Back Problems

Updated on September 15, 2009
A.R. asks from Edmond, OK
22 answers

I have pain in my upper back and have for years. I know to exercise and stretchand I do these things. I have seen a physical therapist and chiropractor and both help but only temporarily. And I take anti-infammatories. Has anyone had success with alleviating pain long-term with any other kind of medicine. I am open to hearing about whatever. Thanks. This is a great group.

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L.

answers from St. Louis on

Manish Suthar who works on the Barnes West campus works with people with back pain at the Pain Prevention and Rehabilitation center. He can also help women with pelvic pain after pregnancies. He is a back pain specialist. If you google his name you can get the info. He is an MD.
Good Luck
L.

1 mom found this helpful

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K.B.

answers from Wichita on

Good Morning A., my husband had suffered with lower and middle back pain for years. Do to chasing a prisoner in Okinawa from the brig. Silly man jumped over a wall and landed wrong. Anyway several yrs ago he heard of a Dr. in Shawnee Mission ks, who did a procedure with heated needles. I can't remember what it is called. But they found he had 2 disc's that had lost the fiber or collagen between them and were rubbing against each other and bulging back toward his spine. They inserted fiber thin needles into the spaces and heated them up. This caused the collagen that was left to melt and expand/reform into the spaces, moving them back into alignment. He still gets a stiffness once in a while but there is basically 100% no pain. He knows his limits in lifting and such, and hasn't had problems since, it's been about 8 yrs now.
I believe his name is Dr. William Reed
Heartland Hand and Spine center, in Leawood,ks,
IDET inner discal electrothermal therphy
http://www.yellowpages.com/info-SS30960627/Heartland-Hand...

Prayers for all suffering with back and body pain.
K.
Called hubby and got the information site above. If you do a goggle search type in Heartland Hand and Spine and you may find one in your area. I didn't look to see where you live.

2 moms found this helpful
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A.B.

answers from Fayetteville on

I have had back issues of all sorts...starting with bad posture I exercised to hide my "early development" then weight gain, then a very bad car accident did me in. I broke a bone in my neck. Doctors tried to send me to physical therapy, pain killers, and I'd been going to the chiropractor for years so I continued that.... but it got expensive plus always being on meds wasn't working. Finally, I expanded my horizons and tried acupuncture. That has saved me so much pain. I instantly felt better. My pain was not only cut in half after the first session, but I also noticed other wonderful side effects: more energy, mood elevation, other little aches and pains were gone also. I've been doing it for 4 years and I've never felt better. Definately worth a try! Also, its painLESS literally pain less! The "needles" they use are barely larger than a strand of hair.

1 mom found this helpful
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B.K.

answers from Kansas City on

dear A.
Hi! I know what you are talking about I'm in the same boat.
I hve tried magnetic back brace which has helped alot. I'm
going to give you a web site to go to that sells magnetic
braclets and insoles that go in your shoes they say that
it helps alot my mom uses the braclet because she has arthrist
here is the website www.nikken.com there you can key in your
area to see who sells the products. B. K.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.P.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi A.,
Visit this webstite www.myfamilyspine.com They are a family owned chiropractic team. They treat you like family. Tell them A.-or tickle me elmo-sent you. they work with you to make sure you are back to where you were or a comfortable state. hope this helps!

A.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.S.

answers from Wichita on

I would try to add in massage therapy with the chiropractic. And the new bed thing sounds great. I am a massage therapist, and the two, chiropractic and massage really do work together. The thing about chiropractic is that although it is alternative therapy to surgery or medication, you have to be faithful about being adjusted, because when they adjust your spine/body to it's correct position, it stays for a little bit, but then if you only get adjusted oncce, you body goes back to the way it is "used" to being. Some chiropractors will have you come in two or three times a week at first in order to keep you body "used" to it's new but correct position. I know it's totally expensive if your insurance doesn't cover it, but it is worth it if you have a real problem. If you have any questions, feel free to message me. I have worked for a couple of chiropractors and also do massage therapy for a living. (I don't think I live in your area, so I am not trying to drum up business :) )

1 mom found this helpful
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P.B.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi, A.,
I doubt if my pain is as severe as yours, but here's an idea. I started taking two fish oil capsules per day (and up to 3) for mood. I never noticed help with that, but suddenly my heel spur pain, chronic neck pain and an old back pain from a car accident years ago -- GONE! It was really weird. I hope this works for you. As I said, my pain was not debilitating to where I had to take anti-inflammatory often but, really, my pain was literally gone in 2-3 days. I still take fish oil 2 gram per day. I hope this at least takes some of the pain away. It is also a blood thinner, so let your doc know...
God bless, P. B.

1 mom found this helpful

J.B.

answers from Kansas City on

Yoga and pilates. Pilates strengthens your core. It takes dedication and effort - you'll need to do it every day - but you'll feel so much better. Taking classes with trained instructors is the best way to start. Then you can continue at home. There are Pilates classes that use machines, but you don't have to have one to do it, so take classes that don't have them since you won't want to buy one for yourself. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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L.B.

answers from Columbia on

I had lower back problems for a long time and eventually shoulder problems. The combination of Yoga and a good chiropractor eventually got me to a pain free lifestyle.
I still do Yoga once a week and rarely see my chiropractor. I'm speaking of traditional Yoga...not the kind crafted to enhance cardiovascular training by a lot of jumping around. The key is to build muscle from the inside out (regular weight training works from the outside in) and should never be painful...release toxins and replace with fresh oxygen by deep breathing. An instructor will better explain how it works...it's worth checking into!
Hope this helps!

1 mom found this helpful
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C.S.

answers from St. Louis on

I had upper back pain for years and thought it was because of the way I sat at work (I was a dental assistant). I remarried about 2 years ago and I hated my new husbands king size bed for about the first week or two. About a month after sleeping in it, my husband said to me, "you don't complain about your back hurting any more". I really hate it when he is right! Although it was difficult for me to give up my pillow-top mattress, his Tempurpedic saved my back. My sister and her husband and my brother and his wife have both switched because of back problems and they are now gone! Not an inexpensive route to go, however, my sister-in-law got her off Craigs List for $600 - A California king. Something to consider.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.S.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi A.. Honestly, have you tried massage? 90% of back troubles are muscular, and I have Many clients who swear by massage. Massage rids the muscles of built up lactic acid and toxins, and "rearranges" the muscles into their proper places. AND it feels great. Give me a call at 618-316- 0323 and we can discuss ways to make you better. I am a lisenced Massage therapist in West Frankfort. I have my own table, and do house calls, but I also work a couple of salons in the area. I promise I will give you the best rate around. If not me tho, please try another MT, I really believe it can help you! GOOD LUCK!:)

1 mom found this helpful
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C.F.

answers from Topeka on

A.:

Have you had a medical Dr take a look at you? Does the pain come and go? You may have Galstones? This is a pain that you get in the middle of your back, like along where your bra strap hooks, and depending on what you eat, can trigger an attack, some are more painful than others, and after the food passes, then the pain will subside, and you may not have one for awhile. Foods that trigger are spices foods, and greasy foods. Just a thought, you may want to seek medical advise. C. Freeman/____@____.com

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C.C.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi A.,
I lived with severe pain in my back from age 26 on. I had fractured my back in 3 different locations when I was younger and at 26, I had this incredible pain take over my life. From the very beginning, the doctors were telling me I would never work again and my pain was so intense I was forced to use a wheelchair any time I left my house. I have tried a lot of standard medical practices and not very many alternative treatments because of the type of medical insurance we have. It doesn’t cover them. In the last year, I have seen a couple of different types of doctors that might be of interest to you. The first one was Dr. K. Dean Reeves, M.D. 4740 El Monte Shawnee Mission, KS 66205-1348 ###-###-#### www.drreeves.com I was referred to him by a counselor I was seeing and I have to say I wasn’t actually treated by him but saw him for an evaluation and was quite impressed. He does prolotherapy and you’ll just have to look it up cause I can’t even begin to describe it. I can tell you, the counselor I saw has quite a few patients who have been completely healed by this treatment. Secondly, I went to see a pain management doctor, Dr. A. Thomen Reece Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Specialty 4601 w. 109th St. Overland Park, KS 66211 ###-###-####. After everything this Dr. has done for me, I can safely say, if I moved away, I would drive hours to come and see him. He ordered an MRI of my back (something none of the other doctors had done) which told us exactly what was going on. Once we knew what was happening, we could determine the course of action to take. I took part in Physical Therapy & Aqua Therapy and we changed some of my medications. As of January this year, I was released to work for the first time in 7 years.
I still have some back pain, but not nearly what I had before. I do find the more active I am; the better it is for me. I see a massage therapist every other week, for light massage if you live in KS I can give you her info, she's amazing!(NO DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME!) I also made an appointment to see an Osteopath. I had been going to a Chiropractor, but it’s so expensive when you have to be in the office 3 times a week for most of your treatment and insurance doesn’t cover any of your visits.
I hope this helps you! I know how rough it can be! Let me know if there’s anything else I can share with you that can be helpful, k. Wish you the best!
C.

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P.W.

answers from St. Louis on

I would suggest a deep tissue massage. I am a massage therapist, and have helped many people with the same problem. Seee if your chiroprator has a therapist working in his office or go to to AMTA and see if there is one in your area. Also acupuncture is very helpful. good luck.

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S.W.

answers from St. Louis on

I recommend going to an Osteopath. Specifically I recommend Dr. Norman Neeb. I went to him myself, and he helped me immensely. He will be able to tell you more about your condition than a chiropractor. REALLY encourage you to go to him. I'd be really surprised if it didn't help.

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L.F.

answers from Kansas City on

My Mom has bad back problems due to an automobile accident years ago. She lives on anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers. Unfortunately, she had to have surgery due to disc problems at C5 which then aggravated her problems and now she suffers from nerve damage. I have back problems as well and have not found any quick remedies or medications that cure the problem. I just keep praying for healing for my Mom and myself. I know a friend of a friend who uses acupunture therapy but I'm not up for that. Best wishes and if you find something that works, please share.

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S.T.

answers from St. Louis on

Try acupuncture. I've had it done and it feels amazing! You feel it working immediately.

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V.A.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi A.,
How are you? Are you still having back problems? Have you heard of the body magic? It's a weightloss garment designed by a chropractic surgeon and a medical engineer that will drop you 2-3 sizes in 10 minutes and help you loss weight and will help allieviate back pain. It supports your back and straightens your spine. I had a slipped disk in my back and haven't had any problems since I've been wearing the garment. See it for yourself on my website. www.dropupto3sizesin10mins.com
It's been featured on NBC, ABC, fox2, and numerous other talkshows and news broadcasts. Check out this link www.youtube.com/ardysslasvegas
Let me know what you think,
V.

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L.C.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi A.,

The only thing I can think of is to have your digestive tract evaluated. Sometimes stomach pain can radiate to your uppper back. I know it sounds weird but liver problems can show up as upper back pain because you can't really feel your liver. If you really want to pursue the cause to get a better treatment, you could look up an energy meridian chart to see how our body interconnects and what organs show up in pains in other places of the body.

The other thought I have: Do different shoes effect your pain. They can really effect how our backs feel.

My last thought is from my experience. I get tight muscles, pain and muscle spasms in my upper back, especially just below my shoulder blades, down the center, if I miss a day of my liquid calcium supplemnt. I have to make sure I take the full 1000mg with magnesium and zinc and vitamin D so that it can actually be used by my body. I can tell the difference within a day if I don't take the supplement.

I hope your find an answer that works for you. Chronic pain is NO picnic!

L. C.

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K.L.

answers from St. Louis on

There are so many causes of back pain, so it is difficult to know what to recommend. I have seen some back pain relieved when a food sensitivity was identified and that food avoided. I have seen others corrected when a problem with some organ, such as liver or kidney was addressed and healed. Still others I've seen change after the person overcame some difficult emotional pattern. My son used to get knee and back pain every time they served milk and pizza at the school cafeteria. With many women, gettig the right bra can make a tremendous difference.

One thing that I wish all women were more aware of is that we can avoid causing many of our back problems and actually resolve previous back problems by seeing a good chiropractor very regularly following childbirth. During pregnancy a woman's body softens ligaments so that the pelvic structure can adjust for the pregnancy and birth. After giving birth, the ligaments will gradually harden over a period of weeks. So the spinal column is resetting its allignment while the abdomen is still heavy and its muscles provide little support. It is so easy for the back to settle into a pattern that stresses the muscles and compromises nerve fuction.

So, the weeks following childbirth are a critical period for Mom's to protect spinal allignment. This can be a fantastic window of opportunity for women who had back problems prior to the pregnancy. The older we get, the more difficult it is to correct spinal allignment. Immediately following a pregnancy, you have a few weeks where they can adjust you like they can a young child. I only got to have one child, but am so glad I became aware of this. I had back pain from scoliosis throughout my teens which grew worse into my 20's. I had my son at 28 and saw my chiropractor religiously that first year. At 50, my back is still so much better than it was when I was 19.

I don't know why this information is not better publicized. I don't think they are teaching the right things to our children in health classes and phys ed. I think its a shame that young women can graduate high-school without knowing something this basic about their bodies. Hopefully, this will set off a campaign to spread the word.

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A.S.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi A.,

I was just wondering if you have tried massage? I am a massage therapist in the Olathe area and i specialize in working with women. I work in a family oriented health club.
I work with quite a few clients who have back pain who have not been able to get relief from chiropractic care. I do a technique which incorporates long deep stroke and rocking.

In addition to massage, I am also a Independent Distributor for MonaVie. Monavie is a nutritional beverage which is made from 19 of the worlds most nutritious fruits from around the world, including the Acai berry. It is all natural with nothing added, except liquid gluclosamine and EFA's.
The Acai berry is the most studied fruit right now because of the incredible health properties it has. The fruit blend has one of the highest levels of antioxidants and natural anti-inflammitories on the market today.

As a massage therapist I had bad back and joint pain from standing in funny positions all day.... since I started drinking this juice, about 95% of my pain has disappeared!

I would love to share more about the benefits of massage and MonaVie.

Check it out: www.mymonavie.com/ajscoggin or www.thegreatproduct.com/scoggin

If you would like a massage - shoot me an email and I can call you to schedule something soon. ____@____.com

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A.L.

answers from St. Louis on

I have had back pain for over 20 yrs. don't take anything. just deal with it. not sure if it's anything like you have. I have degenitive arthrigtist and bone spurs(sorry about the spelling) have you have any x rays to see if there is something there??? if not might want too. If you find something that helps let me know too. But I would love to know more about your business. do you live in the area?? please get back to me. thank you

____@____.com

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