low back pain/disk problems

**Sick Rick** · 02-22-2007, 12:30 PM

I recently injured my lower back, on the mountain. Have done this many times over the last ten years that I have been living in the mountains. I am in relatively good shape, get about 100-120+ on my skis each year barring injury. I commute to work all summer on my bike. and was wondering if anyone could offer some advice on a good course of treatment, that maybe i havent thought of. i work on my core to strengthen and try to protect my back whenever i am doing manual labor which is pretty much all summer.

I am going in for more MRI's soon to make sure that there is no disk damage or hairline fractures. have full confidence in my doctors in the vail valley. but am wondering if anyone has had the same issues and found a course of treatment or workout program that helped. any comments would be appreciated, I am tired of being in PT eventhough the physical therapists are very attractive.

**GBB** · 02-22-2007, 08:09 PM

Does it hurt when you thrust your hips/abdomen forward will keeping your shoulders and legs in place?

I just went to the doctor for some lower back pain I had, and it turned out I had a stress fracture. However, I'm assuming you're older than me (I'm 18), so a stress fracture would be highly unlikely for you. They are most prevalent 13-19, but once you get on the upper end of that spectrum the better the chance that it isn't going to heal.

**Sick Rick** · 03-01-2007, 11:26 PM

UPDATE:
MRI's showed that I had annular tears in my L4-L5 disk. nothing terribly serious. The physical therapist said that if I did my core strengthening and took care of myself I would be able to ski this spring and this summer.

bad news is that this is the third time that I have done this and next options are fusion of my vertabrae.

**Vinman** · 03-02-2007, 07:19 AM

if rehab does not help, talk to your doc about an epidural injection to help relieve some of the swelling around the disc. I've seen some pretty good results in patients who have had these injections.

**TBS** · 03-06-2007, 06:27 PM

I have a degenerating disk at L5-S1. Used to have one major "episode" per year when I raced bicycles - too much time in a bad position - but now the problem's managable with less saddle time, more core training and the semi-decadal steroid shot when I tweak it bad enough. Never had to have it administered via epidural in lumbar area, but have for cervical area.

PT and shots beat surgery in lumbar area if you can get away with it.

**cold_smoke** · 03-06-2007, 06:38 PM

Originally Posted by givebackbloom

Does it hurt when you thrust your hips/abdomen forward will keeping your shoulders and legs in place?

I just went to the doctor for some lower back pain I had, and it turned out I had a stress fracture. However, I'm assuming you're older than me (I'm 18), so a stress fracture would be highly unlikely for you. They are most prevalent 13-19, but once you get on the upper end of that spectrum the better the chance that it isn't going to heal.

YES.....
I don't know what it is but I have serious back pain. It is most pronounced with the abdominal push (extreme lower back arch) but also, not as much, at the end of bending over to touch my toes. I call it 'huck back' because it does not hurt while hucking but can get extremely pronounced the day after. The majority of the pain is in my mid-back right above my ass. I think I need to get it checked out. It is also the one place I get sore after long bike rides....