I've had a sore back for a couple of days now, very low at the base near my bum. I've been getting shooting pains in my bum and legs, and now the area is very warm to the touch. What should I do?

A) change your name, I'm sure you're lovely though. The journo bit makes people suspicious.
B) give NHS direct a call and see if you can get seen by the out of hours incase you have been bitten and it's infected.

Oops! Name changed for the swine flu thread!

No bite or anything there, it's just sore/ achey internal rather than external iyswim.

It sounds like an infection, especially if it's warm to touch. I'd get it checked if you can. Could you have possible been bit and don't know? Is it more on the bone pain? Swelling?

Sciatica? Normally get shooting pains down leg although only on one side I think?

Sciatica wouldn't cause warm skin, just pain in one leg.

Call NHS direct.

Get a packet of peas out of the freezer, wrap in a towel and rest them against the sore part of your back for 10mins every 1/2-1 hour. Take ibuprofen regularly, it is anti-inflammatory.

Lie down on your back on the floor, put a fattish paperback under your head and tuck your knees into your chest for 30s or so. Hold your legs with your arms/hands. Feel this stretching your lower back. Breathe into the stretch and relax. Feet back down on the floor (knees bent throughout). If it is too sore to do this, then do it one leg at a time until you can do both.

When you can do both, then tuck up again and rock legs gently from side to side while still holding to them. A tiny rock. Also, if you can, rock your whole body forwards and back - but not if it is too sore.

Finally - see a physio or osteopath asap. You've inflamed a joint in your lower back. Even if the pain dies down and you think you're fine, it's just that your body has got used to the new situation but when stress is put on that joint again it will flare up even worse.

Sciatica wouldn't cause the warm skin, it would be caused by the same thing that is causing the warm skin. OP's sacrum is inflamed, and sciatic nerve runs through or very near to sacrum.

pretty I'll try that tomorrow see if it helps. Thanks. Going to try to sleep now. Pain not too bad right now, felt like my bum was on fire earlier aftersitting down for couple of hours.