I always knew my back issues, my "signs", but was never diagnosed. When I moved home from college, I finally decided to go see someone. I went to a Physical Therapist. Really, it was the PTA (Physical Therapist Assistant) that saw me. I self-presented. Handed it to her on a silver platter:
"I have one pants leg always shorter than the other
One hip is higher than the other
My left low back musculature is full, the right is concave
My waist goes in on the right, but is straighter on the left
Some say I may have a slight scoliosis."
...."No, that's not it" She gave me back strengthening exercises. Let's be clear, I rowed Crew my freshman year(Starboard, #3 if you're interested), always lifted. Graduated with a dual-track minor in Group Exercise and Personal Training, was working construction that summer drilling through steel doors, teaching a Step and Bounce class....I hardly had a weak back. I think she just liked having a patient who she could get to do a one leg bridge on the Ball.
It wasn't until a co-worker, another personal trainer, recommended I go to the chiropractor he was interning for at TEAM Clinic. He did some neurological tests and could tell right away, he said I had a "significant scoliosis". When I first saw my x-rays, I was shocked. I felt deformed. I was in mid-competition prep for my first show, which I weighed in at 108lbs. How was I going to compete in a sport based on symmetry when I was crooked?
My back would lock up from time to time. I could go about 1- 1 1/2 years before I'd be locked up and Dr C would have to work on me, ART(Active Release Technique) stuff, until I could go back to life as usual. Sometimes low back, once it was T4 and he thought I was self-diagnosing because there is actually a "T4 Syndrome". I remember it was so painful, It would hurt just to lean back in my seat/car, as the vertebrae was sensitive to the touch. I couldn't reach, or rotate, it hurt to file at the office. I kept lifting.
I kept building. My initial competition weight was 108. I now compete at 123lbs, as of my last shows. My Lean Body Mass alone I got up to a max of 112lbs. So I've been trying to build. I've never been a power lifter, or did a whole lot of Barbell squats. I was using the Smith Machine for the back support, until last Spring when my back started feeling/sounding like the Grizzly (a wooden roller coaster at Great America) as I would perform my squats. So I switched to Leg Press. My left hamstring was tight, and even when I would take a week or two off I would still have shooting pain down my leg. So I continued. In the fall I threw out my low back performing a bent over Barbell row. I had just increased my last set to an 80lb bar. I could barely move. I couldn't sit right and I was on prescription meds at night, Motrin in sets of 4 during the day. It took about 2 1/2 weeks for me to be able to walk properly again. Still I continued. My sumo/plie squats were becoming a problem as my anterior right hip started having impingement. It was like something was inflamed in my hip flexor preventing me from going down as far. I had certain days where I would place my feet on the Leg Press, and before the plate would even move, I felt like my pelvis was going to come apart. My TFL(Tensor fasciae latae muscle) on the right hip became sore to the touch. My hips were also sore over the sides, the Greater Trochanter. My Physical Medicine doctor said that may have been bursitis. So these are the things I was struggling with when people would say "suck it up", or "oh I have that" and many other things. Sometimes people try to motivate or encourage. But I've never been a slacker. So until it got to the point where I was limping, with shooting pains on the daily, Every time I would get up out of a chair, my car, I'd have to brace the right hip and limp on the left leg. I kept pushing. After one time doing sprints with my co-worker, it felt like my TFL was going to rip off, I had had it. It just wasn't worth the pain anymore and I decided to bite the bullet and go for help.
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