Body of an 80 year old

I have always struggled with back pain.

Well at least for the past 7-8 years. Once college was over and I was teaching full time, I think the back problems I had finally reared it's ugly head since I was on my feet all day.

I can remember the first time. It always comes on by simply bending over to pick something up or twisting to put something down. I was in my classroom and I bent over and BAM. Shooting pain in my lower back, tingling down the back of my legs, and I couldn't stand up straight.

It lasts for about a week and the first few days I can't stand up straight. My bootie sticks out like a little old grandma, and I walk real slow.

Before I would just push through it and eventually it would just go away. That is until I tweaked it again.

In the summer of 2013 I was sick and tired of it and finally went and saw an Orthopedic Surgeon. He did an MRI and diagnosed me with bulging discs at my L4, L5, and S1. All of those discs are at the bottom of my spine, right where the pain is. He said surgery wasn't needed {yet} and I could do physical therapy to strengthen my core to help support that area.

Physical therapy doesn't fix the problem. It just puts a bandaid over the problem. I tried it for a few months, but didn't see any difference so I stopped.

Then I got pregnant.

I was really scared about being pregnant and having a back problem, but I made the entire pregnancy with no back episodes.

Up until last week I had managed to not have any episodes as well. I knew it was coming though. I'm bending over and picking up a 17 pound baby multiple times throughout the day. I try to be aware of using my legs to bend down to pick her up, but it's not always possible.

Last Wednesday I was at Baby Boot Camp and my back went out. I wasn't doing anything strenuous, it just went. I had to leave early and go home. My dad had to come over to help me with Raegan and it's just been terrible.

I finally decided to go see a chiropractor and hopefully get some relief. He took some x-rays and I was shocked at what they showed.

My hips and sacrum (right where my pain is) are so unaligned. The long horizontal line across the top of my right hip and all the way to my left hip was so eye opening. There is almost a 1 cm discrepancy. They should be aligned.

He also explained that that is more than likely why Raegan wouldn't descend into the birth canal. She wasn't aligned and ready to descend, which honestly I was shocked by because she was head down for the most of the pregnancy. I thought we were good to go!

I had already decided before this appointment that I would be going to a chiropractor throughout my next pregnancy in hopes that the alignments would help the baby be right where they need to be. Well he completely confirmed that I will definitely be doing that.

My spine should also have a "c" curve at the top and the bottom. And they clearly don't.

He said that my body was definitely not the body of a 28 year old. {tear} But that we would work with what I got and make me more comfortable.

So the plan is to continue regular adjustments in hopes of my spine straightening and getting prepared for baby #2 and taking pressure off those bulging discs.

Have you done regular adjustments through your pregnancies or for other reasons? I'm hoping to see a huge difference!

Or I'll be telling the hubs he was right ;)