help please moderate to severe lower back pain

[Emma1993]

Ok I'm a 20 year old female I've had moderate to severe lower back pain for 8 months now and was referred to a rheumatologist by my GP the rheumatologist ordered a mri and blood tests and both were normal and it feels like I have been fobbed off and they don't want to deal with me :( and they have arranged physiotherapy and rheumatologist has refferred me back to my gp I have lower back pain that is worse at night and when walking and sciatica which is worse when working I get a cramping pain in my right thigh and pain behind my knees I also have numbness in my lower back and a severe crushing sensation but the mri came back "normal" I'm worried because I feel that there's something not right seeing as I've had it for like 8 months now the back pain seemed to get worse in the last month at one point I took some of my boyfriends morphine 10mg 2 spoons every 2 hours but I did absolutely nothing and I also tried Naproxen 250mg, cocodamol 30/500 and gabapentin 100mg all did absolutely nothing and I feel like I'm back at square 1 as I have been refferred back to my gp any help and advice is much appreciated.

[horsehannah]

hi Emma , i know exactly how u feel i have had a similar problem for a while now:
I am 15 and in October 2012 i had a serious horse-riding accident which caused a L4/5 disc prolapse.I have had chronic back pain ever since.I have been having osteopathy .Last year i had an attack of sciatica so bad that i had to be admitted to A&E .I couldn't walk for a day.In 2013 i went to see my GP about my pain to see about having an MRI scan.She told me that she couldn't book me one as NHS rules state that GPs ca't book MRI scans without sending a letter to a consultant ,who on deciding whether i needed on or not ,marked it down as routine even though my GP had requested an urgent scan.In the end my parents had to pay out £200 for a private scan.
After a referral letter , from my GP ,i was referred to a pediatric consultant who examined me and then organised a blood test and a MRI scan.The results of the blood test were normal and the scan showed the same as the private one .[L4/5 prolapse] She then referred me[in 2014] to a specialist at the Royal London Hospital who would ***** e further and decide on treatment.
When I went to this appointment, the consultant examined my movement and then told me that the i would need to be referred to a specialist pediatric spinal surgeon who would decide treatment options with me.Later on that month, i received a letter which had an appointment for physio and stated that my 'condition' was lifelong .A s the appointment is for May ,i haven't been to see the surgeon yet, but recently , i have started to have urinary incontinence and this weekend i had a severe sciatic attack again ,but this time i was sofa bound for the weekend and needed a cane to help me walk the next week.
Pain killers have no effect on me and the only ting which gives me temporary relief[3 days at most!!!] is acupuncture for which i am seeing a osteopath 2 twice a month for treatment.
Do i need surgery? i am becoming tired of waiting and having to live with this as i cannot participate in the sports that previous to the accident i enjoyed.I cant run and i have limited movement in my back.

[Thistle76]

Hi, try a tens machine, they also assist the muscles to increase therefor strengthening your back and also kills pain. Exercising can cause more damage if not done correctly, tissue damage in the spine heals but takes a very long time. Good luck

[Emma1993]

Thanks for the advice Phil I will stick to the walking.

And no Jessica It's not my kidney area and a few years ago a had a horrible time with kidney infections so I know what they feel like this pain I am experiencing is completely different it's quite low right above bum crack and sometimes lower sorry for the info I'm presuming it's the sacrum area and as I mentioned in my first post it seems to have got worse the last month and in this last month when I sit down or lie down on my back it feels like I'm sitting or lying on a hard ball and it feels like there is a ball of numbness it's really hard to describe :( but there's no deformity or anything the doctor originally referred me to the rheumatologist because she thought I might have ankylosing spondylitis and in regard to the other therapies I really can't afford anything like that I can I just mention I live in the UK. I have been offered physiotherapy and have an appointment for my first session on the 16th I think it is for a month 1 session every 2 weeks then that's it after a month I don't think I will be getting any more after that I think I'm going to see if that works but I think I'm just going to  end up back at square 1 I feel like I have been waiting a long time it took 3 months just to get the rheumatologist appointment it's getting me down because I have had it everyday for 8 months :( and is making my depression worse too I appreciate all the advice and help.

[philnoir]

Emma, try this link for more information.

http://www.spineuniverse.com/conditions/back-pain/common-uncommon-causes-back-pain

[JessicaBunny]

I was wondering is your pain in the kidney area? Sometimes when there are several things going wrong doctors focus on one . I am mentioning the kidneys cause I wake up and have intense pain in that area that. All tests came back normal. So I did research and check into alternative therapies. Acupuncture has done wonders. Check if there is a school in your area and they will have low cost clinics for the students . And I found out that there can be sediment / like sand . Not stones and will cause pain too. I started a lemon flush . Half a lemon In warm water first thing  in the morning  on an empty stomach . Wait 30 min. Hope this helps . Just something to think about . Good luck.

[philnoir]

Emma, of course it is possible, and this is one reason why your docs are scrambling around looking for answers.

I can only recommend patience until you have a diagnosis, and then aggressive treatment when offered, although sometimes surgery can do more harm than good -- always keep surgery in your back pocket as a last resort.

In the mean time, try to do what you can to keep yourself comfortable. Keep exercise light -- don't over do it. Walking for 20 minutes twice a day is a good exercise.

Best wishes.

[Emma1993]

Hi hot baths don't help and it hurts to walk and I end up in worse pain afterwards I haven't tried light exercise as I thought it would make it worse I also heard problems like muscle take a maximum 6-12 weeks to heal but I don't know also wouldn't I have had bruising especially if it was a muscle problem bad enough to last 8 months. And no I haven't been to a physical therapist but I have been refferred to physiotherapy And I couldn't afford a chiropractor :( thank you for your help and advice :) is it possible my back pain is not caused by my spine and somewhere else?

[philnoir]

Emma, You're not getting 'fobbed off' but they are having trouble making a diagnosis.

If back pain is muscular, than opiate pain medication isn't going to help much. Have you tried simple remedies like hot baths, ice, light exercise, massage, yoga, pilates, or even chiropractic manipulation?

Sometimes back pain can be resolved by strengthening the core muscles of the spine, back, and abdomen. Have you been to a physical therapist?

When medical doctors don't have answers, then it is time to seek other alternatives. Good luck with your search.