lower back

[Manny]

I had a lower back problem this past dec.30th, the doctor prescribed a shot of diprofast and some pills (can't recall the name) and told me to not exercise in two weeks and then start slowly. As you may know I am mad about to be out tkd but I must follow the doctor's orders, so I will return to dojang in one more week.

Will be benefical to me before touching the mat to rub some icy hot cream in my lower back to start class? or what other cream or liniment do you advise me to use just as a prevention for my lower back?

The way I hurt myself was early in the morning I just stood from bed and went the bathroom to wash my face, at the moment I bent to the sink to wash my face I felt like a stab in my lower back and I couldn't barely move without pain till the doctor cheked me and prescribed me. This is not the first time this hapens to me (in the same way just bending early in the morning to wash my face or brush my theet) what can it be?

Manny

 

[dancingalone]

Will be benefical to me before touching the mat to rub some icy hot cream in my lower back to start class? or what other cream or liniment do you advise me to use just as a prevention for my lower back?

No. Sometimes this might actually be the worst thing you can do for an injury. Back injuries usually involve inflammation of some type and heating pads and such actually will prolong the recovery period. The general treatment for sports injuries is RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). I'd stay away from the BenGay as it's generally just a placebo anyway.

The way I hurt myself was early in the morning I just stood from bed and went the bathroom to wash my face, at the moment I bent to the sink to wash my face I felt like a stab in my lower back and I couldn't barely move without pain till the doctor cheked me and prescribed me. This is not the first time this hapens to me (in the same way just bending early in the morning to wash my face or brush my theet) what can it be?

The only way to know for sure is with a X-ray and/or MRI, which you'll need to see a doctor for. If he didn't order either procedure when you saw him, perhaps he thinks it is just muscular strain.

Personally, I have a disc problem with my L5. My general practitioner doctor diagnosed it as just muscular pain, and he gave me muscle relaxants and pain killers which made me more comfortable but did nothing for me in terms of actual treatment. I finally went to a orthopedist and an MRI confirmed the bulging disc issue. Treatment was a regimen of steroids to reduce the inflammation and then physical therapy/traction to help relieve the pressure on the backbone. I now keep the problem at bay with regular stretching and yoga.

If this is a recurring problem for you, Manny, I definitely suggest that you seek a second medical opinion.

 

[IcemanSK]

Manny, it makes me a bit nervous that your doctor prescribed meeds right off the bat. I'd ask about physical therapy. I've had back issues for a number of years. I've take prescribed meeds, seen chiropractors, & done PT. Chiropractic & PT are the best first steps to getting back in the dojang, IMO.

You're in my prayers for a speedy recovery, my friend.

 

[granfire]

I think the German term is 'Hexenschuss' like a witch shot you in the back.

Been too long since anybody I know had one...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_pain

seems to cover what I heard...

 

[StudentCarl]

Especially because of the time of day you find the problem:
Just a possibility here, Manny, but is your mattress old and/or doesn't support you well? A saggy middle in the mattress that doesn't support you can leave you bent in unhealthy ways through the night. As we age, our bodies don't deal with that as well as when we were pups.

Carl

 

[Dirty Dog]

Manny, knowing how best to return from your injury requires knowing more about the injury.

If it was a simple muscle strain, then yes, some sort of anti-inflammatory, combined with better conditioning, warming up and stretching should be helpful.

If it involves the ligaments or the discs between the vertebrae, then things become more complicated.

Your description sounds like it was most likely a muscle strain, but that's certainly not a definitive diagnosis. If it becomes a frequent problem, or if you feel numbness, weakness or a burning pain, then I would recommend an MRI and a visit to a spine specialist.

 

[bluewaveschool]

I have a bulging disc issue as well. When does it feel better? When I lose weight, and do exercises that make the lower back muscles stronger.

 

[Manny]

Especially because of the time of day you find the problem:
Just a possibility here, Manny, but is your mattress old and/or doesn't support you well? A saggy middle in the mattress that doesn't support you can leave you bent in unhealthy ways through the night. As we age, our bodies don't deal with that as well as when we were pups.

Carl

Carl yes I buy a new matress with a good suport three years ago, my old matress was a mess.

Manny

 

[Manny]

Manny, knowing how best to return from your injury requires knowing more about the injury.

If it was a simple muscle strain, then yes, some sort of anti-inflammatory, combined with better conditioning, warming up and stretching should be helpful.

If it involves the ligaments or the discs between the vertebrae, then things become more complicated.

Your description sounds like it was most likely a muscle strain, but that's certainly not a definitive diagnosis. If it becomes a frequent problem, or if you feel numbness, weakness or a burning pain, then I would recommend an MRI and a visit to a spine specialist.

I think it was a muscle strain however I will follow the doctors order I will go to dojang in one more week and sart slow.

If I recall this thing hapened twice last year and they were exactly the same just waking up in the morning and bending to the sink for washing face.

Manny

 

[andyjeffries]

The way I hurt myself was early in the morning I just stood from bed and went the bathroom to wash my face, at the moment I bent to the sink to wash my face I felt like a stab in my lower back and I couldn't barely move without pain till the doctor cheked me and prescribed me.

This sounds immediately like a trapped nerve. Our master had this a number of years back and ended up with referred pain in his knee (after his back felt better) so learnt how to free the nerves and how to teach others to do it, so all the black belts in our class are competent at freeing up the back.

Only in the basic ways, a chiropracter/physiotherapist would be better but he felt (and I agree) that it's really an essential skill.

Good luck, but I would see a professional (and not a doctor, they tend to medicate the symptoms rather than fix the cause a lot of the time).

 

[bluewaveschool]

My best friend is a doctor, he has recommended various things to me. Physical therapy, massage therapy, steriods, accupuncture, weight loss... everything but chiropractors. I'm going to try the TCM route next time, I've only heard positive things from people that have tried it. I don't know anyone thats gone to a back cracker and not continued to rely on them.

 

[andyjeffries]

My best friend is a doctor, he has recommended various things to me. Physical therapy, massage therapy, steriods, accupuncture, weight loss... everything but chiropractors. I'm going to try the TCM route next time, I've only heard positive things from people that have tried it. I don't know anyone thats gone to a back cracker and not continued to rely on them.

I guess I've been lucky that the "back cracker"s I know always give you exercises to do afterwards to strengthen your back. If you do those exercises it should be a rare thing to have to go back (years in between visits).

We always do back exercises as part of our cool down and I have to say it helps me...

My upper back often feels stiff, but I think that's a side effect of sitting hunched over a keyboard for 8+ hours per day

 

[SahBumNimRush]

The low back can be a difficult thing to manage, if improperly diagnosed. It is hard to say without knowing all signs and symptoms (i.e. doing a full work up/ and physical/orthopedic examination).

Being a chiropractic physician that specializes in sports medicine, I hesitate to give you much advice without knowing all the facts. But Dancing is right P.R.I.C.E. (pressure, rest, ice, compression, and elevation) is a good start. Sharp pain is often a sign of articular joint fixation (i.e. a stiff joint) or a ligamentous joint sprain if there is no sign of radiating pain (pain traveling outside of the initial site of pain). Muscle strains can cause sharp pain, but only when there is a significant tear, otherwise it is typically a dull ache (which can be quite a strong ache, but typically not sharp in nature).

It sounds like there was no traumatic incident, only a normal motion that incited the pain. If this is the case, a strain or sprain isn't likely. You could've been stiff, and caused a stretch reflex to occur. Sometimes this "spasm" can move joints in an unnatural manner creating a sharp pain in the joint, stiffness of the joint, and subsequent muscle guarding to prevent the joint from moving.

I would encourage you to seek a physician that focuses on these types of pain, such as a chiropractic physician, a physiatrist, orthopedist, physical therapist, etc.. . Like any profession, the service is only as good as the professional; Just like we all at MT know, it doesn't matter what martial art you take as long as you have a good instructor. The same is true with physical medicine. It appears bluewaves has heard nothing commendable about my particular profession, and I will be the first to say that there are those who strive to create life-long patients of everyone that walks in the door. The key is find a professional that treats both the site of pain and the SOURCE of the pain. Most of my patients I only see between 1 and 6 times for treatment for a condition like you are describing, providing it is not a disc issue.

If you were close to me, I'd tell you to stop in and I'd take a look.. . Keep us posted on your progress

 

[andyjeffries]

But Dancing is right P.R.I.C.E. (pressure, rest, ice, compression, and elevation) is a good start.

Master Rush, I've always heard this as RICE rather than PRICE - could you explain the difference between pressure and compression? I tend to follow RICE religiously following an injury (and have tried contrast baths in the past, but tend to find ICE works better for me), but wonder if I'm missing something as I never do "pressure".

Thanks.

 

[SahBumNimRush]

Master Rush, I've always heard this as RICE rather than PRICE - could you explain the difference between pressure and compression? I tend to follow RICE religiously following an injury (and have tried contrast baths in the past, but tend to find ICE works better for me), but wonder if I'm missing something as I never do "pressure".

Thanks.

Andy, I mistyped this morning and should've defined the "P" as PROTECT. The "P" in PRICE is interchangeable depending on the situation. P can refer to "pulse" (ensuring the distal pulse is patent), "protection" (i.e. splint, brace, use of crutches, stop playing sports, etc.), or "pressure" which is essentially the same as compression. I should've just kept it simple, and left it as RICE.

 

[bluewaveschool]

Sorry to knock your profession Dr, it came off a bit harsher than I intended. Indeed, there are members of any medical profession that seek to make lifetime patients. I've heard many complaints about the frequent clinic visitors than know which docs will write out the pain pill scripts over and over. If I'm hurt, I want my pain FIXED, not managed with pills.

 

[andyjeffries]

Andy, I mistyped this morning and should've defined the "P" as PROTECT. The "P" in PRICE is interchangeable depending on the situation. P can refer to "pulse" (ensuring the distal pulse is patent), "protection" (i.e. splint, brace, use of crutches, stop playing sports, etc.), or "pressure" which is essentially the same as compression. I should've just kept it simple, and left it as RICE.

I like the Protection use of the P, that makes a lot of sense. It's kind of natural, but it would help to have it explicit especially when telling students how to manage their injuries.