SI Joint Pain...Frustrated.

[daisylubob]

Don't be scared. Your xray sounds perfectly normal. Remember, the "standard" is a 20 year old male. If your spine doesn't look like a 20 year old male, you are degenerated.

Don't pay any attention.

If your problem required surgery, it would be giving you unremitting agony. As it is, you only have pain on the bike after 20 minutes and if you sit at work too long. If your symptoms are absent some of the time, then you just need to let the body heal so they can be absent all of the time.

(And you need to have someone with a PT background check your bike fit and biking posture.)

That is crazy to compare me to a 20 yo male. What is the point???? Anyway, I am degenerated

The symptoms of pain in the low back seem to be there more now, not just w/ sitting at work and on the bike. Feels like a constant,dull, sometimes crampy-like, annoying ache in the low back. Never sharp or take-your-breath-away stabbing sensation. It is at the spot where you put your hands to do a standing backbend, right where my middle and ring finger are on my back (did that make sense?).It does NOT hurt when I am in my bed sleeping, thankfully. I am so aware of that pain now, it has kind of taken over and I am obsessing about it
I see Sally again on Monday.
DH is going to attempt to modify my bikes a bit. Raise the bars w/ a headset extender on the road bike. Raise the bars w/ 2 more spacers on the mtb, and flip the stem over.
I also started taking Tissue Rejuvenator from Hammer, 4 caps am & 4 caps pm. Figured it would not hurt!

[daisylubob]

Saw Sally today. She thinks it may NOT be a disc now, due to:
1. little to no relief w/ the cobra maneuver.
2. I can walk and stand w/out a lot of increased pain.
3. Forward flex bothers me, whereas a disc problem the patient would get pain relief w/ forward flex.

She gave me a new exercise: Lay on L side, L leg straight, R leg bent up. Pull up on L arm so L shoulder is all twisted around. Lay that way for 5-10 mins.

We may also try oral steroids to see if it takes away the pain, if it does, then there is inflammatory stuff going on. But we still do not know the origin. MRI is Wednesday at 6am.

[nscrbug]

Saw Sally today. She thinks it may NOT be a disc now, due to:
1. little to no relief w/ the cobra maneuver.
2. I can walk and stand w/out a lot of increased pain.
3. Forward flex bothers me, whereas a disc problem the patient would get pain relief w/ forward flex.

She gave me a new exercise: Lay on L side, L leg straight, R leg bent up. Pull up on L arm so L shoulder is all twisted around. Lay that way for 5-10 mins.

We may also try oral steroids to see if it takes away the pain, if it does, then there is inflammatory stuff going on. But we still do not know the origin. MRI is Wednesday at 6am.

Hmmm...that's interesting. I was always under the impression that forward flexion increases pain in those with disc problems present...and that the cobra relieves pain. I have a totally different back condition called spondylolisthesis, which is a forward vertebral slippage. I'm actually NOT supposed to do any kind of back extension exercises (like the cobra) because it can cause further slippage and instability in my lower spine. But bending forward (such as leaning on a table or countertop, brings me instant relief.

Your upcoming MRI will pretty much indicate right away, whether or not your issue is disc-related or something else. Good luck and I hope you find some answers soon!

[KnottedYet]

It depends which way the disc is bulging. (forward, backward, or to the sides)

I have a disc that bulges forward and slightly sideways right now. Bending forward (forward flexion) pushes that darn disc back into place for me.

60% of disc problems are discs that are bulging backwards. Bending forward pushes the disc farther out of place for those folks.

What Sally has given you now is the "million dollar roll". It works for discs that are bulging out at a different angle (not straight back or straight to the side, for example) or that are bulging in multiple directions.

If you run into trouble with it, or if you feel it is making you worse, call Sally.

(ETA: 2 and 3 would be typical of a posterior derangement, 1 would be typical of a posterior-lateral relevant derangement. Lack of lasting relief from a cobra could indicate a disc that is blooping out backward and sideways at the same time. Sally will work you thorugh the steps of various movements until she has exhausted disc behaviour as a cause.)

[daisylubob]

I seem to be doing OK, stable for right now. This "million dollar roll" feels really good So it must be doig something! The MRI was done on Wed, and I am patiently awaiting the results.
I did the trainer for 30 mins on Wed, and will do 30 again today. Sunday, it is supposed to be a little nicer outside, so I may attempt an EASY 30-45 min road ride!

[daisylubob]

MRI shows 'diffuse annular bulge w/ L posterolateral disc protrusion L4-5 encroaching into the neural foramen on the L. THis appears to be effacing the exiting nerve root.'

Not the greatest news, but Sally kind of knew this anyway. I saw her today, as the million dollar roll did not really do any long-term improvement. She is perplexed, and calls me her 'challenge' I am to have DH push w/ heel of his hand on the L4 area, 10x twice a day. And go back to her in a week. Appt w/ neuro guy is 5/17. I have not read/ heard great things about steroid injections or oral steroids (wt gain, puffiness, emotional issues, etc). They also just take away the inflammation, and don't fix the problem. This is somewhat discouraging....

on the other hand....I did a road ride w/ DH on Sunday for 1:10, slow and easy. Stopped once to stretch, and I did not feel too bad

[daisylubob]

Still having pain, still frustrated. Trying to be patient....this is not easy.

[NbyNW]

I haven't commented on this thread before but have been following it . . . just wanted to tell you to hang in there!

Do you at least feel like things are improving a little?

I'm not a professional health care anything, I just know from personal experience that it can take a LONG time to feel some relief. And it's frustrating when you can't have a day off from the pain and the limitations of your injury. So if you feel like you're in good hands, stick with the program.

I had a back injury a few years ago that took a long time to rehab. And it's just part of me now, that's something I've had to accept. I doubt I will ever NOT be aware of the trauma to that part of my body. So it's something I account for in my daily routines or any time I'm training for anything. I have to pamper it and condition it properly in order to do things that I love. And afterwards I have to be kind to my body and thank it for cooperating.

Good luck!

[Kano]

my sympathies too -- I just found this thread tonight, and see that YOUR doctor, PT or whoever did the XRay stuff says you're a degenerate, and now Knotted says you're deranged!

Here you just thought your back hurt!

Karen in Boise

[tulip]

Still having pain, still frustrated. Trying to be patient....this is not easy.

It's likely that your back situation did not occur overnight, but rather over a lifetime of posture issues. That's the case with me. The "cure" will not happen overnight, either. Patience and consistency are key with PT. It sounds like you have the best PT one could ask for.

[daisylubob]

Thanks Tulip, that is most likely true. I have been working on posture improvement w/ my chiro for over a year, and it is much better. I am in a different PT program, and was referred to a Pilates specialist/trainer who showed me the correct way of doing Pilates exercises. This past Sunday, I learned the hard way that I have to stay off my mtb til healing has happened. Went out w/ my sis for 7-8 mile EASY mtb ride (it has been 6 months), and paid the price in pain and getting yelled at by the chiro and PT

[lisathew8lifter]

daisy,..listen to the doctors that are telling you what to do and that is to NOT exercise right now. sounds like you are on your way with the posture, and instruction on doing the exercises correctly. i was doiing everything wrong and the right muscles were not firing and the wrong muscles continued to fire. i had zero core strength since my back took the brunt of what i was doing.