Have seen everyone and no diagnosis after a year

[ap71]

I was in a car accident a year ago and have had xrays, complete body bone scan done and tests are not really showing anything wrong, yet I have been in pain for a year now.  The pain is in the left lower back.  Chiropractor feels like it is the facet joint.  I could hardly walk for the first couple of months after the injury.  I did walk,, but the pain was horrible.  I have been to PT three times, the chiropractor, two orthopedic drs. and a pain management dr.  Cortisone shots were given in the L5/facet joint area and in the muscle.  I have low back pain, muscle pain that goes from the facet joint up to the waist, I have groin pain, and I have shooting pains that go down my left leg.  At times it also feels like my back gives out and my left leg is weak and has given out on me before.  My primary dr. just says that back pain is something that a lot of people have.  I have seen all of these drs. and no one can figure out what is wrong with me.  It has been a year and I am still in pain and I have no actual diagnosis.  Any suggestions on how to get this diagnosed and what I can do about it?  This effects every aspect of my life and I am tired of being in pain all of the time and tired of not being able to live and do things like I use to.  I am also very frustrated that the drs. don't know what to do with me and can't refer me to someone who can help me.  Anyone have any suggestions on what tests to have done or a specialty dr. that might be able to figure out what is going on with me?  Thank you so much.  

[High Noon]

I do not know your age, however, persons in their late 20's, 30's and 40's all have disc abnormalities.
Most do not cause pain or problems unless these are severlye herniated and imping the nerves and/or spinal cord. Bulging discs are generally not the cause of pain.

I believe facet joint problems are most noticable on MRI's not bone scan, but I could be wrong.
Fibromyalgia- the cause is still unknown-.

I am not qualified to give you a complete answer on TMS. It is a syndrom where the pain you have is very real but the reasons are psychologically based. The above poster is correct. Please buy and read Dr. Sarno's latest work- it gives insight into his and other TMS practioners work and help for persons with pain issues.                                                                                                              

[Greg Miller]

Hey Man:

PLEASE, Before you keep allowing doctors to perpetuate your cycle of pain and useless treatment please take a little while and get a book by Dr. John Sarno MD called the Mind Body Connection.

It cost less than 10 bucks at boarders and it may change your life AP.  Its not religous or anything, but it makes a lot of sense.  Its working spendedly for me and my list of "diagnosed injuries" that makes you look like a light weight!  I was told I have multaple level degeneration and bulging discs, with sholder complecatons and knee problems.  I had pain in my right arm, leg, groin and back.  Numbness in my right arm, hand, leg, and it was getting worse and worse.  I could not turn my head and it hurt to breathe.

I read and am still reading one of Sarno's books and it has literally changed my life.  I have been suffering with degenerating issues for the last 18 months with no help at all from my doctors and some VERY good health care insurance.  PLEASE, FORGET ABOUT THIS GOD DAMN FIBROMYALGIA and PLEASE just take a few hours of your life and feed your mind. Fibromyalgia is a diagnosis that people get when doctors cant figure out what is wrong with you adn want you to go away.  

Best of luck, FORGET LUCK, the answers you seek are already in you.

[ap71]

The xray at the emergency room came back negative.  The MRI showed several slightly bulging disks.  The pain management dr. said that I had arthritis at L5 area and several other disks.  The complete body bone scan that I just had done showed no arthritis or stress fractures.  The chiropractor thought it was the facet joint because of my symptoms.  He was concerned that I had a torn capsule at the facet joint and told me to tell the pain management dr.  The pain management dr did not follow through with that even though I brought it up several times.    I do not know if this would have shown up on the bone scan or not.  Everything that I have read about the facet joint says that it is very difficult to diagnos.  I read that the cortisone shots are also suppose to be a diagnostic test of the facet joint.  Shots in the facet joint did help, but it only lasted for a week and a half. In the past year, that week and a half has been my only pain free time.  Along with that shot he also injected the muscle (which I also have a lot of problem with-been told since that joint is weak that the muscles try to make up for that and then become sore).  The next series of cortisone shots were an epidural.  That helped with the shooting pains down the leg and groin, but did nothing for the joint.  
I was completely pain free before the accident.  I looked up the TMS.  I didn't really understand it.  Is it a psychological disorder?  I read that it can be related to Fibromyalgia.  Are those diseases hereditary?  

[High Noon]

I have to assume that you had an MRI/CT scan (s) and nothing unusual has shown up.
MRI of the lumbar region would show sacroiliac facet joint problems- that is the facet joint problems which your chiropractor is referring to- don't know why he/she would say facet joint if x-rays don't show anything.

Tough call- At least the doctors are being honest and saying that they do not know because their tests do not show anything to point at. Your primary is correct- back problems are common and many cannot be diagnosed and/or diagnosed improperly ( that's why back surgeries are not successful in many cases).

All of that said it may be possible that the pain is being caused by TMS and/or a TMS type of disorder. You can google and learn about TMS aand buy a book by Dr. JOhn Sarno on the topic. Many people with back pain have been helped.

Godd Luck