Have you or someone you know ever been bedridden due to low back pain? More often than not, people don’t think anything of it. A few days off work and everything goes back to normal. If it persists, a visit to the Emergency Room is a lot of people’s first choice. But what happens when that doesn’t work? What should one do when prescription medication has not improved the symptoms? This is one of many stories about how a patient of ours went from bedridden to a fishing excursion in less than a week.
We recently received a phone call for a house visit. Someone was bedridden for 7 days due to severe low back pain and asked if we could help. The pain was described as a 10/10, radiated down the right leg but not below the knee. In response to our question of “Why are you not going to the hospital for this?”, the patient replied, “I already did!”.
At the ER for Low Back Pain
The patient had been to the hospital with an ambulance a few days prior to contacting PEAKiropractic. At the emergency room, the patient was diagnosed with sciatica and during the stay in the hospital the patient was given the following medications:
Toradol: https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-57954/toradol-oral/details (anti-inflammatory)
Robaxin: https://www.rxlist.com/robaxin-side-effects-drug-center.htm (muscle relaxant)
Morphine: https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-327-819/morphine-oral/morphine-oral/details (opioid analgesic)
Zofran: https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-30/zofran-oral/details (prevents nausea and vomiting)
The Doctor at the ER, referred this patient to an orthopedic surgeon in the area for further evaluation. The patient was also given two “pamphlets”; Sciatica Easy-to-Read, and Acute Back Pain Adult, and left the ER with a prescription order for:
Acetaminophen-codeine: 1-2 tabs every 6 hours as needed https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-76/acetaminophen-codeine-oral/details
Ibuprofen: 1 tab every 6 hours as needed https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-5166-9368/ibuprofen-oral/ibuprofen-oral/details
Methocarbamol: 1-2 tabs po q6h prn spasms and pain https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-8677/methocarbamol-oral/details
Prednisone: 3 tablets daily for 2 day, then 2 tablets daily for 2 days, then 1 tablet daily for 2 days, then stop. https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-6007-9383/prednisone-oral/prednisone-oral/details
Following the ER for Low Back Pain
After a few days of this regime with no changes in symptoms or intensity, they reached out to us. The patient was still bedridden during the initial visit, so I set up my table in the bedroom as close to the bed as possible.
After our evaluation and first treatment, the patient was able to stand up and walk at least to the nearby bathroom and back without help.
After the second treatment, the patient was asked to walk up and down the stairs at which she laughed as though it was impossible. A few minutes later, the patient was downstairs in the kitchen and could not believe it.
By the third visit, there was no back pain, just intense muscles spasms at the front of the involved thigh.
On the fourth visit, the patient was asking if it would be ok to go fishing the following day.
What Do We Do Differently?
This is one of many patients we have helped in the exact same situation! We will continue doing it because we care and believe in our body’s ability to heal. It is our belief that we have an innate intelligence, always working towards the best interest of the individual, by overcoming adversities and adapting to all situations. In order to promote healing from the inside out, it is important to question the environment you provide for the intelligence, to act through! Any outside influence will manipulate the course of action our intelligence takes; It is best we remove any interference and provide an optimum environment for the adaptation and healing process to take place.
Symptoms develop when there is a change in the body’s normal function. Pain is just the message that something is wrong. By eliminating the signal and not correcting the insult that causes the symptom, one is creating an opportunity for dis-ease. Instead, identifying the cause and removing the interference, the body can shift into a state of ease and function at its PEAK.
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Find out what may be causing your lower back pain HERE!
At PEAKiropractic, we do just that!
We remove the interference from the body, so you can function at your best! Whether your goal is to get out of bed with no pain, or to just keep up with life, we are here, and ready to help you!
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