Topic: Want to get into serious lifting but back injury is stopping me

[Dan Ewas]

And what's with all the non-physician folks you are seeing?  Are you in a country with limited access to actual medical doctors? 

Good luck to you.  Not much is worse than serious back pain.  Be assured that many, many people do get much, much better with appropriate treatment.

There's quite a few physicians in my city. But the healthcare system in my province causes a huge wait for everything it's ridiculous so I try to ask questions and look for possible information on strength training, weight lifting, and those types of forums then try to look at them more in depth, and ask even more questions about re-occurring suggestions, posts, etc., and narrow them down and finally ask about those on yet another forum.

[Jim Hooper]

Dan, that's awful that you cannot get prompt medical care for serious debilitating back pain.  In your shoes, I'd do the same thing you are doing -- try to learn as much about it as you can and be the most informed patient possible when you finally get to see somebody who can actually take steps to correct the problem.  I hope you get through the queue soon.  Back injuries truly suck.  Best of luck.

[Mike Wittmer]

Dan, first off, for the record, I am a chiropractor.  It is not possible (or even appropriate) to render a diagnosis or opinion without the benefit of a proper clinical examination.   Having said that, you need to find out exactly what the problem is.  Then you can sort out your treatment options.  It is unfortunate you have had to put up with this for so long, but the chronicity of your condition points to a more serious, or maybe complicated, cause.

In general, I think you started out fine.  Regarding consulting "non-physicians" and not actual medical doctors, I suppose that is a personal choice.  Where I practice, chiropractors are licsenced as physicians and as such it is incumbant on me to provide a timely and accurate diagnosis, as any other practitioner would.  I would go head to head with any other doctor, of any kind or specialty, in evaluating mechanical, musculoskeletal, spinal disorders.  It is in treatment philosophy that I may differ.

I feel that one should try the least invasive, most conservative, measures first.  Don't take drugs unless it is absolutely necessary.  Injections are next, surgery last.  I would not have surgery unless I was sure that all other treatment options had been exhausted.  Obviously, just my personal opinion based on logic and years of experience.

If you were my patient, I would have obtained x-rays upon your initial presentation and an MRI by now.  Sounds as though you'll have to wait some time for those, especially the MRI.  I would get the ball rolling on that asap.  Good luck.       

[Dan Ewas]

Dan, that's awful that you cannot get prompt medical care for serious debilitating back pain.  In your shoes, I'd do the same thing you are doing -- try to learn as much about it as you can and be the most informed patient possible when you finally get to see somebody who can actually take steps to correct the problem.  I hope you get through the queue soon.  Back injuries truly suck.  Best of luck.

The pain doesn't hurt that much when I'm not moving around but when I back squat it's excrutiating. Front squats are surprisingly better but then again, they make my upper back very tight and it feels pinchy and sometimes the pain intensifies if I breath heavy.

Dan, first off, for the record, I am a chiropractor.  It is not possible (or even appropriate) to render a diagnosis or opinion without the benefit of a proper clinical examination.   Having said that, you need to find out exactly what the problem is.  Then you can sort out your treatment options.  It is unfortunate you have had to put up with this for so long, but the chronicity of your condition points to a more serious, or maybe complicated, cause.

In general, I think you started out fine.  Regarding consulting "non-physicians" and not actual medical doctors, I suppose that is a personal choice.  Where I practice, chiropractors are licsenced as physicians and as such it is incumbant on me to provide a timely and accurate diagnosis, as any other practitioner would.  I would go head to head with any other doctor, of any kind or specialty, in evaluating mechanical, musculoskeletal, spinal disorders.  It is in treatment philosophy that I may differ.

I feel that one should try the least invasive, most conservative, measures first.  Don't take drugs unless it is absolutely necessary.  Injections are next, surgery last.  I would not have surgery unless I was sure that all other treatment options had been exhausted.  Obviously, just my personal opinion based on logic and years of experience.

If you were my patient, I would have obtained x-rays upon your initial presentation and an MRI by now.  Sounds as though you'll have to wait some time for those, especially the MRI.  I would get the ball rolling on that asap.  Good luck.       

I've gotten my parents to phone the clinic, doctor a couple of times since they have my healthcare information but it won't do anything to speed up the process. Even for other misc. appointments, etc. can't be sped up unless some other person reschedules an appointment or something. Some people have had to wait months for this sort of thing so I'm pretty lucky that I only have to wait a couple more weeks. Then the next two weeks will be the hardest to wait because that's how long it's going to take for my assessment appointment.