I've been plagued with injuries over the last few years related to the above.
I have a stretching routine which I now follow which releases pressure and tightness around my hip as I suffer with Sciatica and related pain as well as lower leg problems which are improved by this routine.
My problems are often worsened by long periods of sitting in front of a computer. This has restricted my running significantly over the last couple of years.
I was thinking of trying one of those funny looking chairs that improve your posture by forcing you to sit more upright, you know the ones where you tuck your legs underneath.
Has anybody had any experience of these?
Many thanks
Surfer

The mrs has back issues. She uses one of funny looking chairs at work. They bought it for her. She also uses a giant ball. She claims it helps (although she still has back problems)

What core strength work do you do daily/weekly ?

I have got this, in both hips, no amount of stretching ever helped despite being told I only had a groin strain (lasting 8 years yeah right).
http://www.hipfai.com/

for your sake I hope you dont have it.

NZCol
I do crunch situps daily, a few sets of 20.
Sets of 15 press ups as well as 3 x 30 seconds "plank"
I try to do this most days.
I suspect i am similar to many people in that I relapse into bad habits when the problem subsides then do lots of exercises when it starts to occur again.

Hmmmm, interesting. Can you request x-rays or mri scans on the NHS? I've had a reoccurring back problem for the last 2 years. I've recently recovered from a bad crash, started riding again, but I'm out of action this week with a 'groin strain'. Although the movement in my right hip has seemed limited and strained for a couple of weeks prior. I've also been experiencing a tingling sensation in my foot (same side).
Everytime I go to the docs they just say ibroprufen and if it continues then you should consider physio. Of course physio waiting lists are immense so you end up going private.

Anagallis
My pain is not specific to my hip but manifests itself as general discomfort/pain "around" one side of my lower back. I also get numbness down one leg.
An Osteopath has treated me on occasion and diagnosed other lower leg problems as referred pain from general tightness and pressure on nerves etc. I was sceptical as the "referred" pain seemed like "real" pain to me! but after a treatment it disappeared.
There is a big relationship to the number of "niggles" I get and the amount of post run/cycle stretching I do. The answer of course is to keep it up however I cant get totally clear no matter how much I do and I tend to get numbness when sitting at my desk hence the chair idea which may be an additional benefit.

I've developed lower back pain this year (I know I've been a lazy sod regarding stretching etc over the years)

Couple of blokes on here recommended Pilates, I was a bit sceptical at first but on advice bought Pilates for Dummies DVD from Amazon and loved it. Have now moved on to Pilates for Men DVD and frankly back problems have gone away. I only notice twinges now when I miss a few weeks of sessions.

Can't say enough about it really.

Kingofbiscuits.
I would recommend seeing an Osteopath. The one I see is always on about the majority of lower back problems being helped significantly by stretching and exercise (such as the core strength ones above)
I do think a lot of people when they experience back pain assume it is chronic and sometimes it is but I am sure many problems can be mitigated.

thanks surfer. I'll investigate. I do try and stretch but can be lazy and as you said once the problem subsides you stretch less. Do to the injury I've not been able to lay flay on my back (due to swelling) so stretching has been difficult. i also need to improve core strength. I suppose that my frustration is that whatever I have does not seem to be diagnosed by the GP and therefore I have to look at alternatives. Osteopath looks a good bet.

One thing you want to be careful of, and I suffered from when i was a late teen, was doing too many situps without matching with similar "rear" muscles – you develop really strong muscles that pull your back into a curve but the ones that pull it straight again get unbalanced strengthwise.

Quite strangely the comments on this post ring bells. My pain is at a certain point in my lower back where a tightness forms. It feels like a point on my pelvis. I'd love to get it correctly diagnosed and treated.

I was thinking of trying one of those funny looking chairs that improve your posture by forcing you to sit more upright, you know the ones where you tuck your legs underneath.
Has anybody had any experience of these?

I have got one at home, and find I slouch more than I would in a conventional chair

Is an Osteopath the same as a Chiropractor? And how do they differ from Physios? Its all black magic to me.

As coffeeking says the latest findings currently doing the rounds regards "core" strenght bexerciseing is getting the balance of front core vs rear/back core correct. Most people generalise "core" by just doing sit ups and not realising they are possibly damaging the back.

I have had a bad back for the best part of 30 odd years. I do a fairly heavy manual job so have to be carefull how I move and lift things. Most rides I have no problems but on a bad day my right leg can go all numb.
When swimming it can manifest itself by losing power/feeling to both legs.

I also have neck problems probably as a result of being in too many car crashes. Add to that a dodgy right knee, a knackered tendon in my left ankle/foot and a big toe I dropped a car flywheel on from shoulder hieght many years ago.

I have found myself a really good sports physio and have gone from weekly,monthly to 6mth, to yearly sessions over a period of time. If I have a sudden relapse I get an appointment asap.

Wherever you go make sure you have a mate or someone you can trust who can give e reference on that persons ability. Made 1 mistake and it set me back yrs.

Surfer – you have EXACTLY the same symptoms as me – I have a slipped disc, referred pain feels exactly like any other pain, I thought it was muscular for 6 months.

I saw an Osteopath who manipulated my pelvis – this helped temporarily. I have recently been to a phsyio (who is also and Osteo), he will not do any maniupulation until I have an MRI scan (I am waiting for this). Numbness is always pressure on the nerve, most likely disc but could be muscular.

The physio told me that the osteo could have put me in a wheelchair with the manipulation as until you have an MRI they don't know what is wrong.

My advice is to get an MRI asap, don't wait for it to get worse….

offto phsio now

Bloody hell you guys are in a bad way!!

Thanks Woodey I will speak to my GP.

Kingofbiscuits if you can find a good remedial masseur near you please please go and see them. They concentrate solely on your muscles, which could be causing all of your "tightness" and related problems. If they feel it is not something they can help you with then they will advise you what to try from there (doctor if required etc).

Don't go straight to Doc asking for MRI…….you will end up in a world of physios and god knows what without possibly fixing the core problem! Keep it simple to start with and then move on from there if there is no improvement!!

Sorry Clarey but I totally disagree, the ONLY way of definitively finding the core problem is the MRI.

My physio is also an osteo, remedial masseur and roadie. Until you have the MRI you won't know what the actual problem is and you could be throwing money away on the masseur.

Depends on your GP but as soon as mine saw the numbness he said an MRI was the best course of action, as soon as nerves are involved its best to know what you are dealing with before you start any other treatment.

So far I've tried a physio (although that was for me left knee which I twanged when trying to power up at climb at Llandegla out of the saddle) and she gave me a routine of exercises for knee and glute strengthening, lower back and hamstring stretches and something else.

Then I tried a Chiropractor for my back and she did some manipulation one session and then rubbed (massaged) my back a couple of times to relieve the tightness/muscle locked symptoms. This was OK but my back was already getting better so I could not tell whether this was making a big difference.

Just found this guy in Sheff…

http://www.activehealthcareclinic.co.uk/Site/about_us.html

I might have to search and post for physio/osteo/chiro recommendations in Sheff.

This brings me back to my original question. Can you ask for x-rays and MRI scans?

You need a GP referal to a chiropractic consultant, he will decide if you need a MRI scan.

The triggers for my GP were sciatic pain down the leg combined with numbness in the foot and very bad pain. This indicates significant pressure on the nerve and that should be enough for a referral.

Our GP is cool tho and I am with Bupa so he knows the NHS won't be paying…

Can you ask for x-rays and MRI scans?

Theoretically no but if you know what the injury is you can speak to your GP.
I was convinced I had a stress fracture many years ago because being an obsessive runner I had all the symptoms and had scoured the net manically etc. He listened to my argument and sent me for a scan/xray and it showed up.

Oh and surfer, I also considered one of those chairs as I am in front of a PC everyday, I also thought about using a swiss ball as a chair. My phsio says the best thing is to change your position every hour, so spend one hour on normal chair, then walk around, then spend one hour standing up, then one hour on swiss ball etc. This will avoid any significant pressure on one point of you lower spine

Piltates

I had 3 weeks of full time rehab for lower back & piriformis that included hydrotherapy, propreception, physio, exercise etc. The single best part of that was pilates – it really is superb for that core strength.

I am an Osteopath & have a fair bit of experience with bad backs.
Leg symptoms should be investigated by a properly trained clinician – their nature, distribution, daily pattern, intensity, progression, aggravating/relieving factors etc. Having done this they will form an opinion of the likely cause of the problem. If they are reasonably confident of their diagnosis, feel you are a suitable candidate for treatment & you are happy with the proposed plan of action go with it, if not get another opinion.
Imaging is not the panacea it may seem – there is a poor correlation between findings on imaging and patients symptoms, together with false positive/negative results. Plain x-rays are relatively cheap, but only show bone (most commonly not the primary cause of back pain), an MRI is much more revealing and also more expensive.
I would only normally request an MRI if I thought surgery was possibly indicated (spinal surgery is not to be undertaken lightly).
Assuming you have a disc problem it is most likely to have been caused by repetitive microtrauma, This can be reduced by improving overall spinal function, hip flexibility and abdominal support and ensuring that your lumbar spine is habitually held in a neutral position (habits are hard to change!).
Ultimately you need to rely on the clinical judgement of a trained professional – MRI's can help to arrive at a diagnosis and are occasionally required, but they are no substitute for the clinician.

"I would only normally request an MRI if I thought surgery was possibly indicated (spinal surgery is not to be undertaken lightly)."

Nick, that is the position I am in, my physio thinks I am borderline. I thought not as I am not in that much pain (considerable but not terrible), he said a fit/strong person can often mask the pain.

Anway, I want to avoid surgery if I possibly can (micro disectomy) but if the chriropractic consultant recommends it I guess I should heed his advice. The physio says he would also avoid it but that it now has a very high success rate and shouldn't be feared.

What is your opinion?

Nick, what do I need to look for when selecting an Osteopath in Sheffield?

Clarey – that seems like a slightly odd route- dont go straight to the person who'll know best, go via someone who will charge you, try and may not be able to identify it….?

I have similar problems, generally made worse by tiredness and stress. I have had Xrays, an MRI and seen several consultants including an arthritis bloke.

Net result:

There is nothing wrong with me.

I get lower back pain and excruciating (to the point at which i collapse) pain in my hips every couple of months or so. The worse episodes are generally not connected to any physical activity although they can be triggered by hamstring and soas tightness after longer rides.

The only way i can deal with it is to regularly take Dichlofenac (voltarol) and co-codamol. I manage my own dosage at the doctors recommendation. I see an osteopath but this only really helps with other upper back problems.

So my advice really is to pursue all the medical investigations and then if there is no result to develop a coping strategy using medication, core strength exercise and upping your pain threshold!

I've had problems for about 20 yrs due to a motorbike accident etc. Been doing Pilates for 7 weeks and it's been a total revelation, hard work but well worth it.

Give it a go.

Surfer-I had the exact same thing-sciatic pain but didn't notice till I blew my calf last year from it and when it didn't heal up I found it was tightness in my hips.

I diagnosed it to be tight hip musles/pelvis pressuring a nerve that caused my calf to tighten up when riding hard.

Stretching and avoiding sitting for too long+strengthen core and lose any flab. Get fit. Varies for each patient-I was good shape but tight pelvis muscles from sitting at work/home PC.

My Sports Chiropractor really helped me sort it out after a 8 sessions till I only need self stretch occassionally.

Assuming you've been diagnosed for this condition then you'll be fine.

Those knee sitting chairs are great for your mid section but the proper ones I saw in London shops can cost a few hundred but are worth it for the quality on some models.

mmmm
mixed opinions here.

My back was damaged probably from sometime in my early teens working on farms. Then subsequently when I started work as a motor mechanic it just crept up on me until I could barely walk at times.
sent to hospital, xrayed, which showed very little, then followed 3months of hospital physio till they decided that there was little to be achieved by carrying on. I just had to suffer or take pills. I chose to suffer and leave the pills alone.
Later I found out about remedial massage. I basically craweled up the stairs to this ladies table and walked out 6in taller 😆
I went to collect my kids at school and met a friend who was a physio(another story there btw re backs :cry:)and she recognised immediately that I had been "fixed". As I said earlier I now just need maintenance on the bad bits to keep me going for now until the inevitable!!

Conclusion. A good sports masseur will tell you whether they can fix or do anything for you. As nick says they should refer you to proper medics if they are unsure. Beware the ones that keep you on a return basis.

My daughter has just had her back eased by my masseur(a friend of hers anyway). 3 sessions and sorted. 7yrs of pent up student stress which included weaving and using a knitting machine for 2yrs relieved. She can now go back to swimming for the first time in months.

So as Clarey says there is a place for a good masseuse. But get a reference/referal.

Woodey. IMHO severe pain which doesn't improve over 6-8 weeks or is affecting your sleep; major or worsening weakness &/or numbness are indications for considering surgery. If you get any numbness in the saddle area or bladder or bowel control is affected go to A&E – it may well be a surgical emergency. Otherwise working on reducing the pressure you put on your low back (posture, flexibility, ensuring that the rest of you is functioning as well as possible), improving it's support and managing the pain as well as possible is the way forward.

KoB: Recommendation is best, failing that the General Osteopathic Council's website has a locator by postcode.

MrMichaelWright: You have demonstrated better than me that imaging is not the be-all & end-all (and can be a waste of limited resources). What is needed is is a diagnosis and a treatment plan, both of which should be reassessed regularly. Without that you are being fiddled with, not treated.

Just to throw another specialist into the pot if you're talking hips and lower back, have you considered seeing a podiatrist? Between my podiatrist and my osteopath, I'm slowly being rebuilt! I was amazed at how much time the podiatrist spent examining my pelvis and asking questions about hips and lower back. Hardly looked at my feet in comparision.

surfer
Read your post and others with interest. I'm guessing that you surf with a moniker like that and so do I ( for the last 25+ years). I have wondered if the large amount of hours spent sitting on a board in the sea is a contributing factor?? In mountain biking you are also sat for long periods. My problem had been diagnosed as an ITB problem but has also spilled over into sciatica and lower back problems. I read the second post about the hip condition with interest as I now feel that my "problems" can be traced to a very stiff left hip. I've been trying to stretch this but reading about this condition I wonder!! (its interesting that early competitive sport is sited as a possible factor for the onset of this and I was a competitive gymnast between 7 and 12 years).
For what its worth I've tried physios, chiropracters, sports masseurs, chiropodists, gait analysis etc. Ultimately I think you have to start making some choices which are based on logic. My problems intensified when I backed off due to injury. I'm convinced now this was because I put on weight, lost overall strength (including core strength) and fitness. When I attempted to exercise I stressed my leg more due to the above and the situation worsened.
Anyway sorry to go on. My advice is: stretch to balance any imbalances in the body, strengthen your core, lose weight so that you're not carrying excess weight, cross train, increase fitness and strength. Get your gait analysed and have regular sport massage. Oh and try one of these (its working for me):
http://store.tptherapy.com/Trigger_Point_Quadballer_p/tpt-tpq.htm

I had similar hip pain. Physio, osteopath etc. Turned out to be arthritis. AS – form of reumatoid (sp). Could be worth a check. Took a lot of private healthcare and a good surgeon to diagnose (it wasn't his field but he was sure I had no physical defect that would require his scapel).