back pain

nikitasa

What is this new stabbing pain in the middle upper left side of my back?
I have suffered from chronic back pain for three years now. I am 31, not overweight, and did not have an injury! I had disc replacement surgury on L4-5 about a year and a half ago with no success. Discography shows that the L5-S1 is not healthy and may be the cause of continued pain. In the past few months I have developed left leg pain and numbness with very bad hip pain as well. This stabbing in my left side (on the back) has just happened and is just aweful when I wake up in the morning. No position helps! Is this a muscle? I can locate it straight away with my left hand reaching back and it hurts to the touch. Any ideas?
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matrimonial

Passacaglia

Nikitasa, I empathize - blown back with nerve entrapment in several places, radiculopathy because of it. Sounds like we share at least one area of pain, my left thoracic, too, stabs, with intermittent numbness in my left arm.

I can only suggest the only thing that has given me some relief over the last couple of years - trigger point acupuncture. Chiropractic used to help, but over the last several years things degraded pretty badly, and I wasn't getting much help from the chiro; the trigger point seems to be doing some good.

That, and making sure we're playing in proper posture, with (appropriate) muscle tension only (when I say appropriate tension, I mean only that tension needed to play, and sustain the session). Michael talks about this in his books, and if you've never investigated Alexander Technique, it might be worth a try, if you can find a practitioner. Alexander work is a very subtle, but very powerful, means of becoming aware of patterns of holding unnecessary muscle tension in the body, and consciously releasing it. It was developed by an actor around the turn of the 20th century, and is used extensively by performers (I was a Shakespearean actor in a former life).

ezra

Find Dr. Sarno immediately. Seriouly, google him to get the gist then read his book "The Divided Mind". I've had complete success.

Passacaglia

ezra wrote:

Find Dr. Sarno immediately. Seriouly, google him to get the gist then read his book "The Divided Mind". I've had complete success.

I actually recently heard about Dr. Sarno from a friend on another forum. Willing to try anything - not sure if you're addressing me, or the OP, but regardless, thanks for the heads up.

Paul

ezra

Yup, I'm addressing you. Excuse my ignorance but what's the "OP"? Dr. Sarno's method is unconventional but it worked for me. I've been using it for 3 years now. Basically, I manage my back pain and I would say I've experienced about an 80 percent improvement. Day to day I have no pain and when my back does "go out" I can be right as rain within 6 days. I'm talking ready for anything including surfing and snowboarding.

I sincerely hope this helps.

Colin

Passacaglia

Ezra, thanks - sounds really encouraging. I'll look into it.

"OP" - I've fallen victim to compu-speak. "Original Poster," thread starter.

Many thanks again.

Paul

ezra wrote:

Yup, I'm addressing you. Excuse my ignorance but what's the "OP"? Dr. Sarno's method is unconventional but it worked for me. I've been using it for 3 years now. Basically, I manage my back pain and I would say I've experienced about an 80 percent improvement. Day to day I have no pain and when my back does "go out" I can be right as rain within 6 days. I'm talking ready for anything including surfing and snowboarding.

I sincerely hope this helps.

Colin

emicad

I have a similar problem. Try to go swimming 2-3 times at week, it's the bst way.

Passacaglia

emicad wrote:

I have a similar problem. Try to go swimming 2-3 times at week, it's the bst way.

I actually have tried swimming (was basically a full time swimmer - upwards of 22,000-24,000 meters daily....began my swimming day at 5:00 a.m.; crazy), but can't do it - something about needing to sustain my back, I guess. I've got the nerve entrapment in both my high lumbar and low thoracic, but also bone spurring in the higher thoracic and cervical spine, and every time I've tried to swim, even a very short while, I "pay for it."

I do want to get better - years of this, now, and it gets old....depending on drugs to cope, and even practice sessions, I pay for it afterwards. I have heard good things about Dr. Sarno, have his book on order, so I'm hopeful.

cynthiya

How is sciatica pain different from back pain? I have a shooting like pain down one side of my lower back which runs down towards my buttocks. I am unable to bend due to this pain. And when i do, its really painful. Does it sound like sciatica? Or just normal back pain?

Tele295

The sciatic nerve originates on the the low back, and runs down the muscles of the back of the thigh, and those of the leg and foot.

"Sciatica" refers to pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in the leg. It is caused by injury to or compression of the sciatic nerve, usually at the point it exits the spine.