Back problems, knowledge requested

[bowener]

So I am a 24 year-old, mostly white Male. I was once an all state athlete in multiple sports. During football I was 6'2" and just under 200lbs at my heaviest, with less than 10% body fat at that time, the start of my senior year.

Problem area:
Lower back, right above the right hip. I was told it is my sciatic nerve.

Family History:
Father has lower back troubles, but his are due to him having an extra disc in his lower back.

My brother, 28, has had 2 surgeries in less than 2 years to repair damage done to his sciatic nerve. I believe he said that his nerve had a tear in its outer sheath and leaked fluid out that hardened to about the size of a peanut and is rubbing against or was caught in his vertebrae... something like that. First surgery helped alleviate pain for about 6 months, then it returned, 2nd surgery has done nothing, and possibly caused more troubles due to a negligent nurse.

How my trouble started:
Played WR/DE in HS. We were running pass routes in practice and I caught a shoestring pass while sprinting, so I was bent over in half while running, seems kind of like an awkward act for the body perhaps. I was never known as the most flexible person, and a Dr once commented on how inflexible I was during a speed training session I had. To my credit he was surprised I was fast for being as stiff as I was.
When I caught the pass and attempted to raise my body to continue running out the route I felt a huge pop in my lower back. It was the most intense pain I had felt, and I believe still have felt, and I did a face plant on the practice field while letting out a loud,"****!"

Current troubles:
I have grown used to the daily stiffness and pain that runs across my right hip and down my right leg, but the last month as been far worse on a daily basis. The pain now spreads across both hips in the back and while it still runs down my right leg, it has started running up my right back and ending just below my shoulder blades. No matter what stretches I do, or how much ice I apply, or ibuprofen I eat, it doesn't seem to really make a damn bit of a difference. I also noticed about a month and a half ago that the outside of my left foot is numb. I talked to a dr about this in passing and he said that if it feels like when your foot is "asleep" but about to wake up, that is due to nerve trauma or damage, and it shouldn't last more than a week if it isn't too bad. I am guessing it lasting almost 2 months is not a good thing, though it is less numb than before, it still continues being numb from the little toe to about the middle of my heel in the back. That all runs about 1 inch up from the bottom of my foot.

I was wondering if any of you out there that suffer from lower back pain have any advice on stretches or what methods or exercise work for you. I currently only weight about 170, I have little muscle mass on my upper body and I have a low body fat % as well. I have tried over the last year or so to really keep from getting any bulk on my upper body to try and take stress off my back. It seemed to work at first, but now it doesn't seem to matter. I also was wondering if there are any specific type of dr's to go see. I have been to chiropractors dozens of time, but that is like throwing money in a wishing well. They just mash on my back and tell me that should help (it doesn't), then they say to take ibuprofen and ice my back in 15 minute intrevals for about 2-3hours. The only thing that really disturbs me is how long my foot has been numb.

I am going to go see a Dr at the student health center on campus on monday.

Alright, advise away!

[doomy3]

Antifreeze.

[milkman]

You should just have your back removed.

[luv]

Originally Posted by milkman

You should just have your back removed.

This.

[luv]

You don't have to weigh a lot to have back problems. Sounds like a bulging disk.

[Chiefs Pantalones]

Number one, shoot yourself in the face.

Number two, I hope you had a Merry Christmas!

[bowener]

Wow, these all give me great hope. I am just hoping to have something to help this so that it doesn't progressively get worse throughout my life, but that seems to be the case.

[blueballs]

ask MarboroChief

[Goldmember]

I'm not a doctor, but I stayed in a sleezebag motel last night....

Seriously, I have a similar problem on my left side, but quite as bad as you, or I've had it for so long I don't feel the pain as much. I jammed my back once during a fall and felt pain where I now have a herniated disc. I also played a lot of beach volleyball that I think contributed to it the problem. The disc hits the sciatica nerve and causes the pain and numbness.

I go to a chiropractor once a month but the best result for me is to keep my core strong, doing sit ups on an exercise ball, and other pilates type exercises.
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00302

I am trying to keep from having my vertebrae fused but if the pain gets worse, I may have to do it. I road and mt bike ride a lot so I'm sure it that doesn't help.

Good luck!

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by Goldmember

but the best result for me is to keep my core strong,

This

[bowener]

Originally Posted by Goldmember

I'm not a doctor, but I stayed in a sleezebag motel last night....

Seriously, I have a similar problem on my left side, but quite as bad as you, or I've had it for so long I don't feel the pain as much. I jammed my back once during a fall and felt pain where I now have a herniated disc. I also played a lot of beach volleyball that I think contributed to it the problem. The disc hits the sciatica nerve and causes the pain and numbness.

I go to a chiropractor once a month but the best result for me is to keep my core strong, doing sit ups on an exercise ball, and other pilates type exercises.
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00302

I am trying to keep from having my vertebrae fused but if the pain gets worse, I may have to do it. I road and mt bike ride a lot so I'm sure it that doesn't help.

Good luck!

Thanks! I try and do sit-ups or crunches but it kills my back to do that, but I will just try and suffer through the pain if I have to. I will see the Dr before I do anything too stupid to myself.

[Goldmember]

You should not be doing sit ups and crunches then but you can still work your core other ways, like using the ball. A good one is lying face down on the ball and lifting your arm and opposite leg, then do the other side. If you don't have a ball, just get on your knees and lift one leg and one arm, but not all four at the same time ;-)

[bowener]

Originally Posted by Goldmember

You should not be doing sit ups and crunches then but you can still work your core other ways, like using the ball. A good one is lying face down on the ball and lifting your arm and opposite leg, then do the other side. If you don't have a ball, just get on your knees and lift one leg and one arm, but not all four at the same time ;-)

Thanks smart ass. I will do that one. Another one I was taught was to lay on your back in bed or floor and hump the air using only your muscles to arch the pelvis forward. I used to be able to do that one, but now I feel a sharp pinch when I do it.

[Goldmember]

Well, I'd say you are pretty messed up then. Don't do anything until you see a doc and get some x-rays

[patteeu]

I had a herniated disk when I was about your age. It only hurt when I shifted positions from standing to sitting (or vice versa), when I walked, or when I bent over, but when it hurt it was the worst pain I'd ever felt at that point in my life. For a couple of months I actually tried to minimize the number of times I sat down or stood up during the day and did as little walking as possible.

I went to a chiropractor for a while with limited success. After several visits, the chiropractor told me to see a doctor who recommended the same type of core strengthening exercises that Goldmember is talking about. By this time, the pain had become more bearable so I was able to do situps and things like that. Eventually the pain cleared up completely.

When I was 30, my disk herniated again and I was back in the same condition. This time I had to get the problem resolved more quickly to be able to do the things I needed to do at that point in my life so I went to a surgeon and he did a laminectomy (back surgery to remove the herniated portion of the disk). I'd always been told to try exercise first before messing with surgery because I guess it doesn't always work out great, but in my case the surgery was an instant success and I haven't had significant back problems in the 15 years since that episode.

You should probably see a doctor and explore your options. If he wants to try exercise first and you can live with the discomfort for a while, that's probably the best approach. If he thinks surgery is warranted, get a good surgeon with experience and you should be golden. Good luck. I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone.