Lower back pain above the buttocks

Hi,my name is Allison and I am a 20 year old female and I have been having this particular problem for about 5 years now. Every time after doing intense exercise (overtime with just a simple mile run) I get a pain on my lower back, just above my left buttock. Sometimes the pain lasts for days, although it feels more like a mixture of soreness and pain. I can't lie on my back for too long because then it starts to hurt. I also can't stand on my left leg because then I feel a sharp pain on that area.The pain doesn't run down my leg. The only way I can relax my lower back is if I sit down and bend over putting my head between my knees. One person told me that this problem probably started at my feet. I have been needing insoles ( which will be coming in a week) to correct my feet since I was a toddler; my feet would usually go inward. That person's explanation was that if the feet aren't forming a proper base support, it will affect the knees, the hips, the spine, etc, thus my lower back pain.

Could my lower back pain be related to my feet problem? For this being a chronic pain, does it mean it could be something more serious? I haven't found anything that could help me on the internet. So if anyone could hint me on what this might be, I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Well, without a clinical evaluation it would be difficult determine the cause of your backache. The lower back ache is unlikely to be due to issues with the feet. Back pain can be caused by issues related to the spine and surrounding musculature like abnormal posture, IVDP etc, neurological reasons or due to referred pain from a few organs such as the kidneys, pancreas etc. It would be best to get this evaluated by a primary care physician initially and then depending on the cause suspected/ diagnosed it can be managed appropriately or specialist care may be sought. Meanwhile I would suggest avoiding excessive physical exertion. Warm compresses and some NSAIDS may also be helpful for pain relief.
Hope this helps.

Take care!