Back update

Have I mentioned on here before how I hate going to doctors? It always feels like a waste of money, especially when paying the $40 specialist co-pay. I always feel like I'm being told what I already know. My visit to an orthopedic doctor yesterday felt much like my visit to the podiatrist back in June. She had me do a bunch of things - walk on my toes, walk on my heels, stretch to my toes, etc. - and nothing was wrong or causing me pain. I was starting to get paranoid and think, "She probably thinks I'm a hypochondriac."

One of the reasons I wanted to see the doctor was to get another MRI. I had one when I was 12 because I was having pain in my lower back and down my leg. The whole outcome of that situation is still sketchy to me. Initially, they said there was nothing wrong with my back. Then for some reason, 6 months later, they contacted my mom out of the blue and said, "Actually, she does have a slight bulging disc." I've never understood why my MRI was randomly being looked at, because we had not contacted them to look over it again. Anyway, I haven't had anything checked out since then.

Of course, my naive self who is still transitioning to "being a grown up" when it comes to health insurance and things did not realize how much MRI's cost. The doctor did take some X-rays, which are not going to show the actual disc cushioning because they are soft tissue. However, they are able to see my vertebrae and how much space is between each one. The space lessens over time as your spine compresses. She did note that the space between my bottom vertebrae was a bit decreased for my age, but that was why she had me do some other things to assess if I have having nerve issues. She doesn't feel I am showing any signs of that, which is good.

But I still feel like I don't have a real "answer" as to why this pain has occurred 3 times this year already. I guess my back and core muscles are just weak? She did recommend that I go to physical therapy for a couple weeks, but that is going to cost me $20 per session. I'm not sure if I'm going to do it yet. I'm going to talk with Nels' cousin Heather and try to get some pointers from my friend Lisa's brother, as both are therapists. I also don't have an answer as to why I sometimes experience pain in my back and a bit into my leg at random times. I do know that I am susceptible to straining my lower back, so I need to be more careful. I am going to continue with boot camp, but take it easy on some exercises and also talk to the instructor first to let her know about my back. Some people in the class have knee issues, and she always tells them a modification or different exercise to do if we are working on one that causes strain to the knee.

So...that's the update. I guess it was worth it to get it checked out, but I hate spending money on doctors!