Oi. Ow. Argh.
So SuperStarOB pissed me off yesterday.
After leaving a sniveling message begging for a callback -that I thought would surely get results, because I sounded pretty pathetic according to my co-workers – I still had to track him down after 3 o’clock. I didn’t even want to talk to him, just to get a recommendation from his nurse for a PT person in NYC who wasn’t afraid of pregnant women. But after hearing my story of woe the nurse sent me on to him, worried that I couldn’t tell a skeletal problem from a preterm-labor contraction.
*sigh*
I realize he’s a high risk OB and so has to think of these things, but really – I’m pregnant, not stupid, and if I were in any doubt as to what was going on here, I’d be in his office demanding emergency care, not calling for a PT or chiropractor recommendation – you know?
Once he established that the shooting, grinding pain when I walk wasn’t accompanied by, say, contractions or gushes of bloody, watery fluid, he suggested I not wear high-heeled shoes.
Um, really now. Do I seem like a high-heeled shoes person even when not pregnant and suffering from self-described agonizing back pain? You all have (mostly) never even seen me, but I’d bet you understand just from this blog that I’m not the high-heeled shoes type.
I think I snorted derisively.
So then he suggested I might take a warm shower. Or perhaps use a heating pad dialed to low. Was I aware that sleeping with a pillow between my knees might make me more comfortable?
*sigh*
I reiterated that I wasn’t trying to be a whiner, and that I really believed that this was a sacroiliac issue and that the pain level was inching up into the land of “I can’t walk at all without tears running down my face” and that a PT person might be my best bet, since the pain was really getting unbearable, but that when I was able to stop and do some exercises throughout the day, it improves immediately afterwards (although it doesn’t necessarily stay improved after I get up and start walking again). But still, it would indicate that this is a problem that might be correctable through exercise and maneuvering of recalcitrant body parts by someone trained in the art. His response?
“Well, maybe you shouldn’t walk anymore.”
Um, I kind of have to. Real life, you know. Besides, I’m thinking that going on bedrest for back pain is sort of stupid. Get really weak in preparation for childbirth & the parenting of a newborn! Yay!
“Well, if the pain is really unbearable, we could always put you on narcotics.”
Nonono. You’re not listening. Pelvic bones out of alignment! Can feel the edges grating on each other when I walk! Not a pain I want to cover up, I just want to get the surrounding muscles strong enough to hold together everything that’s going wonky due to a relaxin overdose. Which sounds like a good idea for a number of reasons – yes? (not least of which is my determination that if Tylenol is too much to expose Thor’s developing body/brain to, there aint no way narcotic painkillers are getting anywhere near us unless I’m delirious from pain & unable to refuse.)
“Perhaps acupuncture would work. A lot of my patients have really good results.”
Ok, what am I not communicating here? Or what am I not understanding? Is it me, or does it seem to others that there are actually 2 kinds of pain. There’s the warning kind of pain that signals damage being done, so you try to react to the problem – like this here back pain. Something’s out of whack and needs to be put back into whack and then the pain will ease or even cease. And then there’s the kind of pain that is just pain. Menstrual cramps. Charley horse. Hell, even though I’m a ‘wannabe natural birther’, I’d even put labor pains into this camp. Nothing’s wrong, it’s just going to hurt for a while. No damage done in the end. But do you use acupuncture to treat a broken arm? No! nonononononono! Look, doc, can you give me a recommendation or not? Because if not, I’ll just keep calling PTs until I find one who isn’t horrified by the thought of touching a pregnant lady.
The short answer to this long anecdote is that, no, he has no recommendation to give, but that if I find a good PT I should let him know. (Because apparently I’m his first patient to require assistance with managing sacroiliac pain in 30+ years of practice. *rolls eyes*)
And so I’m going to take it beyond easy this weekend. On Tuesday, if it’s worse, then it’s time to call PT people who specialize in pregnancy issues like this. If it’s better, then maybe it’s time to take a week of sick leave to enforce some
Oi.
Ow.
Argh.
Nodding, as I can relate.
I had bursitus in my hip. My sister in law is a PT assistant and diagnosed it – so thank goodness I could do some of the exercises she suggested.
But I can also relate to the docs not LISTENING and kind of just blowing you off like it’s just another pregnancy complaint! I bitched and moaned about the reflux, and finally on week 29 I got someone to listen to me and give me Nexium. It was so frustrating. I also bitched last Monday about my pelvic pain when I fell, and it was like I wasn’t even talking.
When I called the next day and he prescribed vicodin, I was desperate enough to take a few-but not without great guilt. But, I have since just dealt with the pain.
Seriously though, what would have been so hard about recommending you to a PT?
My sister in law did say that earlier was much better than later to work out those problems, so I’d go ahead and get a PT appointment on my own if I were you. I could be as simple as a trip or two and some exercises.
Hope you get some help soon, and are able to enjoy your weekend.
I totally understand your frustration. My OB had 1 reference for me, who was an hour away. Luckily, I found that my husband’s chiro does deep tissue PT, and I’m seeing him (out of pocket) 3x’s weekly. I’m also seeing my regular chiro, who adjusts me on my side and pops my hips back into place when I need it. It’s been a huge relief on my back and on my hips. My hips/back hurt so bad at times that I’m just in tears. Sitting on the couch with a pillow and heating pad stuffed up against my back in the evenings is a HUGE help before bed. I also found a hard/firm throw pillow that i tuck under my hip in bed, and use my body pillow in between my legs. The hard throw pillow keeps my lower hip from popping out in the soft bed – really, really, helped me alot. I wish I could give you a magic cure for the back pain – I am in continual pain/discomfort with it. PT and prenatal massages only provide relief for a few hours- will try swimming like everyone else has suggested to me. Good luck. I hope you find something that works.
What a dolt for ot listening to you. He should b overjoyed to have a patient who wants to treat the problem rather than throw drugs at it. Hope you find a good PT soon!
What an ass.
I’m sorry you’re in pain and that you weren’t heard.
((Hugs))
Love,
Maddy
There are actually braces to stabilize the SI joints that may help, and you may consider the acupuncture.
Sometime acupuncture is used to reduce swelling in nerves and tissue which can contribute to the SI problem. The pain is actually being caused not by the joints being rubbed together, but rather by the nerves fibers that run throughout the joints suddenly being compressed as the joints are rubbing together. That is why it is so horrible. It is like having a massive grinding toothache in your hips every time you more, very unpleasant. ( And that is why it is so hard to treat, nerve pain is difficult to control.)
You can see why the trick would be to stop this movement.
Sometimes the nerves will swell due to the constant grinding, which sets up sort of a cycle of inflammation which is treated with steroids and anti-inflammatories, which may not be really an option in your case.
I do wonder if you could get the opinion of an otho doc that you trust, you may get your PT referral and also some real way to treat your SI joint problem.
I had this same problem around week 20 (preg) and it lasted for about a month and my OB was useless (also offered drugs). Now, 2 years later, I threw my sacrum out at yoga doing back bends last weekend. Yeah. Stupid. I know. Anyway, a friend of mine who is also a yoga instructor (not the one who was teaching backbends) told me to try bridge pose (you could google or youtube it) and triangle pose. She also said to take advil around the clock to help with inflammation. You obviously can’t take advil, but maybe you could find some other anti-inflammatory that you CAN take, being preg. The inflammation makes the pain worse, apparently. If you can get the inflammation down, your healing will be better. I noticed that sleeping on my back actually made my pain worse.
Another thing you might try is a fitness center. I used to go to one that had a PT area and if you were feeling joint or muscle pain you could stroll over and the trainers would work you up. Normally, they do PT for patients referred to them, but they always helped any poor sap who was hurting. Maybe try calling a few nearby to see what they have?
Oooof. I had severe sciatica and sacroiliitis during one of my pregnancies, and had to do months of PT (which really did help!); my OBGYN didn’t hesitate to recommend a wonderful PT group that ONLY worked with women and specialized in prenatal massage and PT. You might try calling around OB groups and asking for recommendations; I’m sorry your doctor is being a knucklehead about this and yes you’re quite right to want to work on this because if you don’t it will only get worse. Ugh.
Yep, totally agonizing. My high risk practice had a PT recommendation but that said that it was probably not going to help…they ordered me some “SI” belt…I could not sit down with it on. They also said they would order some narcotics for me – and I turned them down as well.
I basically stopped walking. I could barely walk from my couch to the refrigerator. My DH pushed me in a wheelchair at the grocery store and at the mall…
I hope you get some relief.
Oh – it totally goes away after delivery if that makes you feel any better…
Ugh. I’m sorry your OB isn’t being helpful on this one, but glad you’re looking into PT. I didn’t even consider that as an option but had something (perhaps the same thing?) that made walking pretty much impossible from about 25 weeks on. I was in agony for much of the day and rarely found a comfortable position. The closest I came to talking to my OB about it was to say “I can’t walk,” and her response was basically “yeah, that’s par for the course.” That was the absolute worst part of pregnancy for me (which of course I’d happily relive if I ever manage to conceive!).
Jesus H. Christ! What does a pregnant lady have to do to get a freakin’ referral in your neck o the woods!
Dismissive docs tan my chaps!
Hope things ease after a weekend off and if they do not, I trust the Internets will help you find a good PT.
Try Shelly Perline on third ave. She’s a chiropractor I went to while pregnant and can possibly help/give recommendations.
sus,
my SIL saw a great PT while pregnant – in Manhattan no less. I will get the name for you but may not be able to track SIL down until Tues. Can you survive until then?
I’m so sorry you’re in so much discomfort!
Mo
Gotta say, you would never ever get that response in my city! Good lord! I guess this is the case of ‘if you are a hammer, everything is a nail’.
Keep on pushing! I’ll be Mo’s rec will be a good one–isn’t her sister in law an athlete?
My chiropractor specializes in pubic bone adjustments– actually saved a woman from having bladder surgery! I’m definitely a beliver in the right medicine for the right problem, but narcotics for a joint issue? I do think acu can help with inflammation, but I’d see a pt for this.
E over at IVF +40 could probably help you out. She’s got major back issues.
I’m cross on your behalf. I’m not at home but if you still have no joy by the time I’m back on Thursday I will email you the excellent exercise sheet I got from my physiotherapist in my last pregnancy. Working on your pelvic floor muscles will help in the meantime.