I need a good lower back/pelvis specialist in Calgary area - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

crashbandit · 06-16-2011, 03:22 PM

Hey,

I've had lower back/pelvis pain for 3 years now and hoping someone here could recommend a good therapist in the Calgary area. I have seen so many run-of-the-mill type physio's and chiro's and they can't seem to do much for me. I need someone with a really keen eye to truly get to the root of my tangled (literally) pelvis problem.

I have had a X-ray, which normal doctors say look great. Also a MRI which is alittle more scary with buldging disks and a 5mm disk protrusion @ L5-S1. My pain isn't too bad as it is very tolerable and no leg pain at all (yet!). I just get really sore sometimes around the sacroiliac area after doing strenous activity (not too strenous... like working on a car). Also the same area gets sore if I sit with bad posture. Also along the top of my pelvis gets very sore and stiff.

I know there is a problem here and I hope to solve the mystery one day and cure this pain once and for all. I believe the underlying problem has to do with my sacroiliac joints and the laxative ligaments that have lost there stretchy cohesion. At one time I'm sure my pelvis was a tight flexable unit but now I'm afraid it's loose and lost it's biomechanical design.

If anyone can recommend a skilled therapist to help me with my perticular case, I'd greatly appreciate that. Or maybe someone who has a similar situation as myself would just like to communicate with me over email or phone and work together on getting better.

I hope to hear form you all very soon

Thanks

surferguy · 06-16-2011, 03:27 PM

I need a good lower back/pelvis specialist in Calgary area

valo403 · 06-16-2011, 03:39 PM

fotze's mom

To Be Quite Honest · 06-16-2011, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crashbandit

Hey,

I've had lower back/pelvis pain for 3 years now and hoping someone here could recommend a good therapist in the Calgary area. I have seen so many run-of-the-mill type physio's and chiro's and they can't seem to do much for me. I need someone with a really keen eye to truly get to the root of my tangled (literally) pelvis problem.

I have had a X-ray, which normal doctors say look great. Also a MRI which is alittle more scary with buldging disks and a 5mm disk protrusion @ L5-S1. My pain isn't too bad as it is very tolerable and no leg pain at all (yet!). I just get really sore sometimes around the sacroiliac area after doing strenous activity (not too strenous... like working on a car). Also the same area gets sore if I sit with bad posture. Also along the top of my pelvis gets very sore and stiff.

I know there is a problem here and I hope to solve the mystery one day and cure this pain once and for all. I believe the underlying problem has to do with my sacroiliac joints and the laxative ligaments that have lost there stretchy cohesion. At one time I'm sure my pelvis was a tight flexable unit but now I'm afraid it's loose and lost it's biomechanical design.

If anyone can recommend a skilled therapist to help me with my perticular case, I'd greatly appreciate that. Or maybe someone who has a similar situation as myself would just like to communicate with me over email or phone and work together on getting better.

I hope to hear form you all very soon

Thanks

Are your tight muscles pulling your pelvis away? Which way? Do your toes point out or in? Does your stomach stick out like an exaggerated curve?

If you have any of these first thing is to use flat footed shoes. Those toe shoes work well.

Secondly, this will hurt you more than ANYTHING ever, but try Active Release Therapy. They basically take the problem muscle and kick the snot out of it while moving the muscle through it's normal ROM. If your muscle attached to any part of the body (where it shouldn't be attaching) before they do this, it won't be after...

Fobby · 06-16-2011, 03:56 PM

http://www.shephardhealth.com/

I go to a guy name Darren at Shepardhealth for Active Release, and I go to the same clinic for trigger point massage with a guy name Adamo. It is painful, but it's worth it.

crashbandit · 06-16-2011, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by To Be Quite Honest

Are your tight muscles pulling your pelvis away? Which way?

I'm not sure, but I'm thinking probably pulling my pelvis down because only anterior rotation is possible or I have a twisted pelvis (only one side is stuck). that's why I need a really good therapist to give me a diagnoses and stop with all this other hacks who don't give a rat's arse. Sorry to sound negative but it's fustrating dealing with people that can't help and who waste my time.

Do your toes point out or in? Does your stomach stick out like an exaggerated curve?

My right foot pronates abit (like only 15 degrees, not alot) and the left foot is pretty straight. I has the opposite of an exaggerated curve, which is flatback. I have lost most of my lumbar concave curve. I can link some pics if you like.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39804134@N04/

Maybe the lumbar curve isn't completely gone but it's pretty flat. I have been allowing my stomach to relax more lately because I've learned that sucking in my stomach with cause the spine to be held in flexon, which is not good for a flatback.

If you have any of these first thing is to use flat footed shoes. Those toe shoes work well.

Flat footed shoes? Like converse? how can that help exactly?

Secondly, this will hurt you more than ANYTHING ever, but try Active Release Therapy. They basically take the problem muscle and kick the snot out of it while moving the muscle through it's normal ROM. If your muscle attached to any part of the body (where it shouldn't be attaching) before they do this, it won't be after...

I have awesome insurance coverage, which is why I'm researching a new therapist to use, so once I find out the underlying cause of my back issues, maybe I will use ART to help restore things. I just need a solid diagnoses first! It's fustrating trying to find a good diagnoses. GP doctors are completely useless and will only help you if your in a wheel chair and can't walk. No thanks!

Shasta Beast · 06-16-2011, 04:53 PM

Try yoga (just not Bikram). Did wonders for my back injuries.

Stillman16 · 06-16-2011, 10:43 PM

http://www.northernhillsphysio.com/p...herapists.html

Suzanne helped both my wife and I after a car accident 5 years ago. No real issues since. I spine was wonky and I couldn't sit for more than 10 mins before treatment.

MRCboicgy · 06-16-2011, 11:12 PM

Ugh, another disappointing thread.

ricosuave · 06-17-2011, 07:32 AM

I've heard good things about these folks:
http://www.backneckrehab.com/

prarieboy · 06-17-2011, 07:40 AM

Action Sports Clinic downtown is good. Go see Gina.

crashbandit · 06-17-2011, 08:01 AM

Thanks everyone for the recommendations.

RMC, sorry for dissappointing thread... ####in moron

Reaper · 06-17-2011, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crashbandit

Thanks everyone for the recommendations.

RMC, sorry for dissappointing thread... ####in moron

Hey, there's this new thing you may have heard of. I think they're called jokes. You should try them some time.

crashbandit · 06-17-2011, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reaper

Hey, there's this new thing you may have heard of. I think they're called jokes. You should try them some time.

I know, I was trying to add excitment to this "boring thread". Is it working!?!?!?

Sr. Mints · 06-17-2011, 05:49 PM

Ask your family doctor to refer you to a physiatrist. Specifically, Dr. Flaschner. These guys are incredible. Best doctor I've ever been to for my back, and I've seen a lot.

EDIT: No, tell your doctor to refer you. It seems you have to do that in Calgary these days.

ricosuave · 06-17-2011, 05:53 PM

^ What is his full name, or office address?

Sr. Mints · 06-17-2011, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricosuave

^ What is his full name, or office address?

Dr. David Flaschner
250-333 Aspen Glen Landing SW
Calagry, AB T3H 0N6
403-984 9025
www.aspenpmr.ca

crashbandit · 06-20-2011, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sr. Mints

Ask your family doctor to refer you to a physiatrist. Specifically, Dr. Flaschner. These guys are incredible. Best doctor I've ever been to for my back, and I've seen a lot.

EDIT: No, tell your doctor to refer you. It seems you have to do that in Calgary these days.

Thanks for the tip Sr.Mints,

What kind of treatments did they do for you? Can you tell me abit more about your situation?

Thanks

JustAnotherGuy · 06-20-2011, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crashbandit

Thanks everyone for the recommendations.

RMC, sorry for dissappointing thread... ####in moron

You join the site today and then ask for help and then you use that kind of language. Not sure how long you will be around with that kind of attitude.

I have to assume you have been reading this site for awhile and just now decided to join. You should know that there are a lot of jokes here. Pretty well every thread gets a joke comment.

Sr. Mints · 06-20-2011, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crashbandit

Thanks for the tip Sr.Mints,

What kind of treatments did they do for you? Can you tell me abit more about your situation?

Thanks

I'd rather not go into too much specific detail about my situation...

But I broke my back a few years ago, it healed okay. Then last fall I started to get tingling in my legs. I could move them fine, but I was losing feeling. That got worse pretty quick, then pain in my lower back began again.

Saw a few doctors and specalists and had several options laid out in front of me which were basically surgery, pain management, physio.

The physiatrist saw me, and during my initial appointment he and his student-doctorling spent two and a half hours tinkering with me--and by tinkering I mean finding out exactly what was wrong physically: bending me every which way, poking me, twisting me, pulling me, analyzing how I walk, how I turn, how I move, etc., etc.. They looked at past MRIs and CT scans.

A week later the physiatrist did a nerve conduction study and a few days after that, an EMG (or something?) where they electrocute you and that can tell them...something.

I was put on some different pain meds: Gabapentin and Nortriptyline, which work pretty well for leg pain. It makes me very tired, but that kind of works in my favour because I don't sleep well due to nerve pain (legs feel like they are in a 200 degree oven at time, or they feel very cold, or just plain hurt). In addition, I got a cream for my back which has lidocaine and gabapentin and other stuff in it: I don't think it does anything, but I've only been using it for a month.

The physiatrist also scheduled an x-ray guided injection (of what, I don't know) between my vertebrae. I have that tomorrow morning, and am honestly not very thrilled about it, but we'll see how that goes. He said some patients have can have improvement for days, weeks, some months, and for lucky ones, years.

Also doing physiotherapy to strengthen my core muscles around where I broke my back - this is tough, I'm in descent shape, but it hurts like hell to do.

And that's where I am now.