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23 years of back pain

Posted , 4 users are following.

katecogs
katecogs

Brief history.  Had 2 children, both born with an epidural.  First epidural in 1991 was no problem but the second in 1994 when administered pain shot through my back and into my right hip.  Birth went well though felt discomfort in my hip.  After the epidural was taken out I was still completely numb 8 hours later ....... finally wore off though.

Anyway ........ over the years I've suffered with daily back pain and occasionally have 'put my back out'.  I cannot lay on my tummy as arching my back for a while causes great discomfort and ceases up.

I teach dance which causes me lots of issues.  Sometimes when practicing slow movements my lower back ceases up and I can't bend, let alone put socks back on.  It feels like I have a broom handle stuffed up my spine which prevents movement and is incredibly painful in the lower / mid back.  I'm assuming this is due to arching the back, though even as trained teacher and know the safety in dance practice / posture, this still causes issues.  This usually wears off after about 30-60 mins.

I vary my exercise a lot and do yoga 3 times a week which helps with my flexibility, and back in particular, though have developed a right hip problem (jams then crunches)??  I've had countless doctors visits, had physio and have special exercises to do, visited a chiropractioner for years and had acupuncture many times too.  

The problem has never gone away and I notice I have a tender patch midway up my spine when pressed.

I've never been offered an MRI, scan or x-ray of any sorts.  I've always sworn it was due to the epidural given 23 years ago.

Any idea? sad

1 like, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • katecogs
    katecogs

    Posted

    That's a no then ........

  • j00n218
    j00n218 katecogs

    Posted

    Sorry to hear about your back troubles... Sounds like you are going through a lot of pain and discomfort. I was going through the same thing for 3-4 years until i found a book called Healing Back Pain By: Dr John E Sarno. After finding a cure for my back pain i said i will reach out to everyone i can. 

    3 Years ago I was in a car accident that caused a whip lash in my neck which resulted into major Neck, Back and Left Arm pain. After MRI's and Ex rays doctors told me i have a C5-C6 herniated Disc. After 2 years of Physical Therapy, injections, seeing neurologist and spinal doctors nothing could help. My Back surgeon advised surgery and I thought that was my way out of this misery. 3 months later I had the surgery and i finally started feeling better! I continued to get rehab and massages for a year and a half after the surgery and i felt great! All of a sudden the pain came back with a vengeance. At this point i could not bare the pain i was dealing with.. I could not sleep, lift, sit or lay down without feeling some kind of pain or extreme discomfort. 

    This is when i found Dr. John E Sarno's Book. I've been reading all of his books this year and i can finally say i cured my back pain. This may sound crazy to some of you but what most of you are experiencing is not actually "back pain". It is oxygen deprivation that is making you think you have a back abnormality. We have a conscious and an unconscious mind. Most of you may have thoughts or repressed anger in your unconscious that you may have never addressed or faced. What your body is doing is distracting your mind from reaching into your unconscious by causing you to focus on a physical pain such as Back pain, Leg pain, Sciatica and so on. 

    Unfortunately Dr. John E Sarno is no longer with us and has passed this summer. I do not work for him or any of his colleagues trying to sell his book. I'm just a normal guy that experienced all of your troubles. Its an easy read and the book is 8 dollars on Amazon. Give it a try and you will thank me later.          

    Reviews on Amazon speak for themselves smile 

    • katecogs
      katecogs j00n218

      Posted

      Sorry for the long delay in replying.

      Thank you for your help - really appreciated.  That's a fascinating theory and am happy to try this, so I've ordered the book and hopefully this will help.

      Many thanks

  • brian49010
    brian49010 katecogs

    Posted

    Kate I ve been talking to you on the new to Prozac discussion. I just realized you are probably about 6 hours ahead of me. So I hope this doesn’t keep you awake.  Sorry that you have this pain.  I know this pain also.  I hurt my low back on a farm loading hay  about 20 years ago.  Low center back across to hip into leg. I wanted a quick fix with a new family.  I went to dr after dr neurosurgeon etc. looking for help. MRIs and X-rays test after test.  Torn leaking disk?is what they said. This caused too much stress = anxiety. Started having panic attacks  Finally new gp  said calm down paxil and Celebrex and excercise no surgery.  4 out of 5 drs said do not have surgery.  And I haven’t.  Several drs said chiropractor and excercise. The ssris help with the pain. I can’t lay on stomach or sides pain goes straight to foot. I can’t sit 10 minutes.  Or bend or twist at waist much.  I also have crunching and popping in hip or knee or ankle at times. The chiropractor said this is because when the sciatic nerve is inflamed for whatever reason it causes muscles to pull joints in different ways down stream because nerve controls muscles around joints. So when this is happening I know my back is inflamed   

    Things that help me

    Stretch them hamstrings 

    Sleep on back with pillows under back of knees help

    Chiropractor  ,acupuncture ,massage ,water aerobics ,walking stairs, swimming, walking, not standing or sitting for long , keep moving and yoga   Tens unit does electrical pulses really helps they are a lot cheaper now and a flat ice pack

    Also I found core strengthening on Mayo Clinic that would help if I would stick with it 

    I never saw a need in having surgery if I’m going to still hurt cause I’m already hurting. 

    It took me a long time to do things a little different. I still waterski as you probably dance. And I think that it is good that you dance. 

    Are you in constant pain or does it come and go ? 

    Have you read that book yet healing back pain ?

    • katecogs
      katecogs brian49010

      Posted

      Hi Brian

      Fancy seeing you here!!! lol biggrin

      No worries about messaging me any time of the day - my phone is turned to silent so won’t wake me.

      Yes my back pain is low centre and across to my right hip.  I’ve never been given x-ray, MRI or anything despite my visits to the GP.  My hip crunches too.  I also can’t lay on my stomach - it causes my back to arch and any time spent like that becomes agony.  Laying on the beach reading - usually I can’t get up after a short while.

      I do yoga 3 times a week which helps, and am waiting to see a physio next week as have hamstring / sitting bone problem at the moment that developed recently.  I stretch my hamstrings but at the moment its just aggravating the sit bone problem.

      Yes I sleep on my back too which I find helps.  I’ve had accupunture which is amazing, but it only relieves the problem and isn’t a permanent fix.  Yes I definitely don’t sit much now - and that’s whats caused my sit bone / hamstring problem (too much IT work).

      I’m working on strengthing my core via yoga and it does help.  The hamstring problem has stopped me in my tracks at the mo though so when thats fixed things should be better.

      Yes dancing does help - though when I done too much it causes my back to stiffen up (feels like I’ve a broom handle shoved up my back)!

      I read that the cause could be due to the epidural I had many years ago as they can cause scar tissue.  This has never been acknowledged by any doctor.

      My pain comes and goes - but have it every day.  Its worse in the mornings, worse after dancing (boo) and worse after sitting (I don’t sit much now).

      I have the book and started reading it - but admit I got lost a bit.  I don’t understand that back pain springs from unresolved issues in our subconscious mind???  Though it says that it doesn’t tell you how to cure the pain.  How can anything in your subconscious mind resolve physical damage?  I don’t have repressed anger or thoughts - I’m perfectly happy.  I don't need to consult a psychologist - in fact he'd probably think I was nuts needing to fix 'whatever' just for back pain eek  If I did have anything repressed he doesn’t say how to resolve these.  Anyway …..

      K x

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