| Skinnybastard |
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So get this. I run about an hour a day. Six days per week. I run intervals. I run tempo. Hills. Easy recovery runs. Whatever. No problems. I lift weights. I do core exercises. I XC ski. o problem. I work around the house. I lift boulders to build a retaining wall. I shovel dirt .Again, no problem. Two days ago I strained my back WHILE PULING ON A PAIR OF SHOES! Big problem. The pain was sudden and unbelievably sharp. My lower back became immobilized and extremely painful. Everything hurts--sitting, standing. Forget about bending over. My walk has become the slow shuffle of an old man. I've basically become an invalid. I went to chiro yesterday and he diagnosed it as facet syndrome, an irritation of joints in lumbar vertebrae. He recommends lots of ice, anti-inflammatories (optional),and a couple of sessions with him for electrostimulation and manipulation. He says this is pretty mild as back problems go...although to me it feels like one of the most painful injuries I've ever had. My question is this--have any of you runners ever had facet syndrome in lumbar region? How long did it last and what helped cure it? How long before you got back to running? |
| PT to be |
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Your mechanism of injury appears to match more with a herniated disk. All of those activities that you mentioned (lifting boulders, shoveling dirt, and house work - all flexion based activities) can place a posterior force on the disk causing it to protrude. People can have disk protrusions without symptoms but oftentimes have symptoms suddenly present with a flexion-based activity (such as innocently bending over) when the protrusion ultimately pinches on a nerve root. One of the main questions to ask is if you have pain radiating down into your legs. If it is indeed facet syndrome as your chiro suggested, then it is a much simpler diagnosis to treat and has a much shorter rehab time. |
| Skinnybastard |
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No, there is no pain radiating down the legs. That was one of the first questions the chiro asked. When I said I had no pain elsewhere he said that was good news because it (along with other diagnostic tests he performed), did not indicate disk problems. Thank god for that. If this ranks as a simple back injury, I shudder to think what a serious back injury would be like. Thanks for your reply, PT to be. Sounds like you know what you are talking about. |
| Back problems. |
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For me ice helped take the pain away so I could sleep. I fell asleep with it most inights.. Chios should help a lot. I did injections & pt to no avail. Stretching helped me too & eventually graston & active release technique. Take it easy & rest a bit! |
| voiceofreason |
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Chiro here. If you have more pain bending forward than backward its highly unlikely to be facet syndrome. Facet syndrome is alleviated by bending forward as the facets are opened in this position and closed in extension which produces pain. Its likely your muscles were tight from use while working and were not prepared for the stretching motion of bending to put on your shoes. Happens all the time. Spasms usually take 3-5 days to start getting a lot better and you can expect some lingering effects maybe for up to 2 weeks or more depending on their severity. Massages and other soft tissue therapies will be helpful. Find someone to do trigger point therapy initially then progress to deep tissue and/ or ART. |
| adsgfhjadslfklajs |
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This is a nonsense diagnosis. As the chiro above me said, facet problems are exacerbated by extension of the back and not flexion. They are chronic and not acute. Your diagnosis is 100%: muscle strain Treatment is: Aspirin or acetaminophen and NO REST IS RECOMMENDED...continue with your daily routine and you will see things improve quickly. While the chiro above me got the dx right, the stuff about massage and trigger point therapy has never been proven to be effective. Dont waste your time and money. |