I think I've been overdoing it at practice and I've developed this awful pain in my lower back/hip that makes it very painful to walk and impossible to skate. I've been off the ice for a week with no sign that it's going to get better. I can tell the injury comes on landing my jumps (the pain is on that side). I've been to the doc but they haven't been able to do much. Any suggestions?
Pain means there is something wrong. I would find a doc that can pinpoint why you are having pain in your lower back/hip. I would stop skating for now ( a week isn't enough) especially if you have done something serious. Are you young and still growing ? If you are over training you could be doing damage to your joints, bones and muscles. Find a doc that deals with athletes.
If your doctor could not do anything i would recommend seeing a specialist, perhaps a sports specialist or a physical therapist. Stay off the ice until you get better. Even if you feel you have to skate, stay away from the jumps or positions that would but stress on that part of your body.
good luck and get well soon.
Very sorry about your pain.
I agree that this is a medical issue. And, your back is a part of your body that cannot be replaced.
Do not ignore this issue. Stop skating until the pain is resolved, and consult with a physician who specializes in athletic injuries.
Hope you feel better soon.
Have you ever been to a chiropractor? I have had back pain on and off since I was in high school, and about 4 years ago I started working for a chiropractor, and I get adjusted regularly, and it really helps. I don't think I would be skating without chiro treatments.
I have been going to a chiro. I'm an adult skater so I've got "older skater" issues. The chiro doesn't think it's anything serious but the pain has been hanging on for a week (with no skating). I don't plan to skate until it's resolved because I don't want to make it worse. But in the meantime it's hard to do what I usually do in everyday life.Originally Posted by AwesomeIce
Go to a good orthopedic surgeon. They won't do surgery unless they have to. That's why I say good. The pain down your leg is psiatic nerve damage.
I had a disk removed in 1980 and it lasted three years. Doesn't bother me any more. Take it easy, put a pillow between your legs when you lay down. Don't bend over. You can get a "tong" at places like Walmart & pharmacies to pick up things off the floor. One of the worst things you can do is sit. Lay on your side and if you do lay on your back, put small pillow under your knees. Use ice and heat. Once an hour use ice and once an hour use heat for about 15 or 20 minutes. Be sure you have a fairly hard mattress. You also can put a board under your mattress to help make it harder. You really have to get serious with it now. Sure hope you get relief soon. There are probably good websites that can give you information, too. One is "webmd" and Dr. Weill. I hope that's the way you spell it. Let us know how you're doing.
Last edited by Grgranny; 07-28-2008 at 09:53 PM. Reason: spelling
if its in your hips and low back chances are that its an IT band issue. You need to stretch!! Look up some stretches online and head to physio. I get pain in my hips and low back I can barely walk. Actually, it gets so bad it pulls my pelvis crooked. Try stretching for IT band (its the big muscle that runs down the outside of your leg) and see what happens
Also, sometimes a pain in your back isn't really from your back. Where you feel a pain is not necessarily what's injured or damaged..
I thought I had hurt my back (as I had lower back pain) and actually it turned out to be acute erosive gastritis. I had started taking aspirin for cardiovascular reasons and it caused my entire stomach to turn into one big open sore. But I thought it was my back, because that's where it hurt.
My husband thought he had a charley horse in his leg. He spent about a month with a physical therapist and had seen several doctors. It was actually a bad hip joint.
I told a friend about my husband's experience. She thought she had bad knees. Xrays showed her knees had some arthritis, so that's what her doctor thought was the problem. It turned out for her that her biggest problem was also a hip joint. She had it replaced and feels great! Next year she's having the knees done.
And in fact, you can think it's your back when it's your hip.
You need a doctor to sort this stuff out, and sometimes they don't get it right either. If it hurts that much, something is really wrong, though.
I love mz chiropractor, but they can only really help with missalignments of the spine. A good one will give you exersizes to do on your own, but for muscle pains a physiotherapist is better. A standard doctor generally will just give you pills and say come back if it still hurts, a physiotherapist is much more likely to give a proper diagnosis.
Definitely see a sports injury specialist (i.e., a doctor, not a chiropractor). You might have a hairline fracture somewhere, or a torn muscle, and you need it diagnosed by someone who understands the physics of landing jumps on the ice. You might want to ask the coaches of the higher level skaters at your rink, since they may know some sports doctors who have worked with skaters before.
Noone can diagnose you over the internet so you did the right thing by seeing a doc first. I would definitely see a physiotherapist because their assessments are very fine tuned. Based on the location (lower back/hip, pain on side of landing leg) and being difficult to walk, it's quite possible that you have SI (sacroiliac) joint pain. Does your pain refer down your leg? (It shouldn't if it is SI joint pain). When you land your jumps are you landing at a relative standstill? If so, you could be jarring your SI joint on that side that you land. A physiotherapist will see an uneveness in the two sides of your back as you slowly go from touching your toes and curling your back to an upright position while standing. Rest is a good idea until you see a physio.
Last edited by passion; 07-29-2008 at 12:56 AM.
The best thing you can do is rest, apply ice, heat and seek treatment. Either see a phiysio or chiro or combo. I suffer with lower back problems and recently had to get treated by a Dr. who does both physio and chiro treatments. It was very slow going, but I followed his treatment plan and now have full mobility. Also swimming is good as well as walking. You must keep moving!!! It really helps.
I hope you will make a strong recovery and will be able to return to the ice soon. Take care.
I also think it's an SI issue. My mother has a similar issue and it seems to fit. I have an appt with a sports med doc in a week so hopefully I will have it checked out. What is the usual treatment for SI injuries?
Treatment depends on the phyio. One I had used tens machine on the area and then did some adjustment. It worked fine. Another physio used something called muscle energy technique and it took care of the problem in one session. It was not a major injury even though there was quite a bit of discomfort walking. I hope that's all it is with you and not something more serious.
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