Back Injury... Bah!!

[pegasus99]

I took a rather hard fall forward on Sunday morning, and what I thought was just a sore back is actually a bad lumbar strain. I went from kinda okay to completely immobile and in horrible pain within hours of the fall.  I've been "advised" to stay off the ice until the spasms stop, which could be a week.

What infuriates me is that the Urgent Care center was determined that I had kidney stones and refused to listen to my "I fell and now it hurts" story. When the x-rays revealed NO KIDNEY STONES the attending doc tried to rationalize with, "Maybe they are too small to see," and then, "Are you constipated? Maybe it's gas."

I gave up and called my Chiro, who saw me immediately and said yes, the muscles in your back, your obliques and your diaphragm took a major hit. (It hurt to breathe, but no ribs damaged on the x-rays.)

I'm so frustrated. I don't know why doctors refuse to listen to me. I swear I could walk into a clinic with my lungs dangling out my ears and say, "My lungs are not where they should be," and the doctors would tell me I had heartburn. Or I'm looking for attention. (Had it said before.)

Anyway, just frustrated. I don't like to be sidelined by injury. Any tips to get me moving faster? I'm doing gentle lumbar stretching and walking, just to keep moving. It's feeling better... but still spasming from time to time. Argh.

[AgnesNitt]

I would have guessed that people trolling for painkillers will fake back injuries because it's so hard to prove it's fake. Kidney stones at least they'll give you powerful drugs but only in the hospital.

[icedancer]

Tha may be true Agnes, but I have also had the experience of ER and Internal Medicine doctors having NO CLUE about musculoskeletal issues save the broken wrist or ankle... I was treated for years for heartburn and it turned out to be a rib strain!!

They also don't get the middle-aged athelete part and how falling on the ice can really mess you up for long periods of time!~

I hope you feel better soon.

[axelwylie]

I have had two major falls in the past few years. Both of them resulted in a pinched sciatic nerve so I was immobile for a while. Please take your time and don't rush the healing. You don't want to make things worse while your body is healing.

I recommend lots of rest and whatever exercises and stretches your chiropractor suggests.

[littlerain]

Oh no!! Feel better soon!!

[PhysicsOnIce]

Oh dear!!!
I had a dislocated lumbar disk a few years back, due to ballet and ballroom dance. It took 3 to 4 months for me to realize what was going on ( the pain would come and go depending on motions and sometimes it was soo bad I could hardly get out of bed) and a week of intensive chiropractic/sport massage work to get it back in place. It hurts like hell. Personal suggestions - Rest, gentle stretching and a few sport massages if you can find a place that does them.

[twinskaters]

Ouch! That sounds awful, and the insult to injury at the urgent care just stinks. I hope things start feeling better soon. The gentle stretching and walking sound like a good plan. Other than that maybe ask your chirp for suggestions?


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[lutefisk]

For musculoskeletal stuff stick with a good chiropractor.  The operative word is good--not all chiro-guys are good.  My wife's chiro-guy moved from the DC area down to Chapel Hill, NC.  She makes the five hour trip to see him after not liking the local "talent" she tried after he moved.  If you live close to Chapel Hill PM me and I'll provide contact info if you'd like.

[pegasus99]

This chiro is great, he treats all the circus people in town. (That's how I found him, an aerialist recommended him.)

It's feeling better today, the pain is still there but it feels looser, like it's trying to ease up. My coach is out of town until Monday, so I'm hoping I'm better in time for my lessons... and dance class... and all the other crap I want to do... lol.

[lutefisk]

This chiro is great, he treats all the circus people in town. (That's how I found him, an aerialist recommended him.)

I've always wanted to put something exotic like "works with circus people" on my CV--sadly, I didn't train in the right discipline!  Best of luck with your recuperation.

[ChristyRN]

My wife's chiro-guy moved from the DC area down to Chapel Hill, NC. 

Interesting. I work in Chapel Hill. Does he like the area better?

[AgnesNitt]

I have three compressed lumbar vertebrae from being thrown off a horse in the 80s. Over the years the pain grew worse and worse, almost crippling.
After I took up ice dance I determined to be a posture nazi. Every minute of every day I held myself with good posture, and I did all the good posture adjustments to my desk and chair so I sat with good posture at my desk.

The first two weeks were murder, but after 6 weeks the pain completely went away. I have twinges now and then, but I'm not even sure it's the same thing.

I think that using good posture has been extremely life-changing for me.

[littlerain]

Pegasus, I'm glad you feel better today

Agnes, I really need to work on my posture and am impressed by what you've done!

[pegasus99]

I think the walking, stretching, and heat therapy is helping. I don't want to skate until the Tramadol is out of me, it affects my balance...    (Hopefully tomorrow!)

Still hurts to breathe too deeply, or sneeze or cough, but I'm much more mobile than Monday!

Thank you for the good thoughts. <3

[lutefisk]

Interesting. I work in Chapel Hill. Does he like the area better?

Yes, I think he'd had it with DC area traffic and associated hub-bub.  He tried Little Washington (out in the sticks of Virginia) but apparently that move wasn't enough.  He's been down in Chapel Hill now for five or so years.

[Kitten23]

First of all, I hope you're better soon.

As for the physician...  Sometimes being an ER doc makes you a Jack of All Trades and Master of None.  Not that I'm making excuses for the doc (I work for a medical organization and can tell you that I can't STAND physicians), but s/he may have been over-worked and fearful of a law suit in case s/he said "it's just muscle pain".

I'm not a fan of chiros either, but if it worked for you, more power to you.  Hope you're back on your skates soon.

[karne]

I can sympathise, I had a doctor try to tell me there was NOTHING wrong with my right shoulder after I rather messily toepicked on the ice. I had quite the argument with him before he considered that I might have sprained it. (Which I didn't even know was possible at that point.)

Oh yeah, and the ER doctor who saw me about my ankle said that since there was no break on the xray, I should be okay in a couple of days and only wrote me off work for four days. Four WEEKS later I was back at work...four MONTHS until I could get back on the ice.

[pegasus99]

Well, I was off the ice for four days... and I'm still a bit sore. I can't twist too much to the right, but I had a lesson and I'm working again. I have a sports massage scheduled for Saturday to work out the remaining kinks, but I'm off the Tramadol and only taking advil PM to make sure I sleep.

What I love is that my coach speculated on how I fell. His guess was Bunny Hop... he knows I *hate* that jump and he makes me do it *every*darn*time!* (I was doing a forward crossover... which is worse IMO! LOL!)

[WaltzJump413]

Well, I was off the ice for four days... and I'm still a bit sore. I can't twist too much to the right, but I had a lesson and I'm working again. I have a sports massage scheduled for Saturday to work out the remaining kinks, but I'm off the Tramadol and only taking advil PM to make sure I sleep.

What I love is that my coach speculated on how I fell. His guess was Bunny Hop... he knows I *hate* that jump and he makes me do it *every*darn*time!* (I was doing a forward crossover... which is worse IMO! LOL!)

I'm glad you're feeling better!

[AgnesNitt]

I've been recovering from back pain on one side. I'm betting it's rashless shingles. Never overlook shingles when you have backpain on one side, even when there's no rash.

I had recurring shingles for almost 2 months. This is the exact same location and feeling.