Question:
My trade has caused Low Back Static overuse condition I need help to correct
I am a Farrier (Horse shoer) by profession. I have low back pain and pretty severe Hip stiffness which is chronic. But has escalated to debilitating about once a year (during busiest season)over the last few years.
I am 46. and I know time is not on my side to continue my career without having an overall health and fitness plan.
MRI shows slight bulging disc I believe L4/L5. General condition has peaked with complete immobilization from low back spasms twice.
Initial treatment was Steroid Dose Pack/ rest/ PT / muscle relaxers, followed by an epidural Steroid spinal injections.
There is another disc bulge in my neck causing some periodic shoulder/arm pain and numbness. But treatment to date has been focussed on the lower back
Symptoms subsided enough to continue working.
A year later it the conditions worsened and got another injection before full spasms started.
...and again this summer, about 6 months later.
I don't have shooting pains or leg pain associated with a pinched nerve at that location. but that (it seems) is what the treatment has been focussed.
The PT focussed on Core development for low back stability yet my muscle strength was always "above average" for most of the tests
My Job:
I bend over and hold that static position (1-3 minutes)as the primary function of the job. During most of this time I am holding the horses leg by pinching it between my legs, just above my knees. This allows me to use my arms to remove the horses shoes and trim etc.
Some of this time is with knees bent, but unfortunately some of it must be done with knees relatively straight.
I know this is not good... but it is how I make my living.
Through reading and trying to understand muscle balance, I can tell you my adductors, quads, hamstrings are quite strong and very tight (short, not flexible). My hips are very stiff and feel "fragile" when I make any kind of athletic moves.
Yet even with my hamstrings stiff and tight, I am able to bend over straight legged, knees locked and put my head at my ankles and palms on the floor.
This leads me to believe the smaller muscles in my back are "over stretched"
I've been told by Massage therapist that my psoas and adductors are very tight.
The pain I normally feel is not what is described as a nerve/disc pain, but rather a general soreness/fatigue in my lower back about the size of a football.
Only when i overwork has it escalated to actual spasms.
When I do not work for a few days, My lower back and hips become very stiff. almost rigid.
I don't feel I've found the specific program I need.
Thank you for your time and your help
Bob
Asked by Bobbo - 1 answer - 1 year 36 weeks ago
If it is truly a disc bulge, then bending over will be about the worst thing you can do. This loads the disc--risking a larger herniation. More likely, bending is causing the area surounding the disc to become inflammed--which can aggravate the nerves and cause back spasms. Your best bet is going to be to find a way to shoe horses in a mini squat or lunge position, perhaps by resting the foot of the horse on a stool? Perhaps use a rolling stool to sit on? With a true disc, you may feel better lying on your stomach with ice packs on your back. You can even try pressing up onto your forearms and holding that position for 5-10 minutes at a time. If that position is painful, then you may have a lateral shift--this will require a PT to teach you a side-glide technique to correct. The main thing will be avoiding bending--especiallly with a load, and avoid rotating at the spine. Train the abs without sit-ups! Any activity that causes symptoms to peripheralize away from your back is bad, so be careful. Good luck.
Submitted 1 year 35 weeks ago by mdsterken