Back pain

Hmmm.

Shit.

Exactly what @ObiWomKenobi said. Get MRI and then a proper diagnosis.

Any Physio, chiropractor , osteopath who tries to diagnose without an MRI is just guessing.

Two people with similar symptoms may require very different treatment so please get your own treatment and not assume what worked for someone else will be correct for you.

When I got sciatica it felt like tightness in my hamstrings so I stretched more and this antagonised it badly. One Physio also gave me stretches for the nerve which made things worse. I was studying anatomy and physiology as part of becoming a yoga instructor at the time the lecturer was an osteopath and I asked him for advice. He said outright he wouldn't offer any advice without an MRI and that anyone who gave advice without was just guessing. So I saw my GP got an MRI referral and was told I'd have to wait for 6 weeks for the NHS. I was in such agony I paid for a private MRI and private Physio until NHS Physio started.

Cool, cheers both for the advice.

If it is something a bit more serious like that should I be laying off the bike or is cycling unlikely to do it any harm?

It really depends on the cause. Often doing no activity can be bad for a bad back, but doing too much or incorrect things can also be detrimental. In short MRI and then diagnosis and ignore advice from the inter webs.

If activity is not making things worse then it may be ok, but gentle and moderate.

Spoke to a physio who also coaches at my work today.

He reckons I'm too mobile and in too little pain for anything too serious (ie sciatica which I'd internet diagnosed myself as having!). Has advised me to work on core stability/muscles and has given me some stretches/exercises to do. I'll make a proper appointment with him depending on what the doc says when I see him on Tuesday.

We get some sort of private healthcare benefits through work but another colleague who was suffering back pain recently says they are useless. You get a telephone consultation which resulted in him being told that he is lazy and overweight, he's a regular cyclist (has previously cycled around world and to every country in the commonwealth, currently rides with a club) and runner and while having a build that's more sprinter than enduro he is certainly not overweight.

If the doc says I need an mri and the wait for an nhs one is too long then I'll try and push for getting that through work but I'm not too hopeful.

I am not sure if you could get MRI referral directly from GP to a MRI scanner (not literally) anymore, I was told by my GP last year they are not allowed to make direct referrals bypassing hospitals anymore... I hope it varies from PCT to PCT. Maybe insist for your GP to double and triple check.

As for cycling or not cycling, it's a tough one, I have been told to stop cycling completely because my back / neck problem is my C-spine and discs etc, so any bump on the road contributes to the overall picture further down the line... so maybe keep to just commuting for now until you know what's what?

For me, not cycling will only delay what will ultimately happen: prognosis for me is that I won't be able to move my arms one day, so I'd rather another 10 years of fun on the bike and deal with my future disability than get on public transport and delay it for what, 5 years?

As for how serious the problem is according to how much pain you are in, obviously the physio knows what he was talking about. However, I'd argue pain is very subjective, so being able to jump up and down and cycle all day long does not mean your problem isn't serious. Different people have different pain threshold, so yours is high, it could be masking the symptoms.

Anyhow, hope it turns out to be not serious for you.

Do you get pain from each bump on the road or do you just know it's not doing it any good?

I dunno, I'm maybe putting too much importance on the scan.

I want to know the root cause and if I can find that out without a scan then so much the better.

My pain comes in bouts, so if I am not having a flare up, I don't feel much at all whatever I do, if I have having a flare up, I would really struggle to move properly. Any bump or vibration contribute to the problem as the discs are shock absorbers that have been damaged... so I was told...

I really hope your scan would give you some answers, but MRI scans are only up to about 90% accurate. So if the 1st scan doesn't reveal any issue and the docs can't give you any explanation, it's worth insisting for a 2nd one... also if it's a muscular problem, I am pretty sure an ultrasound scan might be better, so ask for both!

I had about 6 scans on my knee before they finally found out what the problem is, which is chronic sprain sth sth, so I was lucky or unlucky on the last scan my knee was swollen inside, not with the previous scans...

So, kinda as suspected the doc wasn't able to give me a definitive reason for my back pain. What she did do however was give me some info.

She agreed with the physio I work with that the pain is in the area of my sciatic nerve and also agrees with him in regards to the pain level being too low for full blown sciatica.

She thought my back pain could be a result of the fall from the trials bike however, if it is, it is because the fall would have caused inflammation which may have damaged muscle. She was confident that that fall had done no serious damage. Anything that was worth worrying about would be a)constant and b)a much higher level of pain.

Doc says even if I can do without pain relief I should be sticking on the anti inflammatories a bit longer as they will actually aid the healing. She prescribed me some Naproxen.

Don't know if it's just a bit of relief and relaxation from being a bit more informed but back is definitely feeling better today.

r anti inand being muscle damaalmost certainly due to muscle damage (which will heal) rather than skeletal damage (which would be a much bigger problem).

Oh, she also didn't give me a physio referral as current waiting time is about 16 weeks which is useless as chances are my pain will have cleared up long before I'd get an appointment.

Back pain. A mystery/misery for sufferers. I have good days, often when I've route-marched around the city dashing to meetings and catching trains. Then bad days, often when I've been mainly deskbound. The best time is when I'm in the saddle. Somehow that position relieves the grief source and gives me an endorphin boost and if I'm lucky some thoughtful twat will pull out in front of me and I get an adrenalin boost too. I do pelvic tilt exercises daily without fail and will do forever because I'm getting stronger and straighter as a result. And it's good to have a task. Given to me by my very good private physio. PM me for a contact. It's a long haul with back issues and requires patience, persistance and dedication to make an improvement. My sympathies go out to all who suffer.

Ps I do use the tube, rarely and reluctantly, and often wish I could wear an I've Got A Bad Back badge. As I get older I guess I'll be offered a seat anyway. Mel. 61 today.

The best time is when I'm in the saddle.

Thankfully the doc has fully sanctioned cycling even while it's painful.

wish I could wear an I've Got A Bad Back badge.

This is so true. However, even when I was walking with a stick (yes I have done that not for show obviously), I still had to ask if I could have a seat half the time...

Baby On Board badge? Wadya think? It's the skirt and heels that are the challenge but. Although maybe that's the solution? The one thing I haven't tried!!!. OK. Volunteers please. Blokes suffering from back pain and prepared to wear 3 inch heels... Sod it...4 inch heels for a month PM me.

I believe TFL are bringing in 'please offer me your seat' badges for those with less physically obvious needs.

Heard that too, would be interesting to see how would one get a badge... I mean are they gonna ask for any proof or anyone who asks gets 1.

I think it was the forum's @Bad_Science who came up with the idea.

Photo id?

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Has anyone tried acupuncture here? I have been offered some on the NHS but it couldn't have come at a worser time. I was really looking forward to it but it looks like it's gonna start the same sort of time as my new job... it'd be a 1 hour session for 10 weeks... so I'd be looking to have 10 half-days off as soon as my new job starts... I just feel really bad asking for that much time off especially they are already giving me time off to finish off my PgCert which has had a blow on their budget...

So my question is, is it worth asking? My understanding is that acupuncture only really porovide short to mid term pain relief and it might not wotk at all...

I had it during my LEJOG ride a few years ago as I was really suffering with knee pain. At the time it really worked a treat and I didn't suffer pain for the remainder of the ride. However, not sure about it as a long term thing.

wow, you would have to take 1/2 days off for these 1hr appointments? where do you work?

New job is in Wimbledon and clinic is in Kennington, not exactly that far. I already asked the clinic about the 1st and last appointment time and yes it will have to be about 3 hours at a time... so it's not distance, but more of the appointment times they have...

Has anybody here experienced tingling finger tips/numbness after a bout of lower back pain?
I think I've done myself an injury at a level I've not experienced before whilst picking up my daughter a week ago, pain hasn't subsided. Doesn't seem muscular in nature due to lack of soothing/responsiveness during massage but most concerning has been the tingling in my hands that I experience when it's most painful.

Yep,
get yourself to a good Osteopath.
Cannot remember my exact details, (saw my Osteo today, muscle spasm L3/L4 since Friday), and he ran through my previous vists since '94.
Think the fingers tingling may have been after being rear-ended in a car collision.

Thanks for such a swift response!
Considering you've got a 23 year history I suppose I can expect this to be expensive. Guess I should get some health insurance sorted.

in which case you can't tell your doctor about the injury until after you have taken out insurance - or it will come under "pre existing conditions"

seriously don't dick around, see a doctor get an MRI and proper diagnosis. any osteopath or chiropractor who thinks they can work without an MRI scan is a fucking charlatan.