shewhorn Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good back specialist (preferably one that specializes in sports medicine... I find the others are all too conservative in terms of treatment)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick stoehrer Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 don't know if he's a "specialist" but james kennedy is a pretty gifted physical therapist...he works out of anna jacques/newburyport. he's a paddler, faster than hell and if anyone is going to "get" where you're coming from, he will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Crouse Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Many years ago the New England Journal of Medicine did a study on effective treatments for backs injuries/issues. By far the most effective solution was Yoga. I'm not knocking therapy, surgery, etc... ok many I'm knocking surgery a bit since most surgeries fail in several years. My point is by all means see a therapist but if this is a reoccuring problem yoga (ie: stretching) can be a great long term solution. Back before I got old & fat (and stopped doing it) yoga was what allowed me hand roll and static brace my WW boat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPARSONS Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good back specialist (preferably one that specializes in sports medicine... I find the others are all too conservative in terms of treatment)? I've just spent the winter rehabilitating a back injury. After visiting five doctors to get to the bottom of it, I haven't found any doctor who cares to determine what is causing the pain. They all just recommend physical therapy and muscle relaxants. The muscle relaxants were the most useless medical treatment I've ever undergone. Years ago I tried PT and found that it did absolutely nothing. This winter, with a different therapist it seems to help a fair amount. There is still pain every day, but at least the pain is managable so I can usually sleep through the night. The "good" physical therapist was Stephen at Boston Center for Physical Therapy which is located at the Boston Athletic Club. If you find a doctor that cares about determining the cause of the pain instead of just masking the symptoms, I'd like to know about it. My experience with this is seriously eroding my confidence in the medical profession. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 TRY PERFORMANCE REHAB in Londonderry or Nashua NH. Not sure if that is convenient to you. They have helped me many times from leg, back & neck injuries. A good ortho man is Wendel Pierce MD in Winchester, MA. There is also A'sante massage in Londonderry NH...Victoria is a deep tissue expert, the best I have found. She works out of her husbands Chiropractic office so be prepared for the sales pitch. (send me a IM and I'll give you her number if your interested) I'll take a qualified physical therapist over Chiropractic care any day of the week. They can make mistakes very easily and I have paid the price by getting a bad one or 2 in the past. To each his own. Hope this helps you. Good luck. Doug I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good back specialist (preferably one that specializes in sports medicine... I find the others are all too conservative in terms of treatment)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Crouse Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Have you had an MRI yet? A co-worker was having cronic back problems and was about to go through his 2nd round of PT, he insisted on an MRI and they found a small node/lump. He had none of the typical symptoms for having the node/lump so they didn't want to do the MRI but he insisted. The lump has been removed and his pain is gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken C Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Don't overlook the possibility of a GOOD Osteopath that is sensitive to an active lifestyle. Not a lot of them in the states but it is a growing specialty. Unfortunately i'm in the western part of the state some 2 hours from your area so cannot make a recomendation. I was lucky to have one fairly local, and while it took time and a lot of work on my part. We managed to get me back in the boat and other activities after a serious back injury from bike road racing crash. I also agree with Mike, Rick and others on a good PT that understands and is sensitive to the needs of an active lifestyle. Ask around, see whose name keeps o popping up... Best of luck on geting the back ship shape! Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shewhorn Posted April 30, 2008 Author Share Posted April 30, 2008 Thanks everyone... I think I need to throw in a little more detail. At this point I'm not looking for a PT (although that will probably be the second part of the equation). A little history... I was run over by a car in 1999 (as in tire tread marks on my chest) and managed to break 5 vertebrae, 3 ribs, my left scapula and my pelvis in 3 different places all in one go (call it talent). I'm pretty sure my current issues are related. Specifically it's never issues... not the tingly sensation type but the "someone has one of muscles in a C clamp" type. So... I need someone to first diagnose why this is happening and then I need a game plan be it surgery or PT. ETA I've been seeing a chiro for the past year and the adjustments were keeping things at bay for a while but I'm tired of the weekly trips and the occasional episode that just doesn't respond. Cheers, Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gcosloy Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Thanks everyone... I think I need to throw in a little more detail. At this point I'm not looking for a PT (although that will probably be the second part of the equation). A little history... I was run over by a car in 1999 (as in tire tread marks on my chest) and managed to break 5 vertebrae, 3 ribs, my left scapula and my pelvis in 3 different places all in one go (call it talent). I'm pretty sure my current issues are related. Specifically it's never issues... not the tingly sensation type but the "someone has one of muscles in a C clamp" type. So... I need someone to first diagnose why this is happening and then I need a game plan be it surgery or PT. ETA I've been seeing a chiro for the past year and the adjustments were keeping things at bay for a while but I'm tired of the weekly trips and the occasional episode that just doesn't respond. Cheers, Joe Hi Joe, I don't remember meeting you but after what you've described I'm not going to complain about my issues again. For what it's worth I found the best evaluation from a local Neurologist. A Dr. Girgis in Waltham, MA. While she did send me for MRI's and PT and ultimately to a Neuro surgeon, she was the most competent in trying to discover causality for my problem. All I can say about the others is that they will do what they are trained to do i.e. manipulate, cut or prescribe pills. I was lucky to find her. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Millar Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I second what everyone has said, although I've been pretty lucky with my doctors and their treatment of pain. While I've never came close to having had happen what you did, I do suggest you see a neurologist who then may refer you to a back specialist. When I had sciatica 8 years ago, I was lucky that my GP didn't treat it was lots of drugs -- which I hated taking anyway -- but referred me to a PT immediately. I have not had any repeat incidents of the sciatica. Yoga is a great way to deal with back pain as is Pilates, which I've just started. And while I know some people swear by their chiropractors, I just can't wrap my too-Westernized, Traditional Medicine head around someone who claims most of my ills probably stem from my spine being out of alignment. I know you're in NH, but the PT practice Bob and I use is in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA and is called Cape Ann Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy. The man who treated me for sciatica and for some serious intercostal damage six years ago had worked for the Bruins and was very proactive in finding out different ways of treating injuries related to paddling. Unfortunately, he's no long there, but the woman who runs the practice is top notch and hires the best, as Bob can tell you having been a recent patient. Deb M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shewhorn Posted May 2, 2008 Author Share Posted May 2, 2008 Thanks again. I'll check out a neuro (not something I'd have thought of) as I'd like to find out what is causing this. In the mean time I got a prescription for Flexeril (sp?) and some other prescription anti-inflammatory and I'm feelin' a whole lot better. I know it's probably just a temporary fix though. There's a few spots on my back that seem to like to routinely seize up. Cheers, Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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