Reoccurring lower back pain...or kidney problems?

I have a sharp pain in my lower back similar to sciatica. Like a sharp gnawing   pain that is radiating down my right leg.   I am getting flairs of pain that wake me after laying flat sleeping, not typical for sciatica.   Usually I get bad pain from sitting too long or bending too much but from just sleeping?  Also the pain increases intensely with moving my neck like simply looking down, and the worst for this is when i am laying down. I have had reoccurring bouts with this pain for over a week now and it just keeps coming  back. I even had a toradol shot last weekend and it didnt phase the pain.  The doctors cant figure out where the pain is coming from, im not sure if  the pain i am having is from my spine that already has issues or  im passing a kidney stone?  I had my doctor do an x-ray last week and my kidneys were noted on my report as having small stones possible but they really didnt get a good look at it so I am waiting to get more tests on it next week. I have ddd and djd with an annual tear and protrusion of my L4-5 and slight retrolithsis and buldges of L5-S1 so I cant tell what is making my pain, Either my back got worse of im passing a kidney stone. please help!   I am not geting very much sleep!

[Kalvin]

Have you thought about maybe starting fresh with a new Primary Care Physician? I know what a syrinx is, I have a lot of Neck problems too, I had a level fused about 5 1/2 years ago.

Have you had MRI of the C-spine, the reason I ask is because of what you said about the pain getting worse upon neck movement. Problems in the neck, particularly with the spinal cord, can cause symptoms in the legs.

But the kind of symptoms they cause are completely different from what you're experiencing, the symptoms tend to be related to leg weakness, tingling and things like stumbling and tripping. In your case its almost like your neck is acting like some sort of trigger or something, getting your sciatic symptoms going.

I know some of  these Doctors are very difficult to deal with, I've been through it, I'm still going through it, but it sounds like you really need to see someone and get out of this terrible pain you're in.


Take Care

[Kalvin]

Your situation is kind of confusing, if the pain does originate with your kidney, I think there would be other symptoms besides pain. For example, pain on urination, blood in urine, nausea and vomiting, constant urge to urinate. And supposedly, if it is a kidney problem, the pain will get worse when you gently press on the area of your back where your kidneys are. I don't think kidney pain radiates down into the legs.

The fact that it happens when you're laying down, is strange, it could be the position of your spine. Have you tried different positions? Before I had surgery, there were a lot of times I couldn't sleep in a bed,  it was just to painful and impossible to get comfortable. I slept in a recliner, I found elevating my leg really helped.

What you have going on at L4-5 and L5-S1 is certainly capable of causing this type of pain. Are you currently in treatment for your low back pain? Am I understanding it correctly, that your pain gets worse with certain movements of your neck? Do you have any history of neck pain or neck problems?

[MaritimeFox]

Have you damaged a nerve? Get your back checked out again. cover all your basis . support yourself with pillows while speeping..for suppost. Good Luck. MaritimeFox.

[Spaceystac]

Thank you for responding!  I do have neck problems Kalvin. I have a rare condition where there is fluid in the center of my spinal cord called a syrinx, but it is tiny so the doctors dont think it is symptomatic.   I also have bulging disks, arthritis, and  my cervical lordosis is reversing.  

The last  two  nights I woke to pain from laying on my back again. I keep a pillow  under my knees so I am not flat. I move the pillow with me and change over to my side, sometimes I cant even do this if the pain is too much.     This seems to flair up everything in the  next day, then by the end of the day I feel a little better and then got sleep again and wake in pain.  My doctors have left me feeling like they cant help me, "go see specialist, but good luck with that they dont seem to want to accept our patients"

[Kalvin]

Have you thought about maybe starting fresh with a new Primary Care Physician? I know what a syrinx is, I have a lot of Neck problems too, I had a level fused about 5 1/2 years ago.

Have you had MRI of the C-spine, the reason I ask is because of what you said about the pain getting worse upon neck movement. Problems in the neck, particularly with the spinal cord, can cause symptoms in the legs.

But the kind of symptoms they cause are completely different from what you're experiencing, the symptoms tend to be related to leg weakness, tingling and things like stumbling and tripping. In your case its almost like your neck is acting like some sort of trigger or something, getting your sciatic symptoms going.

I know some of  these Doctors are very difficult to deal with, I've been through it, I'm still going through it, but it sounds like you really need to see someone and get out of this terrible pain you're in.


Take Care