Podchaser Logo Rate on Podchaser

Episode 14

full
Published on:

30th Aug 2022

Help! I Threw Out My Back! Getting Out of Pain (with Tom Lotus, DC)

Baby got back pain? Well, you’re not alone. 1 in 4 adult Americans have experienced acute low back pain in the last three months. So chances are, if you’re reading this, you’ve experienced back pain and you know how debilitating it can be. It can also be difficult to find the words to describe what happened or what you’re feeling if you don’t understand how back pain behaves.

“I slept funny, now I’m stuck”, is the usual phrase we get from our friends when they’re experiencing back pain, so you can imagine the curiosity arising from that statement. The workup necessary to pinpoint the true culprit(s) of low back pain is tricky and nuanced.  So before you go texting a trusted doctor friend, or run off to the emergency room, we want you to listen to this episode so you can understand back pain a bit better.

In today’s episode we invited Dr. Tom Lotus to talk to us about back pain as he answers some commonly asked questions and walks us through how an appointment would go.  Dr. Lotus  is a chiropractic physician at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush and he holds a fellowship status as a board certified chiropractic orthopedist, publishes prolifically, and loves to teach. Needless to say, this guy is highly qualified to be teaching about back pain; he’s who we reach out to when we need a trusted doctor friend’s advice.

Tune in to hear how to identify your back pain and ways you can treat it without having to take a trip to the doctors office!

Topics discussed in this episode:

[4:07] What it actually means to throw your back out?

[7:27] Dr. Lotus’ interpretation of sciatica

[8:35] When should someone seek professional help for lower back pain?

[11:54] What questions Dr. Lotus asks lower back pain patients to determine treatment

[13:30] What kind of answers do patients give Dr. Lotus?

[18:18] How to know if or when to prescribe medication?

[23:35] What does ‘it’s all in your head’ really mean?

[29:00] When doing extension movements make things worse for a patient

[35:02] Is it a waste of time to get an ultrasound or try and manipulate the pain in the early stages of lower back pain?

[38:53] Advice for people who are recovering from lower back pain


Connect with Dr. Lotus by heading to rushortho.com or follow him on Instagram and Facebook!


Find us at:


Website: https://www.yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com


Email: yourdoctorfriendspodcast@gmail.com


Call the DOCLINE at 312-380-5005. Leave us a message, we will listen and maybe answer/play it on the show!

(Disclaimer: we will not answer specific medical questions or offer medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional with any and all personal health questions.)


Social:

Join our Facebook group- Friends of Your Doctor Friends!

https://urlgeni.us/facebook/ydfpod

@your_doctor_friends (IG, TikTok)

Your Doctor Friends Podcast (YouTube)

https://youtu.be/i-0jD3A07zE (link to TRAILER VIDEO! :)

@JeremyAllandMD (IG, FB, Twitter)

@JuliaBrueneMD (IG)

Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for Your Doctor Friends

About the Podcast

Your Doctor Friends
The show that teaches you to sniff out the garbage and answers all the questions you wish you could call or text your doctor friend. Don't get caught in endless web search spirals and stop scouring social media for health answers. Let us be your doctor friends!

About your hosts

Jeremy Alland

Profile picture for Jeremy Alland
Dr. Jeremy Alland is a sports medicine physician at Midwest Orthopaedics at RUSH, a renowned, consistently top-10 nationally-ranked orthopedic practice in Chicago, IL. In addition to a busy clinical practice, he serves as the head primary care team physician for the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Dogs, as well as a team physician for the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Fire Soccer Club. An avid athlete, Dr. Alland played collegiate baseball for DePauw University before pursuing medicine and enjoys golfing, basketball and stand-up paddleboarding. He lives in a suburb of Chicago with his wife, Katie, two children, Olive and Logan, and their goldendoodle, Archie. He never thought he would have a podcast, but has found it insanely fun and is excited to bring fun and approachability to the most common questions we hear as doctors.

"Work Hard + be kind" -The Alland Kitchen Wall

Julie Bruene

Profile picture for Julie Bruene
Dr. Julie (Julia if we’re being formal, Julia Rose if she’s in trouble) Bruene is a sports medicine physician at Midwest Orthopaedics at RUSH, a renowned, nationally-ranked orthopedic practice in Chicago. She serves as a team physician for the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Bulls, and DePaul University. Aside from her obvious interests in sports and medicine, she is a true crime obsessive and is a total sucker for rescued cats. She lives in Chicago with her husband and partner-in-crime, Adam, and with several of the aforementioned rescued cats. We don’t need to get into specifics about the exact number here. She likes when people are kind to one another and when animals dress up like other animals. Rock over London, rock on Chicago.