2 months of back pain; no known underlying cause

Kullerva

I injured my back lifting furniture up the stairs while moving my grandmother in November. At first, it got a little better, before becoming much worse. I've seen the doctor, I've seen the chiropractor, I've seen massage therapists who do deep tissue work, I take Advil (and muscle relaxants, for a while), I apply heat and cold, and I do back strengthening exercises. I am still in pain.

Most of the muscular involvement of the injury seems to have healed. I sprained an erector and a muscle in the lumbar spine attached to the psoas on the left side; those are tight but no longer incredibly painful. The big thing that concerns me, and which I'd like to ask about, is the pain I have on the right side. It's in the *low* back, near the ovaries actually, and is *very* sharp and painful, especially to the touch. The pain is intermittent (comes and goes) but is usually present in some form. The pain doesn't radiate up or down, but stays in the low back on the right side. I've been waking up in pain for two months and no one seems to be able to tell me what this is. Herniated disc? Another muscle pull? WTH?

I'm seeing the chiropractor again tonight and will ask, but was curious if anyone else had an experience like this and could tell me what to expect. I'll be able to cope with this better if there's an end in sight--or even if I can be certain of being stuck like this. The uncertainty and not knowing what the problem really is are driving me insane.

unsuspectingfish

Does sound like a hernia of some sort, from what little info you've provided. Unfortunately, sometimes you really have to fight to get a proper diagnosis. I've seen it with friends who have had injuries that led to chronic pain.

unsuspectingfish

I would also like to suggest going outside your chiropractor. I had a shoulder injury that my chiropractor diagnosed as a simple pinched nerve from a neck injury, so by the time I even knew to get a second opinion, the damage was done.

courtneyfabulous

More doctors, more scans!
Also if it's low back and near the ovaries have them check for ovarian cysts and kidney infection as well. Not all back pain is actually the spine.

owieprone

Yep try a different chiro if the session tnite isn't of use, they should have diagnosed it the first time round, if not then he/she should have been able to tell you what it wasn't. Chiros are generally quicker than gps/a&e at figuring out what the problem is simply due to their having touched you alot! oo-er. If they're really not sure, a scan/test would be my next port of call to ensure it's nothing more sinister. Don't let someone railroad you into any treatment you're not happy with (or no treatment and just dismissing you). You know your body.

Good luck tnite, hope it's just a pinched nerve or slowly healing muscle strain. Fingers crossed for you.

Kullerva

Thanks for the responses. I did get a kidney/bladder infection check (and the answer was no to both). Cysts are possible (family history) but I go the OBGYN every six months and my last check didn't uncover anything like that. The regular doctor I went to was much less helpful than the chiropractor, and the chiropractor is a bit less helpful than the massage therapist, who at least makes it feel better for short stretches. I don't know if I should insist on an MRI/CT, but this injury has me hemorrhaging money and I'd really like a real diagnosis so that I can fix it.

courtneylhorner

I know your pain too. I have had side pain since 2013. I have gone to the doctor off and on, but in the last year have been more active about finding out what is wrong. Just keep looking for answers, because you deserve to know what the source is and take care of yourself. I am going for an MRI now. I have had numerous test done and hope that they find the answer like you too, because it is costly and people start to treat you like it is all in your head. Only you know if you are hurting and not others. I pray that you are able to find answers and heal.

ClosetBayesian

Kullerva wrote: »

Thanks for the responses. I did get a kidney/bladder infection check (and the answer was no to both). Cysts are possible (family history) but I go the OBGYN every six months and my last check didn't uncover anything like that. The regular doctor I went to was much less helpful than the chiropractor, and the chiropractor is a bit less helpful than the massage therapist, who at least makes it feel better for short stretches. I don't know if I should insist on an MRI/CT, but this injury has me hemorrhaging money and I'd really like a real diagnosis so that I can fix it.

Have you asked for a referral to a physical therapist? I hurt my lower back doing yoga a few years ago; I had referred pain (injury in one spot, pain in another), which may be part of your problem.

courtneyfabulous

MRI or CT scan would be helpful but hopefully they can order it so the insurance pays not you because they are crazy expensive!!

Kullerva

Part of my normal self-care regimen is to see a deep-tissue sports massage therapist that is also a certified fitness trainer. She's given me exercises and has helped a lot with the muscle pain, which has mostly subsided (at least in 3/4 of my back). She sent me to an activator/neurologist this morning, and he did some scans and tests. Hopefully he can treat me tomorrow.

diane6880

I had similar pains. Get an MRI I not only had a cysis on my lumbar 5 but I also had a fatty tissue which was the size of a baseball removed, I still have one constant pain. lidocane helps 5% this is very expensive but my druggist told me to use a 5% lidocaine used for hemmroids which is the same and a lot cheaper.

cguydo

I really think you should get some MRI scans or CT scans done like some people above are saying. Sometimes back pain can be a sign of a bigger issue.

Kullerva

Insurance is sending me through some hoops...PT & activator/chiropractor come first; I did get x-rays done and a nerve analysis of the spine (both done yesterday). If the activator doesn't help in 3-4 treatments, the next step is the MRI/CT.

Kullerva

The sharp right side pain is gone! However, some pain *did* shift left, so I'm definitely not out of the woods. I get another treatment tomorrow and the last acute treatment next week. With any luck, this will continue to work. (New party trick: I can do hamstring stretches the regular way now, instead of on my back with the yoga strap.)

TanyaHooton

This sounds a lot like my experience. My injury was from sciatica which took forever to heal and only resolved when I saw a chiropractor. But the underlying damage was not addressed until just now, 3 years later. Earlier this year I developed a strong, sometimes sharp, pain on my right side in the front. It was right over my right ovary. I took myself to the women's clinic and had an ultrasound done twice (right after a CT scan for something unrelated). They found nothing. Nada...which is good, but not helpful because I was still in pain.

I finally asked my doc for a referral for physical therapy. The PTs did an assessment, said lumbago with right side sciatica, that I needed work on my transverse abdominis, and concluded the pain in the front (directly relational to where it hurt in the back) was probably referred pain or from generalized inflammation in the whole area. I found that the only thing that helped, until I got PT, was deep core work in the lower abs. Now with the PT it has subsided quite a bit.

If PT, chiropractor, meds, etc don't help, the next step (according to my doctor) might be MRI and steroid injections. Talk to your doctor, make him or her understand that it affects your daily life. I wish you the best.

Kullerva

Thanks for sharing your experience, TanyaHooton! It seems like there are a lot of back injury horror stories out there. My pain continues to be arrested--the right side pain is completely gone, with the left side pain remaining dull and somewhat achy, but definitely tolerable. Here is my comprehensive diagnosis, based on x-rays and the nerve map analysis of my spine:

Sciatica: slight (5-6 degree) curve of the lower spine, involving L2 to L5.
Scoliosis: 14 degree right forward pelvic tilt, likely from untreated leg length discrepancy (just started treating it this year), also with involvement in the lumbar spine.
Reverse neck curve: That's right, my neck's curvature is in almost the complete opposite direction of what it should be. This is likely the result of being in a collision two years ago.

I'm twenty-seven so my prognosis looks good. I'm a little stunned that the last chiropractor missed the neck problem, though. It's terrifying to look at.