Oh my aching back!! Doctors?

[gatotom]

please, do not get me started, the ignorance out here is bad. I have been a Chiropractor for 25 yrs and damn proud of my profession.
No we don't cure anything, your body does that, silly.

You have more faith in a damn pill than the power of your body, or I should say your innate intelligence, go look that one up in dorlands dictionary, unbelievable, also try looking up disease. It is defined as DIS-EASE, lack of ease,lack of communication to the rest of your body,common terminology, your f**ked up.

Don't give Chiropractic a bad rap until you try one, no I can't say that all Chiropractors are good, then again I can't say that any Doctor is good. At least we don't kill people and that is something that the med Docs can't say.

We need all the Docs out there, they have there place in space

sorry for being so aggressive, but it chops my ass when someone gives my profession a bad call. Right now I am sitting on my boat, drinking a good bottle of wine, expecting a wonderful sail this weekend, so you can blast me for the next 1/2 hour, you want answers, I got then or PM me.

[Jims5543]

Mydol is an anti-inflamitory and muscle relaxer a well know secret among the body building and construction circles.

I second a "good" chiropractor. Do you have any firefighter friends? Call one and ask who he uses. The best chiropractor in town is usually frequented by firefighters.

Also look into massage therapy as well, it might take a couple of weeks to get the pain back to normal.

A good chiro will x-ray you and send you for a MRI before he starts adjusting you, unless he thinks your condition is not that dire.

I have worked through a few back injuries and a bulging disk with the help of a good chiropractor and Massage therapist.

[john70t]

Cold compress immediately afterwards, hot showers and heating pads after 2 days. Sleep on the carpeted floor with a stack of pillows under the knees. Lay in that position as much as possible. Ibuprofen according to the label, nothing stronger. Suck it up and think of it as a hard reminder to change habits.

After you start to feel normal, do mini stomach crunches very slowly(imagine flatenning the curve of the back)-this will help strengthen the stomach and improve posture. Two glasses of water before bed. Wake up slow and spend 10 minutes loosening everything up in the morning.

Accupuncture and massage only. Gravity-boot systems to hang upside downand stretch the vertebrae apart.
Chiropractors "pop" joints into position under force, but that doesn't keep them from slipping again with the next spasm. My personal opinion is it's better to treat the inflamed muscles/nerves causing it first, then keep it that way with posture/exercise.

Most back injurys heal themselves with time. The only draconian surgical alternative here in the US is spinal fusion, which eventually causes more problems.

[livi]

Originally posted by nostatic
what if it hurts when I pee?

Then, the doc will want to know the name of your latest bed mates..

[Nathans_Dad]

Well, here is my $.02 on the subject.

First, if you came to me with this, my first thought (assuming your exam was non-focal) would be take some OTC anti-inflammatory pain meds and give it a couple weeks. Most acute back issues will go away if you give the body some time. I would NOT do an MRI immediately, no matter what you insisted upon. An MRI is indicated to evaluate for degenerative disc issues and usually is done if there is an indication of nerve injury or if you are considering surgery (in the case of chronic back problems). So I guess Harddrive would be looking for another doctor. If things didn't begin improving in about a week or so, then I would consider going further with diagnostics.

Ok, now about chiropractors. Personally I have seen some patients who do well with chiropractors and some who do not. I have no problems with chiropractors who treat musculoskeletal issues. If you want to go to one, feel free. I do have a problem with some of them who think that by manipulating your joints they can cure your hypertension, diabetes or cancer. Yes, some of them really do believe this. This is why I would disagree with our friend earlier in the thread that chiropractors don't "kill people". By mistreating and improperly attempting to cure diseases with manipulation they do, in fact, have the possiblity of killing or maiming someone. I also detect a lot of hostility towards physicians in the post...wonder why that is.

[the]

Quacks.

[trekkor]

After a long stint of hard labor. Try a week straight of packing and spreading mortar on walls. The Chiropractor will offer immediate relief.

When the back gets out of alignment it hurts. The muscles may try and support the position of the bones in the new position. Sometimes you may need another visit to re-adjust due to the muscles trying to keep the bones in place.

Massage therapy helps a ton.

I don't go very often, but when I hurt, I do.

Being careful and pacing myself helps avoid injury.
I'm trying to lose some body wieght as well.


KT

[Moses]

Originally posted by Nathans_Dad
I also detect a lot of hostility towards physicians in the post...wonder why that is.

Probably because chronic back problems have no good solution. Physical therapy and medications can help, chiropractic can help, and surgery is a last resort option.

None of the approaches will give the patient a healthy, trouble-free, pre-injury back. Some problems we just cannot fix. That frustrates most people.

[john70t]

"Some problems we just cannot fix. That frustrates most people." -yup, but we still pay for the visit and the perscription.

Seriously, the drug companies have ramped up their direct marketing campaigns to the public, so much so, that they spend more on ads then R&D.
Modern western medicine has progressed immensly in the area of critical care-type treatment, but preventative maintinance seems rarely mentioned(for some reason).

A lot of times back pain is mostly caused by kidney or digestive problems as well. Really the best one can do is lose weight, stretch, exercise, and eat right.

[Jims5543]

My disk is bulging between my L1 and pelvis.

When I first injured it we tried massages and adjustments after an xray and initial MRI showed nothing. A second MRI a year later showed a slight bulge in the disk. This is inflaming my siatic and affecting my legs as well.

The #1 rule my doctor gave me after we discovered the bulge was no beer belly.... ever. A strong core was going to be the key to me having a normal pain free life.

I wish I could say I am 100% pain free but I have grown used to the pain and I can manage it with stretching and exercise.

As time has passed I am able to play most sports that I like. Raquetball, golf, baseball, biking and I can even run again but the key to it all is a strong core.

Once you recover from your injury I would concentrate of developing really strong core muscles this will prevent further injuries.

[livi]

Originally posted by Moses
Probably because chronic back problems have no good solution. Physical therapy and medications can help, chiropractic can help, and surgery is a last resort option.

None of the approaches will give the patient a healthy, trouble-free, pre-injury back. Some problems we just cannot fix. That frustrates most people.

Sums it up very well.

[john70t]

Here's an abreiviation of the visit:
Patient: "Doc, my back hurts. I think I sprained it"

Doctor: "Come to my office"
Doctor: "How are you today? How is the family? It's so nice to see you again".

Patient: "Not good. My back is sprained"

Doctor: "Does it hurt here?"

Patient: "Yes."

Doctor: "Does it hurt here?"

Patient: "Yes"

Doctor: "Your back is sprained. You need some pain medicine"

Patient: "Oh, crackhead bob down the street sells some good opium hash really cheap"

Doctor: "No. Only I'm allowed to decide if people can medicate their own bodies. Drugs are bad, and users deserve to be gang-raped in prison with large, dark penises(chuckle). By the way, did you know we have fruit-flavored Zoloft syrup for infants?"

Patient: "So what can you do for me?"

Doctor: "Nothing to ease your suffering-except a Vioxx perscription which will give you a heart attack. You're SOL. That'll be $250 for the visit and $150 for the drugs. Goodbye"

[Nathans_Dad]

Hrm...sounds like you should just stop going to doctors...