Lower Back Pain

[T-bar]

I've had lower back pain issues for years because of disc damage. I can not put any weight on my shoulders without ending up flat on my back in serious pain for at least 2 weeks.

That being said... the pain I've been subjected to the last few days does not feel like it's disc pain. It's constant. I would rather die than sneeze, or cough. If I breath in deep it causes great pain. I've never felt this kind of pain before. I know this is strange but the only thing I can think of is that it feels like a doctor left one of his tools inside you after an operation. It's like I can feel an organ, but the location puzzles me as much as the symptoms, or lack of symptoms.

I attached a chart showing the location. It's about an inch above the hip bone and about two inches to the right of the spine. The area feels slightly swollen, and according to my wife much more squishy than my left side which is solid and firm.

I have no discoloration to my urine. I don't have a fever. I'm not queezy or sick feeling. Everything else feels normal. I'm just in constant pain.

 

[TSizemore]

Sciatica is the usual goto culprit. Does it feel fine bending to touch your toes, but excruciating to bend backwards? The second is the obligatory "pinched" nerve.

 

[MattyIce]

Stretch piriformis muscle...pigeon stretch...no more sciatica. Youre welcome. : )

 

[TSizemore]

The piriformis muscle is quite a bit lower then what Tbar has described....unless I just read it wrong.

Either way, it gives you something else to look at. And, it's something that is virtually always ignored. So, a good idea to look at. Here's a link. Good catch Matty

http://stretchcoach.com/articles/piriformis-syndrome/

 

[T-bar]

I am soooooooo familiar with Sciatica. This is a completely different feeling. Sciatica runs down thru the glute, thru the hamstring, and if bad enough all the way down to the heel. This doesn't do that at all. This is in one exact spot only. It doesn't run anywhere and the stretches I do for Sciatica don't touch this in the slightest, nor do any pain meds. This is a new one for me.

I get my normal blood work done this week. I think I'm going to ask them to test kidneys at the same time.

 

[MattyIce]

Thank Tsize. Ya man defo ask the docs to run tests. You're kidneys are higher up than the pic shows tho. Could be a torn muscle. Sciatica doesnt always radiate, can stay local, but you said that isnt it so...good luck and hope Youre feeling better soon bro!

 

[misterB]

i have the same, the way you describe it sound muscular, the result of the body compensating for the injury. your disk is bulging out to that side this week and you notice it while it compresses the root nerve. totaly sucks , heat and cold help, laying flat, muscle relaxer to let you sleep and calm the tension in the area, usually three to five days

 

[T-bar]

Thanks all. I've had back issues for years, ever since I was 16 and showing off of course. I know I have to bulging discs and I know I'm a matter of one more problem before I'm in surgery. I've just never had the pain not run down my leg before. You could be totally right. I've been resting, icing and taking 80mg of ibuprofin at a time for three days now without any improvement. That's what made me think it might be something else. But I'm not peeing blood and I'm peeing all the time from taking in 96oz of water a day, so perhaps kidneys aren't the issue.

I had the doc write up my bloodwork to include kidney tests just in case though. I go tomorrow morning, because I have to be fasting for some of the tests, and I'll find out the results by Friday. In the mean time.... soooo much pain!!!!

 

[T-bar]

And BAM! Just like that it's gone. Almost 5 days of incredible pain, not able to breath more than 1/2 a breath, having to ice it down multiple times a day.... then in seconds it's over. No more pain. No more problems. WTF?

 

[TSizemore]

Yep.....nerve!

 

[T-bar]

And it's back.

DAMN IT!

 

[MattyIce]

Piriformis and hip stretches will take tension off your lower back.

 

[T-bar]

Yep I'm back doing them again. This one just took me by surprise.