Lower Back Pain - Rockland,ME

There is a book out there called Healing Back Pain by Dr. Sarno. IT SAVED MY LIFE. I highly recommend it!

Oh J.,
I feel your pain. I strained the middle of my back twice after having my son which was awful. It takes a few weeks to heal. Heat in the morning before starting your day and ice it for 20 minutes at night. Try to take an anti inflamatory to ease the pain if you are not breastfeeding. Lots of careful stretching helps (the cat stretch is a good one). I went through all the motions with an MD, Physical Therapist which was only a short term remedy. Find yourself an Osteopathic doctor, it has helped tremendously with my back concerns. Do something before it becomes chronic. When you have to pick up your son, bend with the legs and keep him close to your body with the lifts. People always told me to stop picking up my son, at his age that was not an option. Be slow and conscious of all your moves so you don't totally tweek it. A very common complaint when caring for a small one. Hang in there.

Along with all of the advice others have already given you, have you thought about orthotic inserts for your shoes?

In my 30s and early 40s, I started having some back issues. Chiropractor helped a lot. But when I went to an orthopedic doctor for something else (plantar fasciitis), I started wearing inserts, and voila!, my back pain has been greatly reduced. In fact, my back rarely goes out now!

There are different options for orthotics. You can get an orthotic that is made especially for you, but my doctor and I didn't think that was necessary. I just bought a mass-produced cushion one from his office and that helped a lot. Those were $50 each. Since then, I've found SuperFeet which I have bought for all sorts of pairs of shoes of mine. They are generally $30-35 each (I buy the bright green ones) and they last a nice long time. I can't believe the difference this simple item makes in my comfort!

This happened to me too after my son was born and it got worse. I went to the doctor. He said I needed to work out my stomach muscles in order to support my back. I went back to the gym and after several months my back problems went away.
Also, pay attention to your posture when sitting and don't bend from the waist when picking up stuff- bend in the legs. This truly helped me.

Sounds like some swelling due to the lifting. If the pain shoots down the back of your buttocks and down the legs (usually just one side), then it's called sciatica, which is something (like a bulging disc) pressing on the sciatic nerve which runs down your leg.

The best way to relieve it is icing and lying on the floor with your legs bent and the small of your back pressed into the floor. Do abdominal exercises to strengthen your abs and protect your back. Think about posture all the time and make sure you think about "pelvic tilt". Do this all the time, not just when lifting. We moms do all kinds of crazy things like lifting a kid into a car seat and then trying to buckle him at an angle, lifting groceries, putting kids in and out of shopping carts, hefting laundry, and so on.

I used to take a lot of tylenol for the pain and ibuprofen for the inflammation, but I know they are really bad for me - both are stored in the liver, and the ibuprofen is bad for the stomach too. Now I have no more problems because I've combined exercise with some great nutritional products, one of which has had great clinical trials and reduces the inflammation. It has a US government patent so, by definition, it is safe, unique, and effective.

You can also do massage and chiropractic, but that may get expensive and it may not relieve the entire problem.

Let me know if I can help more.

I was in the same boat with my big toddler when he was that age. I learned that my insurance covered chiropracters and how much their adjustments can change your world. Good luck!

I've had chronic lower back pain for years, and just three weeks ago I "threw my back out" bending down while holding my (35 lb) son. Excruciating pain. I was in tears. Long story short, I went to a chiropractor who took x-rays and discovered that I compressed a disc in my lower back. Wish I could say it was a miracle cure and I am back to running marathons (ha!), but I had to go a whole week without picking up my son at all, and am seeing the chiropractor 3X per week for 2 more weeks. My advice to you - get yourself to a doctor, chiropractor or physical therapist ASAP so that you can strengthen your back before you really hurt it. They';; give you some exercises and teach you correct form for holding, picking up and carrying. Do it now before you really get hurt, because explaining to a toddler that you just can't pick them up is no fun!

You have good advice, and also would recommend the chiropractor, and physical therapist. Learn the exercises, and then continue to do them, even after you feel better. It will take a while, but it will help.
Good luck. Back pain is no fun.

Hi J.,

First I think you need a massage!! Yes, I know we all need one of those. Second, make sure you are lifting properly, I know that we have all heard, bend your knees, don't lean over etc. But it is super important. I have a 6 year old who I still have to lift frequently because she isn't able to walk and I haven't had problems with my back because I have always been very careful about lifting, and she is my third child. Good Luck!

I have had a long history of back pain and like the person who previously posted I recently threw my back out playing with/lifting & spinning with my 18 mo. old daughter. Ice is good for the first day or two, then motrin (or aleve) around the clock and gentle stretching, and heat (some people alternate ice/heat). An Osteopath can provide an adjustment and a physical therapist can give you some good stretches to do. Gentle yoga will help. When you're back feels better you can try doing yoga regularly to keep a strong back. That is what I strive to do, but as you know sometimes there just isn't enough time! Good luck

Hi J.,

You may be lifting incorrectly. Below are some links for proper lifting techniques. A physical therapist could evaluate your muscle strengths to see if they are imbalanced, give you exercises to do, and teach you proper lifting techniques.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/back-pain/LB00004_D
http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/backpain/ht/lift.htm

: ) Maureen

As many other people have told you, chiropractors are incredibly helpful with this. But, not to scare you, my lower back pain was eventually attributed to a prolapsed uterus (I was 35). I had 2 large sons and also thought it was just the heavy lifting. I only found out when I had other symptoms like a heavy feeling in my pelvic area, straining to urinate, etc. It's probably not that at all, but if you are having similar symptoms that I had that you think are unrelated, you may want to consult a urogynecologist. It took a specialist to diagnose my problem, but it was several years before my primary suggested someone with that specialty.

Hopefully it's just a pulled muscle though!

Best wishes,

C.