Any ideas to help a bad back (human) when riding?

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Ziggy_

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I do feel faintly ridiculous making this post, given that I'm only 21 so should be all fit and healthy
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Basically, I have had various riding related injuries to the right half of my body - broken collar bone, several broken ribs and when I was 14, I fell off and did something to the bottom of my spine - I don't know exactly what I did as I never got it looked at, but its never been the same since.

Most day to day activities I can do okay - I try not to lift/bend over too much and mucking out is a bit ouchy, but I can live with it. But riding is agony
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Walking is particularly painful - trotting and cantering not so bad I guess because there's more movement involved.

Its partly the old injuries which start aching, part feels like my muscles are seizing up all the way from my shoulder to my pelvis down the right hand side of my body; towards the end of a long ride I find myself holding my breath and sitting there like a sack of spuds as I literally can't move. I've been putting up with it for years, but its getting steadily worse and I'm starting to think that within the next few years I'm quite likely to be forced to give up...


anyone in a similar position found anything that helps?
any suggestions etc welcome

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i have back problems from time to time so would suggest you find a good local physiotherapist who does what is called cranial-sacral therapy. its so much more gentler than osteotherapy and really works although its painful at first but worth it.
 
You really need to see a physiotherapist. Apart from the pain you are in you wont be doing your horse any favours. They can feel a fly land on their back so they can feel a rider lumping about. You wouldnt let your horse suffer with similar problems so get yourself sorted with professional help asap!
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Blimey, you've been in the wars! Apart from your injuries, on reading that, my first thought was 'core stability'. My friend is a physio and she goes on at me about it. If I do a lot of riding in walk, I get back ache, usually around my shoulders and extending down. Since starting to work on my core muscles, and concentrating more on using them to support myself instead of relying on my back, the backache has disappeared. Good for everyday life too, and extending the shelf-life of your back!

I asked her for some specific exercises I could do but they are hard to explain without a demo - would suggest you get professional advice on this from someone qualified as wouldn't want you to do them wrong! I was sceptical, but it has worked for me and I know if I keep it up I'll be a better rider for it.
 
Poor you! My chiropractor has really helped me with lots of injuries, pain, muscle spasms etc. they can arrange x-rays maybe you have one near you? Don't leave it any longer, you're only young, need to get it sorted sooner rather than later. Good luck!
 
I used to have a bad back to the point where at one stage I was thinking of selling my horse as I couldn't muck out, lift water buckets etc. I could get on but I used to be in agony like you said, holding your breath when riding. I tried everything physio, chiropractors, nearly gave up hope (I was only 25) but eventually found a Mctimoney chiropractor who basically changed my life! It cost me a small fortune-visiting him as I used to have to go every week, but now 4 years later I just make an annual visit and it was worth every penny. I'm still cautious and I can't do sitting trot for very long or long long hacks, and I won't lift anything stupidly heavy, but I'd say for me I'm cured. It might be worth a try.
 
Find a good chiropractor, and I can highly recommend pro-lite back supports. Expensive but worth every penny. There used to be days when I couldn't stand up straight without that thing on!
 
Echo the core stability. My backs really bad too (I'm 22 so you're not alone!!!) It hurts a lot when cold and when I've been riding/mucking out. I went to physio last year as it finally sort of went and i couldn't move very much. They put me on diazepam and something else beginning with d? Anyway they got space for me to see hospital physio and he said although my outside muscles were good (I was doing a lot of sit ups things on those abs cradles) my core muscles were rubbish and he hadn't seen anything so bad in years. He got me to do loads of different exercises and some posture related stuff, there wasn't much he could do in the way of manipulation as my pain was due to the internal muscles. Don't quote me but he said something like the core muscles help you're posture and when they aren't working its your back that does the work instead? No maybe that wasn't quite it but the fact that my core muscles were virtually non-existant was route of pain. I am quite bad though and rarely do exercises I'm too much of a fidgit. But get checked out it could be this. I also had x rays done but they could see nothing wrong on them.

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I echo the chiropractor, I suffered with back pain for many years from about 16yrs old and was told it was growing pains by doctor......
Eventually when I was 24 I went to see a chiropractor and have never looked back. It got rid of all my pain for years and then in 2007 (at only 28) I started getting sciatica, the chiropractor was very helpful (when the doctor wasn't interested). I ended up having an operation to cure a bulging disc (brought on by the years of over compensating for other back problem :-( ). Through everything chiro has been fantastic and really explained what was going on and what they were doing. I had physio after my op but found the chiro advice to be more helpful and thorough. I now go for a check up every 3 months and really notice the difference afterwards. Hope you manage to get something sorted.
 
i have a bad back to and im nearly 18!!! mines is caused by heavy lifting incorrectly (work at a feed merchant) . i went to chiropractor and came out in more pain than went in with. was to scared to go back haha. but im considering going to a physiotherapist instead. i wear a magnetic back support which is fab! cost me £25
 
Find a chiro via the british chiropractic association. I will not be cheap but will work and in my experience better than physio and osteo. Don't worry about the age, am 25 but have had on off issues since 15. Initially very base of spine (poss like yours) no idea what happened, apparently could have bounced as a youngser and muscles went wrong way, reared its ugly head when I returned to riding after a break for a couple of years. Turned out my sacrum was twisted, no need for x-rays they can tell stuff pretty quickly so I definitely think you should get that checked out - it was very very painful for me to sit down for a long time, now when I go stiff I just feel in in my butt cheeks which is like an early warning sign to me.

I have since injured my shoulder swimming which gives me more issues and I get a stiff neck if I do a lot of driving etc, I think this is because my lower back was wonky for a good while and once we straightened that bit others were affected.

So there is hope! I am actually better riding than most other activities, I can cycle well and swim but I have to be careful swimming as it can set off the shoulder again, walking I am really bad. Riding is generally very good as it keeps everything rocking and therefore not stiffening up. Although it sounds like you are stiffening in walk but better at faster paces.

It won't be cheap to start, initial consults can be quite expensive and you will probably have to see someone weekly or more at the very start but it will decrease and will be worth it and think how much we spend on the horses! It will prob never be 100% and I still see someone every 6 months or so. I could go longer but know from experience it is not worth it.

They will also give you exercises to do but if I am honest I am not that good at doing mine!
 
You have exactly the same problem as me and mine started when i was your age, im now 26 and only just getting it treated, get to your doctor and get them to refure you to a physio under the NHS I had my first deep musle massge the other day, and yes it hurt but it will get rid of the bad trapped nerve in the bottom of my back, when mines bad I cant get up of the bed I have to get my OH to pull me up, and that kills!
 
I get trapped nerves down my left side and chest pains.

I went to the Docs for loads of tests for the chest pain until eventually the diagnosis was that there was nothing wrong.

Months later I'd had a course of McTimoney Chiro for the trapped nerves. Not only did it rid me of that but also the chest pain - which was linked of course (why didn't I think of that?!)

Now, if I get any aches and pains and even migraine, I see the Chiro and he sorts it.

I can't believe I suffered in silence for so many years.

My chap came highly recommended from a number of people...

I think if you can find a recommended Physio, Chiro or Osteopath, then go for a consultation. If they can't help you they should say.
 
Thanks for suggestions everyone, glad to see I'm not the only one (not that I was expecting to be!)

I was reading half these replies about chiro thinking that I did go to see someone a few years ago but I've since realised it was an osteopath I saw, and that was rubbish - is there a big difference?

Interesting to read about back supports and core muscles - will look into buying one of the first and strengthening the second! Many thanks
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miss buffay just read your post. It can happen, depends much adjusting required and it should have been discussed. In my experience mctimoney chiro is much more painful after the event, considering much less movement going on I have been extrememly stiff after. Normal chiro much less so (just makes fabulous bone crunching noises) I would consider seeing a diff chiro.
 
ziggy re chiros and osteos. I think it depends on the problem, in essence they may not seem that different but I have (in my years of treatment!) seen an osteo twice when my chiro was away and he was at the same clinic was not the same, no where near as good. He was also more concerned about my general health holistic etc, I just wanted to be straight(ish)

My current chiro does both my horses and my mum too, no family discount though.
 
Alexander Technique and a Bowen therapist...Bowen is MAGIC! I have two blging discs (L4 and L5), two chipped cervical vertebrae and a damaged sacro-iliac...but my Bowen lady can work miracles when I do something silly ( like bending to pick up something really heavy) and she has made riding possible when even walking seemed unlikely. Give it a whirl. Alexander will sort out any posture/balance/core stability issues to back Bowen up.
 
Initially I would recommend a visit to your GP. Then get the problem investigated. There are people who can help you. My daughter had her back crushed in the stable by a heavyweight show cob when she was 14. Six years of agony have followed. I go to collect her today. She is finishing three weeks of pain management rehabilitation in the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (Stanmore). This involves a team which includes physios, occupational therapists, Dr, nurses etc. Although it makes the problem worse during treatment it should improve things in the long run.
Good luck with getting help for your back. Chronic pain is terrible.
 
Haven't read all the above posts, but I'm 22 and also have a bad back. I've been in pain on and off for about 2years and we're still not sure of the full cause but think it's because I use to do a lot of rowing which gave me very strong back muscles and these balanced out the strong muscles I had in the front of my shoulders. When I stopped rowing, I got muscle wastage in my back and had muscle inbalance. Over the last 6 months I've gone from being in agony just walking for long periods of time and finding it impossible to have to stand for more than 10minutes, to being only in moderate pain when doing exercise. I know people might disagree with me here, but if you can bear it, wear a body protector whenever you ride. For me I find not only does it help maintain an upright posture but it also provides a lot of support when I ride. It stops me from rounding my shoulers (which just aggrevates my back injury) and doesn't allow you to slouch!

My advice is to see a GP who can tell you what the best source of treatment is for you. Osteopath is only good in some cases (for me it didn't help at all) and most physios are really anti-osteos! Some osteopaths will continue treating you even if they know it's the muscles which are the problem and not the joints (thankfully my 2nd osteopath was honest and admitted she couldn't help). From what your saying if it's muscular you really need to see a physio (not a chiropractor/osteopath who specialise more in joints). Go to your GP and get referred and see what they can do for you.

It's likely your physio will do lots of manipulations on your muscles and give you stretching and strengtening exercises to do at home, such as lying with a rolled up towel down the middle of your spine to help stretch out the muscles. They may also suggest you go to the gym and *slowly* build up the muscles in your back as frequently the pain in the muscles is because they're not strong enough for whatever you're doing and by *slowly* building them your posture will improve.

Although people are right suggesting things like Alexander technique/yoga it might be best to see a physio first. I know that I was in too much agony to do simple yoga positions to begin with just because all my muscles were in such a spasm and I really needed someone with a medical background to ease that pain before I could work on things like posture. The other thing about alexander/bowen technique is as far as I'm aware they're not covered by NHS (or private medical insurance) so if money's an issue they're not very helpful. If you find a good physio (through your GP) they should be able to give you lots of advice on core stability.

ANother piece of advice (sorry for the essay) is make sure if you sit at a computer you get yourself a decent chair! I have ended up spending over £500 on a special chair designed for people with bad backs and it's a godsend! If you would like the details please PM me.

Ibuprofen is fine to take daily (for up to several months or so), but for me it did little to alleviate the pain and because of my asthma I couldn't take anything stronger with codeine in it. Try heat packs (several times a day) on the areas that are sore, but if that doesn't help also try ice. For me, neither helped much but sometimes the heat pack just feels comforting when you're in so much pain.

Really hope you get yourself sorted soon, but be aware it might still be a long road to recovery!
 
In my experience GPs are pretty useless with this sort of thing and it can take forever.

I think I have had a particularly bad physio experience but after 8 weeks they didn't successfully diagnose my shoulder problem (presented with arm pain and couldn't find the source) Chiro found it on first consult.

It is IMO incorrect to say osteo/chiro do not deal with muscles, chiros particularly do, I believe that the joint manipulations are just affecting the surrounding muscles and any pops heard are from the muscles. My chiro does lots of deep massage, acupuncture (direct not merididan) and has a a machine which sends an electrical current through the muscle which is like a very deep massage. All of this is the muscles, not joints.
 
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It is IMO incorrect to say osteo/chiro do not deal with muscles, chiros particularly do, I believe that the joint manipulations are just affecting the surrounding muscles and any pops heard are from the muscles....

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Fair enough, just from my experience they are reluctant to do much more than joint manipulations (loosing up the facet joints etc and working on realigning everything).

I agree about GPs being useless - I went back several times before I could get a referral!
 
I was always told the pop is from the muscles. Personally in my opinion in most injuries (bar those that involve broken bones) the muscles are worked with to help influence the joints.

I would go to a physio and never a chiropractor as physio's study for longer.

OP, there are great excerises to strengthen the core. Get yourself looked at and have a plan of action drawn up.
 
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