I've had lower back pain for a few years but chalked it up to challenging my flexibility. I take several dance classes per week and perform on stage as a fire dancer. I've tried chiropractors and acupuncture in the past to manage the pain, but I finally decided to use my health insurance two weeks ago and find out what's going on down there.
The orthopedic surgeon took some x-rays and I have got to say... shocking. I didn't know that spines could bend sideways! It made me think about what it would look like if someone took a crowbar and pounded on Sue. Poor tyrannosaurus.
My doctor asked me to come back for a MRI so I went in last week. I was lucky to have my MRI in an Open MRI and not in a Closed MRI machine.
This is what an Open MRI looks like:
Not too terrible. Less claustrophobic since your head can stay outside of the machine vs. a Closed MRI which is the tube-style machine. MRI's are pretty loud though. It sounds somewhat like a slightly muffled construction zone while it's taking photos of your insides.
Monday this week, I went back to my doctor and he confirmed the herniation. I was prescribed a month's worth of physical therapy and muscle relaxers to help me sleep and told to continue using Alleve and ice packs to manage pain during the day.
So far I think that the muscle relaxers are helping. They make me tired so I can fall asleep but I don't think they're helping me stay rested. I've beaten my alarm clock to the punch nearly every morning this week. But, falling asleep in the first place is a big step forward so I'll take what I can get!
We'll see how I do with physical therapy when I go for my first session today.
