15 yr old boy with 2 year history of lower back pain

[rose49]

My 15 yr old son has complained of persistent lower back pain for 2 yrs. Advise received from initial visits to his PCP was stretching exercises and to take Advil. Because my son continued to play Baseball,Football and Basketball at competitive levels and excelled in all these sports I assumed it was "growing" pains. However following this past football season in which he was nominated as MVP, his pain became much worse to the point he told me he could not go to certain training sessions, such as leg lunges due to intense "shooting pains" radiating across his lower back.He also c/o not being able to sit in class. He also c/o consistent BURNING PAIN, in lower back but "worse" on the right.
He was finally referred to a Neurologist who performed an EMG and an MRI. I was told the EMG was 'abnormal 'but definitely not a pinched nerve. The MRI showed, 'Hyperintensity' present in the right pedicle of L5....mild decreased signalon the T1,Edema of pedicle of L5 on the right......He was treated with Mobic in the am and flexoril at night because Mobic was ineffective this was changed to toradol 2 tabs q 8 hrs this has not helped. He is now scheduled a bone scan and nerve block. Diagnosis is pinched nerve. He has been told he should give up football (this is a child who dreams of going to UT to play college football!) My concern is following EMG we were told "it was definitly not a pinched nerve" My son also has never c/o radiating pain,numbness, or tingling in any extremity
He has played no sports for a month with little improvement (flexeril helps him sleep) He is frustrated bored, and wants only to know what is wrong with him.
Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you in advance. A worried mother

[caregiver222]

Strict bed rest, especially for six to nine weeks, has been contradindicated in the United States since 1929! It is the sure way to develop a life-threatening blood clot. So that advice is wrong.  Don't pass go. Do not collect two hundred dollars.

Lying down for a while is a good thing, but these injuries resolve without having to play being a quadraplegic.

He should avoid riding in cars because the up-and-down vibration of the seat will exacerbate the problem.

Generally these injuries will resolve given rest and insuring there is no additional strain.

Generally, anti-inflammatories are prescribed (not muscle relaxants) and he should be obtaining physical therpy from a specialist who knows what they are doing. There are at least six specific exercises that will reduce the inflammation. These exercises are on the internet, but is impossible to do them without the assistance of a good PT. They know what they are doing.

Good hydration is something else which will help.


A TENS device will resolve the pain.

It may be that football is something that should be something that can never happen.

If there is a stress fracture, these generally heal without splinting.

Yes, he should give up football. At least for now.

This problem has been going on for two years and I'd like to have his football coach in the boxing ring for one round or have in in front of the local district attorney for permitting your son to continue playing with these symptoms. You have a nice tort action against the school board which would obviate the requirement for an athletic scholarship. I annoyed at the physician, the school board and the worthless coach because he has been prescribed medications to mask the pain and permitted to continue playing football.

The chancre-mechanics may try to sell you a laminectomy, but I would hold off.

With moderate rest, a little luck, a hold on the stress from football, he has a good chance of recovery.

Contrary to what you may have heard, there is life after football.

[abhijeet v ghosh]

hi rose49,
i am really surprised that findings of MRI were ignored. When it's a L5 right pedicle Hyperintensity lesion with edema, it denoted a pathology at L5 level. It's due to this reason that there is low back ache. There is a possibility of a stress Fracture at L5 level, due to his sports activity.
I can bet that his bone scan will also show increased uptake of the dye at L5 region.
Anyways , since you are scheduled for a bone scanning, do get it done and then tell me the report.
He required strict bed rest(Only lying position, no sitting or standing) so that the L5 edema subsides for 6-9 weeks minimum.

Don't worry, all will be allright.
Do tell me about the bone scan report.

regards
abhijeet