Long family history with back pain, am I doomed?

[Miss_J]

Is there anybody else on this board who, has had grandparents, parents with bad backs, and then be passed onto you or your siblings?

I am starting to get scared, my back started really hurting 2 months ago and hasn’t gotten better at all:( I have been going to the chiro, and physio as well as doing my own exercises the chiro has advised me to do.

But sometimes it hurts so bad I wake up in the middle of the night:(

I am taking pain meds, but don’t like to and I really try to hold off for as long as possible.

I come from a long line of bad backs, my 24 year old sister has a herniated disk and is showing degeneration of the spine, my 27 yr old brother has two herniated disks, my 34 yr old sister actually cracked one of her vertabrae playing volley ball, and my dad had such chronic and severe back pain and problems that his back was inoperable and he sadly had to end his own life two years ago as a result of the pain:(:(:(:(:

idk what to do!!! I was always pretty lucky with my back, I go regularly to the chiro which has been the biggest tool to keep my back feeling great, now it is not helping.

who else has these problems?? what do you do?? I am really starting to get paranoid and freaked out esp since what had happened to my dad.

advice or encouragement would be so appreciated:(

[HPFarmette]

Oh I’m so sorry about your dad. My mom had a bad back but I do not. I did used to have some muscle spasms, (from falling off a horse in a lesson, the stirrup leather broke approaching a jump and the instructor said “I knew that was going to happen” UNBELIEVABLE!). But my mom had osteoporosis and was not active. In my 50’s now, my back is stronger and way better than ever before because I am cleaning manure for 5 horses! Seriously, I believe most people’s back problems come from uneven/underdeveloped muscles. Have you ruled out the disk problem for yourself? What are they telling you causes the middle of the night pain? If it’s a muscle spasm, I think you have a good outlook.

[Donkey]

I am so sorry about your dad
For yourself keep being as proactive as you can. Insist on getting an MRI if you haven’t already. It’ll be easier to treat now and long term if you know exactly what is going on. The knowledge will also help your physios and chiropractors treat you. Also try other therapies if the current ones are no longer offering you any relief - don’t get stuck in a rut genes are only part of the formula.

[Miss_J]

HPFarmette: Unbelievable is right!!! seriously WTF kind of thing is that to say??? How did you know it was muscle spasms? what is the symptom for that??
I just wake up because I have a very dull ache in my lower back, I didn’t take anything when I went to bed, so maybe thats why? I have a quality mattress, but last night it was feeling too soft, so maybe I will have to invest in a new one?

I have an MRI coming up, my Dr. is in the process of booking it, and I am hoping that will tell me what’s going on, but even if it does what does one do for that sort of thing, besides surgery?

so you seriously muck stalls for that long??!?! wowza you must be incredibly fit!!! Good for you, I am very jealous to say the least! I have found this past two years that my physical shape has been going down. I am usually a very fit person as I was always riding, landscaping, and gardening, but since my dad passed, I had to take over the company and sacrifice my riding and side job of landscaping as a result.
I am going to start getting fit again, I borrowed my GF’s eliptical and bought a workout video lol(kim Kardashians butt and ab workout…it was the only one I could find at walmart I swear!!)

Thanks for the condolences about my dad, I knew it was coming, and I would never judge someone for making that decision as I didn’t have to live like that:(

Donkey: Thanks for the thought on my dad:), I have got an MRI booked soon.

Do you have problems with your back as well? I think I may try accupuncture, I know this helped my mom and my TB gelding as well!

your “don’t get stuck in a rut genes are only part of the formula.” quote, makes a lot of sense, and kind of snapped me out of that line of thinking, thanks:) I don’t want to think like a debbie downer, just sometimes it’s hard to see the light when there is dark all around you, so I really appreciate that.

[Wayside]

Sounds like you’re on the right track, taking good care of yourself. Genes are definitely only part of the equation, yes I agree with previous posters who suggested being proactive, but there’s no need to feel doomed at this point.

Let’s see, I have bone spurs around L5-S1, and I have a lot of pain from my SI joint as well. So far lots of PT and an SI joint injection have helped tremendously, so if they see the beginnings of a problem, there may be options other than surgery.

In my case, the root of the problem is probably that I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrom, which is genetic, so my mother and grandmother, and great-grandmother and so on all had it as well. It a connective tissue disoder that makes our joints unstable, so they tend to suffer from more wear and tear and dislocations and things. So that means lots of PT to try to make my muscles strong enough to do some of the work my tendons and ligaments should be doing.

So keep after your doctors and don’t give up!

ETA: I also had the awful wake you up in the middle of the night pain, and the SI joint injection worked wonders for that. JSwan here, I believe, has had the facet joint injections done as well.

[whicker]

More Hope Through Stem Cells

There is a lot being done with one’s own stem cells.
Five years ago, I got hit by a deer while I was galloping my big DWB. I badly broke my back when I was catapulted off. I went to 3 doctors and none of them even took x-rays, since they thought my reflexes were fine for a normal person of my age. They didn’t understand that elite athletes are different. My reactions have been trained to a much higher level and I have a high pain threshold.

2 months later, I found a P.T. who had advanced training in neurology and orthopedics, and specialized in riders. She is also a superb rider herself. She asked if I could feel my feet when I was hunting my greenie. I said, well, no, just went on balance since I couldn’t feel from my knees down. Made it kind of hard to pick up my stirrups if lost them… :winkgrin: She asked if I had a good relationship with a neuro-spinal surgeon. I asked what IS a neuro-spinal surgeon?

It took 6 months to get the word that I had hyper- extended all the pelvic ligaments, compression fractured a number of vertebrae, re-arranged vertebrae into new and novel positions, squished a number of discs and have the use of about 1/4 of the spinal canal for my spinal cord. One vertebrae is a bit unstable, so it can teeter into the spinal cord space. Oh, and I would be miserable if I had surgery to fuse the vertebrae there were too many of them. Oh joy.

What was recommended was P.T. with the guru P.T. to strengthen all the muscles that hold my back in place so it doesn’t rock and roll on its own. Core is critical. I also learned ways to put the pelvis back in place when it would re-arrange on it’s own. It was a real bummer when something would slip, put pressure on a nerve, and I would lose the feeling in my legs. It was worse when I would just fall over, because the whole leg would give way with no warning. And yes, indeedy, there was major howling pain and cramping to go with the rest. Sleep was quite broken.

I spent 2 1/2 years doing P.T. which got me back up on horseback. and doing some of the barn work and grooming. Finally, I got so frustrated that I grumped to my P.T. that if they could do stem cell for horses why couldn’t they do it for people? She said, they do. And, the guru who does it lives near by and has been doing a version of it for years. I researched non-stop to learn about the procedures. Prolotherapy (Prolo) and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)

Dr. Friedlis’s site has good explanations and links to articles.
www.treatingpain.com

It has taken me another 2 1/2 years of PRP, prolo and p.t.to progress to foxhunting this fall. I am not in pain and train 2 green mares for dressage and foxhunting. With help from cother “Hunter’s Rest”, I’m starting cavaletti and grid work jumping. These are huge jumps: 12" or more! I’m having fun, my sensitive horses are learning to take care of me, and I get to share the riding with my sons and friends.

Another form of autonomous stem cell procedure is BMAC. It is used for plumping up discs, re-building cartilege and bone. My daughter is having her shoulder joint re-generated with it and my husband had a disc procedure that is working. There are many other ways that it is being used, including for some eye issues.

Please feel free to p.m. me. I helped found this forum so we would have a way to help each other.

[stecia]

Inflammatory back arthritis?

You may have inherited an inflammatory arthritis of the back, or a spondyloarthropathy. This group of arthritides includes ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis. This is not the typical back pain that many of us experience and is exacerbated by activity; it is NOT a function of the much more common lumbar degenerative joint/disc disease.

At least one out of one hundred caucasians have inflammatory back disease, it often goes unrecognized. These people tend to develop back pain at a younger age, most carry the genetic marker HLA-B27 (although not all do). May run in families with psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, crohn’s.

Sometimes simply an infection of the urinary, genital or g-i tract sets it off.
When I heard about the salmonella contamination of peanut butter a few years ago, I thought, watch how many more folks will develop joint pain.

This type of back pain tends to awaken you in the early morning hours, be marked by significant morning stiffness and occassionally by peripheral joint swelling/stiffness. It can look like rheumatoid. It also tends to respond significantly to nsaids–ibuprofen, naproxen, etc…although these only provide partial symptomatic relief.

The very positive aspect of this diagnosis is that there are medications to put it into remission and stop joint damage (e.g., humira, enbrel, simponi, remicade).

[rainechyldes]

Havent read allthe replies but - I live with back pain - due to too many falls on my head over the years, torn muscles, broken bones, (sigh - love horses) and a job that keeps me at a computer all day. I basically just suffered , until… for entirely different reasons, my best friend talked me into going to pilates with her - I’ve only been going for a month.

All I can say is… for the first time in years, I haven’t walked around all day with a line of pain running up the entire left side of my back. Or been woken every night because my back is flashing ‘I hurt’ signals at me. I’m addicted to it now, all that stretching feels soooo nice on my back.

[Miss_J]

[QUOTE=stecia;5244412]
You may have inherited an inflammatory arthritis of the back, or a spondyloarthropathy.
I will have to google this! I can’t even pronounce it.This group of arthritides includes ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis. This is not the typical back pain that many of us experience and is exacerbated by activity; it is NOT a function of the much more common lumbar degenerative joint/disc disease.

At least one out of one hundred caucasians have inflammatory back disease, it often goes unrecognized. These people tend to develop back pain at a younger age, most carry the genetic marker HLA-B27 (although not all do). May run in families with psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, crohn’s.

Crohn’s, colitis and ulcers in the stomach DOES run in my family!! crohns and colitis on my mothers side and problems with the intestines and bowels in my dads(my dad had I think two sections of his bowel removes)
Sometimes simply an infection of the urinary, genital or g-i tract sets it off.
September 2008 I got my first UTI and had repeated UTI’s up until January this year. Just out of the blue and I remember two infections almost turning into kidney infections.

When I heard about the salmonella contamination of peanut butter a few years ago, I thought, watch how many more folks will develop joint pain.

Really? why do you say that? does salmonella affect the joints?

This type of back pain tends to awaken you in the early morning hours, be marked by significant morning stiffness and occassionally by peripheral joint swelling/stiffness. It can look like rheumatoid. It also tends to respond significantly to nsaids–ibuprofen, naproxen, etc…although these only provide partial symptomatic relief.

I wake up in the early hours around 4:30ish am and incredibly stiff in the mornings, and the pain is more intense in one spot in my back. I started on T3’s, then tramadol, now percocet(sp) and they do take the pain away but I hate that fuzzy feeling they give me, esp in the morning(if I take them in the morning) because they make me sick even with food.
The very positive aspect of this diagnosis is that there are medications to put it into remission and stop joint damage (e.g., humira, enbrel, simponi, remicade).[/QUOTE]

Thank-you for this info:), I have a dr. that I go to for the meds, and she is the one that has got me booked for an MRI, but I don’t know how much she knows about back problems, I guess I will passed on to a back specialist.
Question tho, would an MRI show inflammation or arthiritis in the spine? I’m not even sure what an MRI shows.

[stecia]

an MRI of the lumbar spine MAY reveal inflammation but it is usually ordered to look for degenerative disc disease, which may or may not be the problem. Degenerative disease is the most common cause of back pain but would be unusual in a younger adult.

It would be great, however, if she could include mri of the sacro-iliac joints (the latter are not automatically viewed on l-spine imaging). Sometimes inflammatory back disease is most marked by s-i inflammation. You may be able to isolate tenderness there, on either site of your sacrum.

Even plain x-rays of s-i joints may be revealing.

http://www.rheumatology.org/practice/clinical/patients/diseases_and_conditions/spondyloarthritis.asp

[red_mares]

I skimmed through these replys, so this may be a repeat. My dad has had a variety back problems for about 50 yrs I think. The one thing he has said is that he wished he’d never gone the surgery route (he’s had a couple), and recommends that anyone avoid it as long as possible. He does the chiro thing, facet injection, steam room, and martinis every night.

I hear you on the muscle spasms - had them for years in my neck after a car wreck and never knew that’s what it was. I just didn’t have a reference point at 25 to say “Oh, that tight, grabbing pain in my upper trap is a muscle spasm”

[jonahmerchant12]

I thought backache had more to with the life style,

[system]

BALIMO

Hi I would like to offer a possible help to back issues. I have recently started using a BALIMO chair. BALIMO is short for BALance In MOtion. The BALIMO has worked so well for me that I became a distributor for them in the US and Canada. The BALIMO was designed for the equestrian world and is amazing what it can do for the body.

[cheval_convert]

Fellow but former back pain sufferer. Had surgery and it repaired the immediate issue (screaming sciatic pain from piece of disc lodged in it) but did not solve the years long back problems.

What I learned is that you need to see a few physical therapists because they all bring something different to the table. I use what works.

Try swimming - this did me the most good. If you do swim do all different strokes. I would do the crawl stroke and the breast stroke with a mask and snorkel so that I could keep my back aligned and not hyper extend my neck. I would then do the side stroke on both sides and then the back stroke. By doing all of these different strokes I put my limbs through the full range of motion. All of this helped to stretch and strengthen my back

About years ago I thought I was headed for hip replacement. I would wake up in the middle of the night and my hip would be sreaming in pain. We had a fairly new, high quality mattress. Finally, in desperation, we bought a temperpedic like mattress. (They were not very common back then and there weren’t too many options.) The mattress itself was very hard, but my hip no longer hurt. We then bought the temperpedic topper. I would collapse into bed at night and think that I had never been in such a comfortable bed. 10 years later, the hip pain has yet to return.

And do not underestimate what stress can do to your pain levels, especially in your back. Read John Sarno’s book “Healing Back Pain” and see if any of it might apply to you. The book, along with all of the above was a lifesaver for me.

I hope some of this helps because chronic pain is no fun to deal with. My deepest condolences about your Dad - it still must be very painful for you to think about.

[foggybok]

That would be me

My Dad has a bad back, has had surgery and now can hardly walk. Mom has bad joints in general, so I’m a genetic disaster…Both older brothers have had serious issues, I have for years…

I found the “right” chiro to help me and have been doing great for a whille. The first time I was treated by the right Dr, I stood up straight for the first time in 20 years! I was so excited!!!

You really need to keep your core strength up. If you have bad conformation, you’re going to be fighting it and it’s harder to fight if your core strength is poor. Swimming is good. Yoga, Tai Chi… Psoas stretches are a must! Keep yourself fit and balanced. Balance is important, if you over build the muscles that pull you out of alignment, you’ll just get worse…

Core strength core strength core strength!

given your age, you might want to ask about some of the other conditions listed above. You shouldn’t have so much pain so young… (although my first incidence of not being able to stand up due to severe back pain did come in my early 20s…)

[JSwan]

My back is a freaking disaster. Had problems since I was in late teens. Which was a long time ago.

Military service, years of running, riding, and tennis didn’t help.

But but boy oh boy was it fun.

Middle age didn’t creep up on me. It suddenly arrived. Ta da! Had a minor surgery which worked wonders. But it didn’t stop progression, only slowed it down. Despite my best efforts with diet, exercise, the works.

Anyway, broke my back, herniated another disc, can’t run anymore, have got bad arthritis in. My back. Got facet injections, then had ablation of the facet joints. I’m back at the gym, running the farm, and fox hunting. Even bought a new horse, who is a lot of fun.

Don’t let your infirmities control your life. Understand your condition. Treat your condition. But do not ever stop doing the things you love. Don’t give up your passion. Don’t be afraid. As Joseph Campbell said, Follow your bliss.

All will be well.