Question
I was told by the doctor I saw that I had a lumbar annular tear. I am devastated as I am a very active guy. I play sports and love weightlifting. I've been reading that in order to diagnose this condition, you need a MRI done. They only did X-rays on me. I only have pain in my lower back when I sit (at work, while driving). Standing up and walking is fine, I can even run or sprint. Bending over is problematic, only if I do it the incorrect way. I can jump but it feels weird when I land. I feel my legs strong still and lately I have been having a sort of pulsating pain on the side of my hips and tingling on my right foot, and sometimes my left; never the two at the same time. I'm very frustrated at this because I want to get back to my normal active life. So my questions are: is it OK to look for a Chiropractor for a second opinion and treatment. Will I ever go back to myself lifting heavy weights (Olympic weightlifting) or play sport. Please help!

Answer
Carlos,

Lots of people get annular tears in their discs.  It's what discs can do when they degenerate.   You can recover from this and go back to weight training.  Do not be devastated by it.    Find a good chiropractor and PT and get the treatment you need to get recovered and back in the gym.   Resources include:    www.acbsp.com   www.FAKTR.com    www.westhartfordgroup.com     

I hope this was helpful.

Dr. G"