Lower back pain

[Victoria1234]

I've had worsening lower back pain for a few years. Started well after my gluten-free days began.

finally had a doctor listen to me and sent me to pt. Therapist has been very good it seems, but I'm not really getting better. My back pain is due to very inflexible, tight muscles in the back and hips. Not sure how this came about originally.... but it impacts every day with a great deal of pain. I'm worried some day I'll be bound to a wheelchair, still in pain as it hurts to sit as well. By the end of the day I'm walking like I'm 100 years old. My 91 year old mil walks better.

any ideas? I know you all are a wealth of knowledge, just thought I'd throw this out there in case someone knows something.

[Ennis-TX]

See a massage therapist. I have issues with stress etc, and I keep on tightening up my upper and lower back.  This leads to very tense, knotted, hard bands of muscles there that limit mobility, get sore, and hurt often. I can do maintenance with yoga, hot baths/showers, etc. But I have to at least once a month go see my massage therapist and have her work on them where she slowly breaks up the knots in the muscle and the crunchies (sort of hard spots on muscle connections points with deposits....feels like rock candy being broken off and so great when broken up)

You have to find a good therapist,,,,I have seen 9 different ones. I have had many who rush and hurt me as I have no fat just lean muscles I am really odd for them to work on. You have to find one that knows what they are doing and will take it slow and easy while still applying enough pressure to work out the kinks.  I swear by the one I found after many years, she is great and very well informed.......dang once again victoria I wish you lived down here. I would love to introduce you to her, like a god send after a session. You hurt for one day but feel so much lighter and more flexible the next day.

PS literally 9, 2 at one place in town, 2 at different chiropractors, 2 at a spa in San Antonio, 1 at a place in garland, 1 at a convention in Dallas, and finally met her here in my hometown where she was doing chair massages at the farmers market.

[KEMB]

Agree massage can help, also Bowen therapy.  I used to do massage, then started Bowen when the massage was no longer helping my back issues.  I was amazed at how much such a gentle treatment helped.  Now I do Bowen tune-ups every 6 weeks and am considering adding back a 90-minute massage in-between Bowen sessions because I love the treatment.  Daily stretching to improve and maintain flexibility is essential.  You have to keep at it, but when you figure out the ones you need the most you can do those more frequently (I often will do a pigeon pose unconnected to a full yoga session).  Gentle yoga can do wonders.  It doesn't have to be a tough session.  Also mat pilates.  MELT method is also good for the entire facia.   I don't know how old you are, but it's also important as you age to maintain strength and balance, especially to keep the hip muscles and glutes strong and engaged.  If you're feeling limited by tight muscles causing back pain, you risk losing strength and fitness - it's a downward spiral.  I let my glutes and hip flexors and rotators weaken without realizing what was happening, and it's been a real chore to get them back in condition.   I learned that dormant butt syndrome can happen to anyone, even runners who are in otherwise good condition.  And when your glutes aren't supporting you, you transfer the impact to the back and knee and hip joints.  A good therapist will address all of the connections, from your gait to your strength and flexibility, and help determine if it is something more than tight muscles causing your pain.  I found success with one who uses the Mckenzie Method.   Also, if excess weight is an issue, your back (and joints) may be feeling it.  Losing 10 lbs made a big difference for me.  Finally, I've found that the movement of dance - zumba, jazzercise, etc - helps to keep the muscles fluid through movement I would not experience in normal day to day activities.

[Jmg]

16 hours ago, Victoria1234 said:

any ideas? I know you all are a wealth of knowledge, just thought I'd throw this out there in case someone knows something.

The best thing that ever happened to me regarding back pain was giving up gluten! Sadly that's not an option for you. The advice above is good. A sports masseur was the best I found for teasing out locked up muscles. Mckenzie exercises helped a bit. Keep active also. 

[knitty kitty]

Hi.  Back pain is often associated with low vitamin D levels.  And crampy, tight muscles are associated with deficiencies in calcium and magnesium.  Vitamin K and B12 are needed for strong bone building.  All of these vitamins and minerals are often deficient in Celiacs because of malabsorption of nutrients.

Hope these articles can help.

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Open Original Shared Link

[Victoria1234]

Thank you everyone. I'm upping my vitamins and I'll think about massage if ever I can afford it. Can quite at the moment. Last day of pt is today, going to try to get as many excercises as possible from him.

[cyclinglady]

The best thing you can probably do is exercise.   Continue to do the exercises recommended by your PT for the rest of your life.  Add in other safe activities once you start to heal (discuss with your PT).  

My sports medicine doctor gave me that advice 25 years ago and it paid off. 

[Victoria1234]

 

The best thing you can probably do is exercise.   Continue to do the exercises recommended by your PT for the rest of your life.  Add in other safe activities once you start to heal (discuss with your PT).  

My sports medicine doctor gave me that advice 25 years ago and it paid off. 

I've got to talk to him about exercises that aren't about laying flat on my face! Works ok in the office with the hole for your face but not so good at home... 

Thanks for the advice though. I would love to someday feel like I'm healing.

[Ennis-TX]

 

I've got to talk to him about exercises that aren't about laying flat on my face! Works ok in the office with the hole for your face but not so good at home... 

Thanks for the advice though. I would love to someday feel like I'm healing.

I sometimes just engage my core pulling my belling button into my spine, and sort do a tummy trust in and out while sitting in a chair....sound odd bit a like a pelvic thrust but with your tummy....I developed a habit of doing it to deal with gas and constipation issues, along with sort of wiggling side to side while keeping my upper torso stationary. ....looks really odd and sound odd but it is good for keeping your core moving,   OH you can do a sort of down ward dog in a chair, bringing your arms over your head fold down at you hip bringing your chest as close to your legs as you can then slowly roll up one vertabre at a time til your back is back in the chair. I find this to be a nice stretch for the whole back. I also sometime use the arms of the chair to help do a torso twist and hold, ...random thoughts on stretches etc that can be done while sitting down in the office. >.> I have found odd ways to get yoga and exercise into odd aspects of my life to save time.....Like warrior pose and squat holds while working on something at a counter.

[Victoria1234]

 

I sometimes just engage my core pulling my belling button into my spine, and sort do a tummy trust in and out while sitting in a chair....sound odd bit a like a pelvic thrust but with your tummy....I developed a habit of doing it to deal with gas and constipation issues, along with sort of wiggling side to side while keeping my upper torso stationary. ....looks really odd and sound odd but it is good for keeping your core moving,   OH you can do a sort of down ward dog in a chair, bringing your arms over your head fold down at you hip bringing your chest as close to your legs as you can then slowly roll up one vertabre at a time til your back is back in the chair. I find this to be a nice stretch for the whole back. I also sometime use the arms of the chair to help do a torso twist and hold, ...random thoughts on stretches etc that can be done while sitting down in the office. >.> I have found odd ways to get yoga and exercise into odd aspects of my life to save time.....Like warrior pose and squat holds while working on something at a counter.

Thanks. Will have to look these yoga things up!

[tootie]

Have you considered having an MRI?

I had severe back pain. I had to shuffle like I was 95. Couldn't bend over. My doctor said it was muscle strain and told me to go to PT.

My PT told me it was tight hip flexors causing poor posture . After several weeks of therapy, some improvement but still in pain. Therapist kept telling me I didn't need an MRI.

I persisted and finally got one. 

Turns out I have arthritis in my spine and facet joints as well as moderate spinal stenosis, and a herniated disk, and... my internist was talking surgery, umm no.

Anyway after research and trial and error, I found supplements that allow me to be pain free. I take undenatured collagen 2, Sam-e and turmeric. So far the pain only returns when I go several days without it. 

Still stretching though.

Now I just need an accurate answer for this celiac thing...

[Victoria1234]

2 hours ago, tootie said:

take undenatured collagen 2, Sam-e and turmeric.

Please tell me the amounts! 

Oddly the spine center wanted to MRI my neck? I turned them down as I didn't see a need.... but I wondered why hthey didn't want to do it to my back. 

My pt has focused on the tightness of my hips, inner thighs and the back of the thigh muscle group I can't think of the name of right now. No real relief. No healing that I can detect. I'm doing them daily.

Thank you for the advice. Gives me a glimmer of hope.

[Ennis-TX]

1 hour ago, Victoria1234 said:

Please tell me the amounts! 

Oddly the spine center wanted to MRI my neck? I turned them down as I didn't see a need.... but I wondered why hthey didn't want to do it to my back. 

My pt has focused on the tightness of my hips, inner thighs and the back of the thigh muscle group I can't think of the name of right now. No real relief. No healing that I can detect. I'm doing them daily.

Thank you for the advice. Gives me a glimmer of hope.

I take a scoop of Neocell  Collagen twice a day and I take Jarrow joint support, Some days I like liquid health glucosomine when my joints start  to ache more. Turmeric tea, soup, and using it seasonings is really helpful for reducing inflammation.

[tootie]

I would find out for sure WHY you have so much pain. Don't assume it is just a strained muscle. My doctors and physical therapists were wrong about my back as well as my shoulder. I wasted a year and a half in much pain.

Here are some ideas, however, It DEPENDS ON WHY you have pain. I try to avoid pharma as much as possible and try to use herbs and suppl. as much as possible. These are some ideas for arthritis and such. I * the ones I use. And of course buy gluten free brands.

I tried glucosamine/chondroitin (I know I didn't spell that right) but they did not help me.  But they recommend 1500 mg/day. (give it 8 weeks to see if it works)

*Devils claw- I use for occasional pain (also turmeric) because I don't want to use tylenol or ibuprofen they are terrible for you.

*I take 500 mg turmeric a day, twice if its a rough day. (I also get pain in my shoulder, my rotator cuff tore from arthritis and a bone spur that needed surgery and some days still causes pain.)

*I take 400 mg Sam-e. They recommend taking 600 -1200mg a day- divided into 3 doses, but I worked down to the least amount that was effective for me. Give it a couple of weeks to see if it works.

*Bio-Collagen (this is different than the normal collagen supplements) It is patented UC-II 40mg. It is cartilage from chicken sternum.

Do your research before you use anything and talk to your doctor.

There are other products to try.

Here are some other products I found (Sources at bottom of post)

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I hope you get some relief.

 

 

 

[Victoria1234]

14 hours ago, tootie said:

 

I would find out for sure WHY you have so much pain. Don't assume it is just a strained muscle. My doctors and physical therapists were wrong about my back as well as my shoulder

 

My pt said tight muscles. 

How do you find out anything further than that?  Was that the MRI you insisted on?

[tootie]

I insisted on an MRI for both my back and shoulder. I was told I don't need one on both accounts, by both the PT and GP.

I said to them, It's my money and my health. Why can't I have one. It's been weeks with no improvement. They said okay, go ahead. I was right on both accounts. You know your body and if something is helping or not.  And if it turned out that it showed nothing, I'd be happy with that too because at least I would know they were on the right tract and we didn't  overlook something.

I would ask your spine doctor why they want to mri your neck.

[Victoria1234]

1 hour ago, tootie said:

I insisted on an MRI for both my back and shoulder. I was told I don't need one on both accounts, by both the PT and GP.

I said to them, It's my money and my health. Why can't I have one. It's been weeks with no improvement. They said okay, go ahead. I was right on both accounts. You know your body and if something is helping or not.  And if it turned out that it showed nothing, I'd be happy with that too because at least I would know they were on the right tract and we didn't  overlook something.

I would ask your spine doctor why they want to mri your neck.

Thanks for letting me know. I'll see if I can get a message to the doctor. I'll also let home know the pt is not working at all. 

[cristiana]

I have pain in my lower back, groin, thigh, glute - it was eventually diagnosed as sacroiliac pain.  You might want to look it up. Apparently it is quite common in celiacs.   As referred pain charts will show you, the pain is far from localised.

Mine can be so tight at times it is difficult to walk.  It burns when I have been sitting around too much.

It waxes and wanes, I find that when it is bad it is good to move around rather than sit around all day, but not exercise too much which is annoying as I love walking. Dairy (and I have no idea why) makes it much worse so if I'm going through a bad patch I keep away from probiotic full fat yoghurt in particular which makes things worse - bloating I guess.  Tight belts around the waste really aggravate the pain if I'm not careful.

I'm sorry but I am in the middle of a project so haven't had the time to read this entire post properly but I wanted to chime in, in case of help.  The title of the thread, Lower Back Pain, caught my eye.

 

 

[Victoria1234]

1 hour ago, cristiana said:

I have pain in my lower back, groin, thigh, glute - it was eventually diagnosed as sacroiliac pain.  You might want to look it up. Apparently it is quite common in celiacs.   As referred pain charts will show you, the pain is far from localised.

Mine can be so tight at times it is difficult to walk.  It burns when I have been sitting around too much.

It waxes and wanes, I find that when it is bad it is good to move around rather than sit around all day, but not exercise too much which is annoying as I love walking. Dairy (and I have no idea why) makes it much worse so if I'm going through a bad patch I keep away from probiotic full fat yoghurt in particular which makes things worse - bloating I guess.  Tight belts around the waste really aggravate the pain if I'm not careful.

I'm sorry but I am in the middle of a project so haven't had the time to read this entire post properly but I wanted to chime in, in case of help.  The title of the thread, Lower Back Pain, caught my eye.

 

 

Thanks for your response. I have like no flexibility in my hips at all the worse this gets. And my groin area is so painful on the worst days I can barely walk. I wonder if it's the si pain as well?

besides avoiding milk products, have you found anything ( besides moving around) that helps? 

My pain is worst after I have sat for a while, such as my hour commute home after being on my feet teaching. I wear an ace back brace daily, which used to help a couple years ago, but now doesn't seem to do anything.

Looks like my spine doc does want to do an MRI of my back so we'll see what happens with that. One thing I'm scared to death of is surgery. 

[cristiana]

16 hours ago, Victoria1234 said:

Thanks for your response. I have like no flexibility in my hips at all the worse this gets. And my groin area is so painful on the worst days I can barely walk. I wonder if it's the si pain as well?

besides avoiding milk products, have you found anything ( besides moving around) that helps? 

My pain is worst after I have sat for a while, such as my hour commute home after being on my feet teaching. I wear an ace back brace daily, which used to help a couple years ago, but now doesn't seem to do anything.

Looks like my spine doc does want to do an MRI of my back so we'll see what happens with that. One thing I'm scared to death of is surgery. 

Hi - your pain sounds very familiar.  A chiropractor will probably be able to confirm whether you have this problem or not because there is an area, sort of at hip level, either side of the spine, that often huts if you press down on it when you have this problem.  When I get referrred pain and wonder what on earth is going on I press this area and - BINGO - I realise that my SI problem is back.

The groin pain sounds to me like it could be SI referred pain.  I have had it that my left buttock too - it felt like it was on fire a few times.  Once I remember going on a walk and actually sitting down and crying with the burning pain in my lower back too, so I'd see if I were you that the SI joint is what is behind at least some of this.

I put a generous handful of Epsom salts in the bath - nice and warm, a 20 minute soak - and I find that helps. 

As I say, I tend not to do too much exercise when I'm having a flare.  A flare can last a few months, but I have to say, sometimes it goes altogether.

But wear shoes with decent soles - something that will reduce impact  when you are walking.  I'd avoid high heels if I were you - just thinking about them (and yoghurt!) makes me wince!  

[Victoria1234]

7 minutes ago, cristiana said:

Hi - your pain sounds very familiar.  A chiropractor will probably be able to confirm whether you have this problem or not because there is an area, sort of at hip level, either side of the spine, that often huts if you press down on it when you have this problem.  When I get referrred pain and wonder what on earth is going on I press this area and - BINGO - I realise that my SI problem is back.

The groin pain sounds to me like it could be SI referred pain.  I have had it that my left buttock too - it felt like it was on fire a few times.  Once I remember going on a walk and actually sitting down and crying with the burning pain in my lower back too, so I'd see if I were you that the SI joint is what is behind at least some of this.

I put a generous handful of Epsom salts in the bath - nice and warm, a 20 minute soak - and I find that helps. 

As I say, I tend not to do too much exercise when I'm having a flare.  A flare can last a few months, but I have to say, sometimes it goes altogether.

But wear shoes with decent soles - something that will reduce impact  when you are walking.  I'd avoid high heels if I were you - just thinking about them (and yoghurt!) makes me wince!  

Thank you so very much. It sounds a lot like what I am experiencing. I am really wanting to hear a magic recipe for making it go away. I've been in pain for so many years now, only getting worse. Do you take any supplements, like the ones that were suggested above?

[cristiana]

Hi Victoria

Looking back, I've had it for years too.

To be honest, magnesium, vitamin D (fish oil capsules), B12 and iron are the only supplements I take on a regular basis.

I think if you get a diagnosis of SI problems you may be able to find some exercises that will help.

Oddly enough one big thing that happened which reduced the pain almost overnight on one occasion is I acciently jarred my leg coming down some very steep steps.  Initially the pain was excrutiating but I went to bed to try to sleep it off and it pretty much went for a very long time after that!  No idea why.

Are you stressed? I find that when I am stressed and focussed on the pain it is a great deal worse.  Viscious circle. Easy to say try to reduce stress in your life, I know, but I do think it helps.  Also, loose fftting clothing - try not to put any pressure on the lower abdomen if you can, whether by waistbands or foods that bloat you and make your clothes tight.  Avoid high heels.  And remember, don't sit around too much.

I'd try to find out first if SI is a problem - then get some advice from a chiro or physio on exercises.

C

 

[cristiana]

Also, carrying heavy weights.  Try not to!  I find heaving heavy shopping bags, especially carrying them on one side, causes dreadful pain.  It is difficult but if you possibly can try not to carry heavy weights.  I even find if my handbag (purse) gets over-stuffed with heavy things it can set things off.

x

[Victoria1234]

2 minutes ago, cristiana said:

 

I think if you get a diagnosis of SI problems you may be able to find some exercises that will help.

 

 

 

I've looked some up and am already doing many of them

2 minutes ago, cristiana said:

Are you stressed? I find that when I am stressed and focussed on the pain it is a great deal worse.  Viscious circle. Easy to say try to reduce stress in your life, I know, but I do think it helps. 

 

More stressed than I've ever been. But the pain started when I wasn't.

2 minutes ago, cristiana said:

Also, loose fftting clothing - try not to put any pressure on the lower abdomen if you can, whether by waistbands or foods that bloat you and make your clothes tight. 

 

I always wear loose clothing........ But I have been wearing a back brace which does help. If I don't wear it, the pain gets to be even worse.

2 minutes ago, cristiana said:

And remember, don't sit around too much! 

 

On my feet about 8 hours a day.

2 minutes ago, cristiana said:

I'd try to find out first if SI is a problem - then get some advice from a chiro or physio on exercises.

 

PT guy had me doing exercises for tight muscles which were supposedly making the lower back hurt. Stretching hips, inner thigh, hamstrings, lower back, thighs. Many overlap with the SI exercises. Been doing these for at least 2 months now, no help so far.

Thank you so much for all your help. I think the next step is the spine doc is ordering an MRI, just have to get it scheduled.

 

[Ennis-TX]

I have something I want you to try, while sitting down in a chair lean forward just slightly and arch your back a bit, and if you can reach back using your middle knuckles press on your lower back on each side of the spine  and roll down to below your waist line pressing with decent pressure. Then work out along the sides of the waist line to the upper glutes working on the connection points. Do you get a ticklish painful felling and feel stuff like crystals breaking up, or knots rolling around with you go over that line? I get these if I do not get a massage a few times a month, I am unsure what they are, but seems my muscles knot up with stress, and I get these odd "crunchies" that form on the connecting points and in the muscle tissue. I have left mine alone for over a month due to lack of funds, I noticed the past few days my back is hurting at the end of the day and has more limited mobility. Upon working out some of those crunchies while it feels bruised now I have some mobility back. I think I am going to have it give in and see about working out a deal with my massage therapist on fixing mine this week.