Pars lower back stress fracture

[jack5416]

Hello. So about 5 or 6 months ago I strained my back doing squats.Shortly after I fell off the top of a ladder which I think the impact caused the injury because the next day I could barely bend over. I tried letting it rest and stuff but I was raised up active so I love sports and to workout ect. I just did a triathlon before this injury and was in the best shape of my life which is depressing bc I have lost it all now it feels like. I am 22 by the way. Anyways I had just start the ROTC in college right after the injury happened I did it for 2 weeks but finally had to drop it bc the running was killing my back. It was just on my right side. I was swimming and working out at the college I go to so that prob didnt help either. I went to the doc and got an mri. The doc said everything looked good just told me to take about 2 weeks off and take mobic then start physical therapy. I did physical therapy which helped a little but didnt take care of the problem. I started to workout and swim again and slow jogging, that just seemed to flare it back up. So about 2 weeks ago I went to another doc and transfered my mri to them. Turns out I saw the nurse prac. instead. She told me my disc looked perfectly fine just like the other doc but thought I had a stress fracture that wasn't showing up. By the way it hurts on both sides now just not localized to one side. She told me to give it 6 weeks of rest and maybe do light weight workouts. This just ***** bc I am not used to it. Ive injured my back in football working out and stuff and it would heal right up. Does anyone know about stress fractures in lower back? Do they ever heal all the way up or do they always give problems? Did I keep re-injuring to the point where it won't heal? It's just depressing I am to young to be having back problems. any information would be greatly appreciated thank you very much and sorry for the long story.

[jack5416]

By the way, Which is better Aleve or advil?

[jack5416]

I went to a random doc today it was a walk in sports medicine facility. He told me that I had a pars fracture prob on both sides a bilateral. I was was wanting to get like a ct or bone scan but he was like you don't need one you have an mri that should tell you. He looked at it forever and I still don't know if he knew what he was looking at. He pretty much told me that it wouldn't heal. He said he has the same thing, that you just have to do physical therapy and keep your core strong and stay on top of it. He told me I could go ahead and workout and run just don't do squats or lift heavy over the head. I think I may call a spine specialist tomorrow and make an appointment for a second opinion. Ive read where sometimes it can heal. Does anyone know much about it? Could it still heal 6 months since I have injured it? I bought a back support today to maybe help bc I have to sit through college classes all day and it killssssss me. Ive read where a ct scan can tell if it has healing progress or not is that true? Do you think it would be a good idea to go see another doctor and get another opinion before I start anything real strenuous on it? p.s. sorry for all the questions!

[jack5416]

Thank you caryopteris. I keep telling myself the same thing but it has been almost 6 months. I guess I need to lay off the weights for good. You never realize how important your back is until you injure it. I really do hope you are right hopefully it will eventually heal.

[Caryopteris]

Most back injuries heal on their own in 6 weeks.  You can have microtears that can take longer though.  I know it's hard, but try to just do gentle things like walking and swimming  and maybe yoga, but take it easy.  Everything gentle and low impact.  If nothing shows on MRI, it should heal in time.  But respect your back.  

[jack5416]

And by the way the nurse prac. said if it wasn't any better in 6 weeks then they would do a bone scan.