Re: Low Back Pain

[Guest guest]

I would also like to hear any comments on this subject. I frequently get

low back pain, especially on the right side. If I arch my back at all

(morning stretch, etc.), my legs go weak. Lately I notice if I wear a belt,

tight-wasted pants, fanny pack, or anything that goes around my middle, the

same area of my back goes into spasm. Doesn't matter if I'm wearing heels

or sneakers. Crossing my legs will also set it off. I'd like to hear from

anyone with similar experience.

Thanks!

low back pain

Need help. Does anyone out there have trouble with low back pain or anything

that would relate it to chiari...i was decompressed 2 years ago and doing

pretty well. havd been pain free for some time and now have low back pain

and

some resurfacing of neck pain. I am seeing an ortho soon, but wanted to see

if anyone out there is or has had this problem in the past. I had xrays

which

were negative. nest step is probably another MRI....boy we get to be experts

at those.

any help is appreciated. thank-you.

in wisconsin

[Guest guest]

I would also like to hear any comments on this subject. I frequently get

low back pain, especially on the right side. If I arch my back at all

(morning stretch, etc.), my legs go weak. Lately I notice if I wear a belt,

tight-wasted pants, fanny pack, or anything that goes around my middle, the

same area of my back goes into spasm. Doesn't matter if I'm wearing heels

or sneakers. Crossing my legs will also set it off. I'd like to hear from

anyone with similar experience.

Thanks!

low back pain

Need help. Does anyone out there have trouble with low back pain or anything

that would relate it to chiari...i was decompressed 2 years ago and doing

pretty well. havd been pain free for some time and now have low back pain

and

some resurfacing of neck pain. I am seeing an ortho soon, but wanted to see

if anyone out there is or has had this problem in the past. I had xrays

which

were negative. nest step is probably another MRI....boy we get to be experts

at those.

any help is appreciated. thank-you.

in wisconsin

[Guest guest]

<< I frequently get

low back pain, especially on the right side. If I arch my back at all

(morning stretch, etc.), my legs go weak. Lately I notice if I wear a belt,

tight-wasted pants, fanny pack, or anything that goes around my middle, the

same area of my back goes into spasm. Doesn't matter if I'm wearing heels

or sneakers. Crossing my legs will also set it off. I'd like to hear from

anyone with similar experience. >>

Ingrid --this particulary sounds like spacticity to me --the morning

stretching does set of cramping in me IF I havn't taken the spacticity

medication --and neuropathic pain issues like the tight waist bands /fanny

pack impacts are ALL to familuar to me in the areas of my body affected by

neuropathic pain impacts --they go hand in hand when there has been cord

dammage of some sort --and seem to be present in many with just chiari ( not

sm ) too --but SM is notorious for causing these sorts of things through the

presure that can be exerted on the cord by the SM expansion when it's wide

enough to cause internal presure .

What I've found was involved in SOME of my lower back pain too --was the

muscles just getting weaker from less active lifestyle /and sitting more in

some sorts of chair's ect too . My doctor sugested I try GENTLE warm water

exercises for the back and to strenghten my legs -- I did these PT sessions

in a warm water therapy pool ( 94-96 degrees water temp ) and found it helped

LOTS to reduce the spasming and gain back strenght in the muscles .

I also worked with the PT to find a SAFE stretching program to follow that

helps reduce the spactitcy by doing a couple times a day . We addapted some

yoga postures paying ATTENTION to what aftermath followed /and to how each

felt --avoiding ANY that caused an " increased presure " sensation in my head

since abdominal compresion sets this off in me fast .

The discussion that Dr Weurmser gave at the LA ASAP confrence on stretching

AFTER ICEING for 15 or 20 mins also proved very helpful to work on back and

neck spasms that set in intensly periodically . I do find I can stretch a bit

farther /without as much pain when I ice first .

I'm having new issues now with major pain in both shoulders /my neck and

hands /fingers trying to use them even to just type . THIS time around iceing

has seemed to agrivate this issue --but recent MRI's are showing new cord

impingment at the c5-6 level that does corespond well to whats gotten worse .

Recent ultra sound applied for 15-20 mins to the worse shoulder area also

caused that arm /hand to turn BLUE in comparison with the other --and to feel

colder to the touch . Although it's not yet confirmed by my neuro --the

concensus I got from posting to wacma and asap is this does fit the pattern

of RSD /causalgia . -- It seems that ice is known to make this worse and

perhaps trigger further spreading --so beware trying the ice --see if it's

helpful or perhaps even making things feel worse .

-- It was a shock to me to find that when I'd gone to more frequent icing (

four times a day ) at the PT 's urging --it seemed to provoke spreading

/worsening since it had been helpful in the past . -- go figure huh --I'm

chalking it up for the moment to my underlying CONDITION " S changing and

realising that my old tried and true approaches may NOT always be the right

or helpful thing to do ! ( I see the neurologist next week for the formal

results of the MRI and comparing it to others done in the past --crossing my

fingers he will have new ideas /thoughts on what may help too ! )

I'd consider asking about referal to a physiatrist to help untangle just

what's up --and what may be best to try . When those severe intense cramps

hit me hard --then Robaxin has proved more helpful than Zanaflex or Flexoril

--both the neurosurgeons I see /have seen --agreed it was a good choice of

medication to try --and I can use it intermittantly OR constantly when it

acts up and STAYS around --they Guess this may be either my cord teathering

/surgery with scaring issues causing STRETCHING of the cord fibers when the

chiari got bad --OR it may be ms spinal cord impacts in me --but either way

-the treatment approaches are basically the same .

I hope thats a bit helpful -- flexoril and zanaflex were both somewhat

helpful to me -but both had more side effects than the Robaxin which has had

none I can tell other than truly working on this . I find too that when I get

a stiffer neck /with pain issues trying to move it around -often taking the

Robaxin at night allows me to sleep better -- and pain and stiffness are

improved the next day .

We are each so different /unique in what helps most --that I think a

physiatrists guidance is often the best way to safely explore what may help

most . They will refer you to different sorts of therapy /both western

medicine based -and often " nonwestern " too :-)

in Paradise

[Guest guest]

I had horrible back pain when my crohn's was active. CT scans at the time showed

a lot of inflammation.

Since the pain just started for you, I would certainly suspect that the iron is

aggravating things. What kind of iron is it? Maybe you could try chelated iron.

According to this post (

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/pecanbread/message/88414 ) from Sheila at

pecanbread, chelated iron is okay to use on the diet. Don't get the Carlson's

though, they have since added maltodextrin to their product.

Holly

Crohn's

SCD 12/01/08

>

> On my other crohns/colitis group, people have mentioned getting lower

> back pain as one of their symptoms. My lower back just got really sore

> within the last hour, and I was wondering if this is anything serious?

> Maybe just die off? Or the stupid illegal iron I still have to take? I

> think I'll do another epsom bath tomorrow, I did one yesterday. Thanks

> for any input!

>

> Pour Dieu, pour terre,

> Alyssa 15

> UC April 2008, diagnosed Sept 2008

> SCD June 2009 (restarted)

> 20mg Prednisone 1x daily ugh

>

[Guest guest]

What kind of iron is it? Ferrous sulfate. Hoping I'll be off it soon! I just need to get my blood tested to make sure I'm not still anemic. Pour Dieu, pour terre,Alyssa 15UC April 2008, diagnosed Sept 2008SCD June 2009 (restarted)20mg Prednisone 1x daily ugh

[Guest guest]

I haven't figured out why certain supplements/ingredients trigger lower back pain. Calcium and glucosomine are two of my worst triggers; haven't tried iron supplements but it wouldn't suprise me to react as you do. Minerals seem to be difficult for the body to process. Or perhaps it's an immune response, but why the specific lower back area? I've asked a few of my primary care physicians over the years, when they push calcium supplements on me, but they just shrug and won't say what they think.

I've thought my kidneys react to too much magnesium, but now I wonder if it is lower back inflammation putting pressure on the kidneys??? I need the magnesium (I'm low, borderline deficient) and it just helps my body move better, but I have to restrict the amount and mix the dose in water because of the pressure on my flanks, which is why I assume the kidneys. My usual lower back pain caused by certain supplements is restricted in area and doesn't usually include wrapping around the sides of my waist (the flanks).

Anyway, I don't know why -- yet. I continue to look whenever I go into research mode. I'll be paying a visit to a neurosurgeon soon to discuss the recent deterioration in my lumbar vertebrae (pain plus greater difficulty walking and lying down and sitting....) so I'll ask about the connection between certain minerals and lower back pain and frozen joints. The area of the pain connected to my lumbar damage is very specific, and again, not as widespread as the reaction to a mineral supplement.

Who knows [very big sigh]. I'm getting very experienced in detecting the subtleties of my body's signals -- I have so many health issues I guess.... [another very big sigh]

Kim M.

>>>>>>>>>

What do you think the connection is with the lower back?Like why would we feel reactions there? I saw that you have some damage in that region. I don't know if I do. I used to have -debilitating- bouts of sacroiliitis.Jodi