Back Pain Advice

[nighten]

So my sciatica's been nonexistent since I started seeing the chiro a few months back, but my sacrum area (sacriliilaiaialac joint or however you say it) has been horrible -- until this past week, when it kind of calmed down a bit!

I was thrilled! Except then I started getting this cramp in my lower left abdomen, which the m/w says is a ligament pain (because it only hurts when i change position or walk -- it's fine when I'm seated or lying still).

And when the cramp started, the sacral pain went away. It was pretty bizarre actually.

But yesterday I had a chiro appt and a massage and they both concentrated on my sacral area and something's gone wrong and now I can barely walk.

And my cramp hasn't gone away entirely -- if anything, there's another one on the right side now, so my lower abdomen HURTS when I move. But that's nothing compared to the knife in my lower back.

I mean seriously -- there were times last night when I thought I wouldn't be able to get out of bed to go pee. Somehow I managed but I was almost in tears several times.

Should I call the chiro for an emergency adjustment? His office is closed today so I'd be calling him at home and there's a good chance I wouldn't be able to get him regardless. Or was it the massage? The whole area feels so tender now (my left side, sacrum --the right side is fine). I'm losing it -- it really hurts. I took some tylenol but that did nothing.

I've tried ice and heat, and tiger balm, and it still hurts like mad -- I can barely walk. Should I call my m/w and get some big pain meds? I don't want to drug up the baby though. But I'm really hurting.

Advise me, oh wise ones. What should I do?

[newbie_mary]

I would call both the chiro and the massage therapist and ask what they did that might be causing you so much pain, and how they might be able to fix it.
Obviously one or both of them caused it.

Mary

[jenny-g]

Originally Posted by nighten

So my sciatica's been nonexistent since I started seeing the chiro a few months back, but my sacrum area (sacriliilaiaialac joint or however you say it) has been horrible -- until this past week, when it kind of calmed down a bit!

I was thrilled! Except then I started getting this cramp in my lower left abdomen, which the m/w says is a ligament pain (because it only hurts when i change position or walk -- it's fine when I'm seated or lying still).

And when the cramp started, the sacral pain went away. It was pretty bizarre actually.

But yesterday I had a chiro appt and a massage and they both concentrated on my sacral area and something's gone wrong and now I can barely walk.

And my cramp hasn't gone away entirely -- if anything, there's another one on the right side now, so my lower abdomen HURTS when I move. But that's nothing compared to the knife in my lower back.

I mean seriously -- there were times last night when I thought I wouldn't be able to get out of bed to go pee. Somehow I managed but I was almost in tears several times.

Should I call the chiro for an emergency adjustment? His office is closed today so I'd be calling him at home and there's a good chance I wouldn't be able to get him regardless. Or was it the massage? The whole area feels so tender now (my left side, sacrum --the right side is fine). I'm losing it -- it really hurts. I took some tylenol but that did nothing.

I've tried ice and heat, and tiger balm, and it still hurts like mad -- I can barely walk. Should I call my m/w and get some big pain meds? I don't want to drug up the baby though. But I'm really hurting.

Advise me, oh wise ones. What should I do?

Hmm. Do you have a birthing ball? I have what you have along with PSD- totally hear you about the near impossibility of getting out of bed. It does help to have someone help support your weight to get out of bed (but.. how many of us have partners willing to do that at 4am...). I find relief sitting on the ball with my legs wide apart and sort of tilting my pelvis back. (Getting off the ball, however.. is like getting out of bed.) My "birthing ball" is just the largest size exercise ball, inflated rather firmly.

Perhaps a nice soak in a bath, or even going to a pool if you can to take the weight off your joints, will give some relief.

I'd stay away from the chiro and massage if I were you- it sounds like everything just got all inflamed and needs to calm down. They probably stretched your ligaments too much- maybe you have psd too. I had to stop prenatal yoga for the same exact reason. (good for you if you don't have joint craziness- bad if you have problems that it makes worse!). The only other thing I can think of is to either up or start taking an omega-3 supplement (preferably in fish oil form- I don't remember if you were one of the ones doing that) to help with the inflammation, since there isn't too much else you can take for that.

So sorry about this.. massages are supposed to be good

[aweynsayl]

ACK!!! YES, DO SOMETHING!!! I am so sorry!!!

[nighten]

I have a birth ball -- but the thing is that sitting is fine for me -- my back doesn't hurt when I'm sitting -- it's the walking and standing that are problematic, so sitting on the birth ball offers no more relief than sitting in the recliner. Does that make sense? Unless maybe sitting on the ball will help loosen something up? I'm scared to try anything that could make things move at this point, truthfully. You think it couldn't hurt regardless?

This afternoon I did take a long bath with tons of epsom salts and that seemed to help a little. My tub's not deep enough to offer any real relief from the weight of the tum but I'm short and so it's the right length for me to stretch my legs out entirely and just sit back for a while. So that was good.

I think the area is just super inflamed and agree that I need to let it rest and leave it be. I hadn't been to the chiro in over a week and hadn't had a massage in ages.

And while normally chiro/massage visits back to back aren't bad, in this case it was R-O-N-G wrong.

*sigh*

Thanks for the sympathy, all. If it's still hurting tomorrow I might call the chiropractor, though if it's even a little better I think I'll just ride it out. I'm afraid any other messing around with it will make it worse, honestly.

I don't know what PSD feels like, but this is definitely my back -- above my tailbone in that V-shaped bone, on the left side mainly. Coupled with the cramps in my lower abdomen, it's pretty laughable to watch me try to walk especially when I have to pee.

Anyway I just hate the fact that I spent $75 on the damned massage and I feel worse now than I did before, you know? It was nice getting the massage at the time, but wow. This sucks.

Sorry to be whiny. Wish I could suck down some pain pills and go to bed. Am gonna sip ginger ale and feel sorry for myself instead.

ETA: Yeah, I'm the omega nut I'll up my dosage though and see if that helps too. Thanks for the suggestion

[aweynsayl]

[QUOTE=nighten]Am gonna sip ginger ale and feel sorry for myself instead. QUOTE]

Sounds good. I'll join you-- I'll sip recharge in soda water and mope because I can't SIT long enough to go to Opening Night of my fave show at the theatre i work at tonight. Baby's just gonna have to go see the show with me when its a month old, is all.

[eilonwy]

Sounds like you've got a baby wiggling around in there.

Sorry, couldn't resist. I too have a baby head and body putting unbearable pressure on all sorts of things. Every time I stand up I feel like I have to make a bm, but I don't; it's just a baby head pushing down on my cervix & rectum.

You're hugely pregnant. Go easy on yourself, and definately feel free to yell at the chiro and the massage therapist. You deserve it. You will never be more justified complaining about your discomforts than you are right now. Go for it!

[nighten]

Well I woke up this morning and my back is *definitely* improved. So I think it was just over-irritation or something, which makes sense, as my skin is more sensitive while pg -- makes sense that everything else would be too.

Anyway I appreciate the advice and suggestions and sympathy.

[Black Orchid]

Hey Renee-

I've had sciatica my whole pregnancy and just started seeing an acupuncturist in Feb... it is my salvation! I see a chiro regularly, but he wasn't able to do much to help me long-term. But acupuncture is working miracles. Mine is CNM also, so she is really familar with the way women's bodies work. Is that something you can do? I highly recommend a consult to see if there is anything that can be done.

My issue is that I tore my rotator cuff several years ago and have significant scarring on a muscle that is tied to the muscle group which the round ligament is a part of. Everything gets all misaligned and I get realyl bad swelling that causes my sciatica to flair.

Something else that helps is sitting on my birth ball as much as I can and using a seat wedge when I can't to properly align my pelvis.

I hope you find some relief, I totally sympathize with what you are going through!

[nighten]

Originally Posted by Black Orchid

Hey Renee-

I've had sciatica my whole pregnancy and just started seeing an acupuncturist in Feb... it is my salvation! I see a chiro regularly, but he wasn't able to do much to help me long-term. But acupuncture is working miracles. Mine is CNM also, so she is really familar with the way women's bodies work. Is that something you can do? I highly recommend a consult to see if there is anything that can be done.

My issue is that I tore my rotator cuff several years ago and have significant scarring on a muscle that is tied to the muscle group which the round ligament is a part of. Everything gets all misaligned and I get realyl bad swelling that causes my sciatica to flair.

Something else that helps is sitting on my birth ball as much as I can and using a seat wedge when I can't to properly align my pelvis.

I hope you find some relief, I totally sympathize with what you are going through!

Thanks but the chiro was able to relieve the sciatica completely. The latest pain wasn't sciatic -- it was sacral. And I'm pretty convinced it was just inflamed from all the attention. But if it acts up again, I'm doing the ice, Epsom salts, and will also try sitting on the birth ball. I have a seat wedge too that I use (it's made by Boppy) when in front of the computer, but I'd forgotten about it. Early early early in the pg I was having tailbone pain and that's when I got it but the tailbone pain went away -- and I still sit on the pillow out of habit.

But as I said, am feeling a lot better today, thankfully.

[jenny-g]

Originally Posted by nighten

I have a birth ball -- but the thing is that sitting is fine for me -- my back doesn't hurt when I'm sitting -- it's the walking and standing that are problematic, so sitting on the birth ball offers no more relief than sitting in the recliner. Does that make sense? Unless maybe sitting on the ball will help loosen something up? I'm scared to try anything that could make things move at this point, truthfully. You think it couldn't hurt regardless?

I'm glad you are feeling better! It does *not* sound like psd at all- which is probably why you did start to feel better so that is good. Gosh, our bodies get so freaking touchy and crazy at this point. Perhaps it is due to a chocolate deficiency. My only lower back pain defense trick at this point is the good old rice sock.

Sitting on the birth ball is good becuase it encourages you to lean foward. So, if it's tall enough so your knees are a bit below your hips, knees wide open, and you lean forward.. that is supposedly a great position to encourage the baby to a) not be breech and b) not be sunny side up. Recliners, if you're leaning back, do the opposite, so there is a difference (info from the spinningbabies site along with midwife and who knows where else I picked it up). ALTHOUGH, sitting on this ball for hours and hours definitely does work the back and sides a bit.. so that could perhaps re-inflame you a bit? If I didn't have this ball I would be a total and complete disaster by now. Best 25 bucks I ever spent. I can't sit on a normal chair for more than, like, 20 minutes.

Amusing Aside: for some reason, sitting in this position on the ball I think puts the baby in a position so my, um, bladder can actually fill up a little bit. So when I do finally stand up, if it's been too long, OH MY GOD THE PAIN. And I forget every darn day to make sure that happens. oops.