Question about my mid back and neck?please help!

[el]

Hey guys its el again!
Can anyone tell me if this sounds about right?
i was getting sciatica in my arms still when i was doinmg the reaching exercises and lateral raises...i was also doind the bodybuilder exercise and push ups etc(more of the strenghtening ones) but i have stopped those ones and am sticking to the stretches(like the reaching etc) until the sciatica goes because i was worried i was building on muscles that were still unbalanced and tight,is this correct?my mid back and neck seem to be taking longer then my lower back to progress...did anyone else find that?how did you go about it?
Thanks everyone
EL
X

[SeafordMdf]

Can anyone tell me if this sounds about right?
i was getting sciatica in my arms still when i was doinmg the reaching exercises and lateral raises

Hi El ,

You did mean Arms and not Legs

If you did I know what you are saying , ( sort of ) , IE Tingling in the Arm or Hand same side as the leg sciatic ??

Not sure if that is called Sciatica since it is in the arm

Anyone out there have the answer ? , As I also have had that a few times

Dean , Randolf , Anyone care to jump in here !

[Ann]

Hi,

Yes, sciatica is only in the lower body. Numbness and tingling in the arms is generally called neuralgia or something similar. It's a minor point, but it's good to understand the difference just to avoid confusion.

For numbness and tingling in the arms, the neck exercises in Rebuild Your Neck are the way to go. I think you're correct in putting off the strength exercises for now and just doing the flexibility and mobilzation exercises.

Upper back and neck problems do generally take longer to fix than lower back pain although I'm not sure why.

Hope this helps,
Ann

[el]

yes that helps!!!!!!!!!!!!am i sill ok to do the crunches and stuff though?my neck is progressing slowly as is my mid bach but my lower is getting better,so i moved onto advanced exercises,should i hold off until neck and mid back arte no longer tight or tingly any more,thats something tha wasnt mentioned in the manuals,is it best to do strengthening only when you feel fully better,really dont wanna hamper my chances of total recovery since im only 20 and have already had this for years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!thank you X

[randolph]

Hello el!

Thanks, Ann, for clarifying my confusion over el's "upper body sciatica"!

And thanks, Mark, for the elevation to "expert" status, but I must refuse the honor. I'm just trying to stay on the steep learning curve that overcoming my particular back problems has me climbing on.

I wish I had something new to post for you, el; mostly, I will be repeating what Dean and others have previously posted ... but it will be good for me to hear again, too!

First, I'm wondering about the extent of your previous injuries, that led to the unbalanced muscle healing you're dealing with now. How much medical intervention did you receive? Just want to make sure we're dealing with something that can be improved with physical therapy.

Second, I would only be concerned about the healing/rebuilding of your mid-back and neck if the improvement stops. As long as your flexibility and range of motion are getting better, even if not as fast as your lower back, no problem. Slow and steady wins the race.

Which segues nicely to the third point: the rebuilding process can be more like a marathon than a sprint and may take more time than you think you have to give. But it's definitely not a game. You might want to visit a back surgery recovery forum and read the horror stories of those who didn't give physical therapy all the time necessary for working. You just don't want to go there if at all possible. Surgery works for some, not for some ... are you one of the lucky ones? I'd rather not have to find out. So when the pain says, enough ... it's best to back off ... try again later in the day or maybe tomorrow ... even if you didn't do as much or go as far as you did yesterday. Measure improvement week-to-week.

Again, hope this helps some ... it was good for me to hear again.

Randolph

[el]

Well thank you mr expert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!No seriously i value all your opinions a lot and i hope im not overwhelming with all my questions!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I tore my hamstring dancing a long time ago and then i had a skiing accident and hurt my ribs all on the left side!I had a high jump accident before that and tore muscles again in my left shoulder,I went to the physio after each accident but didnt rest much since i had dance shows,my hamstring never felt the same and i kept getting pain in my left lower back going all the way into my leg but i said nothing.oops!Then i trained at the gym for years,carried a heavy bag on one shoulder and wore heels(im doing none of that now!!!!!never will again.oh apart from work out again since i loved it!)so then i got vv bad back probs and went to every chiro imaginable and got really down as it never got better!the stretches seem to really help but im not sure when to do what since my arms still get tingling so im holding off on the strenghtening exercises for those.my lower back is progressing and i got onto crunches but i cant feel them so much on my left side now...is that coz im doing them every day?should i wait for mt neck and mid back to be totally better?it feels like my weight sits more comfortably on my right side rather then the left when i stand but im doing all the leg stretches twice daily so this should fix that i imagine!
Well theres my life story in a nutshell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks so much
always greatful
El
X

[Jeanette]

my lower back is progressing and i got onto crunches but i cant feel them so much on my left side now...is that coz im doing them every day?should i wait for mt neck and mid back to be totally better?it feels like my weight sits more comfortably on my right side rather then the left when i stand but im doing all the leg stretches twice daily so this should fix that i imagine!

Hi el -- Sounds like you're really eager to get back to full capacity. I don't blame you -- at 20, you want to go, go, go.... But as you've described your situation, it's obvious that you've packed more than 20 years of physical effort and punishment onto your body, and it sounds to me like it's now trying to tell you something.

I don't recall seeing that you've checked in with a physician recently--I may just have missed it . But, if you haven't, I'd suggest that you try to find a good physiatrist, a doctor who specializes in rehabilitation. They've often listed as "sports medicine" specialists. S/he can determine whether you have significant damage anywhere and/or whether you've developed compensations (perhaps the reason one side feels stronger or more comfortable than the other) that can be dealt with via physical therapy and exercise -- including the RYB recommendations that Dean make in his books. Good for you for actively working for your own recovery, but remember what Dean says about making progress slowly and Randolph about measuring progress in weeks, not days or hours.

Although I've done quite a bit of "rebuilding" over the past couple years, during the last several months I've incorporated physical therapy with pilates to overcome some muscle weakness and unresponsiveness due to a riding accident that happened probably about the year you were born I've done back exercises on and off for years, including several that Dean recommends, but the physio's individualized program has focused on helping me recondition and redevelop lazy, weak muscles that I didn't realize weren't functioning fully. This has enabled me to put both the injured muscles and the compensating muscles to the work for which they are most suited. Consequently, it's been a whole-body approach. Anyway, the combination of modalities has me feeling better than I've felt in years.

That doesn't mean I'm completely without pain or discomfort, but I know my limits -- which are considerably beyond what they were even a year ago . I also know that sometimes I can push beyond those limits a bit if I plan to lay low for a day or so. Because I'm not having to "baby" my hip and back so much, I've become much more patient with myself and less frustrated about life in general, even when I have to occasionally reach for the ice or ibuprofen to take the edge off. I know that an extra push for a special reason can be made up with some planned R&R.

Good luck and take care.

[sjaltman]

I had tingling in the arm problems down to my hand my PT said it was coming from the neck. I found dean's neck exercises help but i also stopped doing the lateral side stretch and putting my arms out (reaching--this one is from the back book). i still do the stretch just with both hands on my hips. i noticed the neck exercises helped a lot, faster than the back one's but my back problem is more serious I think. Anyway I also stopped swimming which was initially irritating the arm thing. if you (el) are not having the problem and doing the reaching that's good maybe that isn't the culprit for me. I also stopped doing the neck exercise where you bend your neck to the side with the other arm as I suspected that may have been a culprit as well. These bodies are just so intricate and picky. Can I just trade mine in for a new one? ugh!

[SeafordMdf]

Can I just trade mine in for a new one? ugh!

Hi there :)

I wish it was that easy

I would have traded my crook back in about 3 years ago

Ah well we all just have to work thru it , This forum is a good place for motivation & idea's .

Hopefully we all come out on the other side with Nil or Minimal Back & Neck Pain

It's a bit of a TEAM effort , we all need to post our Idea's Etc within these forums .

Also any MOTIVATIONAL postings are a great help to get us ALL thru it

Later All ,

Mark A