Greetings,

As you can see, I'm new here.

I've been snooping around, reading a lot, and I can see that some of you are real professionals (sillyakchick, nice research) - and that reassures me, for obvious reasons.

You see, my girlfriend (now 19) had been doing rhythmic gymnastics since she was 8 years old. At around 15 years old, back pain started to appear. She then started to visit a chiropractor.

Now, there's a little thing I just have to clarify;

Rhythmic Gymnastics is a very competitive solo sport. Most people who teach it are extremely strict (and mostly Russian... no racism here, but just look at how Russians train they're military forces - rough!) and don't tolerate laziness, incompetence and/or failure.

However, having chronic back pain appearing, you would think "why not just quit"? Well, I'll try to not get into to much details here, but her mother pushed her to continue, tossing aside her own daughter's cries, even after several doctors recommended discontinue from the rhythmic program.

At about 16½ years old, now finally able to speak up to her mother, she quits the program. But the back pain didn't go away...

After a few visits to several professionals, they diagnose Lombard Kyphosis*.

She also had something about her lumbar discs no being able to move right (or at all, can't recall at the time). But it has been temporarily fixed since then. (I might come back on the subject some other time, after I get everything right)

I know there aren't any miracles or anything, but it's been 3 years that she's been seeing a chiropractor and he helped a lot, but now it seems he's done everything he could (we noticed ourselves, he didn't mention anything). We told him today that we already booked a rendezvous with a osteopathic physician as it was said by one of our friends that the one we booked with has done some good work on her in the past. I fear however, that after several visits (and yes, I mean in months to years), it won't change anything and would just be a waste of money.

Something else; she's starting a dancing program that focuses on contemporary and ballet style. She's been dancing ever since she can remember, but stopped after the back pain started. We've heard ballet could and should help as it requires constant good and straight posture.

Also, sometimes, when the pain gets to intense and she's almost in tears because of it, I give her a massage using Menthol cream and applying patches. At times I have to apply some force on certain points on her back, there where muscular 'knots' seem to form. Is all of this okay?

So there, you guys know pretty much everything I can possibly mention at this time.

So, for those who are still reading, here's what I'd like to know;

What, if anything, could you propose that would help remedy this handicap of hers? Anything is appreciated, so if you believe in a certain art that I'm unaware of (which is everything besides chiropractics and osteopathy), then I'd be very grateful if you'd share it with me.

...I'm really desperate

Thank you all very much.

*Here's a link to a picture of a Kyphosis:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Radiogr afiaRXCifosisScheuermann70Grados.jpg