Back Pain Support Group

Hi everyone, new here but felt my story may be benificial to some folks. This past summer I was dealing with severe lower back pain and sciatica, to the point of not being able to function. I managed through my part time job with frequent breaks, but classes (I'm a graduate student) were a nightmare (literally had to lay on the floor in the one I could do that in, the other was just plain torture). Couldn't sit for more than about 10-15 minutes, in fact I had to quit one part-time job because I couldn't sit in the car long enough to make the drive. And I am someone with a pretty high pain tolerance - not the highest ever, but I walked off a broken foot the summer before...so I'm no wimp, either.

My chiropractor was sure I had blown a disk, and considering how I initially hurt my back (or think I did anyways) that would have fit as well. However, x-rays closely examined by a radioligist told another story. My sacrum (S1) had slid straight back off of L5 approx. 2mm. Once this was discovered, within a couple of adjustments (using a drop table) I was able to at least somewhat function again.

Although I am a ton better than I was when this started, I'm still not back to "normal" yet - who knows if I ever will be. Between still needing weekly adjustments and slowly building the muscles back up, I still have to be careful and my ability to do some things is still severly limited especially since I'm honestly terrified of going through what I did this summer again. I was to the point of having to seriously reconsider my entire life, hobbies, pastimes - everything I held dear to myself. Some of those things are still on hold (participating in my martial art being one of them) but I'm at least able to do the majority of what I did even if I'm having to be more careful about it.

But, my doctors and chiropractor were seriously beginning to think the surgery route before this was discovered. Granted, I may still have a minor bulged disk, but it obviously was not the major problem. I just wanted to share because sometimes what seems obvious is not the case, and a less invasive, relatively simple treatment can occasionally be, literally, a life saver.
Posted on 10/26/09, 04:10 pm