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essendoubleop · 03-16-2009, 09:20 AM

So I've been having mild back pain that has been getting progressively worse over the past couple years, beginning with a delivery job I had hauling windows and doors to construction sites. I worked the job for 3 years and no longer work there. The pain is bearable, but I'm mostly concerned since I'm only 22 and don't want to be crippled at 45.

I mostly notice it in my lower back when I get up in the morning, after sitting down for a long time, or bend over to pick things up. I am a distance runner and have been boxing for about a year now, which I could understand both impact my back pain positively and negatively.

I went to see a chiropractor this morning for a free consultation. He ran a brief computer scan of my back and took X-rays, which we will go over tomorrow during our next visit to find a plan that works best. He gave me the results of the computer scan and explained the three different graphs to me.

The first one showed irritation of the different vertebrae. I had severe irritation of the C1 and C2 vertebra (the uppermost vertrabrae) and moderate irritation of the L5 (second lowest). The C1 and C2 wasn't too surprising as I am a boxer, although I have no pain there. I mainly feel pain in my lower back which was relatively unaffected save the L5.

The second chart showed the asymmetry of my spine, which was the most alerting characteristic of my back. The C1-C5 vertebra showed 95% (severe) pull to the right side, which caused the C7-T1 to overcompensate and pull 105% to the left side.

The third chart showed the EMG amplitude, although I can't remember exactly what it means. All regions of my spine showed moderate to severe (especially the lower region) except for the the mid-region which was perfectly fine.

Being a graduate student, I was a bit skeptical of all this. I didn't exactly understand the ratings he was showing me and what constituted a "severe" rating. I asked for a comparison chart to someone else with back problems and he said everybody's back is different and can't be compared directly, which is understandable. Though I have heard some negative things about chiropractics (some positive things too) and was wondering if they showed some problem for everybody who comes through the door (although a person with a perfectly healthy back probably wouldn't see a chiropractor in the first place). I have the appointment scheduled for tomorrow where we will go over the X-rays in-depth and figure out a treatment plan. I am a very hesitant person when it comes to being roped into something like this (paying money I really don't have), but I understand the importance of good back health. Any advice from people out there with back pain, or hopefully from actual chiropractors on this board to confirm the information he has given me?

03-16-2009, 09:20 AM	#1 (permalink)
essendoubleop Psycho	Seeing a chiropractor for back pain So I've been having mild back pain that has been getting progressively worse over the past couple years, beginning with a delivery job I had hauling windows and doors to construction sites. I worked the job for 3 years and no longer work there. The pain is bearable, but I'm mostly concerned since I'm only 22 and don't want to be crippled at 45. I mostly notice it in my lower back when I get up in the morning, after sitting down for a long time, or bend over to pick things up. I am a distance runner and have been boxing for about a year now, which I could understand both impact my back pain positively and negatively. I went to see a chiropractor this morning for a free consultation. He ran a brief computer scan of my back and took X-rays, which we will go over tomorrow during our next visit to find a plan that works best. He gave me the results of the computer scan and explained the three different graphs to me. The first one showed irritation of the different vertebrae. I had severe irritation of the C1 and C2 vertebra (the uppermost vertrabrae) and moderate irritation of the L5 (second lowest). The C1 and C2 wasn't too surprising as I am a boxer, although I have no pain there. I mainly feel pain in my lower back which was relatively unaffected save the L5. The second chart showed the asymmetry of my spine, which was the most alerting characteristic of my back. The C1-C5 vertebra showed 95% (severe) pull to the right side, which caused the C7-T1 to overcompensate and pull 105% to the left side. The third chart showed the EMG amplitude, although I can't remember exactly what it means. All regions of my spine showed moderate to severe (especially the lower region) except for the the mid-region which was perfectly fine. Being a graduate student, I was a bit skeptical of all this. I didn't exactly understand the ratings he was showing me and what constituted a "severe" rating. I asked for a comparison chart to someone else with back problems and he said everybody's back is different and can't be compared directly, which is understandable. Though I have heard some negative things about chiropractics (some positive things too) and was wondering if they showed some problem for everybody who comes through the door (although a person with a perfectly healthy back probably wouldn't see a chiropractor in the first place). I have the appointment scheduled for tomorrow where we will go over the X-rays in-depth and figure out a treatment plan. I am a very hesitant person when it comes to being roped into something like this (paying money I really don't have), but I understand the importance of good back health. Any advice from people out there with back pain, or hopefully from actual chiropractors on this board to confirm the information he has given me?