The spine holds it all up
During my pregnancy I started seeing a chiropractor to help with the increasing backaches, and found that it was fantastic. After giving birth, after going back to work, I’ve finally gone back to help everything back into place. Today they took x-rays – usually the first thing they do with new patients, but I was pregnant at the time so they couldn’t.
I’ve always had lower back pain. When I started working (at 18) I went to the doctor to figure out why, because it was so very bad. He looked me over and pronounced me “fine.”
Well you know what? I’m not “fine.” I’m not some mutant, but I’m not fine either. Xray showed that my L5 vertebra is fused with my sacrum, which is not typical. She said she sees about 10% of her patients with it, so it’s not this rare thing, but it’s not exactly how it’s supposed to be either. She gently pushed around the L4 vertebra and said, “You carry your weight here instead.” Ow, I said. Yeah. That’s where it always hurts. That’s where it’s always hurt. Apparently the fused vertebrae cause a more prounced curve of my lower back, just like Den has always commented on.
I feel a little irritated that my old doctor, years ago, never bothered to even check it out. I know he was an old-fashioned type where “if it aint broke, don’t fix it.” He was also the one who delivered me via c-section because my mom’s pelvis was “too small.” But mostly I’m just irritated that I’ve been living in pain for years simply because a doctor never said, “Your back really hurts? Hey, have you seen a chiropractor?” Of course it’s all a moot point now.
Oh also, she told me I need to stop sleeping on my stomach, for my neck’s sake. Ugh! You know how happy I was to be able to sleep on my stomach again after giving birth?! I firmly believe that was the biggest reason I had trouble sleeping when pregnant… not the pregnancy itself, but the fact that I was forced to sleep on my side!
All in all I’m pretty damn happy to be seeing a chiropractor. I had been having shooting pains down my left leg and a whole lot of soreness in my lower back… after one visit I felt a ton better. It’s kind of cool to not have back pain.
A few thoughts. 1) Ahhhh, the pregnancy back pain and side sleeping. How unfondly I remember those days. For me, it was sleeping on my back that I missed. 2) Doctors: it’s scary how much they don’t know. I’ve basically decided that it’s safer and easier for them to say nothing’s wrong (like your doc’s ain’t broke don’t fix it attitude), because the odds are, nothing really is wrong. But honestly, I don’t think they know a whole lot. Most of them, anyway.
glad you’re getting some relief. many doctors are notoriously unwilling to recommend anyone outside their realm… strange but true.
I work for a chiropractor and your doctor wasn’t the only one that refuses to tell people to see a chiropractor for back pain. There are so many doctors that are sceptical about chiros. I’m glad that you got your xrays and were able to find out the problem. I hope you get relief!!
I have three herniated disks in my lower back, I feel your pain! (literally!) My chiro helps a lot when the pressure gets bad, otherwise I sleep on my side with a pillow between my knees, or on my back with one under my knees. I can’t even lay on my stomach to float on a raft in the pool…that unnatural arch is too much for my back.
Anti-inflammatories help as well.
Good luck!!!
Like Leslie I also work for a chiropractor and it’s really shocking how many people don’t see the benefit in chiropractic medicine. I’ve even had people say they thought it was right up there with witch doctory!! To me it makes perfect sense that if there is something wrong with the spine then it’s going to effect the rest of the body but there are a lot of people (and doctors) that just don’t see the connection. I’m very glad your chiropractor is helping your pain though and hopefully you will be able to find a comfortable way to sleep!
It’s amazing how some doctors write these things off. But I am glad you finally found out what was wrong. And I hope you and your chiropractor can work to lessen the pain and prevent it from getting any worse.
My doctor that found my scoliosis thought I was making up back pain a few years ago, and wrote it off. I always have some back pain from the scoliosis, I have a S curved spine. But this was a different pain, a new pain. If got worse, I couldn’t get up without crying, I had electrical spasming through my lower side… I was in agony. Finally, 6 months later of being told it was nothing I went to the ER… I had spinal inflammation. One week of high dose anti-inflammatory meds and the intense pain was gone. I suffered for 6 months from something that only took one week to fix.
Doctors can be so arrogant.
I feel your pain.