Greetings all!

Here's my prediciment of 10 years: my back hurts. Mostly middle and bottom, and mainly structural (as opposed to muscular). Traditional medical treatment has failed to relieve me of this constant bother. Here's a bit of history:

I was a gymnast for 15 years, as well as very athletic in childhood and throughout high school. My first pain developed abruptly during warm-up as a kind of a "kink" in the middle of my spine (upper lumbar). It hurt to flex it backwards, and was treated with a series of epidural steroid injections (a quick fix from the world of sports medicine) that developed into lower backaches. Eventually I noticed the same type of "kink" in my lower back in the center of, as well as to the slightly to the right of, my lower spine (lumbar). I was also in an auto accident about 8 years ago in which my head cracked the windshield, which I'm sure didn't help matters in the back area.  Naturally over time, the muscles have stiffened around the problem areas causing a general ache. I've been to numerous chiropractors all with different styles of treatment (from realignment to muscle manipulation) that have all eluded long-term or satisfactory relief. It's also been extremely hard to get any definite diagnosis of the problem. When the problem first started I had bone scans and MRI's, etc, which showed no fractures, but no one can tell me what the problem even is.

I'm now in PT to try to correct the same problems, and after a month of dutifully doing my flexibility stretches, the general ache has diminished (good start) but the problem "kink" areas causing sharp pain remain. As my physical therapist resigned during my second visit and subsequent visits have been filled in by random PT's who just recommend continuing my exercises knowing I am not experiencing relief and not reevaluating the situation, I am once again frustrated that this problem is not being and may never be resolved.

It is glaringly obvious, after 10 years of seeking relief, that traditional medicine cannot diagnos and/or treat this pain.

Interestingly enough, during my two pregnancies I didn't not feel these pains and my back felt terrific. I know muscles loosen up during pregnancy, and bending in both directions is minimized, so...clues.

I'm 27 and wish I could just leave my body in bed when I wake up in the morning and go about my day of taking care of the house and my little ones, it's such a chore to drag my back around with me all day.

I turn to you for thoughts and suggestions on finding some relief to this long standing matter than i've otherwise just learned to live with, a constant side thought and distraction in everything I do.

Thanks for your time

Well wishes,
Realeyez

I know your pain having been hit in the head with a car and two of the virtabre in my neck broken .
unfortinatly there is no way to fully recover from the injuries you have stained from the sports injuries but there is a few things you can try to help you out. the first thing is your poster how you carry yourself
can cause your back pain to become worse. try not to slouch and keep your sholders back. next there is an awsome healing stone i would suggest you carry with you or if you like jewelry get an something with amber in it or carry the raw stone with you. next i would suggest that you start taking glucosamine and chondroitin, and calcium. you can get them in any pharmacy or health store you don't need a doctors note or anything . It has helped me greatly and kept me going so far and we kinda have the same problems i was verry active in sports football and track and did damage to my knees plus i sword fight wich is demanding on the body i am  30 years old and still doing it. It may not take your pain compleatly but it should help.

Torrvald - many thanks for your quick reply. I'll look into the glucosamine and chondroitin, and calcium too though I drink a lot of milk.  Holding good posture too is a great point, I'm pretty aware of when I slouch because that intensifies the pain, and having been a gymnast my body's familiar with proper posture, but I do do things like dishes (all the time) and brushing my teeth where I could remember to straighten up (lol I'll flex my cheeks...)

I'll whip up an amber necklace next week

Be well.  May your pain from injury be relieved as well.
RealEyez

I just hope it helps you out too. I am glad i can be of some service to you in this fashion. so i will bid you fare well for now and hope that i can help you in the future. you seem like a verry good person.

I understand how you feel! It is frustrating when your body turns on you. I have had severe lower back pain since January 2004. I found out from a specialist that I have a structural problem which can't be corrected with surgery. I never had any back pain in my past except when I was pregnant. I am now 51 years old. In the past several months the pain has begun to radiate into my hip and down my leg. After having x-rays, the results show the arthritis in my lower back has worsened and fortunately there is no visible problem with the hip. But I get very tired of the sharp shooting pains I get into my hip when I am out walking or even sleeping on that side for too long in the night.

I have had physio, but it really hasn't helped. I take the liquid glucosamine as the pills were less effective. I also take tylenol which combined with the glucosamine seems to help quite a bit. I have thought about accupuncture treatments. Not sure how well it would work, but it couldn't hurt. I also would love to have some Reiki, although it might take several sessions to get to the root of the problem in order to heal.

For you ladies with back pain, I wish you all the best in healing.

I'm extremely grateful for all this input. I have access to a free yoga class this summer, Alice, and I've taken yoga before and loved it (was actually offered a teaching position after one class lol...), but I'll use what resources are available to me and sign up again. Thank you and bless you for your direction.

Guinavere - you share this physical pain. I've thought about accupuncture and Reiki too, but apparently it is not time for these options to be available to me yet.  I use a lot of ibuprofen, which helps the pain subside while relaxing in the evening. I drink my herbal teas to help the rest of me relax. I wonder if you could tell me how you deal with seperating your pain from concentration needed both for daily activity and meditation, etc. As a type I realize I'd like to rid myself of pain to improve my concentration and minimalize my distractions, which I'm sure could be improved upon with or without said pain. You've opened a door and created a new path of learning for me with your simple post, and I offer bright blessings of healing and relief to you in return. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Torrvald, I'm sure good people are in the eye of the beholder  Thank you for that little bit of oil that helps my light shine a bit brighter, a bit longer.

Love and light,
Realeyez

Realeyez,

I used to use a lot of ibuprofen, a LOT! And about a year ago some of my blood tests came back with the liver showing elevated numbers. Use the ibuprofen with caution. It can really cause damage in other areas of your body, such as liver, stomach and kidneys.

As far as separating yourself from the pain so that you can concentrate on other tasks in your life...

well...

that can be quite difficult. In meditation it is just a matter of visualising your body as pain free. Not that I have fully achieved that yet, so what I usually end up doing is tucking the pain away into a little box, with the understanding that somewhere deep inside of me this body can be healed from this. We truly are our own worst enemies when it comes to having faith in our power to heal ourselves. I truly believe that stresses cause and prohibit us from fully healing. As a person who went decades without any back pain in spite of the fact that I was basically born with a structural defect, tells me that there were stressors that aggravated this part of my body. Now it is a matter of trying to find a way to recognise and confront those stressors. For me the pain began within a couple of months of moving to a new country, getting married and building a new life. On the surface these are all wonderful things, but underneath, even exciting and pleasurable circumstances can stress our bodies. I also have found that I have held onto some past resentment that I feel is contributing to my health problems.

The herbal teas are truly a comfort. Meditation is essential in helping you find a way to push aside your pain for short periods of time, knowing that you will come back to it and face it and find a way to overcome it.

When I am home, the teas and a hot water bottle, give me the quickest relief. The heat helps the muscles relax, and then applying deep heat or some comparable pain relief cream can help me sleep better at night. But these are only surface treatments, like a band aid.

Through deep soul searching and meditation, Reiki, massage and learning about our chakra will be the best way to overcome the back pain.

I am reading a book now that is wonderful and has given me great insight. It's called "Anatomy of the Spirit" by Caroline Myss. I would recommend you buy yourself a copy.

We can heal ourselves!

Much love and light to you!

Another thing I want to mention as well. Being a gymnast, I am sure you are well aware of you having hypermobility in your joints. When I was little they called it being double jointed. I was never in gymnastics, but I could do the splits, twist my body into all kinds of shapes. Anyway, over time this ability becomes our enemy. Over time we over extend our joints and in turn we end up having problems. Not much we can do about that. However, I think that is why anything we can do to help those joints, the better. Although, scientists will argue that there is no real evidence that glucosamine does any real healing for the joints, it really doesn't matter. What matters is our attitude in helping the body heal. Mind over matter, so to speak.

You are doing all the right things to help your body overcome the pain. The first step is allowing the body to accept the pain. And then it's up to us to find a way to manipulate it and eventually get rid of it. Staying positive, which is easier said than done, is a huge factor. I have learned that sometimes, my body is not going to move the way I want it to. That means finding a way to move it in a different way to accomplish the task I am involved in.