Question
Thankyou very much for your kind reply. I ended up going to see my chiro because i wanted it checked out. He said the pain in my leg was referred pain from my low back and wasnt from going to the gym. I am very disappointed as ive had a few weeks with hardly any symptoms at all, so much so that i wud forget about my back and wudnt constantly think about it before i bent over etc. TYhe areas in my bottm that were orignally very tight and painful had eased off but they were very painful again at this chiro visit. Is it usual for the pain to go away and then have a relapse. It's made me a bit worried again as everything was going so well. I just dont want to be seeing a chiropractor every two weeks for the rest of my lfe becasue for one i cant afford it!!!

Thankyou

Nicola
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Question -
Hello again,

Well its been a while since i last mailed u. I've been perservering with the gym three times a week and pilates once. Ive had a couple of little niggles but generally all has been improving very well.

I am working my legs on a few of the resistance machines at the gym so dont know if this has anything to do with my back problems or with working out at the gym but today i have been experiencing little spasm type pains in my right leg as i walk. It seems to be around the quadricep area, the outside side of my upper leg. It happened a couple of weeks ago a few times in a day but has been fine since although today it is doing it alot more so i dont like walking. It doesnt do it at all when i sit down. Its not excruciating but it isnt pleasant as its a sudden twangey type pain and i am worried about it getting worse.  Any ideas what it could be? I dont want to stop using the resistance machines at the gym as i want to build my legs up as they are very slim.

One last thing while i am mailing you anwyay. Since going to the gym and using weights etc i have noticed more and more that i click in joints as i do certain movements. Its quite worrying to em as it isnt normal. I know i have been told i am slightly hypermobile but are all these clicks a bad thing?

Thanks

Nicola
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I am trying and really will try to loompast the pain for now. What is hard for me is that its the very original pain that has come back which was the one i found the hardest to cope with. I feel tight on my lower left side but also get little twingey type pains there. I dont know if these are mild muscle spasms or not but its not like the usual ache pain. Is it best to use hot or cold treatment for these type of pains? I always thought hot may be best forn this as it helps to relax the muscle?

Lastly before i leave you in peace, is it not unusal for the original pains to come back a few times then before they go away completely (hoping they will go away completely)

Nicola


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Question -
Thankyou for your reply

I was told this by a back specialist and it has confused me as i never mentioned to him that i had pulled a neck muscle a week before the back pain started. Could he be right?

"your hip locks because of nerve interference causing muscles which attach around it to be in spasm. you can expect that if the cause (which is in your neck) remains uncorrected, that this will be an ongoing and worsening problem, along with other symptoms produced by the same interference pattern which affects your hip"

Is nthe lower left back connected to the neck like that then? I told my chiropractor about the neck muscle that i pulled. I have ha d a few neck adjustments but how can i get rid of the problem if this is what it is?









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p.s. I ended up going to see my chirpractor again this afternoon as i just wanted to be checked out. She said i had a locked joint right down low on my left side. I dont know how i have done this and its quite upsetting as i was really enjoying the exercise and in dont know what i shud and shudnt do now. I also asked her if i hadnt have gone to see her wud my body have corrected itself eventually. She said no it wudnt, my pain may have got better as my body coped with it but it wudnt have been fixed :( What worries me is i dont want to frequently see a chiropractor for the rest of my life as for one i dont know if we can always afford it and two, what is wrong with my body to be locking joints! Cud i have a prob that the specialist failed to see on the mri?


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That's great, its really nice to be able to ask you so it can hopefully put my mind at rest. Is it normal that this pain in my ankle would last weeks? I can feel it a bit when i stand on tiptoes with that foot and when i sit with my foot in certain positions. It's been 2.5 weeks since i hurt it and the pain is just the same as it was in the beginning. I can live with it easily but it concerns me as to why it lasts so long.

Is there anything else i can do to help it?

Thanks


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Hi there,

Well i have started exercising, i'm going to the gym twice a week and pilates once a week for the moment. My back does seemed to have got a little better so hopefully it will keep getting better!!

I had another query about my hyper mobile thing. I has never thought of this before but its made me think about another little problem i have. About three months ago i was pulling a boot off my foot but i dont think i had undone it enough so as i pulled, it really pulled on my foot which caused a pain and after that my ankle felt a little strained and hurt when i put it in certain positions. It didnt seem to get better for a very long time but two weeks ago i did the same thing and pulled at a boot on my foot, the same thing happened and now my ankle feels a bit strained again. It doesnt hurt all the time, just mainly when i sit in certain positions. Could this all be down to my hypermobility? Should i just get on with it as the pain isnt that bad and it doesnt stop me walking. It's just a real pain and i worried it coulod be something bad.

Thanks

Nicola


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Also. i am trying the gym for the first time ever and will take it easy. Should i assume that i will still get my usual aches for a few weeks yet, even with exercising reguarly?

I have seen some classes near me called Flexi Bar which claim to be very good in strengthening the core muscles around the spine. Have u heard of these and wud u recommend them?

I am also doing pilates which i have just started.

I asked you about my aches in my leg in the previous mail. It also sometimes feels slightly weaker than the other leg. Could this be all related to my problem and nothing to worry about? In a way i wish the mri scan had showed something up as my mind keeps getting carried away thinking there must be a problem tghere that he hasnt seen! I just want a completely free day of some sort of back ache!!!

Thankyou so much for helping me :)

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Firstly please let me say i think this is a fantastic site for free advice, especially for someone like me who tends to worry alot!!

Thankyou for your reply.

A couple of more questions if you don't mind - Should i be worrying about the fact that the spine surgeon said i am hypermobile? It sounds horrible and ive looked up a little on it which is worrying!

Also should i be worried that i click when i move my right arm in a certain way? If i touch my right collar bone when it happens i can feel the clicking around there if that helps. It concerns me as i know its not supposed to do that, and if i lay on my right side in bed and lean on my right arm for a bit, when i get up it feels stiff in that area and clicks louder. Again the surgeon wasnt bothered by this and said it was normal for me, although it only started happening two months ago!

The other thing that worried me is the back pain started on my lower left side but since it started three months ago the aches have sort of moved around my back. Currently its the middle part of my back that aches, above the lumbar region. Ive had my neck and lower back mri'd but not the throracic area. I have been thinking that what if the problem was there but no-one has seen it as i havent been scanned there. Am i being silly and just looking for things to worry about do u think? I just ached every day and it gets me down every now and then.

Lastly, you say i will be sore at first when i start to go to the gym and work out. Will the aches get worse before they get better then? How will i know if its normal what i am feeling or if i am hurting because its not doing me any good.

Thanks so much for your help. It's not easy for me to speak to my specialist. I have left answer phone messages but so far havent heard back

Nicola


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Question -
I have been suffering a bit of low back pain since Nov now and although it has eased off a bit, my back still isnt right. I saw a chiropractor who helped alot and have now seen a spine surgeon and had an mri scan of my neck and lower back as not long before the back pain started i actually pulled a neck muscle. The mri scan showed perfectly normal healthy discs and everything in my lower back. The same really with the neck although he did say one disc had slight signs of degeneration but this was perfactly normal for someone aged 27. He did tell me that i am a little hypermobile as i can pull my thumb back quite far towards my arm. Basically he was sort of shoeing me out of the door telling me exercise was the key to my problems, to do pilates and join a gym to get my muscles working properly. I am naturally slim and have never been to the gym in my life so he thinks this is the answer for me plus i had two babies quie close together not long ago. I also have bad posture. Needless to say i feel like i had all these tests and dont seem to be much wiser about my problem. I guess i should be please that the specialist couldnt see any real problems but i still dont really know why i get the achey pains i do.

I also told the specialist that i have a joint that clicks alot when i moved my arm a certain way. He told me not to worry and this was normal for me as i am hypermobile. Surely it cant be good for me and i'm worried about what damage it could do in the long run.

I am about to join a gym. Is there any equipment i shouldnt use or should all be ok if i build up gradually?

Thanks

Nicola
Answer -
Nicola,

Thanks for the question and I hope I can help.

I think you are about to take care of your problem which appears to be one of deconditioning.  I see this a lot in taller, slimmer women after they have children.  The carrying kids and all that is involved with that plus the other rigors of life begin to wear on the body a bit.  Because you have not had to ever "workout", you may be just simply losing some muscle tone the will require some work to strengthen and tone the muscles of the back and neck and torso.  

I think that you can do all of the equipment at the gym, as long as you understand that you have to take it slow and steady.  Pace yourself.  Rome was not built in a day and neither will you be built in a week or month.  You will be sore at first, but it sounds like a steady, proper conditioning and toning program will be key to you feeling better and eliminating these pain problems.

I recommend that you see your chiropractor occassionally through your initial working out.

Take care and let me know how it goes.

God Bless,

Dr. Boss
Answer -
Nicola,

I appreciate your appreciation and I will always welcome your questions.

Do not worry at this point about the hypermobility.  Strengthening should help, improve, resolve this issue.  Many people are hypermobile and never have any problems, but you do want to strengthen the supportive muscles to help the ligaments and decrease some of that hypermobility.

The clicking sound around the clavicle sounds like snapping tendons to me.  When muscles and tendons are tight, they will not move across the bony landmarks of the bones in a flowing fashion.  They will "kind of catch" on the landmarks and then click over them.  A joint noise could be a concern, but a joint noise will not make the noise again and again.  So I am with the surgeon, this is not a big concern from our standpoint, but I know it can be aggravating.  Again, I feel that the exercise and periodic care (chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, stretching, yoga) will help this over time.

The middle back pain is a common thing to experience in a "deconditioned spine".  I hate to sound like a broken record, but I feel that with 4-8 weeks of consistent exercising, this will feel much better.

The soreness you feel should be a bit different in the fact that it will be that aching soreness and stiffness of exercise.  I also recommend yoga and stretching classes for you even at the start here.  This will help with some of the soreness problems, but will also create some if you have a good instructor.  The soreness of exercise and strengthening will feel different than the pain you are having and you will be able to tell.  I also recommend using cold packs on your back and neck after each exercise session for the first 2 weeks, this will help the pain and soreness effects.

Just remember to start slow.  I know you are anxious, but the more is always better at first.   Take it slow and easy and smart.  This way you will find the results you want.

Keep me informed and always feel free to ask anything that comes up.  I always try to get back to you within 3 days.

God Bless,

Dr. Boss

Answer -
Nicola,

I understand what you mean about wanting the MRI to show something, however, feel fortunate that you don't have anything bad going on and know that you will improve.

I have not heard of the Flexi Bar class, but I will try to look into it.  It sounds like it may be great for you, but might be too much too soon.  Additionally, pilates is great, but can be tough initially so take it slow. Slow and steady, that is the plan.  I know you are anxious, but slow and steady will get the job done.

Keep me informed!

Dr. Boss
Answer -
Nicola,

It's great to hear from you and I am glad that things are looking like they are heading in the right direction.  It sounds just like what you think.  It sounds like you probably had some slight opening of the ankle joint itself which resulted in the mild pain.  You may want to use some ankle wrap type support when you are exercising. This will help support the joint and tissues.  You may want to be a little less aggressive about getting those shoes off as well.  HA! HA!

I think  you are going to do great.  Keep up the good work and just know that it is going to take some time to get where you need to be.

God Bless,

Dr. Boss
Answer -
Nicola,

If it has lasted that long then you most likely have a mild ligament sprain.  I would recommend icing the ankle after workouts and wearing some sort of support.  It can be as simple as an ACE bandage type of wrap just to give some extra support to the ankle joint. It could continue to bother you a little for a couple of months, but should continue to ease off to the point where you don't feel it at all.

If it continues past that or worsens, let me know.

Take Care,

Dr. Boss
Answer -
Nicola,

This is a normal consequence of beginning an exercise program and attempting to stabilize the area.  It is not that big of a problem, it just hurts like it is.  World Class athletes have fixated joints on a regular basis because of their training activities. If you continue to strengthen and stabilize the areas, you will not have to continually see the chiropractor for the rest of your life, but for now, you will likely have to a few times per month for several months.  You just have to be patient and know that you will have a rough few first months during this strengthening program.

Keep me informed and do not get discouraged.

You are on the right track!!

God Bless,

Dr. Boss
Answer -
Nicola,

While you have have hip distortions which begin due to neck problems, it is highly unusual and rare.  I have seen a lot of lower back problems left untreated and develop neck problems, but normally the problems work this way, from the bottom up.  I think that you have a few problems and are hypermobile and the strengthening and stablizing will eventually do what they are supposed to do, stabilize your frame.  See your chiropractor regularly through this period and continue the exercise and you will reap the benefits.  I don't know how long it will take, but it will help.

Just be patient and don't try to do too much or worry too much.  You are doing all you can to improve your health.  You just have to give it some time.

Take Care,

Dr. Boss
Answer -
Nicola,

It is not unusual at all for this to happen.  But go easy with the heat.  I prefer ice in these instances, even for the tight muscles.  You can do hot showers and baths, but stay away from the heating pad.  It is not a good thing to use.  Try ice 20 minutes per session.  

You may also want to look into some acupuncture for the tight muscles.  It is amazing how it works.

God Bless,

Dr. Boss
Answer -
Nicola,

I am glad to hear from you and that you are doing well.  It sounds like the legs are just normal sensation from beginning to build strength. I think what you are feeling is quite normal and actually a good sign.  Try to stretch and maybe even some type of muscle rub to alleviate soreness and the twangy sensations.  

Also, the clicks in the joints are also normal at this point as you are strengthening and stabilizing things.  The muscles may be a bit tight in areas which will cause a bit more pressure to the joints.  Then when you move, just like moving a knuckle to "pop" it, you get a click.  Absolutely nothing to worry about at this point.  

I say keep up the good and hard work. Understand you are going to experience some forms of discomfort along the way. If the pain is severe, or alters movement for more than 3 days, consult your chiro.  

I am very proud of you and applaud your desire.  Keep it up.

God Bless,

Dr. Boss

Answer
Nicola,

Periods of relapse are normal in a case like yours.  This may take you 12-16 months to resolve and correct.  If you have to see the chiro every 2 weeks for a while, then once a month for a while, it will be a small price to pay in the grand scheme and long term look of things.   

Hang in there and things will continue to improve.  Remember, Rome was not built in a day!

Dr. Boss