Back problem and upcoming course

[InTheDrink]

Hi,

I have my fundies course coming up, starting this Friday.

However, I screwed my back about a week ago whilst on holidays.

I'm pretty sure that I hurt it from one or a combination of the following:

#1. Jogging each day: 4k at reasonable pace, probably on the upper end of what I can manage
#2 lifting tanks frequently and awkwardly: diving in pool at our holiday residence and taking major care taking tanks in/out of water so as not to damage pool. The holiday residence owner only allowed me to use the pool for scuba practice a) if I could guarantee no damage and b) no fins allowed.
#3. Yoga: which I've never done before but started doing because of back pain (so probably unlikely source of injury)

Anyhow, pain is marginal in morning, moderate by lunchtime, and fairly severe by evening. Using ibuprofen and heatwraps. Deep tissue massage starting tomorrow.

I'm fairly sure it's muscular (pain maximised on RHS of spine near shoulder blade, so upper mid back).

Anyhow, this is quite possibly a pointless post but just wondering whether I've got any chance of getting fit enough for the fundies course this Friday and any guidance on the treatment I should be considering. I've advised the instructor of my condition and he has asked to be kept updated (naturally) and also said that they will have surface support etc so I won't need to carry tanks etc.

I'm desperate to do this course, have booked time off work, have given up smoking (after 26 years) and got my general fitness and swimming levels to a decent level so if in any way possible I really want to get this course in, but I don't want to make my back worse.

Any thoughts tips/welcome. I've actually found getting injured like this quite depressing and my mood has sunk a lot of the last few days. I can't cook, wash up nevermind jog. I have swum a bit and that has actually been pretty much the least painful place to be so wondering whether diving might likewise be therapeutic rather than aggravating???

I'm annoyed with myself as in the last year or so any time a significant diving event has been coming up some self inflicted injury has happened just before the event (trip or training). I wouldn't read into the psychology of this, it just seems to be back luck/over enthusiasm.

Any thoughts on:
what treatment to seek
whether to proceed with the training or not
anything to relieve the pain

I know this is all a long shot but thought maybe some other divers have been in a similar position and give me some input

Cheers,
John

 

[TSandM]

I'm not even remotely attempting to diagnose anything over the internet, so don't sue me.

But you may have subluxed a rib. I know, I know, traditional medicine doesn't recognize subluxations, but having done this myself more times than I can count now, what I know is that the services of a good chiropractor can solve that problem in about two minutes. It's very unlikely to be harmful, and it might totally resolve the issue for you.

 

[flots am]

If you go to a chiropractor, don't let them do the head-flip thing

flots.

 

[InTheDrink]

I'm not even remotely attempting to diagnose anything over the internet, so don't sue me.

But you may have subluxed a rib. I know, I know, traditional medicine doesn't recognize subluxations, but having done this myself more times than I can count now, what I know is that the services of a good chiropractor can solve that problem in about two minutes. It's very unlikely to be harmful, and it might totally resolve the issue for you.

Your posts never cease to surprise both in quality and angle. And no, I'll never sue you either. Promise

I did consider either a chiro or osteopath but elected for sports physio as the least quackery. Course now you've put me in a quandary.

What does a subluxed rib mean and how would one be likely to get one (assuming of course they exist)??

Thanks,
John

 

[InTheDrink]

If you go to a chiropractor, don't let them do the head-flip thing

flots.

Yeah, that's what scares me (from a position of absolute ignorance). I don't like people doing **** with my spine that I'm not sold about. Massage seems safer in general as it is a muscular gig rather than a skeletal one but of course I am speaking from utter ignorance in all this. I really don't know what the various disciplines offer.

J

 

[TSandM]

A subluxation is a malposition of a joint that isn't enough to be termed a dislocation. I can tell you my experience is that I'll reach or twist in just the right way, and all of a sudden I have sharp pain just lateral to the spine, where the rib abuts it. It hurts to take a deep breath or to move the arm on the affected side. The more I do, the more muscle spasm I get and the more it hurts, which goes along with your history that it hurts worse in the afternoon.

The chiropractor applies a sharp burst of pressure in precisely the right direction, and the rib settles back in place and the pain is gone. As I said, I have gone through this a bunch of times (including once where I reached up just wrong and felt a series of pops in the right side of my upper back, like somebody had moved the slide on a coarse metal zipper -- I was completely immobilized by the pain). It may not be what is going on with you, but it's a thought. Fixing it involves no manipulation of the spine itself at all.

 

[InTheDrink]

Thanks for the explanation, that makes sense.

I really don't know what I've done but it doesn't sound like what you did. However, it does classically feel like a good thwack or pop might put everything right. But ultimately I can feel the pain stemming from the muscle to a RHS muscle or muscle group and it seems to be cramping/clamping down the rest of my back over time. If this can be unlocked I think I might be ok.

Increasingly I think it has been the lifting of scuba tanks (including doubles) at arms length that has done something bad to me. Usually diving makes my back feel great, because of the strengthening of the back muscles. This time I think I pushed it too far taking tanks in/out of the water too many times too many days and in an awful lifting position.

I'll let you know how I get on. If my sports physio doesn't do the business, and quick, I'll look at the alternatives.

Thanks tho, as always, for your input.

J

 

[hg frogman]

I feel sorry for you. Yes, handling tanks (and especially twinsets) can be harmful for one's back, as does running.

Why don't you see a decent specialized Medicin Doctor ? (in France we call this specialist a "rhumatologue"). Many of them are also "vertébrothérapeutes" and can manipulate your spine, so you get the full treatment. Which is most of the time very efficient.

Depending on what it is (it can be several things but I won't discuss this on Internet or even on P.M.), Ibuprofen may well not be enough as a treatment. Hence again go and see a specialized M.D.

Chiropractors are not a bad idea (what TSandM describes does happen) but in my opinion should be seen after a specialized M.D. that eliminates some of the possibilities and can even cure the problem by himself.

Take care because spinal pain/inflammation really increases the risk of DCS (sorry again if this is bad news). But your health matters much more than a certification, whatever it is. Good luck.

 

[TSandM]

Frogman, I think we would call such a physician in the US an osteopath. "Rhumatologue" would transliterate into rheumatologist, and such physicians here specialize in inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, and would be of little or no benefit to the OP.

 

[InTheDrink]

Frogman - good to hear from you again, hope your travels were fun (you've probably been back for months but hey, who's counting )

Froggie/TSandM, I saw a sports physio today, am again tomorrow and osteopath on Wednesday.

I also did some light yoga today and took a beta blocker.

Net result - my back clearly improved.

Massage person seemed to think problem likely stress related and my worries about being able to do fundies course making it worse.

I also am getting early impetigo around my mouth (yeah, pretty) - for me this happens only when my stress levels are hitting fairly big highs (ok, really big highs). My holiday was pretty stressful, won't bore you with the details but this and giving up smoking seem to have put my body in a stressed state. Adding vigorous exercise to this and some heavy-ish lifting seems to have caused my symptoms. I'm guessing here of course but with the onset of impetigo stress must be a factor.

Good news is that I appear to be responding well on one level. Massage has helped muscular issue but there seems to remain a spinal or nerve 'lightening rod of pain' issue when my back goes into certain positions. But I reckon this can be managed.

Anyhow, I'll bore you with my progress and if you've any insights or thoughts on how best to manage a course with moderate pain then I won't hate, or indeed sue, you for it

Cheers,
J

But overall I'm feeling more optimistic about trying for the course. I'm not walking like a wooden robot since this afternoon so fingers crossed continues in this direction.