Aches and Pains

You may want to try one more Chiropractor - Dr. David Kling on Sonterra. He is great and got me feeling better than I have in years. Sometimes you just have to find the right one. He is also great about telling you that he can't help, and where to go for help. Good luck, it is horrible having back pain.

Hey J.,

I was having back aches when my daughter was around 20 lbs... Not sure how hefty your little man is at 14 months... However, my chiropractor mentioned that he often sees a lot of post-pregnancy patients when the baby nears 20-25 lbs. He explained that around the time that the child is that weight, the baby is not primarily walking yet and is still being carried a lot, which puts more and more strain on the mom's back (particularly the lower back). Also, bending over the crib to pick up a 20 lbs toddler strains your back; you're suppose to lift with your legs however leaning into a crib makes lifting up with your legs impossible. And leaning over the changing table is awkward on your back too. maybe you can try changing him on the floor?

My daughter rarely insists on being carried now (way too Miss Independent for mama to carry her!). So, I haven't had those kinds of back aches since she was around 20-24 months. I would suggest that you ice your lower back 3 times a day, 10 minutes for each session. It might be worthwhile to buy on of those ice pads that have velco attachments (to hold in place). They sell them for about $10 at the grocery store pharmacy; that way you don't have to be stationery when you ice it. I know, everyone hates to ice but it is really the only way to decrease the swelling. Heat only makes the inflamed tissues swell. And really, the 'ice ache' only lasts for the first 3 minutes; after that, your skin gets numb to it.

And of course, try to reduce the amount that you're lifting/carrying him. Maybe you can get him to stand up in the crib before you lift him out-? That way you'll lift more with your arms and legs..

Try to avoid taking tylonal/pain killers. Daily use of that medication over an extended period of time will cause ulcers and intestinal bleeding. (Embrace ice instead!)

Good luck. Hope you feel better.

J.,

Try egoscue.com for wonderful exercises, they helped me tremendously with back pain after a car accident. At a cell group meeting I asked for prayer for the pain. Afterward a group member told me about egoscue. I had low back pain that ran down my leg. I went home and immediately went on line and implemented recommendations, what a relief! I understand your comment concerning cash output, so if you want a sample of a pain cream I use and market that works instantly through a liposome delivery, let me know. I used many before and this one is the only one that I found really works. May the Lord's wisdom lead you to a Healing path.
M.

Hi J.-

Since your back pain seems to be caused by a medical procedure rather than injury or strain these suggestions may not work but this is what helped us. My husband had herniated discs and he saw a chiropractor regularly for about 2 months and now is pain free unless he overdoes it on yard work over the weekend then he'll be stiff for a few days but not the severe pain that he was in before.

My backache was less severe than his and was just strain from picking up and carrying my 10 month old around. I bought some good shoes and bought those Dr. Scholl's inserts for back pain and my back is doing much better. As long as I remember to wear shoes all day I don't have any pain. I used to pretty much go barefoot or wear flipflops all day long and apparently that was killing my back.

I hope you're feeling better soon,
K.

dear J.,
yoga is extremely recomended. theres a handful of stretches you can do but are a little comlicated to explain. if your interested you can write me back.
that epidural thing is a real pain. i didnt have that problem but i did have a mild hip diplasia when pregnant with my second from carrying her so low. i could barely walk for almost 2 months. as soon as i started yoga up again it went away. my mother is a massage therapist and even weekly massages couldnt work out the kinks of motherhood like stretching.
"felxible people dont get bent out of shape." ;)
good luck.
M.

I have struggled with lower back pain off and on for years. Although I haven't had problems in several years except for the occasional pain.

If you think it may be muscle I would suggest for you to see your primary care doctor. If the muscles are in spasm, a mild muscle relaxer will help the muscles stop spasming and start to heal.

Sleeping on your side, with your knees bent toward your chest and a pillow in between your knees can help align your spine better and help you sleep.

I had physical therapy for my back issues and they showed me stretches, did massage and ice to help healing. If your in enough pain they may refer you for physical therapy. PT is a holistic type of medicine in that they do not prescribe medicine but try to help your own body heal and align itself. Similar to a chiropractor except that PT is usually covered by insurance.

Also if it is muscle it is important to stretch out your leg muscles, hamstrings and calves. Tight leg muscles can cause lower back pain. If I don't stretch everyday my back will be sore.

Yoga is a great idea once you've alleviated the pain!
If it's not muscle then your doctor should be able to determine what the problem is and how to help you.

I hope it's muscle because although painful it will heal!

The doctors will always tell you to keep coming back - how else do they make their money?! I went to a massage therapist (who was much better than the doctors) and she said to exercise to strengthen your core muscles. Yoga and pilates both do this really well. There are several types out there, some of which include baby in the workout which is fun for everybody. Pay attention to your posture when you walk and when you sit, also. Good luck to you!

Yoga. Whether you do a class (Yoga Yoga is excellent), a tape, or a book, it will help. Yoga.

I had awful tailbone pain after my second and put off getting it looked at for aver a year. My chiropractor solved it in just 2 visits! He is awsome and children are welcome to go with you. My three and six year old boys have been in and out of his office with me off and on for 3 years. I asked him the first time I saw him (when I was pregnant and locked my back at a water park) if it was okay to bring my son and he said if anybody had a problem with children in his office, they could always go home. His name is Dr. Burnett with inner sun chiropractic. His number is ###-###-####. He is a wholistic type of doc with a very relaxed human approach. The midwife who recommended him to me calls him Mr. Wonderful. Good luck!

Hey J.,

Oh, I am SO sorry you are having back pain. I delivered my son by C-section, and had a spinal tap. My son is now 8 months old, and I think he was about 4 weeks when I had my first go at back pain. Oh, it was terrible. My whole back hurt so bad to the point where my chest also hurt and it was hard to breath. I actually made my Husband take me to the emergency room, because I had never felt pain so bad in my life. And the oh so helpful response I received was that I was having back spasms very deep in the muscle (which is why my chest also hurt). Basically, they told me there was nothing they could do about it. Wasn't that wonderful news? So, now when the pain comes, and luckily it only comes about once or twice a month, I have to take 4 advil (or vicodin, etc) and do my best to try and relax, and lay on my side with my arm over my head and a heating pad on my back. Honestly, that is the ONLY thing that gives even the slightest relief. But it usually takes about an hour before I feel like myself again. I'm not sure if my pain is related to the spinal tap I received or not, but I really hope that these pains don't become part of my life forever. I truly hope that yours goes away. You might give the heating pad a try. I know you said you were doing some stretches. Keep doing those, too, and hopefully that will help. I'm getting a massage this weekend, and I am hoping it will help. You may try it too. Best wishes! If you find something that works, please let me know!!
S.

Have you tried rotating and flipping your mattress? or is it time for a new one? I had an epidural, I wouldn't say I had trouble with it, but i have since I was young the need for a very firm matress or my back goes out. I can always tell when It's time to flip and rotate! I had back labor and anytime I get sick it always causes extreem pain in my back.I have thrown my back out really bad a few times too! There is so little that you can accomplish when your back is out. A chiropractor really did help me. I found one that practices "well care" that meant that after my initial treatment, I could go back every week and it was only $50 a month! if I had an issue and hsd to go more than once a week for a week or two he generally didn't charge me extra! Find a good chiro and you'll be surprized at the difference. But in the meantime, flip and rotate! also take off any soft topppers if you have put one on.

Hi J..

I had back pain after both of my pregancies. After the first pregnancy, I asked my OB/Gyn for a referral to a Physical Therapist. My insurance covered all of it. After my twins were born, I just didn't have time to go...but I couldn't stand it anymore. I still have not gone but I am doing the stretches and excersises the Therapist taught me and I'm feeling better already. Pregnancy is very hard on the body and sometimes can be compared to a bad injury. Get help. You need to take care of yourself so that you're able to be the best you can be for your family.
HTH

I had 5 c-sections, all with epidurals, and back pain that followed each one. I was told by my ob that the residual effects of the epidural can last up to 20 mos after it was removed. I do know that the pain can be almost unbearable in the week before my period starts but then just becomes a problem when I do too much lifting or bending. My youngest is now 30 mos old and I still get the pain, so I've made an appt. with the doc to see if there is something else maybe wrong. I too prefer to be "doctor-free" but feel this is something that needs to be addressed now not later. Best of luck to you and finding your answers. (p.s. I'm 45 so maybe I'm just in the old factor lol)

Try a certified acupuncturist. Many times it is covered by insurance. I am not a doctor person either. It is a wonderful pain reliever that doesn't involve drugs, which is simply masking the pain. Accupuncture will help take down the swelling so your back can heal. Whatever you do, avoid back surgery like the plague. Swimming is also good for back pain as well as yoga. I had a back injury --thrown off a horse and my lower back bothered me for a couple of years. It takes a long time for your back to heal, but it will. Keep exercising. Also try sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees or on your back with several pillows under your knees. Good Luck!

I recommend yoga, which works wonders for back pain, and trying the chiropractor again. My chiropractor is Dr. Ron Burnett. Going to him has changed my life--I feel so much better than I used to. You may have to go 2x a week or so for a couple of weeks, but then it won't be as often. I go once a month now and it's enough to keep me feeling great. Also, he only charges $47 per visit, which is relatively low, I think. Good luck!

I am a Chiropractor. I really don't believe that the pain is actually from the epidural. When patients tell me that it is epidural pain, and they show me where they are hurting, the location is usually all wrong. Their pain is not even the location of the epidural shot. And sometimes these women are talking about a pregnancy that was as long as 8 years ago.

I truly believe that most of them are suffering from a combination of circumstances. There is a condition called osteo chondritis ilei or OCI. Basically the sacroiliac joint lines between the lateral pelvic bones and the sacrum ( at the center of your back below your waist and above your butt )are very relaxed during delivery due to hormones so that the baby can come out. This is even true with a well timed c-section. After delivery it takes awhile for the hormones to circulate out and the joints to tighten back in. During this time you are on your feet, bending over at bad angles to pick up and put down baby, change diapers, clothes, bottles, dishes, you also have to carry around at least an extra 20 lbs and growing of diaper bag, car seat/baby carrier, and baby. All on a pelvis that is loose and being tugged in ways it is not used to and on top of that you are exhausted especially if the baby doesn't sleep with you. So I think the joints don't have a very good chance of coming together correctly without irritation which causes inflamation and thus back pain from the pre-arthritic type invironment that hurts more later than at first. It cannot be corrected without stretching and range of motion exercises. Pilates or Yoga are great choices, massages and swimming also can be very beneficial. And often can only get completely better with joint manipulations. I am not sure that this correction has to be real lengthy. Maybe in your area the Chiropractors are very expensive. It is troublesome to hear about people who can't get care do to expense, that is unnecessary. If there is a Chiropractic college nearby then go there. If not call some offices and find a good deal. Someone should work with you, hopefully just 1 monthly payment for a weekly visit for a while. But they have to be an office that does actual adjustments, not just therapy. Once you feel better you may feel like you have to keep going but I promise this is not some trick. It is just difficult to be happy with feeling good when you have experienced feeling great. And after your pelvis is stable and strong you will feel great compared to before. I have a genetic deformity and have had back pain my entire life and have been getting adjusted since I was 7. Now that I am grown, with family and job, I do not get me taken care of as often as I should and I can tell it. I personally would not trade any other type of health care for the regularly timed adjustment. The reason I picked this profession is to give back what I had been given. By all means do not get surgery unless you are getting perminant nerve damage.
Good Luck,
I will pray for you.

I do not know if this will help, but I went through severe back pain after having my daughter and found out that I had two herniated discs. I have now had three back surgeries the last one was a fusion, so you might want to get that checked out as soon as possible so there is not anymore damage done.

Hi J.,

I too experienced severe lower back pain after birth, went to the Chiropractor and just couldn't regularly go to the appointments. There were two things that really helped and after about a two month period----no more back pain.

1. Massage--I went and had a massage once a week for I think it was just three weeks. If your short on cash, try the massage school.

2. Swimming. Being in the water relieved the pain and for some reason after doing a few laps I just felt better.

Good luck,

Debra