Lower back issues

Please don't take this the wrong way but if you've been having pain for 40 years my guess is you're probably in your 50s or 60s likely. An MRI is a very good thing to have and at your age an MRI is likely to show degenerative disc disease. The reason I say that is because that is a very common condition of the back particularly at our age. The MRI may also show some bulging discs or other issues with your discs. Hopefully your doctor will suggest PT because that's the best place to start. And I would reconsider surgery should they offer it. Reason I say that is because surgery frequently does not help for long-term and sometimes it can make the problem worse. And in fact it happens so frequently that they have a name for it. It's called failed back surgey syndrome. Or something like that. You didn't mention whether your pain medicine was over the counter or prescription. If at any time they offer you opiates I want you to think long and hard about it before you start them. And I'm not knocking them I'm on them myself I could not function without them. But taking opiates on a regular basis does have unpleasant side effects. And I'm not referring only to the physical aspect but also all of the hoops you have to jump through in order to stay on it. I don't know what country you live in but here in America things have gone crazy about opiates. Doctors are stopping patient's opiate prescription without allowing them to taper down so they suffer needlessly. And I could go on but I won't. I hope things work out for you. I've suffered lower back pain for 13 years and have had epidural injections, SI joint injections, facet joint injections and all kinds of medication. I've spent years in PT I've tried massage I've tried acupuncture and Chiropractic.

I can only agree with everything amkofee has said, try everything before surgery and try to stay away from opioids unless it is last resort, I know it's difficult if your in a lot of pain but neither of these help long term but only cause more problems, this is my experience but I havnt heard any positives to come from either, good luck and keep us updated with what you try😊

Not on opiates. 53 yrs old. On prescription pain killers. Only take when bad.

I know I have wear and tear there. Want MRI to look at things more in depth. Don't want any injections yet.

See what happens tomorrow.

I hope you get some answers to your problems. Nerve pressure caused extrem pain in my right leg with burning. I had several spinal injections over the past 8 years from Nerve root to Facet joints and epidural. All have given some relief but temporary unfortunately. Other symptoms have now caused additional problems of hip pain and cold flushes down legs with numbness. Between taking 8 30/500mg Co-Codamol a day, 35-45mg Amitriptyline, 500mg Naproxen and 20mg Fluoxetine I just about get by. My life is just about taking pills and want it to stop. Only my muscle memory and past physical fitness has got me through this or I'd be bed bound. 

Seen hospital 'guy'. What a joke!

Guy said it was Spondylosis. Nothing to do with nerves! Didn't need MRI. Rubbish!

I am going back to see my doc next week. I want an MRI. I know I have nerve problems because of the burning pain on upper rear legs.

Guy was a joke. Didn't seem to care. I was just a number!

Had a bad day in work yesterday. I do a lot of standing and back was in agony! Took painkillers and diazepam. No joy really.

I know there is no cure.

I need to have an MRI and proper pain management but I don't want to take too many tablets and rely on them!

Sorry to hear about your back troubles... Sounds like you are going through a lot of pain and discomfort. I was going through the same thing for 3-4 years until i found a book called Healing Back Pain By: Dr John E Sarno. After finding a cure for my back pain i said i will reach out to everyone i can. 

3 Years ago I was in a car accident that caused a whip lash in my neck which resulted into major Neck, Back and Left Arm pain. After MRI's and Ex rays doctors told me i have a C5-C6 herniated Disc. After 2 years of Physical Therapy, injections, seeing neurologist and spinal doctors nothing could help. My Back surgeon advised surgery and I thought that was my way out of this misery. 3 months later I had the surgery and i finally started feeling better! I continued to get rehab and massages for a year and a half after the surgery and i felt great! All of a sudden the pain came back with a vengeance. At this point i could not bare the pain i was dealing with.. I could not sleep, lift, sit or lay down without feeling some kind of pain or extreme discomfort. 

This is when i found Dr. John E Sarno's Book. I've been reading all of his books this year and i can finally say i cured my back pain. This may sound crazy to some of you but what most of you are experiencing is not actually "back pain". It is oxygen deprivation that is making you think you have a back abnormality. We have a conscious and an unconscious mind. Most of you may have thoughts or repressed anger in your unconscious that you may have never addressed or faced. What your body is doing is distracting your mind from reaching into your unconscious by causing you to focus on a physical pain such as Back pain, Leg pain, Sciatica and so on. 

Unfortunately Dr. John E Sarno is no longer with us and has passed this summer. I do not work for him or any of his colleagues trying to sell his book. I'm just a normal guy that experienced all of your troubles. Its an easy read and the book is 8 dollars on Amazon. Give it a try and you will thank me later.          

Reviews on Amazon speak for themselves  

Hey anting. I am currently having treatment for spondylolisthesis of the L5,SI and a narrowing of th2 L1,L2 (caused by birth or in the womb) and a few other problems that has occurred due to my body compensating for my entire life. After having acute back pain and being brushed of by the hospital I started chiropractic theropy. I highly recommend seeing a chiropractor. I could barely walk when I first went to see her and after 2 weeks I was stood up straight and was walking and moving loads better. after 14 sessions I am no longer taking co-codamol, diazepam or tramadol for the pain. I can now sleep and walk without crutches. I have my life back. as a 16 year old not being able to leave the house or get dressed or in the early stages wash by myself I am so grateful. I am hopefully having an MRI in the next few weeks after seeing my 1st specialist ( as I am showing signs of nerve damage) after months of trying to get appointments and to be taken seriously by the doctors or hospital. my chiropractor has really helped and has been very supportive and in general she truly cares. I have been given exercises ( which are tons better than the 3 in the information leaflet the hospital gave me) to do whilst waiting for physiotherapy. I was and still am having pain numbness, pins and needles in my legs and burning in my upper legs however that has be significantly reduced since the start of my treatment now I only have problems with my legs if I over do it. I know a lot of people are put of by having backs and bones in general cracked, I have to this date not had my back cracked once as chiropractic is more than that. I know that seeing a chiropractor can be expensive but me and my family would rather pay the money then for me to lose my mobility and to still be in agony.

I hope this has helped even a little.

best wishes and I hope you get everything sorted

Chloe