Expert: Gerald Anzalone, D.C. - 3/5/2010

Question
Hello, I feel in a shop almost two months ago. I knew instantly that I had hurt my back. I started off with almost like a toothache in my back. I have been seeing an osteopath for approx 1 month now. Although things have eased a little I am still in a lot of discomfort which seems to get worse dependant on the activities I undertake. The more I do the worse, pain I am in. The osteopath has told me that my spine was out of line in a few places, I have also suffered damage to my right groin. He thinks this is related to the deep muscles within the pelvis. Apparently my pelvis was out of line/twisted and one leg was slightly longer than the other as a result. I have all over back pain, shoulder pain and neck pain. I had a trapped nerve, this has now gone. The osteopath thinks I will not see any significant improvement for 2 months due to the extent of my injuries.He says that due to my age 41 and fact that I am fairly fit generally I should recover. He assures me that nothing is broken and that I have suffered a severe type whiplash injury to my back/spine. It is almost two months since the accident, do you think it is worth asking the doctors to refer me to a specialist. Do i need a scan or is this normal for this type of injury. As time is going by and my symptoms are barely changing I am becoming increasingly anxious. I do not want to be left with permanent injuries. I have asked whether any activities such as swimming might help but he seems to think that this will just aggravate matters. Your advise would be greatly appreciated. I have a lot of muscle spasm, the doctor has given me valium to assist this....

Answer
Tracey,

I can't prescribe specific treatment advice to you via the Internet, but based on the information you mentioned, I'll try to answer your question as best as I can.

It sounds like you had an injury which has left you with persistent back pain. I'm not what region of your spine is involved, but I'm assuming it's the low back (lumbar spine).

In general, medical treatments include pain medication, anti-inflammatory medication, and muscle relaxers. Valium is not a muscule relaxer; it's a sedative. It's not useful in addressing muscular pain. Conservative (non-surgical) approaches include the medicines mentioned above in conjuction with appropriate therapeutic modalities, which may include joint mobilization or manipulation, muscle manipulation, ultrasound or electrical muscle stimulation, and heat/cold therapy, and in other cases, muscle injections for pain and trigger points.

If you're not seeing significant results with your treatment, or if your symptoms are worsening, you probably should consider getting another opinion from a different practitioner. I'm assuming that if you had a traumatic event, x-rays were done. If the problem is spinal, and not muscular, you may need an MRI scan to rule out a disc herniation, but again, I'm not sure what the nature of your problem is.

I've enclosed a patient-oriented article on back pain which may be of interest to you:

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/pain/treatment/117.html

For information on trigger points, see:

http://www.triggerpointbook.com/

For a good resource on treating your own back pain, see:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Treat-Your-Back-Robin-McKenzie/dp/0958269203

Please not that this information is provided for general informational purposes only, and should not substitute for medical information given by a qualified health care practitioner.

I hope that this helps to answer your question.