Lower Back Pain

Today, I went to see a Spinal Specialist because of on-going lower back pain and being referred by my family doctor and after the X-rays were taken, I met with him in one of the exam rooms and the first thing he said was what brings you here...  of course, that struck me as kinda queer because he had the referral explanation but I explained it to him again anyway...  the second question he asked after my explanation was have you been to a physical therapist before?  Yes, was my response.  Did it work, he asked following up?  Yes, I replied, then continued with, but only for a short while.  Did you continue the exercises after you stopped going?  No, was my quick response.

There was a pause in the room while he looked at my chart and said, you're only 72...  after looking at these X-rays, I thought you should be about 80.

Immediately, that comment made me feel wonderful...  because if I had lower back pains now, I could just imagine what I would be experiencing when I actually turned 80 in 8 years...

He informed me that he could only offer me three options for my back.

First, there was surgery which he would not approve because my lower back pain was due to my age only.

Second, there was a shot he could give me in my lower back which would help temporarily.

Third, there was physical therapy.

If was up to me which one of the last two I wanted to do.  I chose physical therapy with a promise to continue on my own after my sessions ended.

Before I left his office, I did ask him about a back brace which I had worn before, and he explained how a back brace would, in fact, work but it was doing the work that the muscles should be doing and the muscles need physical therapy to get them back into shape.

He never explained what age had caused in my back but I am sure that if I had asked, he would have responded with ARTHRITIS...

I remember a father of a friend of mine once tell us one Saturday morning in the summer when we were home from college...  Life's a bitch, then you die...