A friend and I took a two hour workshop yesterday on posture and alignment and how to stretch. It went very well – enhanced actually by the fact that one of our clients is a well-known female comedian who kept making comments from the back. Telling us to ignore her because she was made of concrete and that none of her limbs moved.
Not great though that whilst I’m attempting to help improve everybody else’s spine, mine was hurting. It gets like that from time to time. When I started training I had an MRI scan just to check that the pain in my back wasn’t going to get any worse. It’s manageable, but sometimes it just aches and clicks and every so often I begin to wonder whether it’s all the movement I have to do within the classes and that I might be doing it more harm than good.
I took myself off to see a consultant on Tuesday. I saw him two years ago, when my back was clicking and unstable and painful and had another scan then. So this time he said to me “you’ve got a malformed back. We know that from the previous scan. You have a degenerative scoliosis (I think he said) where some of your vertebrae are dehydrated and consequently your back is unstable. Probably if you weren’t doing all the Pilates that you’re doing it would be a lot worse. “You have three options” he told me, “you either have to live with it, have some injections that ease the pain but only last a couple of months or have surgery, which I wouldn’t recommend to anyone unless you can’t get out of bed. Even the best surgery you could hope for is often worse than the original problem”.
But I was a bit cross. Partly because I don’t remember seeing a letter being given that diagnosis before and it slightly freaked me out and partly because he didn’t look at my back to see if anything had changed. He just said there was nothing I could do. He didn’t even think there was any point in doing another scan. I might have had a huge lump sticking out of my back for all he knew AND I was wearing my “best going to the doctor underpants”. Just in case. He told me that I have an “instability of the spine” and that all you can do is continue to strengthen your core.
Just a bit rubbish I thought. I think he should have at least humoured me by making me do a few side bends and forward rolls whilst nodding sympathetically and taking notes.
Crystal Jigsaw
January 29, 2010Being rather non-medical I would have just accepted his diagnosis but then again, why should you? I’d be inclined to get a 2nd opinion.
Take care and get it sorted out.
CJ xx
Heather
January 29, 2010Oh no, poor you! I hope it isn’t too painful. Bit odd he didn’t have a good poke around and make you do lots of painful bending and twisting. You obviously got one of the rare less sadistic doctors. You could always go for a second opinion, just make sure you remember those ‘going to the doctor’ underpants again.
Zed
January 30, 2010I’d go for a second opinion – and fast. Back ache is not a joke. Take care xx
Family Affairs
January 30, 2010I know. Fellow sufferer Lx
allie
January 30, 2010Hi!
You helped me make up my dithering mind –
I have also been told that I have a small area of spine instability, so I was wondering whether I should go the pilates route.
I’ve heard its excellent for back problems.
So yes – I am going to go for it.
Thanks
Family Affairs
January 30, 2010Definitely go for it. It’s really worth it L x
Rosie Scribble
January 30, 2010Oh no, that doesn’t sound good at all. I would agree that a second opinion seems worth seeking.
Expat Mum
January 30, 2010I had back trouble for most of last year and although he sounds like he has a shocking bedside manner, I think he’s probably right. Degenerative back stuff is really only radically improved with surgery, which doctors are loathe to do unless things are really bad.
I was given (or rather I bought) custom orthotics which I wear in my shoes every day. They straighten out my feet, which in turn straightens out my wonky hips and therefore alleviates some of the back pain.
I would get a second opinion just to see if there is anything that would help you, but don’t expect miracles.
Eclipse
January 31, 2010Gotta love doctors… I agree with the others – you should go see someone else. A friend of mine just went to the doctors, was describing the stress, panic and depression she has been feeling for sometime (which had manifested itself in physical symptoms such as vomiting and not being able to eat) and the doctor just told her to go home, drink tea and think positive and charged her a handsome sum for that info.