Back better today...thanks Brent

I woke up this morning after getting the first good nights sleep in ages. I am sore but not in PAIN.

I think it was the icing that did it. One time, years ago, I was having back problems and the PT said my SI joint had slipped out of joint and caught. A little manipulation and boom I was fine.

I think the same thing happened but had been out of place for so long it was inflamed to where it couldn't move back into place.

Yesterday I iced and iced and iced and wore my big brace even though it hurt. I think the icing brought the swelling down enough that the joint moved back into position.

I'm pretty sure it was my fantastic Italian heels at the wedding that was the culprit.

I think Im goin to try to find a good chiro in my area to address this whenever it flares.

Does this sound logical, Brent?

Have been thinking of you, so glad you are feeling a bit better, i tore a ligament in my back 4 years ago and to remember the pain still makes me shudder now, sooo painful!

I am glad it's doing better. Low back pain is pretty unforgiving. Any women that has been through childbirth is doomed to have some low back issues from their sacraliliac (SI) joint. Before birth pitocin loosens your joint ligaments. Otherwise childbirth would either kill the baby or fracture your pelvis. So the SI joint ligaments stretch allowing the pelvis to slightly dislocate.

However some women never heal up from that and the SI ligaments stay loose(er).

Notice the number of large nerves around the SI joint. If that joint is not tight and aligned then you have some serious pain to deal with. The Sciatic nerve alone will give you hell if irritated.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

However you can many times fix a mis aligned SI joint yourself.

Lay on your back on the floor (not bed). Use your hands and clasp your knee and then pull it towards your chest as far as you can. Then move it as far as you can to the right and then left while pulling it. Do that a couple times and then thrust your leg out like trying to kick a ball on your back away from you. You will quite often feel a clunk or pop. That is the joint going back in. If you are not sure if it's the left or right SI joint do it with both legs. Most of the time you will know.

And yes, heals are murder on your knees and low back. They're not worth it. If you're good looking then you will be good looking two inches shorter. If you're ugly you will still be ugly two inches taller.

Thanks Brent, Ive never seen it diagramed out like that.

I haven't worn my heels for six months. I could sprint city blocks in them. I'm having a hard time getting used to wearing dresses with flats, but alas have. I'm old, comfort before style.

I didn't have paper towel yesterday, but I did today and the ice was even colder. Once I had the ice on for half an hour the pain killer I had taken earlier kicked my butt and I took a lovely two hour nap. That hasn't happened in ages. When I woke up, no pain at all.

this morning is started burning quite a bit when hubby and went out to breakfast. But I still think of the couple of pain free hours as a victory.

I'm anxious to try the exercise but am not hurting right now so don't want to try it.

The benefits of ice are cumulative so you have to do it several times when it becomes acute. And then in the future ice at the very first sign of pain. You need to have at least three gelled ice packs and number them. They take a long time to re-freeze so ice #1 will be frozen when you rotate back to it from #3.

The leg thrust is a self adjustment technique and you might only have to do it once to get the clunk. Hope it improves for you. Low back and pelvic disorders never really go away. You just have to manage them aggressively.

I've had two kids and numerous abdominal surgeries so my pelvic area is a mess. My abdominals give little support for my back which contributes to the problem.

Even though I had surgery for csytecelle and rectocelle they have fallen again, so more pressure there. that was a tough surgery and Im not anxious to do it again.

I know tightening the core will help tremendously but lately it's always been so inflamed we can't get to the strengthening exercises.

I found that hubbies weight lifting brace seems to work the best.

Brent, your post on the SI joint, complete with picture, was extremely informative. It makes sence now that my SI joint is in pain all the time. I had both of my children in my 40's and the information on childbirth and pitosin hits home for me.

I am just wondering why my doctor, who is treating me for my SI joint, has never inquired about childbirth and discussed why my SI joint is continuing to degenerate. The excersies that you mentioned were also good. It helps to hear why I am having a problem today when I never injured myself.

Kudos to you Brent. You are a very intellegent person with a lot of knowledge on subjects. Thank you so much for sharing.

kimsmom

I am glad I could be of help, although it's tough to do much without watching how someone walks and moves and be able to do any hands on assessing. All I can do is throw out the most common scenarios and what usually works for them.

As far as why docs do or don't do certain things is beyond me. But I make a living doing what they don't do or even suggest. And from personal experience with migs and a few other disorders I am getting more and more disturbed at how slow docs are at keeping up with new info.

I fully understand how approx 180,000 people a year die from doc and hosp mistakes. My wife was within a week of becoming what our culture labels "acceptable loss" thanks to a doc that completely missed a lethal disorder.

As kid I was afraid of docs because of what I didn't know. Now as an adult I am afraid of them for what I do know.