Back Pain Suggestions?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Going on two years ago I somehow tweaked my back while moving furniture alone like a moron. Multiple doctor trips have yielded pain pills (no thanks), multiple stretch/exercise routines (didn't help), and a suggestion for physical therapy (no time to go). One MRI done which didn't find any damage. The pain is in my lower back around the waist area and extends down the backs of my legs, predominantly my left leg. I'm typically ok when walking or sitting, but it hurts when standing still. Sometimes when sitting and always after standing still for more than 10 minutes or so I will get the tingly limb falling asleep sensation in my legs, particularly my left leg. I also lack flexibility when bending at the waist. I'm tired of fighting it but every time I go to the doctor they basically tell me that there's nothing wrong. I'm 6'1" 215 lbs and while I could stand to lose 20 lbs I'm not in awful shape, and otherwise in excellent health.

Any suggestions for fighting this on my own? Potential next step with a doctor or specialist?

[74-911]

Sounds like a pinched sciatic nerve. Some will scoff at this but a good chiropracter is probably your best bet - this is based on my personal experience over many years.

[widgeon13]

Do you do any cycling? I've had some back issues over the years and found that cycling was my best treatment. I spent a lot of time sitting at desks and in airplanes for 30 + years which aggravated it. I have evidence of arthritis in my lower back. I did go to a chiropractor a few times and it did help but I didn't want to have to continue going back so looked for my own longer term solution.

[dtw]

Sounds almost identical to my symptoms, only an MRI caught a herniated disc for me. Badly inflamed and impinging on my sciatic nerve. Bad sciatic pain, sometimes to the point where I can barely move.

The two biggest aids to my healing have been finding a really good physical therapist, and epidural steroid injections (not pleasant, but highly effective). I've gotta run, but can get into it more later today.

[LWJ]

dtw may have hit it on the head. I have some back / neck issues from a car accident. Tried PT, acupunture, massage, steroid injections, stretching, etc. Seemed to get a little benefit from everthing. Cure? Not yet. The best things for me are time and massage.

My advice? Try lots of things. There are many different "cures" as nothing works for everyone.

Good luck. Back issues suck.
Larry

[svandamme]

cycling helps
doing (gentle) sit-ups helps too..

[icemann427]

A good chiropractor and an inversion table helped me out, tremendously, with the same problem. I think the two in combination helped out considerably. I still use the inversion table on average three times a day. As well, for non-sciatic numbness and pain, I have found relief with acupuncture. Good luck

[wdfifteen]

Yoga. Seriously. I have a yoga routine I do every morning and it wakes me up better than a cup of black coffee and reduces my back pain (sciatica) tremendously. It doesn't completely take it away, but I can really tell if I skip my morning stretch.

[billybek]

Find a very good massage therapist.
I was very lucky to find a good one 25 years ago and he has kept me working ever since.

[BE911SC]

Inversion table cured my back aches. Teeter Hang-Ups. Swear by it.

[sammyg2]

This is something I posted years ago:

Tell yourself this over and over: pain is nothing more than an electrical impulse sent to your brain.
You naturally react to that impulse negatively but it doesn't have to be that way.
You can control that response. it is only an electrical signal. You can choose to control how you react to it if you work at it and practice.

That got me through many years of back pain without missing a day's work.
I got to a point where I could ignore almost all pain at will, I got to where I enjoyed some pain just so I could prove I controlled it as strange as that sounds.

I have a scar from L5 to S1 and suffered from back problems for many years. It was no big deal to go get cortizone injections directly into the back every other month or so.
But I haven't had ANY back problems in the past 5 years.
What did I do? I learned how to sleep right.

Take a really good look at your sleep posture.
There's a good chance based on your description that you end up on your side but your shoulders and hips are not parrallel.
I'm also betting that your hips tilt over more than your shoulders, which puts a slight twist in your spine. A twist that the muscles must contract a little to control and contain.
That means the muscles do not get a chance to relax, so they get fatigued, and weak.
If that isn't the case then please disregard.

But if that is indeed the case you need to train yourself NOT to sleep in that position. That is important.
Problem is, that happens when you're sleeping so it's hard to correct that bad habit.
Did I mention it is important?
Pillows help, especially one between the knees.
I've found that a firm mattress is not necessarily a good mattress, in that if it's too firm it encourages bad sleep posture.
It'll take time but when i finally trained myself to eliminate bad sleep posture which took hte strain off of the muscles in my lower back and allowed them to rest, my back problems went away completely.

[VincentVega]

l5s1 here too, not fun.

suggestion for physical therapy (no time to go)

Figure out how to make this happen

[Tobra]

Exercise ball and inversion table help me. Inversion is a bad idea if you have any disc damage

[Aragorn]

How big is your wallet? Not kidding. Some guys carry around a big wallet in their back pocket and it pinches their sciatic nerve and causes some of the symptoms that you are experiencing (numbness and tingling.) Going to a physical therapist will usually cure this. It will seem like she is doing nothing but after 4 or 5 visits you will notice the difference.

As was suggested yoga and stretching exercises will build your core and relieve some of the stress. Pills will just mask the pain.

[Zeke]

Swimming needs to be mentioned. Start out with a hot shower, swim and finish with the jacuzzi.

[futurefun]

Sports massage & a good chiropractor may address it. This is not what MDs do best. My lady does yoga & an inversion table as well. Good luck you don't have to stay in pain.

[dtw]

You need a diagnosis. Some of the advice here, for example, could just further injure a ruptured disc. With a proper medical diagnosis, then and only then can you make a plan for healing and recovery. Be persistent with your doctors.

The biggest benefit for me was PT - after my first session with a good PT, I was in a much better place. They taught me stretches and exercises - and made sure I was doing them 100% correctly. Other lifestyle changes include more exercise, weight loss, learning about good posture.

I echo the thoughts above about proper sleep and also urge you to make sure you get enough sleep. My back knows the difference between 4-6 hours of sleep versus 6-8, and it gives me a full day of reminders when I don't get a good night's sleep.

[T77911S]

herniated disc here too. same symptoms.

cycling made a BIG difference. but, this was not just riding around the neighborhood.
lots of suffering through long (100 mile) rides, even with cramps, bad weather, you name it.
now that i have been off the bike for 10yrs, my back is giving me problems. for me, it was the strengthening of my back through riding.

[Scooter]

Get a good bed! You won't believe what a difference it makes to have a bed that suites your sleeping style. It may not solve all your problems, but it is worth a try and it can't hurt. Good luck!

[quicksix]

Try a gentle hamstring strech a couple of times a day.
I had the same problem,and it worked wonders.
Dont sit on your wallet.