Hi guys,

I have some neck and hip pains and was wondering what majority of you go to when you have muscular pains… Chiro, Osteo or Physio??

Pete

Usually a combination, depends on the problem. get ur GP to suggest the best course of action then go from there

psoul1,

I’m new to this forum, but saw your post and thought given my recent back trouble I could help out. I saw a chiro initially, that wanted to take my money and get me coming back more than straightening me up. Then I went off to the Osteo, who straightened me up heaps, but my back just wasn’t healing fully. From there I saw a physio, who I have seen in the past when I was playing soccer. He told me that he could stand there and guess what was wrong with my back (as the chiro and osteo had done), but instead he recommended x-rays to check for stress fractures and abnormalities in my spine (the chiro also recommended this, but I ran a mile from him). Additionally, the physio also told me to get a CT scan, which took pictures of every lumbar vertebrae and measured my leg length (answering all the questions I had about my back). Turns out my right leg is 1.2cm shorter than my left, which caused the left side of my back to jam up and caused the three bulging discs which have caused my pain (I have had this problem for years, it just more acute now). So now, I have a heel raise, my back pain is almost gone and the physio has given me a solid core strength program to improve my standing posture.

Simply, I learnt that as good as the osteo, chiro and physio are, without scans (if your pain is bad enough to warrant them) they are treating you based on guess work. The CT scan, showed that the disc bulge I had between L5 and S1 was impinging on a nerve root, which caused me a load of trouble. Without the scans and starting tonnes of core stability work I would still be battling for fitness. I’m getting close to playing golf again now, which has been driving me bonkers!

More than anything, if you have trouble with your back, sort out your core strength, it makes a massive difference.

Hope this helps.

OC

The CT scan, showed that the disc bulge I had between L5 and S1 was impinging on a nerve root, which caused me a load of trouble. Without the scans and starting tonnes of core stability work I would still be battling for fitness. I’m getting close to playing golf again now, which has been driving me bonkers!

The old L5 S1 … must be the site of more than half the back problems in the world!

I had the same problem and took a similar route, although a few years ago it was less routine to get a CT scan, and x-rays were more common. My problem was exacerbated from years of back strains and compounded from thousands of kilometres of running (marathons). I stupidly put up with years of chronic pain before doing something, in the belief that back problems were essentially incurable. I had trouble playing more than 12 holes of golf without needing to sit or having my swing badly affected. If I stood for more than about ten minutes, I’d get severe lower back pain and pins and needles in my foot.

I am sceptical of osteopaths and downright dismissive of chiropractors … I think they’re too traumatic. When you have a bulging disc you don’t need magical and painful manipulation, you need careful treatment and a chance for the injury to stabilise, followed by exercises and lifestyle changes.

I saw a local physio who used a number of techiques. One really good one was electro-acupuncture at points on the back and legs to help settle the nerves. Another was just myotherapy (massage).

But the basis long-term was to improve things like posture and lifting technique, and attend to the core stability issues you mentioned. If the problem is L5 S1 at the base of your spine, chances are there’s a loss of lordosis (inward spinal curvature) and it’s what’s causing the sciatic nerve problem.

I did regular exercises to improve the lordosis, like half press-ups (leaving the hips on the floor). Because I sit at a computer constantly, my physio recommended a good supportive office chair, and a back roll placed in the small of my back. Mine’s just a half roll of firm sponge rubber with a cloth cover. I never sit without it.

I’m happy to say that my back has settled down remarkably. I have negligible pain in the morning, and can put my socks on without lying on the bed! I can play a full 36-holes of golf without any pain (in fact I think in the long run golf has helped with flexibility), and I’ve just started running 5-10 kilometres again without any problems.

Publish,

I’m exactly the same, I retired from playing semi-professional soccer because I had a tight left hamstring/right hip flexor permanently and I was in pain constantly I had the same method of thinking – that it was just something I would live with. I’m actually quite excited that what I am doing at the moment, coupled with the heel raise and new orthotics can make a difference. As my physio said, the problems I have are degenerative, but also – with work – curable. You hit the nail on the head with lower spine lordosis, exactly the problem!

I’m working on pelvic tilts (to switch on the trans abs), to get my pelvis up at the front instead of it sitting down and squeezing my lower back. The difference in days was really noticeable.

I’m with you Publish, physio is my trusted method. It’s just finding one that is good and one you trust.

I’m starting swimming, walking as far as I can holding my posture and fingers crossed if I keep working hard on the core stuff (I am doing pilates twice a week as well) I’m hoping at 28 I can get things back on track. Not playing golf has driven me mad, and my girlfriend even madder with me in the unit all the time!

In addition to the core work, flexibility is so important. I’m stretching my hip flexors, glutes and hamstrings as much as I can. Tight hip flexors have contributed to my pelvis being pulled down at the front.

Cheers Publish, it’s good to hear from someone who has experienced the same thing and come out the other side. Fortunately, this episode was the worst I experienced, so I might have caught it early enough! Again, fingers crossed.

OC

One of my myotherapy treatments was hamstring stretching … not sure whether tight hamstrings caused back problems or the other way round, but they’re definitely related. Getting more “length” in the hamstrings certainly helped.

To put it in a time perspective, I was probably fitter in my 30s than my 20s. I certainly had more endurance. By my late 30s I was extremely fit … ran a number of marathons with a best time of 2:56 (my knees suffer as much as my back because of it).

Then the back problems kicked in and I couldn’t even run. I reckon the 40s are a dark age for many men … I lost fitness and put on weight and got very depressed about my loss of physical ability. (Although on the bright side, it’s one of the reasons I took up golf.)

Now with resolution of my back problems, in my 50s I’m quite re-invigorated. I’ll never have the muscle strength I used to, but just being almost pain free is fantastic. I’ve since done a number of ultra-long-distance walks that I would have found impossible ten years ago.

In that case, bring on the 30’s! I had been dreading them, but the possibility of increased fitness sounds awesome!