Question
Hi, I am a 16 year old female who has been horseback riding for 7 years. For the past 4 years, my lower and mid back have been bothering me every day. I've had an MRI and a set of x-rays which revealed slightly bulging disks in my lower back, mild arthritis, slightly degenerating (I think that was the correct word) disks in my lower back, and according to my physical therapist my hips are uneven. I have done about 5 months or physical therapy with not very much improvement. My physical therapist has told we without quitting riding, I will not improve any more and my pain will continue to increase. Horseback riding is a major part of my life, and I am not willing to just give up that easily. I have pain every day and I am not able to ride nearly as much as I used to. Would seeing a chiropractor be a good next step? Thank you in advance for your reply.

Answer
Horse girls! You are definitely a special breed!  I can usually count on interesting cases from girls who ride horses.  I can agree to a point with your physical therapist, but not completely.  First, I would recommend a temporary cut back in your time on the horses, about 50% for about 30-90 days while you recover, but yes, I would recommend that you see a chiropractor.  Physical therapy is good, but really should be done following chiropractic care.

It is like driving a car that is out of alignment: the harder you drive it, the worse it will get.  Once you align it, you can drive it pretty hard.  If you are already doing physical therapy, I would not stop, however, but let your chiropractor know what you are doing.

I would also recommend that you see a sports chiropractor, or one who does Cox technique or flexion distraction technique.  You may also want to look into decompression therapy for the disc in your low back.

Good luck,

Dr. P