Lower back pain?

[Miguelito]

Hello! I started having wicked lower-back pain at about six weeks. Really debilitating for a couple of days. I had been working in the yard doing too much, so I figure that it was almost certainly just a muscular thing after two months of almost no activity. The pain feels like it is in the little (?) muscles around the spine from around the belt line on up, about a hand span, I guess. Now it mostly manifests itself as pretty bad pain at night after I have been laying down for a few hours sleeping.

I am now doing my Phase II (Dr. Gross) exercises honestly, and i even started working out yesterday (very lightly) so I hope the issue resolves itself as i increase my physical activity, but I just wanted to ask if others had similar lower back pain, any direct relation to the surgery (which i doubt), possible causes, etc. It was very frustrating about a week ago. I was at a holiday cookout and wanted to show how well I was doing post-surgery and there I was almost unable to walk because of my back, and not the hip. I kept telling people, "It's not the hip!". They probably thought I was crazy.

Thanks,

Mike

[hernanu]

IT band most likely, Mike. The muscles involved wrap from the knee, outside the thigh, then through the hip into the lower back.

A couple of suggestions that helped me, since you're at six weeks.

• Roller. It is the best thing (to me) for getting at the IT band and massaging it, outside of some of the really effective massage therapies that David and others described. Here's one I use: http://www.amazon.com/Foam-Roller-6-x-36/dp/B000Y4W9VA/ref=sr_1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1338815805&sr=1-4
• A tennis ball to hand roll on the inner thigh / groin area.
• Roller on the lower and upper back.
• Stretches (when the Doctor says you can).
• Maybe look at a new mattress?

On the roller, make sure you do it following a good procedure. The intent is to roll your outer leg over the roller for one exercise, so support yourself with the other foot as close to the roller as your ROM allows without pushing it, then use you hands on the other side of the roller for support , forming a triangle of support. Lay your hip on the roller, then roll down the length of the thigh slowly to the knee, extending the supporting leg. At full extension reverse.

Do it several times (as much as you can take). The first few times will be rough, but this addresses the IT band and scar tissue. Obviously check with your doctor / PT first, but it helped me immensely, I still do it.

[Miguelito]

Thanks for the suggestion. I do have a foam roller and used to use it as you described when I thought I had sciatica down my right leg, and will try it tonight.

This pain is really centralized to the spine, and not a particular leg, or the leg at all. I increasingly realize just how complicated that area of the body is musculoskeletal (sp?) wise, but don't really know the nitty-gritty, so forgive my ignorance, but wouldn't the IT band manifest itself down the leg, whether unilaterally or bilaterally?

Thanks again!

[hernanu]

No problem, Mike - it is a complex area. By the way, here's a picture of someone using it for the IT band



from this article: http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=6099&PageNum=2

This kind of exercise also helps, but is hard for hippys when first started:



and as you can see here, it can reach to the lower back, upper buttocks.





Again, not a medical person at all, but given where these muscles go, a little stretching / strengthening / massage can help a lot IMO.