Constant lower back pain - any ideas? :(

[As hatred sinks in]

Please help, I'm new to these forums.
I have suffered from low back pain for approx 7 years, since I was pregnant with my son when I suffered from DSP and was on crutches. I largely got over all of this but still had low back pain afterwards. I have put my low back pain down to teaching 14 years in Nursery and sitting on tiny chairs, lifting heavy bikes out of sheds, constantly stooping etc.
I have always just put up with it, painful at times but never too major.
However, the past six months in particular the pain has increased hugely. I am woken up at night in agony. I turn over slowly - this is also painful - and settle into a new position only for that to hurt after a while too. I can't stand still for longer than 5 minutes without pain increasing. Sitting eases the pain a little. The pain is lower back and very very slightly left. I don't have leg pain although sometimes pins and needles in my left foot. I can't put weight on my left foot, have to lean on table for support if I attempt to put socks on whilst standing. If I bend slightly backward or to the right side the pain is really bad. My left ribs also ache and feel painful.
My doctor has referred me for physio but I was really hoping for an xray or scan. Would it be worth me paying for one?! Just can't imagine what exercises the physio would give me that wouldn't be agony!
I'm only 36, really need my back for working a bit longer.
Unsure if linked - swollen knees, pain in hand joints when writing, plantar fibroma on foot.
Thanks xx

 

[Nany LOVE]

Hi Sarahjane,

Welcome to HP!

Your condition sounds really uncomfortable for you.

It is not a good idea to diagnose on here but reading your symptoms I would be recommending that you go and see a Remedial massage therapist who is experienced and prepared to treat the groin area, as often the painful areas you are describing are actually referred pain caused by scar tissue and/or trapped nerves from the groin/pelvis.

It is quite a painful area to receive treatment for but the relief afterwards is worth every second!! I know as my OH is a RMT and I have been there!

Hope this helps.

 

[mgymcrso]

Hiya sarahjane!!

Welcome to Healthy Pages.

I am so sorry to see your problems.

Yes, it would be very well worth paying for a private MRI scan and written report. Also go for a set of X-ray plates and those related written reports as well. Prices vary from around £200 to £800, depending on how ‘up to date’ and ‘precise’ the scanners are. If you can find an MRI scanner that takes your images while you are standing up (dynamic loading) so much the better!
If you have private insurance, you may well be covered for this.

You will need your GP to request these scans, and the main images and written reports will be sent directly back to him/her, but don’t forget, you can privately purchase your own copies of everything! (Around £10 - £20) Make sure you do this, if you can afford to, it will prove worth while in the long run.

I would suggest that you attend a scanning clinic, as far away from your hospitals ‘trust area’ as is physically practical, because this would greatly limit ‘interpretational bias’ by your NHS Consultant. What I mean by this is, that NHS scans are very often interpreted by NHS Consultants who have ‘one eye’ on the ‘cost’ element, and are (in my experience) prepared to leave out factual information, because this information may require very expensive treatments. Also, I asked my GP to request a full body MRI scan, in order to check a very painful area in my ‘C’ spine, as well as my long standing lumber problems, which he did. But without prior notification, the Consultant Radiographer, only allowed a lumber scan, this was to save money, no other reason was offered to me.

Until your Consultants have full MRI and X-ray images and reports, they should not be recommending any physiotherapy at all. It could cause more problems than the worth of it!
Don’t be bullied in to accepting treatments without these images!

Search the web for private scan clinics including SPIRES, BUPA, BMI, LOADSTONE etc;

Good luck and best wishes.

SPINELF

 

[california_love]

Poor you. Go with the physio, and make sure you tell him/her about hte other symptoms in your hands and feet etc, and mention that you are concerned that your gp has not recommended a scan. Obviously we can't diagnose here, but you should look at the possibility of links. Physio may then be able to refer you back to the gp.


Really good tip about getting scans out of your PCT area - thanks Spinelf!

Good luck, and please do keep us all posted with your progress.

love and light, and healing thoughts

 

[boffexescurce]

Hey sarahjane1975, if I was you I would see the physio. The physio probably wouldn't give you exercises if they were going to be painful and as an alternative they can do particular treatments that may help too. At the physio session I’d ask them the question about Xrays and MRI scans as they will be able to provide a more informed decision.

 

[Makenzie]

(Quote) Yes, it would be very well worth paying for a private MRI scan and written report. Also go for a set of X-ray plates and those related written reports as well. Prices vary from around £200 to £800, depending on how ‘up to date’ and ‘precise’ the scanners are. If you can find an MRI scanner that takes your images while you are standing up (dynamic loading) so much the better! If you have private insurance, you may well be covered for this. (END QUOTE)



I have found a clinic that offers a dynamic, standing up and load bearing open' MRI scanner machine. This is advertised as being the only one in England. However, they are opening a 'Leeds' branch soon, to service the North of England!

It is the London upright MRI centre www.uprightmri.co.uk.

Their MRI prices from July 2011 will be:
1 spine level £750
2 spine levels £1,050
Whole spine £1,300

Take a look, see what you think!

SPINELF

 

[Alexandria]

I'm sorry to hear about your problem. Having a child has a huge stretching effect on the lower abdominal muscles which have to be strengthened soon after birth if low back pain is going to be prevented. These are the core stabilisers and when they function correctly take the pressure of the body from off of the spine.

Good Luck!

 

[lorne g]

If standing for more than 5 minutes is a problem, I'd be looking at psoas and iliacus. I nearly always look at these first with lower back pain, very often involved. Is the curve in your lower back quite exaggerated? I'd also be looking at glute medius too, along with many other things, but, there is a good starting point IMO.

HTH

Kevin