Back arthritis

[Catrin]

I got the back x-rays last week just to rule out any back problems with my odd leg symptoms. Well, we ruled it in, just like we ruled in the hip arthritis Apparently I've arthritis in my lower back (L3, L4, and L5). My doctor has offered me injections but frankly I will need to be in a lot more pain before I consider that. Also the back arthritis is more minor than my minor hip arthritis, so who can say how much of a role it is actually playing? My doctor thinks there is a relationship since there is a relationship between that part of my back and the hamstring/quads. Not that I pretend to understand the spine...

I did find another PT in the area (though much further away) who is mechanically trained and I will give him a shot. Something, however, seems to finally be paying off with the exercises my first PT gave me because last night was the hardest I've worked in spinning class in months and my legs feel fantastic today

Also, putting the pillow between my knees while sleeping seems to have stopped the night-time hip pain.

[NbyNW]

What a journey you've been on with all this hip/ham/lower back stuff!

It's good that you're continuing to get more knowledge about what's going on.

Glad to hear the legs are feeling better!

[Catrin]

I am trying, very hard, to not get dejected over this. Probably just the holidays...

[azfiddle]

Catrin you have had more than your share of "stuff" happening to your body this year. I'm really curious to know more about what you find out about the arthritis.

I apparently have severe arthritis at L4-L5 but none in my hip. It has only hurt sporadically, but has gotten noticeably worse recently.
I wonder if my unstable hip issues are related to the arthritis in the back. No mention was made of the SI joint, but I think there is something there too. My symptoms have affect my hamstring, IT band and various other spots, as well as my hip. I have been procrastinating about getting back to a doctor- I really hate taking time off from work (lesson plans, substitutes, etc).

Anyway- keep us posted and I hope you find good solutions. Like you, without the bike I have trouble getting cardio and keeping my weight down.

[Catrin]

The back arthritis has given you problems with your hip without arthritis being there? Owie...and I also noted what you said about your hamstring and IT band.

I guess that I am not all that surprised, yet I wasn't expecting to hear this today. I figured they wouldn't find anything but apparently our attempts to rule things out just aren't working very well. At least it is more pieces of the puzzle. No one in my family has problems with arthritis, outside of minor osteoarthritis in the hands, so I am hoping that this will be like the arthritis in my shoulders - it has been there for 10 years but it hasn't become worse.

Is it common for most doctors to offer drug injections in almost the same breath that they tell you that you have arthritis? He seemed a little surprised that I am going the PT route.

At least it isn't keeping me off the bike Friday is ~50 degrees and no rain until the evening!

Bike = Fun (to steal someone's signature from this forum)

[Crankin]

I think I may be going the same route, Catrin. I've had hip pain on and off for almost 2 years. I can pinpoint the start to when I started running, but also, about a year after I stopped teaching. I used to stand up almost all day and move around, now, as a student and a psychotherapy intern, all I do is sit almost all day long and it just stiffens me up. The lower back has been an issue on and off, too. If anything, I am more active than ever. There are times when it diminishes, but something is going on.
And yes, my rheumatologist mentioned the injection within the same breath as stating "it's probably arthritis," when I went to see him about this over a year ago. He did not push drugs at all when he was treating me for fibromyalgia. In fact, he was very open to alternative treatments. Getting that injection is no picnic, from what I have heard. I guess it's time to go back and get a PT referral; there aren't a lot of mechanical therapists around here, but I found one that is not too far.

[Catrin]

I got stubborn when I went to the gym tonight and jogged a little before spinning class - and of course my quads got tight because it is too early. Then I had to cut spinning class short because my legs/hips/back whatever was cranky because of my stubbornness I will be ok tomorrow - I just find this troubling me more than I had expected.

Yes Crankin, I hear that hip injection isn't a cake walk, guess it has to be under a live x-ray, and can't imagine what the back injection would be like. My doctor keeps mentioning the one for my hip though - apparently that arthritis is worse than my spine. I am glad to hear that it hasn't slowed you down, and I do not intend to allow it to slow me down either.

So it is good that Knotted mentioned mechanically trained PT here the other day, I already had my appointment and my dr office staff were preparing to fax the order when the x-rays came in. So they are going to go ahead and send him everything...

[azfiddle]

Catrin- I actually don't know if the back and hip issues are related. Kind of long....but here's the whole story.

I started off with pain in my IT band after really pushing hard on some hills (maybe not coincidentally, a week after I was in a car accident) Went to PT- who said- your hip is out of alignment and got me started on stretching and strengthening. It got worse before it got better, and I started getting a whole constellation of symptoms- my leg/hip was unstable, and had problems all over my left lower quarter- hip, glutes/piriformis etc . So I went back to my doctor. She ordered an x-ray, and her nurse called and said "There's nothing wrong with your hip, but you have severe arthritis in at L4-L5". Nice way to communicate, huh? I kept up with the exercises, and then eventually the symptoms pretty much disappeared. Then I quit the exercises, and about the same time I started training harder for El Tour de Tucson- went from 100 miles a week to almost 200 miles a week... and the problems came back.

I went to my chiropractor and massage therapist because it was more convenient than the doctor. We all agreed the symptoms were similar to what happened in the spring, and I went back to the exercises. Most recent massage- definitely sore around the SI joint too. 2 1/2 months later the hip and leg are improving but not perfect, but the back is cranky just about every morning when I wake up and I have some sciatica type pain . I should probably go back to my doctor and get pointed in the right direction to find someone who knows more- and that might answer my questions.

So I'm curious as to what you find out about the relationship of the arthritis to your symptoms.

Dang, I hate how the decrepitation process is getting in the way of staying healthy.

[lo123]

I got stubborn when I went to the gym tonight and jogged a little before spinning class - and of course my quads got tight because it is too early. Then I had to cut spinning class short because my legs/hips/back whatever was cranky because of my stubbornness I will be ok tomorrow - I just find this troubling me more than I had expected.

Yes Crankin, I hear that hip injection isn't a cake walk, guess it has to be under a live x-ray, and can't imagine what the back injection would be like. My doctor keeps mentioning the one for my hip though - apparently that arthritis is worse than my spine. I am glad to hear that it hasn't slowed you down, and I do not intend to allow it to slow me down either.

So it is good that Knotted mentioned mechanically trained PT here the other day, I already had my appointment and my dr office staff were preparing to fax the order when the x-rays came in. So they are going to go ahead and send him everything...

Crankin - I feel for you. Sounds like your'e dealing with similar stuff I dealt with the past several years.. I think I mentioned the hip injections. My rheumatologist kept pushing them thinking "well, you do have a chronic degenerative disease, this will help for a while at least". I finally got fed up and went to an ortho. He thought it could be hip related, but all imaging indicates nothing that could really be 'fixed'. So, he sent me for a lumbar MRI. It turned out that I had herniated L4/L5 and L5/S1. The latter pushing on the nerve root. I saw a back specialist who said it wasn't bad enough for surgery, but recommended I get an epidural steroid injection (ESI).

I was skeptical (and so was the doc who did the ESI, but he said some women just seem to get pain in the groin from disc herniations). But girl, I didn't realize how much pain I had been in until after the shot kicked in (it was also done under fluoroscopy and sedation). Worth every penny of that copay!

I had that injection in June and did PT in July and September until my wreck in October put me in the hospital...

So, anyway.... The back is weird. Things that seem unrelated, can be the back. I only went for the steroid injections because I've been having such extreme pain for 5 + years. I'd definitely try PT first.

[Crankin]

Great... I've been having groin pain (on the opposite side of the hip thing) for years. It used to happen only when I was not warmed up and then it would go away. For awhile, it was constant, but this season I kept it under good control by stretching well. It kicks in on climbs or when I am really pushing it on the flats at times. It's not a problem running or hiking or snow shoeing. Once in a great while I notice it x country skiing. At one point I thought i had that vascular thing that cyclists get, where the artery near the groin kinks up and I went to the chief of vascular surgery at Brigham and Women's. Despite the fact that the guy looked about 16 years old, this was a specialty for him. But, he sent me on my way, probably laughing.
I had a lumbar MRI about 3 years ago. At that time nothing was there, except "normal degenerative stuff for someone your age." I hate when they say that. Like I am supposed to sit in a rocking chair? I am not sure I would do the steroid epidural, since I have osteoporosis (the one thing I definitely have) that is under treatment. Steroids are highly contraindicated. Well, I guess I am going to have to go to some kind of doctor. I got so burned out from my medical saga, 3 years ago, that I have have only been to the doctor when I've had some kind of sinus infection and for my gyno check ups. I dislike my pcp, as he took over from the one I had chosen, so although I don't need a referral to go to a specialist like an ortho, I think I need to find a pcp that understands an active "older" woman. My rheumo. used to tell me to "ride 5 miles and gain 5 pounds." Oy.

[Catrin]

Curious to learn if others have noticed any numbness in their back while riding. I noted a bit of this today...

I suspect that as my saddle height raises that, in effect, lowers my handlebars and forces me into a more bent position. I currently have 2 inch riser bars, may have to go to 3 inch risers to regain the right position. I will be meeting with my fitter on the Gunnar fitting soon and will ask him about that.