Question
Hello Dr. Park!

I am a 39yr old healthy female. Over three years ago I was lifting and playing
with my son (he was 8yrs old...not small) and I felt like I "broke" my back! I
am 5'11 and 130lbs. I had to crawl out of bed the next day.I was in a lot of
pain. I was diagnosed with a lumbar strain and went through physical
therapy. I was completely fine after a few weeks. Almost a year later I injured
my back again. I was only bending and reaching for a small object and felt
something pull in the same area of my back. Again I was diagnosed with a
lumbar strain (a back xray was taken only) and I healed in just over a week.
Now just yesterday (after over a year since my last injury...over three years
since my first injury) I hurt myself again. I am very confused because I don't
know how I did it. I am a nurse and was physically exhausted last Thurs and
Fri from pulling and pushing patients all day long, but I did not feel injured
when I left work.  Could It take a few days to feel the effects of something like
that? I just kind of started feeling the pain in the middle of the day yesterday.
I do not recall any direct cause. Always when I feel this pain it is in the same
place. It is my lower back and it seems to be more to the right. It does not
hurt when I am still. It only hurts when I bend in one direction. If I put my left
arm down my left side...bending at my side, I can really feel it in my lower
right back. Also I feel almost crooked. Like I can't stand completely straight.
When I do try to straighten up the center of my lower back hurts. This time I
feel like I will recover very fast because the pain is not as bad as in the past,
but still I am very frustrated. I feel like an old lady. Any suggestions you can
give me I would appreciate.

Sincerely,

Debi

Answer
Sounds like you have more than just a recurring lumbar sprain. The symptoms you describe can be caused by some sort of internal disc derangement. A disc that is bulged (or herniated) can cause back pain along with the crooked posture you described.

Bending forward improperly can put a lot of pressure on the discs and cause it to displace outwards in one direction (which may be why it hurts to bend to one side).

An MRI may help rule out some other causes of back pain as well. I would suggest you have it evaluated by a physician, and find a good chiropractor or physical therapist that can teach you some exercises to work on posture and any muscle imbalances you might have. McKenzie exercises for back pain work very well for disc related back problems.