I just don't know what to do but I am going crazy.
I have had on and off back-pain since 1994. I am 36 years
old and have no idea what may have caused the onset in the
first place. There are occasions when my entire lower back
will seize up and at that point, it takes me 3 or 4 minutes
to roll over in bed! This complete sieze-up has occurred
about 4 times since 2000 and each time, after the initial
onset, the recovery is a couple of weeks where I can
gradually, get up more easily, them move around more easily,
etc but I am typically laid up for 4 straight days when it
first comes on.
Right now, I am in pain when I sit upright, or when I stand
from a sitting position. Once I get up and slowly stretch my
lower back by leaning arching my back a little bit, I am
fine (as long as I don't bend over).
A couple of years ago, I went to an osteopath and on my
first visit, I was a new man! This lasted for about a year
or so where I had almost no indication of pain at all doing
anything including bending over, lifting, etc. Then my
situation came back and the last time I went to see him in
Sept 2003, he was not able to perform the same magic. He had
said that my S1 joint was frozen or something like that but
he wasn't able to fix it the last time I went.
Just a couple of days ago, I went to an orthopedic doctor
and he said that my muscles are weak and that is what is
causing all of my problems. I have tried to exercise during
times of good back and quite often, the execises would
aggravate my situation so I would no longer have a good back
so of course, I would discontinue them.
I just don't know what to believe because if my problem was
caused by weak muscles, why is it that on my initial visit
to the osteopath, I was completely cured for a long while???
I just want to have a normal back. I mean, I can't do
anything anymore. I can't swing a golf club, run around
(without being very aware of my movements)... I am 36 and I
have a lot more living to do and I would like to have a
decent back! I would even contemplate surgery on a bulging
disk (that I do have according to an MRI) but it seems that
if there is no sciatica, there is no disk problem (right?
comments please...).
Anyway, does anyone out there have a similar story or want
to throw some advice my way?
Thanks Bob