Mid Back Pain

[RShea]

About 3 weeks ago I was reaching with a twisting motion and had a sharp pain shoot through my mid back. I have had this before from time to time say if I twist around in the car reaching for something in the back seat and usually it goes away in a fairly short period. The pain is below the shoulder, around the area of the ribs and latissimus dorsi muscle on the left side not over near the spine area. I am debating on how much longer attempting to rest this or if a visit to a chiroprator should be considered. Just getting out of bed standing can cause stabbing pain.

[danielbroski]

I had something that sounds similar to this but it was more in my lower back. The kind of pain your having sounds exactly what mine was like, I was told that it was a "spasm". I don't really know how to explain the exercises I was told to do. What helped me was sitting with my legs crossed and then reaching out forward and then walking my torso to the opposite side that my back was hurting on. From there you can do what you need to get a stretch in the part of your back that's hurting. You could also probably just google what to do for a back spasm I'm sure that would help

[splat]

Why are you so sold on chiropractics when there are so many other good bodywork techniques out there?

[RShea]

Don't know I am sold on Chiropratics, it has been a number of years since I have been to one and at that time it was a pinched nerve in my neck. Splat what "other bodywork techniques" would you recommend and where do you go to find someone? Many regular Doctors in my experience will prescribe a pain killer as the first step. I want treatment for the problem not just a script to mask the pain, which I can deal with.

[splat]

Ortho Bionomy
Rolfing

Try the internet. As someone who has broken his back four times, neck once and fucked up everything else, I have learned the alternatives don't necessarily include the first things that come to mind for the everyday Joe.

[RShea]

Probably none of either of those around my area- I googled Ortho Bionomy and it showed the "Health Spa" that is a few doors up from my Office- they specialize in the happy endings and mostly late night clients and probably have very few trained Massage Therapists. I know a Licensed Massage Therapist, but the Chiro would do some amazing stuff when I needed to go to him.

[splat]

That's too bad for ortho bionomy. It's a stand up profession. The correct address would be ortho-bionomy.org. Check out rolfing, too. It has progressed leaps and bounds. My back has been whacked for ten days and finally got worked on this am. What a relief. Spent the rest of the day paddle boarding at Tahoe. Feel great.

[detrusor]

I question the scientific basis of the whole chiropractor profession. Let the flames begin. Best help I ever got was acupuncture. Gods honest truth, the only true muscle relaxant is Valium, works at the neuromuscular junction. All the other "muscle relaxers" are just sedatives.

[splat]

Cool thing about Orthobionomy is they really focus on the spine through a series of touch and rocking motions that open the spaces between discs. Best and most lasting cure for sciatica I've ever experienced. If there was ever a technique that qualified as 'spinal therapy' I would have to give this methodology the nod for that title.

[danielbroski]

Speak of the devil. Same thing just happened to my back again. I feel your pain literally.

[neufox47]

Once you get the syptoms and acute pain to go away, you need to work on the cause, or it will keep coming back. My Dad went through this cycle for years, he finally started doing his exercised every day and hasn't had an issue since.

Unless you've had an acute injury in the past or a disorder, it is probably because the muscles in your back and core (defining core as glutes to lats) aren't functioning properly. You should probably be doing several exercises daily to help correct this, including some anti-rotation stuff.

What type of shape are you in and what do you do for exercise?

[GimpToo]

What does your Dad do for daily exercise? Thanks.

[BCMtnHound]

I've experienced similar mid back pain - but similar means little in such a complicated system. So far the effective treatment for me was a combination of chiro and massage. Chiro I see is a sports doc that employs physio, massage, and joint manipulation. When I first saw him about the issue, he asked if I was chained to a desk or a long haul truck driver. He seems to have nailed it - 20yrs of >3/4 in the field, now >3/4 at the desk. His thought was the chest was pulling the back out with the arms always forward at the keyboard (with some issues perhaps attributed to an increase in aggressive AM biking - my cure for increased desk jockey work). Treatment and exercises to stretch the pecs and associated front muscle groups seemed to reduce the incidence and severity. YMMV.

[neufox47]

What does your Dad do for daily exercise? Thanks.

He has lower back issues, but these are most of them http://www.physioadvisor.com.au/8120...k-strength.htm

Pops isnt trying to go mountain biking or running or anything to crazy, just live a normal, active for a 60 year old life. If you are planning on doing more than that and you have back issues, you really need to get in shape, like get your whole body strong.

Some staples that the coaches at my gym have everyone, from pro athletes to 60 year olds do, are glute activation / strengthening, anti-rotation holds, and a downward chop and upward chop.

Here are a ton of videos on just about anything, but under the progressions area check out the chops, lifts, etc. The cable machine there is pneumatic so you can do the explosive stuff without weights flying around, don't try that with a stack of weights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpLPt...73689DEB940FDE