Question
Doctor I must tell this story again (for the thousanth time) I am a retired police officer and in 1992 I was walking down the sidewalk with a group of cops at lunch when suddenly I felt pain in my left hip area that went straight to my calf muscle and within a few minutes I had to stop. Well since that time and 3 MRI"S and one back surgery for Spinal Stenosis not to mention 3 steriod injections in my back I still have the same pain. I have been told Iam over weight which I know Iam but not obeast and Iam a diabetic type 2. I know that my sacrum is out of place and rarely stays in. I experience discomfort throughout the buttocks area sometimes on the rightside also. It seems that when Iam out that it goes to my neck and shoulder area and back in forth to the before discribed regions.I would love to walk or run to loose weight and to just experience every day life without pain. My back surgon wanted to send me back for more steroid injections in the same place where they didnt work before. Then his assistant suggested injections in the SI joints. They also suggested warm water therapy and when I arrived the instructor said I was extremely tight in the muscles in the glutes and she suggested deep tissue massage. I thought I would get your opinion since I seem to be getting many. I have been seeing a chiroprator who has been using electric stimulation however he will not put my sacrum back in place since I had surgery on Nov. 9th, 2004. I have been doing lower back exercises (crunches to build abs) Do you have any suggestions as to how I can get my sacrum to stay in place. By the way 3 months after the surgery I underwent another Mri that revealed no nerve involment so I was told.   Help

Answer
John,

Thanks for the question and I hope that I can provide some help for you. First off I want you to know that I am very sorry that you are experiencing these problems and I want to say THANK YOU!  for your years of service to your community and our great nation.

The results of the last MRI sound good, but I do agree at this point with your DC.  While I know that the sacrum needs to be moved, I like to wait about 5-6 months prior to manipulation on a surgical spine. It sounds like you are doing the right things, but I will recommend a couple others.

I am also an acupuncturist and normally treat my post-surgical patients with acupuncture and see great results.  The muscle tightness and pain will normally decrease and subside and the sacrum problems often clear up after the muscle tightness is eliminated.  Acupuncture has also been shown to help speed the healing process.

I would also recommend the regular use of a sacroiliac belt.  This is a support worn low down around the hips to help support and stabilize the sacrum and SI joints.  Ask your DC about it, he can order one for you.

The one glaring thing missing in your description was rehab strengthening.  If you have not had any, you need some.  Strengthen the back and get the pain under control, then in a couple of months you can tackle the weight loss. I hear this often, "It is the weight".  Usually in a back like yours, it isn't the weight.  

If your surgeon isn't willing to put you in a back rehab program, ask your chiropractor, he should be able to do it.

I hope this helps and hang in there. Find some acupuncture and get to work on the strengthening and in a few months time, you should be on your way to where you want to be.

If you have any more questions, contact me through allexperts.com.

God Bless,

Dr. Boss