Spinal pain

[ilovechips]

Ok. I'm a nurse and should know better than to ask online. But I'm a bit scared and wanted some opinions...

I've had lower back pain constantly now for approx 3 months. Sometimes radiates down my legs. I have difficulty bending down, standing up, walking, picking anything (and I mean anything) up. It's getting more intense. Not relieved much by cocodamol 30/500 and naproxen. Much worse in the morning.

Saw GP many times. Have had plain xray of lumbar spine which showed scoliosis (this was a surprise to me at 40!) but otherwise ok. Have been referred for physio. Had diazepam for a few days with no effect.

What's worrying me is the pain just doesn't feel like back pain I've had before (have had disc problems in the past) it's hard to explain why though! It's just constant, I'm sat down now and it's just throbbing away despite being maxed out on analgesia. Moving causes intense pain. I saw a Consultant Ortho surgeon privately a few days ago and he is going to refer me for MRI - no longer have insurance though so his will be on NHS, could be a wait. I have appt for bloods next week (liver profile, vit d).

What's scaring me I guess is my mother died of ovarian cancer at age 47 after spending months going back and forth to GP with various non specific pain issues, and was effectively fobbed off each time and was even told it was in her mind by one GP. Her cancer was finally diagnosed in hospital three days before her death. I last had a ca125 done last year which was normal.

Don't know what I'm asking really. Does my pain sound like a possible tumour I suppose...

Oh and so as not to drip feed - I had a spontaneous fracture of the sacrum in December and broke my toe tripping over a book the other day - am also awaiting bone density scan in addition to the MRI.

I can't answer your fears about ovarian cancer and I can see why you would be worried about that.

However, I have similar back pain (also due to scoliosis diagnosed as a "mature" adult) and I find that osteopathy relieves it - the nice gentle massagey osteopathy, not the tie you in a knot and crack you flat type (although that did also work but it wasn't as nice!). My issue is that I need to rediscover my core muscles after pregnancy and laziness have made them wither away - this would help hold everything in place once it's been manipulated back.

I injured my coccyx once which made sitting for prolonged periods very painful with the type of pain you describe.

Back pain is miserable, even without any extra health worries about the origin.

Could you go to the GP and see if you can get an ultrasound appointment for a transvaginal U/S to put your mind at rest?

Yes, there may be a bit of a wait but I know where I work (HCP) we are constantly being told by amazed patients that they were expecting to wait for weeks and weeks for appointment for MRI and U/S but got seen in a few days, on routine referrals.

Now, you say you had a 'spontaneous # of your sacrum'- was there any explanation for that? If it's an ostoporosis related thing, you need a DXA scan!

FWIW, I have long-standing on-going back problems (And a 15 degree scoliosis diagnosed in my 20s!) and my pain changes every so often, localised for one episode, burning pain down the front of my thigh another, sciatic another.

And finally, sorry for trying to teach granny to suck eggs, but imho, it's bets to keep all your investigations and treatments in one place, NHS or private. We get quite a few disgruntled patients turn up who had one scan here, one test there- but we have no access to them! We even have people who bring a copy of an 'outside' scan but won't let us do more than glance at them! Less of a problem with PACS systems, now where we can sometimes scan old stuff on, admittedly.

Thanks for replies. As mentioned on second post, am waiting for dexa too. The sacral fracture was spontaneous, as in no injury, that also presented itself with back and hip pain, although this pain feels different. It was thought to be related to jogging (not excessive, max of 5k lol).

Yeah I know it's a pain when people switch between private and NHS - it's not something i normally do it's just the ortho review appt was left over from the fracture, if you see what I mean. No longer have insurance in place hence why all now back to NHS. I did ask GP about ovarian cancer but he said symptoms don't fit.

hi, this website could help you, they have information on this topic and if you are interested, they also provide a treatment using pemf therapy

I had spinal and severe lower back pain that turned out to be metastatic breast cancer (stage 4 - I never had breast cancer before). Within a couple of months of a clean mammogram, a tumour appeared in my breast and one lymph node and spread widely to my spine and pelvis (no breast symptoms).

Please get it checked...

Hi @ilovechips I had an L4L5 stenosis and spondylolisthesis which resulted in dreadful sciatic pain just as you describe. I eventually had a fusion and decompression which largely sorted things, not completely but transformative none the less. Pretty much the only thing that bought much relief was to lie on my back on the floor and my legs on the bed, thighs vertical, so I formed a Z shape. I'm guessing that this opened up joint somewhat and took pressure off the sciatic nerve a bit.