years, and now I made it through my first ski season in years without having to take some time off.  

 

[greg]

Another resource worth checking into is to find a MCKenzie Therapist. http://www.mckenziemdt.org/method.cfm  I was referred to a McKenzie trained therapist by a Cleveland Clinic back surgeon several years ago and it helped quite a lot.