A year and a half ago I injured my back badly playing basketball.  My bottom vertabrae actually moved a little to the side, a few millimeters.  I started going to the chiropractor and they took x-rays.  It turns out my spine also has a pretty bad S curve, so I have scoliosis.  I am a college student w/out any health insurance, so I can't even go to the doctor let alone an expensive chiropractor.  My chiropractor said he would give me exercises to strengthen my lower back and other ones to help my scoliosis, but he kept saying next time and I eventually stopped going.  Can anyone refer me to a website or help me with how I can help my back.  Thanks.  (sorry this is so long)
216580
My advice:\n\n1.   At night, sleep on your side, legs slightly bent, with a thin pillow between your knees.  This will reduce the presure on your spine as you sleep.\n\n2.  Stretch your back several times a day.  A good one is lay flat on your back, rotate your trunk, with your left leg straight and your right leg bent, try to touch your right knee to the ground to your left. Then straighten your right leg, bend your left leg, rotate your trunk, try to touch your left knee to the ground to your right.  Another good one is when sitting, reach your right hand behind your head, and touch your left shoulder blade, then reach your left hand behind your head and try to touch your right should blade.\n\n3.  If your a student, you should have access to the campus health club.  Join, and ask to be shown stretches and exercises specifically for your back (explain that you've had some back issues).
344020
It sounds like you have a titled pelvis.  Have you had your spine checked?  There might be a chance you have scoliosis,\n\nScoliosis is a lateral (toward the side) curvature in the normally straight vertical line of the spine. The normal spine curves gently backward in the upper back and gently inward in the lower back. When viewed from the side, the spine should show a mild roundness in the upper back and shows a degree of swayback (inward curvature) in the lower back. When a person with a normal spine is viewed from the front or back, the spine appears to be straight. When a person with scoliosis is viewed from the front or back, the spine appears to be curved. \n\nMy injury is from a car accident I don't know how you got yours.  Continue the regimen to lose weight that always helps as well as walking it will ease the pain. \n\nI am not sure if you afraid of needles you can try accupuncture, deep tissue massage and reiki massage as well as a chiropracter. \n\nIf you've already spoken with your dr and that's all the advice he's given you.  You need to see another dr.  You need to see another one and get a second opinion\n\nI don't know what type of insurance you have but you can make appt and get referrals remember your paying for the insurance your not dr and it just seems that's his thing weight weight weight.. blah blah.  I had one of those and punched him and got another one.
517627
Check with a doctor. Pilates exercises are great for posture but you also spend a lot of time on your back. I would definitely stay away from the stretches where you curl up into a ball and roll along your entire vertebrae (unless of course doc says its ok).
292315
I have scoliosis & found out in the 5th grade--I am now 33. I have been able to do anything that I want to. \nYou may want to use a back brace &/or start practicing now for good posture to prevent future complications, but many people have curvature of the spine and most of those who do don't even need medical supervision for it. \nRemember, thru God, all things are possible!
93130
Go see a good chiropractic. I had the same problem, (because I slept on that side all for as long as I could remember). Went to a chiropractic on the recommendation of a friend and amazingly after one adjustment the pain was a great deal less and with the second adjustment it was gone completely. \n\nSearch online for "Chiropractic Board of Examiners" in your area, or get recommendations from friends/family.\n\nGood luck!
228951
Yeah it sounds like you have a rib out of place, ive had it happen to me a few times, make a appontment with a chiropractor, they will put it back in place and show you things you can do to stregthin that area so that way your rib wont pop back out, if you need a quick fix right now... the way i seen to get it back in at home, have you ever seen some people cross their arms and have someone lift them up to crack their back, well same idea but just sit on the persons lap, tell them to go up and back as much as possible arching your back as much as they can. This dosent always work but for the most part it does, the sure way to know if your rib is out of place from what i know is if it hurts to take a deep breath. sit in place and breath in as much as possible if you have a sharp pain in your sternum or in your back then yeah you know, try to get in today for the best results from your appointment the rib has to be out when you go, they have to know which one it is to give you the best excersises to do to keep that rib in place, if a rib is coming out like that the muscles around the rib need to be streghened to hold it where it needs to be...
35643
I'm not a doctor but I have the same problem. Have you ever been in an accident? If so it could mean that your spine is not lined up correctly. You may need to see a chiropractor.
512169
Honestly,  If the pain just started yesterday after lifting some boxes and isn't horrifically bad, then you should give it a few days.  90% of all back problems self-resolve within 10 days to 2 weeks regardless of the actual condition or the type of injury, provided it wasn't a major trauma.  If you are not opposed to taking over-the-counter meds, try Alleve, 2 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon, each day for 7-10 days.  Ice is usually better immediately after injury because it decreases any associated swelling and numbs the nerve endings (20 minutes, every 4-6 hours during the day).  Also, try to stay moderately active with your typical daily routine but of course, no lifting or recreational sports until your are better.\n\nIf you are not significantly improved within 7 days (at least a  50%-75% decrease in symptoms) then make an appointment to see your physician.  If the physician recommends rehab, ask to be referred to an experienced physical therapist that specializes in manual therapy and/or spine care.  Also, do not be afraid to contact several rehab centers and ask if they have a therapist that specializes in spine care but you should really look for one that is either in private practice or manages a small facility.  I do NOT recommend Novacare and/or HealthSouth as most of these facilities do NOT allow their therapist control over their own schedule and you will not likely be able to see the same therapist from visit to visit, which is poor medicine dictated by corporate interest.  I also do NOT recommend chiropractic, there may be some decent chiros out there but their profession is so littered with quacks and money grubbers that it is a big gamble.  Check out the following link http://www.chirobase.org/
510998
This sounds EXACTLY like a pinched nerve. This is a job for a Chiropractor, if that is the case. Some Medical doctors are skeptical about Chiropractors. So was I, but it's been like a small theraputic miracle. \n\nTry it four 4-8 sessions and you'll be convinced (it takes more than one session for good progress and you'll be a tad sore after your first couple adjustments). \n\nTiger Balm and Peppermint Lotion are great for external muscle relaxers. \n\nYou'd be suprised what a few simple stretches before and after bed will do you. Yoga and Tai' Chi (Martial Art) are also excellent if you have the time and energy.\n\nRe-align your Spine and Chi dude.
179766
Haha! You're weird. No, seriously... have a trainer look at it and recommend exercises for that side of your back. Are you in a profession where you "favor" one side over the other? (Digging, for example.) That might explain it. Or you could get to a doctor for an evaluation just to ensure that both sides of your body are in synch. I'm thinking of scoliosis, but that's just a guess.
412690
If the pain is frequently, you shoud visit a doctor so you don't risk hurting your back anymore.  If you can afford one, think about working with a personal trainer to learn how to properly do the exercises so you don't hurt yourself.  If the back pain continues, see a chiropracter or get a massage to relax the muscles.
370936
1.  Please see a chiropractor.  I broke my neck in February. I work at home and sit in front of this PC almost 24/7.  I don't take meds so I was in agony all down my back and arms.  Then, in desperation, I saw a chiropractor and IMMEDIATELY all was much better. My entire spine was twisted up from muscle spasms and the original injury.  I still see him once a week for $30.00 a visit. I'm an RN and I thought chiropractic medicine was "alternative".  It definitely is NOT.\n2.  Therapeutic massage.  The chiropractor should be able to refer you.  Also, inquire about "rolfing".  I'm not sure if that's how it's spelled but that's how it's pronounced.  Rolfing is miraculous.\n3.  Discuss with a chiropractor alternative seating at work, then, approach your employer about arranging it for you.\n4.  Would it be possible to work from your home at the same job?\n5.  When you meet with your employer, introduce this concern by saying this is a temporary injury, not a permanent disability, and he or she will work with you and may be able to put your mind at ease about it all.  You're worried and that's going to hurt your muscles and extend healing time.  You will to be surprised, I think, when you talk with your employer and find how much better you're going to feel.\n6.  Use sick leave/vacation time if you have some.\n7.  Car accident insurance policies, yours and the other party's, if one was involved, might have provisions for financial support during recovery from accidents.  Investigate that.\n8.  Take a long hot shower before going to work to ease muscles for several hours into the work day.\n9.  Take frequent breaks during the day and walk, stretch, etc. \n10. Investigate unemployment benefits, not to quit your job, but to afford you the option of taking more days off during the work week.\n\nGood luck.
298790
I think a back brace would be really helpful to you. I have linked to one of the best back braces out there.
99592
Go to the doctor. Your back and neck are too important to neglect. That's where all your nerves originate. You may have a slipped disk in your neck, and that could pinch a nerve. Don't bother with chiropractors. My friend's mother had back pain for a year, and she kept going to the chiropractor. When she finally went to a doctor, she found out that she had spinal cancer.
208012
Courtyard worker.  I see folks like you in my office frequently.  Your story is so common there is a syndrome named after it- failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS).  Unfortunately you are probably going to have these problems to some degree or another for the rest of your life.  Far too often people jump right into drugs and surgery and fail to explore the other options that are far less invasive and, frankly more effective (70% of back surgeries fail).  There are literally hundreds of options and you have already mentioned one, decompression.  If you had a spinal fusion, which it sounds like you did, it's too late for that.  They bridged the spinal joints with bone and now there is to joint to decompress.  The best option you have now is chiropractic (it was your best option five years ago too, but it's a little late for that now).  If you had L4-S1 fused, the problem you are facing now is that L3 is having to do a ton of work... a lot more work than it was designed to do.  Chiropractic can help to make sure that L3 stays healthy and isn't the next to go.  Your Doctor (chiropractic not medical) should also ensure that your pelvis is free of distortion.  This will help.\n\nDr. B.H.
437282
That is total bull.  Visit your primary care physician and have a thorough evaluation done, if he/she just gives you meds and you want more than that then ask for a referral to see a physiatrist if you have chronic symptoms. A referral to a physical therapist may also be an excellent option for you based upon the physician's findings.  Also, tell your physician which chiropractor you visited and what they told you was wrong, that way the physician is aware of this quack. \n\nI will say this, if you decide to see a therapist, do not be afraid to call around and ask to speak to the therapist to see if they indeed specialize in spinal care. Some do and some don't, it is a much wider field than most realize. Most physical therapists that do specialize in spinal care are highly educated in the dynamics of the spine and also do perform manipulation of your joints when warranted but they also have many other options for advanced treatment. \n\nNone the less, I do not recommend corporate facilities such as HealthSouth, NovaCare or Banyan Tree as most of these facilities do not allow the therapist to have control over thier own schedules and you may not be able to see the same therapist from visit to visit, which in my opinion is poor medical care care driven by corporate interest. \n\nChiropractic care, if you can call it that, what a sham! There may be a few good chiros out there who want to do a good job and may actually practice ethically but the profession is litered with so many quacks like the one you visited that finding a good chiro is about as likely as winning the lottery or being struck by lightening.\n\nWhat the general population doesn't seem to realize anymore is that chiropractors are traditionally not trained in modern medicine nor are they a branch of modern medicine. They do NOT go to medical school. Chiropractors are trained in chiropractic which is an unfounded, unscientific model of quasihealthcare usually taught in colleges that only teach chiropractic. There is not a single chiropractic school in the states that is found in a university system. They are usually seperate entities from all other schools because they teach their own form of science and health which is NOT recognised in the mainstream. They are NOT another type of medical doctor that just decided to go into chiropractic care versus say, orthopedics or neurology. \n\nIf you want to know the truth behind chiropractic care and chiropractors, then check out the following links. Really check out these sites too as many of the articles are written by chiropractors that have renounced their own profession.\n\nhttp://www.ncahf.org/pp/chirop.html...\nhttp://www.quackwatch.org/01quackeryrela...\nhttp://www.chirobase.org/01general/chiro...\nhttp://www.acsh.org/healthissues/newsid....\nhttp://www.chirobase.org/01general/skept...\nhttp://www.quackwatch.org/01quackeryrela...\nhttp://www.chirobase.org/06dd/chirovet.h...\n\nAlso, chiropractors state that research has justified their techniques, check out the following;\n\nDuring the past few years, two reports about the treatment of low-back pain have placed chiropractic in a favorable light. One, issued by the RAND Corporation, concluded that spinal manipulation was appropriate for some cases of low-back pain. The other, produced by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR), judged manipulation useful for controlling symptoms while awaiting the spontaneous recovery that occurs within a month in most patients with low-back problems.\nAlthough chiropractors have promoted these reports as endorsements of chiropractic, they are not. They merely support the use of manipulation in carefully selected patients. Only a few of the research studies on which their conclusions were based involved manipulation by chiropractors; most were done by medical doctors and physical therapists whose practices are not identical to those of chiropractors. Most chiropractors manipulate the vast majority of patients
461487
see a neurologist..............\nnot some  duck chiropractor who may do far more harm than any good.\n\nNeurologist can determine from mri's and testing exactly what damage has been done..\nyou can end up...with severe spinal damage resulting in nerve damage that no doctor can help if you don't get the right treament and chiro don't know diddle about nerve damage and spinal cord and cervical fusion,