Expert: Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman - 4/5/2007

Question
Have had a problem with lower back now for 6 days...2 days ago had a physio come and do an adjustment to the low back area...sacral?? ... there were 2 joints that were out of alignment and the physio adjusted them then put tape across the low back.
Since then I am still having pain ..... its like an electrical pain that i feel up my back and i am still having problems sitting down and stiffness.....how long will it take to be free of this pain?....it feels like my coccyx is squashing down onto the seat so I am very uncomfortable....is there anything that i can do to relieve this trouble?..should i have it xrayed? ...can these joints cause me to be crippled? ...i am scared because the physio said 24 hour i should be feeling better but that is not the case....are there any exercises that i can do that will help this to settle..and how can i tell if the joints have stayed in place?
Looking forward to your reply as this is scaring me .

Answer
Dear Marg,

I am not sure what the PHYSIO (physical therapist) did to your low back, but if they said they adjusted it they are either lying or practicing without a license.  By law physical therapists are not allowed to adjust the spine, only chiropractic physicians and osteopathic physicians.  Not to  mention the physio is not a primary care provider, therefore he/she was additionally violating the law without first obtaining a referral from a doctor to treat.  

Moreover, I wouldn't let anybody adjust my spine without a proper examination to include a full personal and family history, orthopedic tests, reflexes, and a review of systems as well as x-rays to determine if I was a candidate fro that type of care.

What I would recommend is that you get to a doctor to have the problem evaluated and addressed appropriately.  Low back pain can be caused by numerous conditions as well as multiple areas of anatomy.  Often doctors cannot even figure out the exact cause...it is not just as easy as manipulation.  In the mean time I would use ice for pain and ibuprofen (motrin/advil) or naproxyn sodium (alleve).

You don't need to be scared about this until you have a proper understanding of what is the cause.  Back pain that is generated from the joint spaces can frequently be quite intense.  If you have inflammation around the nerve roots this can also create quite a bit of sharp and electric pain.  Please seek out a good chiropractic physician in your area and have them examine you fro a proper diagnostic opinion!

Feel free to follow up with any additional comments or questions in respect to any diagnosis given.  I would love to give you some advise on exercise, but without an understanding of the exact problem, this is hard to do.

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net