Chronic Back problems. Need advice?

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manalapan20

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HI, I'm Adam and I have been suffering from back problems for about 7 years now. Bear with me I'm going to try and provide all the history i can. It all started after doing high jump in high school, burning pain in the low back on each side of the spine. I went and saw my Doc (general practitioner)and took x-rays which were clear, so he prescribed me some muscle relaxers which didnt really help. He thought I pulled a muscle. At this time too I weighed 160 and was benching 225 squating 330, I was in very good shape but the back pain just wouldn't go away. I graduated high school in 2004 and then it just got worse from there even though I wasn't doing anything different. Was playing college soccer. Went to a orthopedic surgeon and he had a mri done which was normal, and he thought that I had weak core muscles. Really?!! How can this be with me being in really good shape? That was in 2005-2006. I also went to pt for 6 months and nothing helped. Went to another orthopedic surgeon who basically told me it was in my head!! I was furious, because I am in so much pain at this point that I cant sleep for more than 3-4 hours a night and im getting no medication to help with it, plus no diagnoses. Saw 2 more doctors that told me the same thing...Its in your head. With that news I gave up for about a year. Orthopedic surgeon I am seeing now thinks im too flexible and need stronger core muscles. I dont agree
Symptoms: sitting/standing for longer than 30 min=severe low back pain each side of spine almost feels like ligament or tendon is getting stretched.
Sleeping= 3-4 hours at most horrible pain in the same place, nothing relieves it.
Pain will subside for a couple weeks every month for no reason then come back just as bad. Very weird
Also when I get drunk which is rarely I sleep through the night and have no pain in the morning.
Now I think that I may have Stretched ligaments in my back. Could that be causing this pain and isnt that something that the mri should have picked up?
Ill be completely honest since I have had no relief for the pain I have resulted to using chewing tobacco (nasty) but it helps. And also Marijuana, friend had me try it when I was in a lot of pain instantly helped but I dont want to be on any of this stuff. I enjoy my previous active life and want that back. If anyone has any suggestions or maybe are having problems like me I would really like to hear from ya. thanks
 
If I wee Adam, I go see a rheumatologist. They are the "arthritis" docs but really treat a lot more. Orthos want to operate and bad lower backs really need medical management.

Besides that, there are a nuraber of disorders involving the lower back, especially the sacro-iliac joints on either side of the lower spine, that can begin at a young age and if found and treated right away, can be stopped in their tracks. Could also be something called piriformis syndrome from having the major nerve to the legs get caught in a tiny muscle that is involved in raising the leg, as in clirabing stairs. My husband has it and was almost disabled with it until a rheumatologist figured it out and treated it. Great results.

You need a medical doc, not a surgeon to figure this one out and the doc to see is a rheumatologist.

good luck...........Jenny(I see one too and he's worth his weight in gold)
 
Thanks for the advice, I think that I will make an appointment to see a rheumatologist. My doctor said that he didnt see any signs of arthritis in my back, would the mri show that? Also Ive been tested for ERAB because I am very flexible but I was negative. I dont think most doctors believe my symptoms because it seems like they contradict eachother. For example the Pain going away for a week at a time every month but comes back just as bad. No matter how bad my back hurts I can still stretch and touch the ground with my palms, doesnt make it hurt more actually kinda feels good. Muscle relaxers dont work, only pain med that works is vicodin and anything stronger. When I go to stand up takes me about 2 minutes to be able to straighten my back because something is very tight, doesnt feel like muscles more like ligament or tendon. Could a stretched ligament or tendon be causing this pain and not show up on any of the tests?
 
Try sleeping with pillows under your knees so that the pressure is taken off of your back. You might find that this makes a big difference.

Just because you are in good shape doesn't mean that you have good core muscle strength. Thos are the muscles that run laterally around you...and crunches don't develop them believe it or not! Once you have been taught how to strengthen them you can do it sitting, walking, any time you want. But they are different. I used to belly dance before my fusion, so I already had core muscles. They help keep you upright and straight.....consider finding someone to teach you about them.
 
Thanks for the reply, I guess my problem with the weak core muscles diagnoses is why would the pain totally disappear for a week or so every month then return . Also when I went to pt I could do all the exercises easily and I still do them, If it was core muscles I think I would be getting better now. I do sleep with pillows under my knees but sleeping on my back is unbearable for me so I sleep on my side with a pillow between my knees but that doesnt relieve the pain either. Once the pain starts there is no stopping it unless I get marijuana or get a dreaded Vicodin from a friend. I hate pain pills but when the pain is bad I will do just about anything for relief.
 
I had serious issues with my piraformis(muscle in your butt) you stretch it by sitting in a chair, crossing your ankle to opposite knee, and with a straight back lean forward till feel stretch in your butt/back. This muscle would pull on my lower back area. I also had issues with my si joint and muscle spasms after surgery. I had great luck with a PT and a chiropractor but everybody responRAB differently to the therapies and the meRAB. I would try a rhuematologist like the other post suggested, and try to work the out of the ordinary core muscles. Since my surgery I got week in random areas, and I was in great shape before. Good luck
 
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