Boring old lower back pain...

[sillywitch]

At the end of last year, I was doing a flexibility class at the gym and the instructor pushed my back into a move which made a big 'click' sound in my hip and extreme pain the next day. About a week later I spent an hour or two sitting on the ground, and from that day forth I have had a constant issue with lower back pain. I went to the GP, who sent me for a scan to check for kidney stones, cysts etc but there was nothing revealed of concern. I have muddled my way since then, suffering flare ups and general constant hum of back pain. It regularly moves around and also shoots into my thighs. I am now seeing an expensive physio, who does provide (short term) relief and is concentrating on improving core strength etc. But I'm a bit worried that no one actually knows what's happened to my back - the scan was purely gyno and kidneys. To get the referral for physio, I rang the GP and he just wrote the letter without seeing me. Should I go back to GP, for any explatory something to find out what the issue is (could just be old age I guess, I'm 38) or just carry on with physio?

Wow, that's long. Sorry.

Sounds like sciatica?

does the physio have a hunch where it's coming from (skeletal, muscular)?
they may be able to give a hint which helps the gp to refer you to the right specialist.

Well you did good to get scans so quickly when you knew it was someone manipulating your back that did it and had bugger all to do with kidney stones etc.

Unfortunately the only real advice is, watch your back. Have sufferer since I was early teens, I refused surgery ten years ago when I was a single parent to a baby(told I couldn't sit/stand/lift for 6 weeks) so have been largely ignored since then.

A good physio will be able to tell you what they think the cause is. Certainly mine diagnosed exactly which was then backed up by an mri scan. Maybe try a different physio.

The physio looked at posture etc and saw I was weak in some areas, and am desk based so upper back strength is awful etc. I guess I'm more worried about the initial hip injury - it's all fine dealing with back pain, but I'm worried it's a symptom of the hip injury, so I'm never going to get anywhere with the physio?

Yes, in my self diagnosis, I cam across sciatica...is that diagnosed somehow?

Brazzle - yes, I have been rather stupid. I know I have a weak back but when it doesn't hurt, I don't think about it. Like today, my six year old fell over and I carried her for a bit. Now I'm lying in bed with a flare up. I'm my own worst nightmare.

I recently suffered with lower back pain, went to an osteo which helped loads and followed up with yoga with Adrienne for lower back pain on utube. Hope you feel better soon x

1. Take pain killers
2. Look on the NHS website for exercises for lower back pain and do them.
3. Go and see an osteopath, if you can afford it. I pay £40 for complete re-alignment.
4. Go to a pilates class forever.

I

Hmmm...off to Google osteopaths.....thanks for the suggestion! Yes, I am doing lots of exercises and yoga at the moment, which is helping. I need to re-start Pilates too. :)

You need another scan. One that takes in your sacroiliac area, all the lower spine and hips. The bones, possibly other structures. I’m surprised your physio hasn’t suggested it.

While core work, improving your posture and manipulations will almost always be worth doing, you really are just at the start of the ‘exploring the problem’ phase.

Press for more tests, to get to the bottom of it. You could be doing further damage, or limiting your quality of life unnecessarily. Yes, some back/hip pain remains a mystery. Some also goes away in time. But most is somewhere in the middle.

I have 3 seperate issues in my hip/lower spine. Whilst they can’t tell me which (or which combo) is causing my pain, they can give me a very targeted management plan (exercise, physio, meds). They can also tell me what therapies/meds not to bother with (which saves on hope and cash!) as well as which activities to avoid, so I don’t make it worse.

Good luck with it, be proactive and save your worry.

Thanks for your suggestion - you illustrate perfectly why there was a nagging worry in the midst of physio sessions...I will return to the GP and ask for another referral.

I found exercises listed on youtube very useful during flareups.
For me there is management, and identifying triggers, no 'cure'.

I have a similar sort of thing, where I felt something click but in my back.

My physio also said getting core strength better is the absolute key. I guess it almost doesn't matter what "went", if you make your core very good it can support weaker areas.

I'd still like to know too what it actually was though.

Are you sure it's hip pain?
I only ask as I thought mine was, and actually after seeing a chiropractor it was my pelvis. I'm starting with regular sessions and yoga now to strengthen.

Worth every penny!

Oh wow, so this now me, with a dodgy back? :( Any opinion on difference between physio, chiropractor and osteopath for dodgy backs? I'm currently seeing a physio for deep tissue massage, which helps, especially when it's really bad but only momentarily, and a rehab physio who is giving me exercises to do for core strength. I'm on healthcare insurance, but they charge £75 a session. That's central London, but even near me (London burbs) it's £60...I just don't know how I'm going to keep it going when the insurance runs out, I have five paid for sessions left so getting a bit panicked.

Never used an osteopath, I found using a chiropractor (skeletal) she actually manipulated my back/pelvis very gently by moving and pushing certain areas.
I'm on session 8 (£40) for 15 mins which again is a lot but it's loosening up every week and alongside the strengthening exercises will help support the bone structure, in turn fingers crossed easing the pain!
I have mild scoliosis so mine maybe different to yours and isn't going to ever be fixed, it's purely maintenance through exercise, seeing chiro and staying active!

Hi, do any of you suffer groin pain with this issue?

I eventually beat 3 odd years of back pain (ish) via

Losing weight
Doing my core exercises daily (and I mean daily )
Cutting back on booze and stopping smoking
Getting fit
Being very very careful

Back pain is a mystery and what I saw was one day it ‘went’ and then it came back and back again

I so recommend the core exercises - it really made a difference eventually

How are you general health wise ?

Don’t give up OP

And of everything it was Physio that made a long term difference for me

Osteopath help with pain but the Physio fixed it

And YY to exercise - I swim and that’s been Amazing

And get referred to NHS Physio x

SI joint injuries cause misery for many.
Concentrating on core is good (consider core pilates) and ask your physio about exercises for un-knotting your piriformis if the pain travels down your legs, as it may be a trapped nerve..

I had years of intermittent pain.
3 sessions of treatment and exercises have changed my life.

My chiropractor is amazing, in Grayshott (about an hour of London) if you want a recommendation- not sure if she accepts insurance payments.

Thanks again for the replies. Still in pain, especially in the legs, and losing the will a bit. I mentioned getting a scan to one of the physios treating me (have manual physio and 'rehab' physio to strengthen core etc) and she seemed to think it was a great idea. My main pain is now in my thigh (front, not back), really don't feel like I should be driving but back pain not as bad as it has been. I feel really fed up so thank you for your kind responses.

Trinity - thanks for your suggestion but a bit far away for me.