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chronic low back pain, doc says I have a cyst in my spine. what do I do?

I have had low back pain, that travels down into my hips and legs.  It's been going on for about 8/9 years.  I just recently had another MRI and they said I had a cyst in my spine, but didn't seem too worried about it.  I went to a spine specialist and he said he couldn't help me and sent me to a rhumitory arthritis specialtist.  She said she couldn't help me.  I have been taking pain meds for about two years and don't want to take them anymore, but can't live with the pain.  I am scared and don't know what to do or where to turn to.  I live in small town and would have to travle to see another doctor.  I am a single mother of two children and don't have insurance or the money for all of this.
I guess my question is how do I find out what kind of cyst I have?  Is there more then one kind?  How do I find out if the cyst is causing the problems of my pain?  Where do I turn to?  What kind of doctor should I see?  What do I do?
I am so scared!  And don't want to live the rest of my life in this much pain or take pain pills for the rest of my life!
The pain starts in my low back.  It goes into my hips and down my legs to about my knees.  Sometimes I hurt so bad, that I can't be touched!  
I've tried physical therapy, epidural injections, yogo, stretches, and now I am just lost!  I really want/need to find out what is causing this pain and if there is anything I can do for it!  
Is there any doctors that help low income moms?  Is there any help out there?  I feel so helpless!!!  and just can't take it anymore!  I just want to be normal and be able to do everyday activities.  But, with my pain, I am limited to what I can do.  
All three doctors told me not to have a "standing" job because standing make is worse.  
Please any sugggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!  thank you so very much!!!
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Avatar universal
to all the above before running for surgerys try and become pain free. i agree with the person about trigger points and the book by clair davies.
it has helped me alot i was in the most pain i pushed like 900 lbs of cement and started to have tremendous pains. i go for massage once aweek and work on my own muscles. you must excersice but not to much because the myuscles tighten atround the trigger points and create more pain, but you must start to create muscle. if you are over weight things are evn worse for you. i dont know about cyst i have few big knots in my back that are slowly getting smaller. you must work the glutes and your QL muscles get your calf muscles massaged. the deeper the better. all muscles with trigger points can be very tender. but work it a little at a time  wether by yourself or with a massage therapist.
those little knots maybe just hard trigger points. perhaps you fell or lifted something to heavy. until corrected you will feel pain make sur all muscles are soft. i myself am hoping to be pain free by early 2010 i strained every muscle in my body or at least close to it. if someone would like to question me more email me at ***@****. subject trigger points. i will share my progress story and beliefs.. this has saved me from terrable pain. i still have pain but its more in the legs hamstringsd calves ankle. cant wait till friday thats my weekly massage. no pain nogain. no knots no pain
Helpful - 0
965886 tn?1247385357
I just found out 3 days ago that I had tarlov cyst and I have been having back pain for yrs. Have had  two back surgerys in the last two yrs. But was in a car accident 3 weeks ago was backended and had just gotten a spinnal shot two days before the accident. Had a MRI and it showed the cyst along with now three buldging disk that I didn't have on my last MRI  six months ago right before my last surgery. I have been reserching it and you are diffintly having the symptoms of a tarlov cyst. My pain is completly differnt then it was before the accident. Pain in my buttock area and and around my hips and down my leg. It's hard to sit in the car and I have to lay on my side for relief. They say that a doughnut pillow is good to sit on to relieve the pain. It's because these cyst are on your S1 - S4 area in your tail bone area, and it hurts to sit on you bottom. You can do reaseach if you just put in tarlov cyst and there is a lot of info for you to read and it diffintly causes tremendous pain I know I have had back pain for 20 yrs. and this is some of the worst pain I have ever had. Good luck and let me know if I can help in anyway. moep59
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Avatar universal
My boyfriend just found out that he has a cyst on his spine. He plays football in high school and discovered the back pain after lifting weights one day. since then, hes been to the doctor a couple of times, one who said it was just a strain. then another said he should get an MRI. He got the MRI on Friday and they called him Monday morning and told him to see a neurologist. Does anyone have any idea of what the options are for this or how this might be treated. Thanks!
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Avatar universal
I also had a cyst on my spine 8 months ago that was pressing on my sciatic nerve.  My spine doctor told me it's related to arthritis.  I had the surgery to remove the cyst after it became so bad that I couldn't walk on the leg without help.  It only gets worse.  The best thing I ever did was have the cyst removed.  I was told they usually don't come back.
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Avatar universal
i know you tried PT. stretching etc--- but to me your problem sounds like t may be due to a weak and or forward tilted pelvis. I had a similar problem-- pain starts in the hips and travels down to the knees. the way to fix this is to go to town on stretching the hip flexors and hamstrings, and to do core strengthening exercise. IT MAY TAKE WEEKS OR MONTHS OF DEDICATED WORK TO SEE RESULTS, AND BY DEDICATED I MEAN 2-3 45 MINUTE SESSION PER DAY OR THE CORRECT STRETCHING AND EXERCISE< AND THEN SHORT STRETCHING SESSIONS WHNEVER YOU HAVE A FREE MINUTE. ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK FOR 10-20 MINUTES WILL DEFINITELY NOT CUT IT, especially if  you do nothing to change your posture the rest of the day. I highly recommend a book on posture by Paul D'Arezzo and a trigger point manual by CLAIR DAVIES. Trigger points cause radiating pain AND they shorten muscle, leading to tightness and pain. you very well may find some in the muscles around your pelvis--glutes, quads, quadratus, even calf muscles. To me this does not sound like it is from a cyst, especially if your the doctors who reviewed your MRI did not think so. and YES, these muscle imbalances (which come from poor posture, sitting too long, in front of a computer for example, slouching) will cause pain for years and years until the imbalances are corrected. Hope this helps. If I am right, doctors and meds will do absolutely nothing for you. You will need to do this on your own. Do not expect someone to "fix you" while you visit an office or lie on a table.
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Avatar universal
Hi there,

I know what you are going through, but cant imagine goingthrough this for 8-9 years.  My symptoms have started a couple months ago.  At first my Doctor thought I was a druggie looking for pills - I hate them and cant take narcotics - they make me sick.  But now they called and said I too have a cyst on my spine and now them seem concerned.  I have been reading about spinal cysts and our symptoms all night--- I dont think their lack of concern is reassuring at all.

Get another opinion - go to the emergency and apply for state aide...axxess etc.  They have to see you no matter what.  Dont you have a neurologist involved?  DId they run MS (Multiple Schloris testing?  You should be going to a neurologist for the spine.  They should be able to tell you what type of cyst it is as that is a symptom of your real problem.  If the pain and symptons you are decribing have been going on that long - all data states that is WAYYYY tooo long to wait --- I really think that the Syringomyelia fits our symptoms - Google it - there is a lot of info on it.

I would hate to see you paralyzed and not be able to take care of you children.  Make the drive...Make the trip...your heath is worth it.  I dont have a family relying on me, but you do!!  

I would be interested in hearing about a followup story if you are still reading this????

Peace & Well Wishes,
Dollphinea - ***@****
Helpful - 0
182474 tn?1223950559
If it's that debilitating, you should seek more care.

Your local county public clinic can provide care at a sliding scale to your income.  Our tax dollars go to support these clinics.

If these two docs didn't think the cyst was significant, that's reassuring.  When there's a significant finding, you can be sure that a neurosurgeon is quick to offer sugery to fix it if it could help.

Enoch Choi, MD
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