Need some recommendations on back pain

[Gunslinger08]

I know that I need to see a doctor for this, and I plan to soon. I'm just wondering if anybody can give me some ideas on stretches or something else. Or maybe it's a bigger deal than I think and I need to get in to see the doctor sooner.

I have pain in my back on the lower right side, just above the butt, below my back "dimple". It comes and goes, but it's definitely gotten worse lately. I also get some pain around my hip (front, side, and back) and into my groin. I also have some random pains down my thigh and my knee, calf, and ankle are all sore. I also have some pain randomly (not every day) in my abdomen on that side between my ribs and pelvis.

This has been going on for a few months, around the time where I developed a recurring ingrown toenail that affected the way I put weight on that foot. I've gotten that issue fixed now (final checkup tomorrow), but I'm still having the pain. I'm wondering if my awkward gait (because of the toe pain) has messed up that entire leg and hip. I've done a little research and I know that my main source of pain is right around the sacroiliac joint, so I figure that I've probably overstressed that joint and maybe have it pushing on the sciatic nerve. Is there something I can do for that? Will exercise or rest be better? I'm not sure that SJ inflammation and sciatica would explain random abdomen pain, which may just be caused by bad posture. Right now I'm sitting with that side scrunched up and the other side extended. I'm really just concerned that it's something serious, like testicular cancer or inguinal hernia, with sciatica thrown in for some of the pain.

Any recommendations?

 

[DeckardBlade]

Not saying you have the issues I did but all of your symptoms are largely the same.

My issues were caused by, until a few years ago, a lifetime of bad posture and having a salaried desk job (lots of sitting).

My right low back pain was my quadratus lumborum (QL) being locked in spasm due to my posture. And I also had pain in the right glute (piriformis). Which I learned is what caused my sciatica issues. You can do stretches for that that would relieve that (if that's the problem) just look into piriformis stretches.

The pain in my abdomen was caused from my psoas getting locked in spasm as well. This iirc was also aggravated by my QL being in spasm which caused the psoas to compensate for some of it's work (forgive my memory). There's stretches for that just search "psoas stretch". You can also get a massage therapist or PT to work on that (not enjoyable).

I had the same fears as you about my abdominal pain (thought it was a hernia, specifically inguinal) and even had the misfortune of going to three specialists before getting a CAT scan and finding no hernia but still being in pain.

Sounds a lot like what I went through but that's really only anecdotal. Hope it's nothing serious...it took me three years to get that figured out.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Go see a doctor, get the serious conditions ruled out. Afterward, see a physical therapist (PT). What you're describing does sound like a bit of SI joint pain. If you have any sacral rotation or lumbar spine issues, that can also cause the symptoms down your leg (that or your piriformis, hamstring areas). SIJ and lumbar pain are some of the most frequently and most successfully treated problems seen in PT. Overall, I'd say low back pain caused by a combo of both is the most common thing I see other than knee injuries.

 

[Gunslinger08]

Not saying you have the issues I did but all of your symptoms are largely the same.

My issues were caused by, until a few years ago, a lifetime of bad posture and having a salaried desk job (lots of sitting).

My right low back pain was my quadratus lumborum (QL) being locked in spasm due to my posture. And I also had pain in the right glute (piriformis). Which I learned is what caused my sciatica issues. You can do stretches for that that would relieve that (if that's the problem) just look into piriformis stretches.

The pain in my abdomen was caused from my psoas getting locked in spasm as well. This iirc was also aggravated by my QL being in spasm which caused the psoas to compensate for some of it's work (forgive my memory). There's stretches for that just search "psoas stretch". You can also get a massage therapist or PT to work on that (not enjoyable).

I had the same fears as you about my abdominal pain (thought it was a hernia, specifically inguinal) and even had the misfortune of going to three specialists before getting a CAT scan and finding no hernia but still being in pain.

Sounds a lot like what I went through but that's really only anecdotal. Hope it's nothing serious...it took me three years to get that figured out.

You know, the muscular explanation (piriformis and psoas) makes sense. My back/butt/hip actually do feel better if I massage the area (as much as you can massage your own butt). I'll try out some of the stretches while I wait for a doctor's appointment.

I also sit down all day at work and all night at home. I've noticed that I've been tensing up my right side to lessen pressure on my lower back, which probably explains the abdomen/side pain. I'm going to try to use better posture at work and get more exercise at home.

 

[Zorander]

Not saying you have the issues I did but all of your symptoms are largely the same.

My issues were caused by, until a few years ago, a lifetime of bad posture and having a salaried desk job (lots of sitting).

My right low back pain was my quadratus lumborum (QL) being locked in spasm due to my posture. And I also had pain in the right glute (piriformis). Which I learned is what caused my sciatica issues. You can do stretches for that that would relieve that (if that's the problem) just look into piriformis stretches.

The pain in my abdomen was caused from my psoas getting locked in spasm as well. This iirc was also aggravated by my QL being in spasm which caused the psoas to compensate for some of it's work (forgive my memory). There's stretches for that just search "psoas stretch". You can also get a massage therapist or PT to work on that (not enjoyable.

X2. I used to experience similar issues and it took me a while to realise it was mostly bad posture that was aggravating things. Leading a more active lifestyle and being more aware of how I'm standing/walking (mostly ensuring the legs are directly below the hips, not jutting out in any one direction) greatly reduced any recurrence. I also perform the Bridge exercise from time to time, which never fails to completely remove the sensations.

I'd recommend seeing a doctor or specialist to rule out any other serious issues though. It never hurts to remove any doubts.

 

[William Gaatjes]

I have had similar problems. One time i has loss of power in my right leg and almost fell. I lifted something and could no longer balance myself. My leg just collapsed. But it happened only once luckily and the strength returned reasonably. I went to the specialist who could not find any nerve damage.
I could feel everything and exhibited in the tests no noticeable loss of strength. I have had this for 6 years. I have had no root compression or nerve related loss except for that one time.
I do having occasionally the sensation that there is an electric current running through my leg. A tingeling sensation. And of course the pain...
It is getting less now after doing almost a year of movement exercises to mobilize the area. And it always hurts as hell. Since two months i finally dare to do exercises in the gym to make the muscles in my spine stronger. I am busy making an appointment with a trainer to find out what exercise is safe to and what not. The vertebrae L3-L4 , L4-L5 and L5-S1 are more close together. The 2 separate specialists i visited mentioned spondylosis hook formation and ankylosis. I asked what it was and he mentioned it is similar as velcro tape.

I have this from wiki to clarify :

Spondylosis is a term referring to degenerative osteoarthritis of the joints between the centra of the spinal vertebrae and/or neural foraminae. If this condition occurs in the zygapophysial joints, it can be considered facet syndrome. If severe, it may cause pressure on nerve roots with subsequent sensory and/or motor disturbances, such as pain, paresthesia, or muscle weakness in the limbs.
When the space between two adjacent vertebrae narrows, compression of a nerve root emerging from the spinal cord may result in radiculopathy (sensory and motor disturbances, such as severe pain in the neck, shoulder, arm, back, and/or leg, accompanied by muscle weakness). Less commonly, direct pressure on the spinal cord (typically in the cervical spine) may result in myelopathy, characterized by global weakness, gait dysfunction, loss of balance, and loss of bowel and/or bladder control. The patient may experience a phenomenon of shocks (paresthesia) in hands and legs because of nerve compression and lack of blood flow. If vertebrae of the neck are involved it is labelled cervical spondylosis. Lower back spondylosis is labeled lumbar spondylosis.

Ankylosis or anchylosis (from Greek ἀγκύλος, bent, crooked) is a stiffness of a joint due to abnormal adhesion and rigidity of the bones of the joint, which may be the result of injury or disease. The rigidity may be complete or partial and may be due to inflammation of the tendinous or muscular structures outside the joint or of the tissues of the joint itself

I have been tested for Bekhterev's disease since that is what it seemed like but the test results where negative. Lucky me.

All this means my vertebrae would not move and the muscles in my back would cramp together because of pain signals and the cramping would increase the pain. I also had the idea that i was kicked in the family jewels non stop all day long. If Scarlett Johansson would have asked me to sleep with her at the time , i would have had to say no because i would not be able to... :'(

Stiff back with non stop pain, no concentration and every day afraid for fast movement in the sense that i was not able to anticipate to expect and accept the impulse of pain from my back up to my skull.
I could feel and hear every day bricks sliding over each other when i tried to regain motion in my spine. I could hear the grinding and popping when i do the exercises. But now i do workouts as well. After workout, i take 1 ibuprofen to suppress inflammation. And do non stop stretching exercises for my back to keep the movement all day. If i do not do this, within 2 days i walk like an old man without a balance. The surgeon suggested operating but usually that means fixing the vertebrae together by bolting them together. Which is only a temporary fix because after that, other vertebrae will have to compensate and degrade faster. I declined. There is another option but i am afraid to do that. It means i will have to be in a bed for six months and a year rehabilitation. The idea is that the specialist would operate on the back and "polish " each affected vertebra himself by hand !

Someone i know who could not move anymore had success with the operation procedure i mentioned as last but i am afraid to do so. Especially since the job i have, i do not want to give it up. I waited my whole life for such a job in development of hardware and software and i am just starting.

At the moment i may pull it off but i have to keep continuing the work outs and have to make sure in the future i get checked up regularly.

I also noticed that my digestive problems and my back problems go hand in hand. The healthier i eat, the less stiffness i have in my back. It must be inflammation related. I try to keep away from processed food as much as possible and try to make as much as possible fresh. It helps, it really pays off. I am betting that the stiffness and the sourness in my spine is because of inflammation. Which makes sense because i have seen the pictures. MRI and Xray, show sharp edges and deformed vertebra mainly on my right side.
This makes sense that when i am doing exercises to strengthen the muscles and increase movement, there will be some tissue damage. I can post pictures for the people interested...

 

[QuantumPion]

-Take double dose of Aleve (2 in the morning and 2 in the evening, don't skip any) until your doc appointment. Avoid bending as much as possible. Squat down to do anything that would require bending. Sleep flat on your stomach on a firm mattress. Make sure you sit up straight in your chair. Sit on a cushion or lumbar pillow if you have one and your chair doesn't.

 

[William Gaatjes]

Here are some screen shots.
I have acquired my medical history on cd to show to other specialists in my quest for physical happiness.

 

[William Gaatjes]

Here is more. These pictures are over a year old and i was a lot worse then.
While reading, about spondylosis, i noticed the digestive system can be affected as well. It works two ways i would assume.

I apologize for hijacking the thread like this...

But what i read in the other posts in this thread is highly familiar.

Addendum :
I do not advise this, and discourage you to do so until you have seen a specialist. I just want to share this.
But since i am doing exercises, there is one thing i do different. Every movement i make, i first stretch my spine out before i make a bending motion. To encourage the spine to roll the vertebra one at a time of instead of forcefully bending. It is exhausting, but it seems to help a lot. My whole spine made popping sounds in the beginning but the tension i felled for so long is finally been getting less. There have been short periods where the pain increased, only to decrease after a while with increased motion. Bones shape after the pressure that is experienced. Thus the right motion, will help. But it asks for a lot of discipline. The exercises i do are mainly to strengthen the back muscles and to move the vertebrae independently, to twist the spine. I do have noticed that the more control i have over my spine, the easier i can lift weights with my extremities. Which makes sense.

 

[William Gaatjes]

-Take double dose of Aleve (2 in the morning and 2 in the evening, don't skip any) until your doc appointment. Avoid bending as much as possible. Squat down to do anything that would require bending. Sleep flat on your stomach on a firm mattress. Make sure you sit up straight in your chair. Sit on a cushion or lumbar pillow if you have one and your chair doesn't.

Indeed. Losing weight and to squat to pick things up are much better.
It sounds strange, but to squat is a very good way to improve the movement and quality of muscles and ligaments and vertebrae of the spine.
No need to use heavy weights. just a lot of repetition will do fine for starters.
Increases blood flow and decreases the enormous amount of stress on the vertebrae, muscles, tendons and ligaments.
Keep the angle of the knees above 90 degrees at first then 90 degrees maximum. 90 degrees is upper part of the leg in parallel with the floor. Going any deeper will put a lot of strain on the lumbar part of the spine. For me it is unwise to go any deeper than that. To lose weight for a smaller waist is essential for freedom of movement. This can clearly be noticed when doing the squat.

Fat can be stored on the abdomen on the outside but also on the inside of the abdomen (organ fat or Adipose tissue). The fat on the inside of the abdomen is very dangerous and is what people should be more worried about because it increases chance of disease. Fat on the inside of the abdomen also reduces freedom of movement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adipose_tissue.

The correct term is visceral fat.