Help with Lower back Lumbar problems...

[apexsw20trd]

Hi,

I have been very physically active as a triathlete for the past 5 years and i compete in about 2-3 triathlons a year. I have never done an ironman but do more Olympic distance triathlons. I also lift heavy weights about 2-3 times per week but i have not been lifting any weights since my orthopedic physician told me not to lift anything heavy.

well, about 6 months ago, i was training for a triathlon. I usually log in about 80miles per week on the bike, 30miles per week on the run and 2-3 miles per week on swimming and about 2-3 times per week on weights. One morning after a long brick session ( brick session is a workout incorporating 2 activities like, bike and then run, or swim then run etc.), my lower back started to hurt. i stretched it out and forgot about it and then i slept it off. the next day the lower back pain is back and the pain is a dull lingering pain, not a sharp pain but dull. I tried to remember what might have caused my lower back pain and i came to these conclusions.

1...I used 30lb dumb bells to do flys with my lower back at a 90 degree angle...almost as if i am bent over while standing and then flapping my arms up and down as if i am flying like a bird but standing.

2...I ride my bike for about 2-4 hours without stopping for a rest. i usually stop only to refill my water bottle or use the bathroom.

I stopped doing weights altogether. and i stopped cycling for about 2 months now to see if it was any of the two but it wasnt because as soon as i would finish swimming and sat down on a chair my lower back pain would flare up again.

so about 2 months ago i go to an orthopedic physician/surgeon and tell him about my case. He orders a X-ray on my Lumbar and then looks at it and says there is a slight bumb that is proturding on my lumbar 2 or 3 ( i dont remember) then he orders a MRI scan and then when the results come he shows me the bump on my lumbar disk and i can see this little protrusion , but he said it was nothing to worry about.

So my doctor orders me to do these stretching exercises and also to do crunchs. but whenever i do the lying down stretching exercises my lower back would hurt, so i stop doing that. but when i just do crunches my back doesnt hurt so i concluded that doing the lying down leg and lower back exercises made my back hurt. I told my doctor this and he told me to stop, but i stopped doing it already.

So now i dont know what to do. my doctor keeps making me come in but he doesnt do anything to fix my lower back problem. My back pain isnt all the time, if i do nothing it is fine but if i do certain things like sit for too long or stand for too long my back will flare up. Its weird though, when i run my back doesnt hurt or when i walk my back doesnt hurt either, when i do crunches my back doesnt hurt. but when i do the doctor order leg stretches and loer back exercises my back hurts, when i go swimming my back slightly hurts, when i lie in the prone position my back hurts.

So can anyone recommend anything i should do? Should i just stop doing anything altogether and wait it out? I think i am going to change my doctor also because he is not doing anything for me.

Please help.

Mahalo, Aloha

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

Hello apex,

I cannot imagine what you must be going through. Unfortunately, we at Allnurses.com cannot give medical advice. Please continue to seek medical help with your PCP or, as you said, change PCP.

Good luck.