College Tennis Player with injury, Bad Back/Hips. Symptoms.

[jwhiz55dpwf]

Hey Doc,

I've been having some trouble with my lower back as of late. I did it when returning a serve during one of our doubles matches this season. My feet were split wide apart(significantly wider than shoulder width) and I was trying to rip through a backhand for a return when I felt a sharp pain in my lower back and right along the back belt line of my hips(right side). Since then I cannot rotate my trunk from side to side. Initially it also hurt to look down. It felt like wires pulling on my lower right side of my back/hips. I'm 5'10" 170lbs. I am currently taking MRI Pro Nos and Applied Nutriceuticals Drive+Rpm. I was just wondering what you thought this may be that is currently keeping me out of play and maybe any remedies. Any info/help you could give would be great. Thanks.

[growstrong]

Doc this is a really good friend of mine so your advice is much apprecitated. thanks doc

[dinoiii]

Answer requires appropriate time. I will be back in the AM on site from Baltimore, MD with an answer. This seems like a gameshow going to commercial break, huh?




D_

[growstrong]

thanks doc.

[dinoiii]

Originally Posted by jwhiz55dpwf

Hey Doc,

I've been having some trouble with my lower back as of late. I did it when returning a serve during one of our doubles matches this season. My feet were split wide apart(significantly wider than shoulder width) and I was trying to rip through a backhand for a return when I felt a sharp pain in my lower back and right along the back belt line of my hips(right side). Since then I cannot rotate my trunk from side to side. Initially it also hurt to look down. It felt like wires pulling on my lower right side of my back/hips. I'm 5'10" 170lbs. I am currently taking MRI Pro Nos and Applied Nutriceuticals Drive+Rpm. I was just wondering what you thought this may be that is currently keeping me out of play and maybe any remedies. Any info/help you could give would be great. Thanks.

Couple of clarification points before we proceed.

[1] Pain is strictly limited to turning the trunk rather than bending over, bendins side-to-side (like you were bending to touch toes or doing side bends)? Pain is on the right side and not the left? Nothing you do makes the pain better or worse? Is it limited to movement or does it hurt all the time?

[2] Perhaps needless to say, I cannot offer internet "remedies" or "treatment modalities" but I can suggest things that have aided people suffering from similar ailments. It is important to differentiate from a legal standpoint. If you would like to proceed, we will do it when I receive clarity on the pain you are feeling.


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[jwhiz55dpwf]

The pain comes when I turn my body/shoulders from side to side. It is not side bends or bending over to touch my toes, just when I rotate my trunk(same motion as if I were to swing a tennis racquet). The pain seems to originate from my lower right side of my back right along the beltline. The pain is mostly limited to movement. I can feel the spot where I think the pain is originating from when I am just sitting around, but its not a pain, its more of a stitch that I can just feel there all of the time. I have been icing and getting stem treatment on it for a few days. This helps initially, but the pain will come back later in the day. The pain is the worst in the mornings when I am taking my first steps out of bed; I can barely move. Thanks.

[dinoiii]

To begin on the positive side, patients must understand that most episodes of back pain resolve, and usually within a few weeks. Unfortunately, back pain can be among the most difficult and frustrating problems for patients and their doctors.
Understanding the cause of your back pain is the key to proper treatment. Because back pain is sometimes difficult to treat, a better understanding of the causes of this problem will assist patients in their recovery from back pain.

The most frustrating aspect in treatment of back pain is that there is no "magic bullet." Most individuals recover completely by simply avoiding strain to their spine. Patients often find help from ice, heat, and medications. If the basic steps do not alleviate back pain, the next step is to seek medical evaluation - which can have a fortuitous advantage of an actual examination which seems pertinent in this case. Depending on the symptoms and the length of the problem, your physician can properly organize a treatment schedule.

For now, your options are probably limited. The ice/heat combo is likely where you are at, though complete rest is not ideal because that seems to be the aggravating factor...for instance, pain upon rising after a long period of lying supine (on your back) or other position at night. That said, you may too be straining it as the day progresses causing your pain to return.

Of course, you can run a course of NSAID drugs (Aspirin, Tylenol, etc...) but many like to avoid such concoctions. So, most would resort to the likes of:

[1] Boswellia (more immediate LOX inhibitor)
[2] Fish Oil (EPA/DHA concentrations are important - more immediate COX inhibitor)
[3] MSM (more longer-term sulfer donor)
[4] SAMe (more longer-term methyl donor)
[5] Enzymes - check out Labrada's Sorenzyme (Labrada Sorenzyme, 120 Caps)
[6] Celadrin (probably less support not understanding the source - muscle?)


I would continue on these days though most importantly with heat and movement rather than ice and rest based on your description. This is not cue to go running marathons or anything and you likely won't return to serious activity until some conglomerate of the pain aids kick in.

Hope this gives some initial direction.


D_

[NateW]

thats a really thorough answer! I dont know anything about medicine but I just wanted to say that Like the Doctor said in the beginning of his post, I had some extreme back pain back in january due to a sledding accident (its pretty funny when I look back on it) anyway I could barely walk for a good 5 days but it just healed itself. and after about a week and a half I had no trace of pain anymore. It was really weird.

[growstrong]

great advice here doc I really appreciate it!

[jwhiz55dpwf]

Thanks a lot Doc!