Anyone here have curvature of the spine or other back problems?

[Dr.Mambo]

I wasn't sure where to post this. But I have scoliosis which causes me a lot of pain. Only thing I can think to compare it to is taking a rubber dog bone and bending it. That's what my spine feels like. I've tried every non narcotic pain med and none have worked. This is one of the reasons I started using opiates. Tuesday I'm going to my Dr to inquire about getting something for my pain. (He's a pill mill so I'm sure he'll give me something. I know people who get fetanyl patches from him and I'm on benzos and adderall from him. Mainly I'm concerned about this back pain. I can't stand up for fifteen minutes without my back starting to hurt. And I want to work , people tell me tovget on disability but I'd rather work. Everyone I know on disability is miserable. Anyways, anyone have similar problems and have you gotten help from a dr for it.

Also, I've looked into surgery, but the surgeon said he couldn't guarantee the pain would go away. ive also tried tramadol, neurontin, soma, xanafkwx and they havent helped either.

 

[CFC]

I know this probably seems counterintuitive, but strengthening exercises for the muscles of your core/trunk/torso/back would be really helpful for you. Stronger more powerful muscles help unload some of the stresses on the scoliotic spine, and thus can reduce the pain over time.

 

[Dr.Mambo]

I've tried doing those stretches. It never helped, really. Buy I didn't do it three times a day or what's er like they told me to.

 

[CFC]

Stretches might help a bit. But load-bearing exercises are what the muscles need to get stronger (with weights). Have you a physio or PT who could give you an exercise programme for that?

 

[starting_over]

Surgery is a last ditch option. You need to be committed to doing your stretches on a daily basis.
I know if I don't, my lower back always starts hurting. Even with all this I have back pain but less of it.

Here's what physio has me doing:

back:
glute bridge [hold 5 sec, 3 sets x 10 reps] and single leg glute bridge [hold 2 sec, x 1 set of 10 reps]
http://redefiningstrength.com/best-glute-exercise-glute-bridge/

prone leg lifts: [3 x 10 reps]
http://shropshirephysio.co.uk/prone-leg-lifts/

take a foam roller and position it under your tailbone and draw knees up to chest. hold for 20-30 sec x 3 sets.


core:
planks (first plank pic)
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/plank-variations-master-the-underrated-core-blaster.html

also side planks

supine abdominal draw-in and supine abdominal draw-in with heel slide:
https://uhs.princeton.edu/sites/uhs/files/documents/Lumbar.pdf


sit ups and hamstring stretches makes things worse for me. if any of these hurt, don't do them!!! physio had me do some other core exercise and it made things worse, everyone's body is different.

you should still see a physiotherapist if possible for a full evaluation.

 

[pharmacybandit]

I don't have a curvature of the spine, but I do have a bone missing in my neck that I just wasn't born with. So I know how aggravating those kinds of issues are when you're in pain.

 

[Foreigner]

I just wrote this in the other thread:

I have scoliosis, but the curve is minor. If you have never done body work to correct your posture, then I suggest starting with massage therapy and chiropractic. While you see them, start going to the gym to do muscle strengthening in your back. If you don't know what to do, then consult a personal trainer for a couple of hours. Learn about stretching... you don't necessarily need to do yoga, but learn a series of stretches for your back but also everywhere else. Everything feeds into the back, especially the pelvis. So if your legs are tight, then your pelvis is tight, and then your back will be tight. I have found that the worst thing for my posture is sitting in chairs for a long time. When we sit in chairs, our pelvis tilts forward, which shortens the hamstrings (on the back of the legs) and lengthens the quads (on the front). Then when we stand up, our pelvis is stuck tiling forward, and our whole upper back tilts forward because of it.

So I have found that if I don't have time to do anything, the very, very basic thing I'll do is hamstring stretches and quad stretches.

Last year I started taking ballet classes because I always wanted to. It has been the best thing for my posture ever. My teacher recommended that in order to get functional posture alignment, flexibility, and strength that I should start doing pilates. I really hate exercises classes but I tried it, and now I can stand up straight naturally without having to try. Weight lifting never corrected my posture on its own because it's static movement. You really need dynamic movement to get everything strong in a moveable way.

The spine needs a combination of flexibility and strength in the right places in order to stand up straight, but if you have scar tissue or injury that's causing your back to hunch then you should get some kind of therapy to start with. My journey started with a really awesome chiropractor. He fixed 80% of the problem, and I have been doing my own work to get the rest of the way.

I've met a lot of people over the years who got the surgery. The success rate really depends on the state of your body beforehand. If you're younger or more athletic, the success rate is higher because the muscles and other tissues are stronger. If the tissues are really atrophied, then the recovery will likely be long-term. The surgery usually works fine but how you feel later really depends. A significant number of people have chronic pain after the surgery... pinched nerves and what not. You'll also never have the same natural flexibility as you could have with your natural spine.

Personally I would not get the surgery unless you have a really significant curve, more than 40 degrees... the kind of curve that affects your internal organs. I would try everything else first, like chiropractors, massage therapists, acupuncturists... I would do body work like weightlifting (careful with this one), stretching, pilates, etc.

For me, the best combo has been chiropractic, weight lifting, stretching, pilates, and dance class. They are all part of regular maintenance, but I mainly do them because they're fun.

 

[-=SS=-]

Unless there is something anatomically faulty with your skeletal structure then you should look at treating muscle imbalances in your whole body.. because usually there are problems elsewhere and they're connected. The leg bone is connected to the, hip bone..

Start with the feet/ankles. The hip area is usually a massive contributor to postural problems, given that we all sit on our arses way too much. The pectorals/chest muscles can be tight, which screws up the shoulders and back. You shouldn't look at your back in isolation basically.. chances are there's another area of concern which is forcing other areas of the body to compensate.

Stretch to release tight muscles. Strengthen weaker muscles. Adopt healthier postures and practices.

 

[socko]

Lots of things can cause back pain. Among the most treatable causes are stress, tension, lack of flexibility, and lack of core strength. Weak back muscles and bad posture are bad.

Yoga has helped a lot of people who have back pain. Start with a beginner routine an 30 minutes to hour a day, almost every day. There are videos and photos that explain how to do the exercises correctly.

Read Foreigner's post. IMO, chiropractors are bogus, but if you're desperate, the treatment provides temporary relief.For a long term fix, core strength and flexibility are needed.