I went through the lower back pain when I was 34, after two rear end
collisions, just two months apart.

In the beginning I went to a Chiropractor almost every day, for a year.  The
adjustments felt good, but were short lived.  After a year a disk ruptured
with intense sciatic pain.  The Chiropractor sent me to an ortho doctor who
kept me home flat on my back for 3 months with muscle relaxers, pain and
anti inflammatory medications.

Then I went to physical therapy to learn new stretching exercises and new
ways to move/pick up objects that would help me get back into life.  It
didn't get all better immediately.  I had episodes of  back muscles seizing
up bad.  Finally the ortho doctor told me that this was as good as it's
going to get without surgery.  The doctor said jogging and high impact
exercises were out.  He also said that for the rest of my life I should not
stand too long.....sit too long.... bend too long....squat too long....lift
too long.....walk too long.

I did have to change jobs and find new places to work where I wasn't at a
desk looking down all day (my neck would also seize up).  I think the
greatest help was changing positions often.  It warded off the muscle strain
from being in one position too long.  Also sleeping with a pillow between or
underneath the knees helps avert muscle seizing while sleeping.

Please check back and let us know how you are doing and tell us about the
things which have assisted you.  It can get better!

Coleah

<bbarry@genevasi.com> wrote in message

Forget the surgery until you have exhausted ever know method known to man
and woman. Seen it and it usually doesn't help. Can you say "arthritis. they
opened me up and let it in"?

See a Chiropractic Doctor and a Physiotherapist for proper exercises and
spinal alignment.

Sciatica is only a common nerve problem and it comes out two places in the
spine. The rest of the alignment problems will not affect it.

For almost immediate relief get yourself an inversion machine and build up
to 4-5 minutes per night before bed. Put an icepack on the afflicted joint
right before falling asleep to reduce disk swelling. Drink lots of water to
rehydrate the disks. Do NOT get an operation as the disks can mostly
contract again like a swollen bruise does once the problem is corrected.

Take care of it and in a few years you will have forgotten about it and
gotten on with your life. You have to modify a few ways you do some things
but you can do it. Do it all, pamper yourself.

I just don't know what to do but I am going crazy.

I have had on and off back-pain since 1994.  I am 36 years old and
have no idea what may have caused the onset in the first place.  There
are occasions when my entire lower back will seize up and at that
point, it takes me 3 or 4 minutes to roll over in bed!  This complete
sieze-up has occurred about 4 times since 2000 and each time, after
the initial onset, the recovery is a couple of weeks where I can
gradually, get up more easily, them move around more easily, etc but I
am typically laid up for 4 straight days when it first comes on.

Right now, I am in pain when I sit upright, or when I stand from a
sitting position.  Once I get up and slowly stretch my lower back by
leaning arching my back a little bit, I am fine (as long as I don't
bend over).

A couple of years ago, I went to an osteopath and on my first visit, I
was a new man!  This lasted for about a year or so where I had almost
no indication of pain at all doing anything including bending over,
lifting, etc.  Then my situation came back and the last time I went to
see him in Sept 2003, he was not able to perform the same magic.  He
had said that my S1 joint was frozen or something like that but he
wasn't able to fix it the last time I went.

Just a couple of days ago, I went to an orthopedic doctor and he said
that my muscles are weak and that is what is causing all of my
problems.  I have tried to exercise during times of good back and
quite often, the execises would aggravate my situation so I would no
longer have a good back so of course, I would discontinue them.

I just don't know what to believe because if my problem was caused by
weak muscles, why is it that on my initial visit to the osteopath, I
was completely cured for a long while???  I just want to have a normal
back.  I mean, I can't do anything anymore.  I can't swing a golf
club, run around (without being very aware of my movements)...  I am
36 and I have a lot more living to do and I would like to have a
decent back!  I would even contemplate surgery on a bulging disk (that
I do have according to an MRI) but it seems that if there is no
sciatica, there is no disk problem (right? comments please...).

Anyway, does anyone out there have a similar story or want to throw
some advice my way?

Thanks
Bob