I am a 43 yr old woman, 30 pounds overweight, and lead a sedintary lifestyle. I am at the computer all day so I don't get out to exercise as I should. But now I'm wondering if my posture or weight has something to do with the discomfort I feel in my spine.
When I turn in bed, sit on the floor on one hip, sit in the car, or lean over a table (as if to spread out a tablecloth) I feel a grinding or rippling in my spine. At first, two years ago, I felt in the pelvic region around the tailbone, but now I feel it grinding upwards towards my neck. It doesn't hurt, but gives me that "fingers-down-the-chalkboard feeling." What is causing this? Its beginning to limit my activity. Should I consult a chiropractor? I'd love to be able to identify the problem and learn how to heal myself. Please help!
Follow Ups:
Re: Discomfort in Spine
Posted by David Ferguson, D.C. on November 01, 1998 at 18:54:07:
In Reply to: Discomfort in Spine posted by Amy on November 01, 1998 at 17:08:45:
Chiropractor and skilled relaxation. My 2 cents.
BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL
Three Year Follow Up Shows Spinal Manipulation Effective for Low Back Pain
OBJECTIVE--To compare the effectiveness over three years of
chiropractic and hospital
outpatient management for low back pain.
DESIGN--Randomised allocation of patients to chiropractic or hospital
outpatient
management.
SETTING--Chiropractic clinics and hospital outpatient departments
within reasonable
travelling distance of each other in 11 centres.
SUBJECTS--741 men and women aged 18-64 years with low back pain in whom
manipulation was not contraindicated.
OUTCOME MEASURES--Change in total Oswestry questionnaire score and in
score for
pain and patient satisfaction with allocated treatment.
RESULTS--According to total Oswestry scores improvement in all patients
at three years
was about 29% more in those treated by chiropractors than in those
treated by the hospitals.
The beneficial effect of chiropractic on pain was particularly clear.
Those treated by
chiropractors had more further treatments for back pain after the
completion of trial
treatment. Among both those initially referred from chiropractors and
from hospitals more
rated chiropractic helpful at three years than hospital management.
CONCLUSIONS--At three years the results confirm the findings of an
earlier report that
when chiropractic or hospital therapists treat patients with low back
pain as they would in
day to day practice those treated by chiropractic derive more benefit
and long term
satisfaction than those treated by hospitals.
Meade TW, Dyer S, Browne W, Frank AO. Randomised comparison of
chiropractic and hospital
outpatient management for low back pain: results from extended follow
up. BMJ 311 (7001): 349-351 (Aug
5 1995)