back pain for 3 years getting worse

My advice is avoid Physios.I have a similar condition and its getting worse.The physio is useless.Too young to be of any experience.I am having acupuncture to see if that helps.If not demandinf a neuro specialist and opinions.I would considr injections at this point.Im not young amnd i cant sleep or function mosrt days.Pain in lower back is very bad .travles down my legs and my ankles go floppy.Fed up with medical people sayinh.Oh its not that bad.Im no stranger to pain and know what is real and what is not.50 plus years in construction has taught me what is what in the pain dept.

If it was me i would considr injections.Physos are not my idea of wise.

Hope you get something sorted out.

Good luck

You coulc be heading towards the need for a fusion or insert, but I'm no expert of couse.

Hi there,

I have had chronic pain for a similar ammount of time and can sympathise! Nothing worked for me apart from Pregabalin full dose (which I had to spend ages adjusting to the horrible side effects) and a very good Osteopath that does traction on my spine very successfully which gives me relief for about four days at a time.

I have been repeatedly told that there is nothing that can be done but I recently saw a Nuerological Surgeon who says that is rubbish and seems keen to help me. I have had to suffer for three and a half years before I've got to this point and it's been hit and miss with the specialists. Have you seen an Orthopaedic consultant? Where is your pain, do you have pain in your leg or foot or is it in your back?

I'm having a nerve root block as a diagnostic tool and am crossing my fingers that will help. I haven't found physiotherapy helpful in fact they wouldn't touch me once I had foot drop. Let me know how you get on, this forum is great for support.

I think you need a specialist and an MRI to diagnose the exact problem. I would try the injections as they are majic for some people! Good luck!

In a nutshell they willnot spend the money.What triggered my back was a fall down the stairs last new years eve.A and Exray said your fine just rest and will be ok soon.

It got more and more severe as the months moved on.I cangeg my Gp.The new one will at least spend the money he booked me in for an Mri after a 10 month wait.The results showed the lot.

I lodged a foraml complaint about my former Gp practice.

I got a snotty Email a long while after sayimg i should have come in for a chat i have better things to do than talk to Gps that think they have the Monoply an being unwell.

The Mri machine at my hospital.At best it gets used 15 times a week.The young man told me why.We are contarctors and it costs a lot to pay us to use the machine.

Its a shambles .All those auto touch check in staion are always turned off or broken.

Just persevere and i hope that you have some luck.

Bless you, well I can tell you, you are not alone.  Little space between mine either, L4/5 is the most common level for things going wrong.

Please read all there is about prolapsed discs: there is an American site - Spine Health - which is excellent, better than any other site. But it is American and most Americans do have health insurance whilst in the uK & Spain we don't. I was suprised that in Spain, grandmas give their grandchildren the gift of health insurance which includes the dentist - but I digress.

On facebook there is a lady called Sharron Wass, she has a facebook chat about backs and other things associated with backs. But Spine Health is excellent, you may get put off with the videos!!!

I have had 2 facet joint injections - nada. Waste of time. I have had injections into my spine too via an X Ray - nada too.  Didn't do anything for my pain.

I have spondilosis at the top of my back but its the bottom of my back thats the problem L4/5 L3/4 and :L3/S1.   No I had physio 3 times with the NHS. They show you exercises and let you get on with it. Useless. As I said on another discussion if you look on the NHS website there are exercises on there that you can do but quite honestly if you are as bad as me, exercises just make you flexible and don't make any difference to the pain.  

First of all where do you live.  I can't say any more but it does depend on where you live.  Whether you are in England or not and then the US - big subject eh?

I think I started at the age of 50 odd, I fell down the stairs in my early 30s, the edge of each step I felt.  Over the years, I had physio, Osteopath, etc.and I gave up when the last Osteopath held my feet for 20 minutes and asked for £35 I asked him why he only held my feet and he said that this was the only thing to do as frequently Osteopaths are being sued.  Then I had a football physio and he asked me to lie down on my back and he put his hand underneath my bottom for about 10 minutes. I went home and told my husband and he said he would do that for nothing.  So be careful.

There is a list of surgeons in the UK and the States that are recommended I will point you in the right direction if you tell me where you live in fact you probably could see the US ones on Spine Health.

Well hope you get on better than me I have to learn to live with my injuries and pain caused by 2 surgeons doing what they thought was the best. I wish I could get hold of them......

Just thinking cortisone injections are good if you feel pain in your thigh which probably means you have sciatica. But you must tell us more. I am not a dr but I have read so much that when I go to see a surgeon, my partner tells me to shut up....