All-Star Lower back pain

[cac4life]

Hey guys. So for about the last month I’ve been feeling some pain in my lower back… like the very lower back. Lately it hurts to even walk. I’ve been heating it, but I don’t feel any improvement. I’ve also gone to the chiropractor a few times. Any of y’all have any advice? I really want the pain to go away, it made it impossible to pull back body positions at all, and very hard to tumble.

 

[NJ Coach]

I would get checked out by your Dr. There could be a million and one reasons for lower back pain. They can do a physical exam and determine if it's musculoskeletal or structural. They can prescribe an anti-inflammatory if they feel it would benefit you. Tylenol Arthritis may be a good OTC option for you, but I would check with your Dr first. At the very least they can order some x-rays. I'd also ask them to refer you to physical therapy. PTs are amazing and can be of huge benefit.

As for heat and ice...remember 15 on, 15 off. Most importantly, passive stretching will be your friend, but you MUST stretch both sides.

@luv2cheer92

 

[luv2cheer92]

Hey guys. So for about the last month I’ve been feeling some pain in my lower back… like the very lower back. Lately it hurts to even walk. I’ve been heating it, but I don’t feel any improvement. I’ve also gone to the chiropractor a few times. Any of y’all have any advice? I really want the pain to go away, it made it impossible to pull back body positions at all, and very hard to tumble.

I would definitely recommend seeing a PT, no referral is really needed either (some insurances unfortunately do require it though if you want to go through that). There are so many things that can be going on with the low back, it's hard, and potentially harmful, to give solid advice without a proper evaluation. But as noted above, you should definitely be stretching both sides for body positions equally, if you are not already doing that.

 

[catlady]

I went years making excuses for ignoring hip pain. Bad plan. An orthopedist can determine if it's nerve, muscle or joint related and if it is hip or back related. Long story short, as a kid I thought it was cool I could pop my left hip in and out of socket, and for 30+ years I ignored occasional shooting pains down my left leg and groin. Last year, I had horrible lower back pain and finally went to the dr. I found out I had mild hip dysplasia, and now, I have a hip labral tear that radiates to my lower back.

If my old self could give my young self advice: Any pain that won't go away with rest and ice in a couple weeks, or even a reoccurring "occasional" pain, go see your dr. There are often treatments when things are caught early on and/or when you're younger, that are no longer options when they go on too long or as you get older. "Older" is sooner than you think.

 

[NJ Coach]

I went years making excuses for ignoring hip pain. Bad plan. An orthopedist can determine if it's nerve, muscle or joint related and if it is hip or back related. Long story short, as a kid I thought it was cool I could pop my left hip in and out of socket, and for 30+ years I ignored occasional shooting pains down my left leg and groin. Last year, I had horrible lower back pain and finally went to the dr. I found out I had mild hip dysplasia, and now, I have a hip labral tear that radiates to my lower back.

If my old self could give my young self advice: Any pain that won't go away with rest and ice in a couple weeks, or even a reoccurring "occasional" pain, go see your dr. There are often treatments when things are caught early on and/or when you're younger, that are no longer options when they go on too long or as you get older. "Older" is sooner than you think.

As someone who had surgery for a labral tear....I legitimately feel your pain.

Pain is your body's way of telling you something is wrong. It's actually a good thing. Don't ignore it.

 

[kayemm]

I had some terrible lower back pain a couple of years ago. It started as just a little lower back pain - I think I pulled a muscle while I had a bad cough so I just heated it and stretched a little, made sure I got up from my desk at work regularly for walks and wasn't sitting too long as that made it worse. After a few days it wasn't going away and then overnight I went from feeling OK to being unable to touch my toes. It was so hard to put on socks! I went to see a PT through my work but didn't find it helpful at all. She gave me some stretches but I wasn't really gaining much movement so I went to see a massage therapist who specialised in sports massage and trigger point massages. She basically deduced that it was tightness in my hamstrings and glutes that were referring the pain to my lower back meaning the back injury was unable to heal and she spent time working out some insane knots in my hamstring and glutes before even touching my back. After two sessions I was almost back to normal and able to compete. This obviously might not be the case for you but it's worth seeing a sports masseuse if you think it's muscular and other physio or a chiropractor isn't helping.

 

[ct_dad]

I would get checked out by your Dr. There could be a million and one reasons for lower back pain.

This is the best advice. Stretching, heat, ice, NSAIDs, etc. are all treatments to a cause, but the cause needs to be determined to know the best course of action. My CP currently has stress and compression fractures in her spine that has her quite mobility limited. Her injury is at the very lower back as well (L5/S1 joint specifically). Think about when your pain started, was there an event tied to it...such as landing tumbling in a weird position or a stunt falling or something else that could have caused the injury. That can help your doctor diagnose and establish treatment from there.

 

[cac4life]

thanks, guys! I think I'm going to book a dc appointment soon, and just try to get some answer and hopefully get the pain to stop!

 

[AshleyErin]

Being a Chiropractor myself (trained and practicing in Canada mind you) I would definitely recommend seeing a DC, but we aren't all the same, not even close. If I know your approximate area I can help recommend a good, evidence-based chiropractor that will 100% be able to properly evaluate and treat your LBP. Given that you're a cheerleader you'll need someone that does functional movement evaluations and doesn't just have you in for a 5 minute "crack".

BUT If your LBP hasn't changed with a month of conservative care including exercises, stretches, ice/heat and manual therapy it is definitely time to see a medical doc. Like it has been said above, back pain can be the manifestation of tons of different conditions and the longer you wait to investigate, the longer the recovery may take.