Back pain for 5 months now
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It has progressed from lower back pain without any sciatica symptoms to now regular numbness and aches in the hip when I sit for any length of time. Also I have some numbness sort of permanent on the skin in front of shin bone right leg. Walking is the only thing that causes the leg issues to go away. Any advice appreciated especially about whether it's likely to clear up sometime and if so how long before I know it's permanent and when to go to the GP. Thanks.
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bxb_11732 Happyhacker
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Happyhacker bxb_11732
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CHICO_MARX Happyhacker
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You need a definitive diagnosis that I'm not sure a GP can give you. I'd start with an x-ray to see if anything jumps out of the picture for a doc. The typical next step is an orthopedic surgeon followed by a neurosurgeon if the base problem is spine related. I know those are big leaps but I've been down these paths many times.
The least invasive way to start is an x-ray and a chiropractor. A good one will tell you if your symptoms are beyond "adjustments" and require the expertise of ortho or neuro. I'd start there. Been to GPs many times and all they do is throw painkillers at you. Chiros know the intricacies of nerve, muscle and bone and could bring you some or complete relief. Saved me from sciatica many, many times over the years. You have to find one who will tell you the truth if your problem is not within their area of expertise. The worst, non-surgical case of sciatica I ever had took a chiro three weeks @ 2-3X/week to fix...done. Once had a bone spur at L4 crushing my sciatic nerve root...that was for a neurosurgeon to fix in a day. Simple decompressive laminectomy...instant relief.
Gotta find the ROOT CAUSE of your problem and then find the correct fix. You may have to jump through a few hoops to get to the end. PS: None of this is "permanent"...just have to find cause then cure.
Happyhacker CHICO_MARX
Posted
Yes, thanks. Are you in the UK? I tend to 'suggest' that we get things checked out to the Dr. then they may go a bit further and refer you. Have you tried that?
CHICO_MARX Happyhacker
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UK? I wish. Can you get The Queen to take us back? We're very sorry...really. It's a complete mess over here "across the pond". We have a petulant 6-year old running what used to be a pretty good country...now it's a complete s**thole. Got an extra room I can rent?
I've dealt with back and hip problems on and off for decades...but I never let them linger. I'm always focused on cause/solution so they never last long enough to be "chronic". A chiro has almost always fixed me up from a quick 10-second "pretzel twist" to a 3-week course of action. Misalignment of the spine, hips and/or pelvis to locked SI joints...always fixable. That one case of the bone spur at L4 in 2011 and then bi-lateral stenosis (think "worse-than-sciatica" down BOTH legs) at L2/L3 a year ago needed a neurosurgeon to fix me. Both those ops (laminectomy for the former and an LLIF (lateral) fusion for the latter) were 90-minute operations with immediate results. Each took a few days for the inflammation to subside but both worked out GREAT!!! No pain, no brace, no rehab for either. Super outcomes.
It's really important that you press your "consultant" for the root cause of your problem. Once they have that and recommend a solution, don't take it at face value. Ask about your options, do the research and become completely informed about what you're getting into. Be your own best advocate...ALWAYS!!!