Facets...do they ever heal?

[COMBEN]

Hi guys,

now this one of those bad back tales that everyone seems to have but I'm a newbie to back pain!

I came off my bike 4 weeks ago and didn't injure myself, the bike was up against a bank so I had to lean over her with the wheels at my feet and took hold of the clutch end handlebar grip lifted with my right hand and lifted but it didn't move an inch....PAIN, PAIN, PAIN like I have never had and I have had some real bad dings and broken bones and torn ligaments so I know about pain. It pole-axed me and I dropped to the floor so much so that the other riders thought I'd broken a leg and not known it...like I'd miss that!
I had to be walked, ney lifted out of the woods and transported home laying flat in van and that was my holiday over. Prior to this I have never had a back problem and I'm 42 and quite fit.
I can walk about 300 yards and it hurts still, yet I raced a 3 hour hare and hounds (hey I'd paid the entrance fee just thought I'd do the siting lap!) and could 'manage' the pain on 4 Ibruprofen, it isn't a big problem if I'm riding or in the attack position but paddling thru mud and I know I'm hurting. Driving a vanis OK as well but a car isn't must the position of my legs or something?

I'm have been going to an osteopath and it seems I have damaged a lower facet and, here is the strange part, possibly, this is due to an accident I had 6 years ago when I 'endowed' on a big jump that put me into hospital, I bent my ribcage so much it brusied my spleen and I must say that I have a pain in left side upper rear ribcage ever since. The osteo says my upper back is not 100% and that my lower back has been compensating all these years and then just quit.....

any barrackroom thoughts on facets, osteos welcome...I would visit a witchdoctor to cure this ;)

Richard

 

[Trigger1911]

7 surguries, many, many facet joint injections and several surguries again. I am an expert on back pain and I still ride aggressively. Let your body heal and dont ride!! I kow it is tough but back pain will get you in the long run if you dont stop it early. Go to a good chiropractor and make sure your spine is in alignment. Give it a few weeks to heal and do back strengthening excercises. See how you feel and take it slowly when you return to riding. Good luck

 

[crashnburn]

Rest let your body heal, a good osteopath should be able to give you better overall treatment than most chiropractors (always exceptions), but without specific details of the extent of injury, rest is always good medicine. Almost forgot your specific question, a facet is a synovial type joint and like other joints in your body susceptible to injury, pretend it's a sprained ankle and act accordingly that is stay off it as much as possible. Try NSAIDs, Ice packs. :blah: