Back pain - really worried please advise

[chl_hobbs]

I have had so much pain these past few months but even more so these past 2 weeks. I saw an NHS physio who blatantly refused to see me as he said from my symptoms he wasn't prepared to treat me. I was desperate so I perhaps stupidly went to a private physio. He said my right hip area and waist looks swollen. Didn't do any xrays or anything. My symptoms are tightness in both thighs, deep throbbing legs and feet, tender in right buttock, seizing up after sitting, lying or standing too long, tingling in feet, arm aching, numbness in right hand, sides of neck spasms and tightness. He said my upper back and neck feels 'solid' due to the misalignment and pressure from whats happenin to the SI joint? He did some adjustments but the next day it was much much worse and today it even made me feel very sick.

In the end I had to go to a+e as my lower and mid back hurt so so much it made me throw up. They did an mri, and the junior dr said that by looking at the images himself, it was "fine". He was looking for major disc problems I think. He then sent me home. I am in agony. My lower back, right hip, thighs and mid back hurts like mad. Its horrible. He didn't wait for the radiographer's written report before he sent me home. I rang the mri department and asked if it was back yet and they said it was, and that I would need my GP to ring and request it. Rang the gp surgery, and its bloody CLOSED today! My question is, can you have so much back pain, WITHOUT anything showing on an mri?? And can a junior a+e dr see the same things as a radiographer on a spinal mri? Am worried why I feel so bad. I mean, I wake up some mornings, and cant even move without wincing in pain (sometimes screaming).

Im finding it so hard. I keep thinking I have cancer or something to be in this much pain.

Please help advise if you can

Charlotte x

[Fishmanpa]

Of course we're not doctors and cannot diagnose. It does sound like a spine/disc issue from what you describe. I have L4-L5 disc problems. When my back goes out, I get bad back pain that radiates down my leg with tingling etc. There's more going on here and it's not just anxiety related in my opinion.

I hope you get it straightened out soon. Back pain is miserable :(

Positive thoughts

[Althea]

I'll differ slightly with Fishmanpa here--I've had an extensive back repertoire including disc issues, soft tissue problems, and SI problems, and I'd say the symptoms you describe could go with any of those. Anything going awry in the pelvic region means the body works really hard to stabilize things, so it's common for pain to begin to extend beyond the area and roll uphill as the body guards and compensates, and it's also common for muscles like the piriformis (this could easily be a piriformis-related problem) or even the pelvis itself to irritate the sciatic nerve. And I can assure you that it can be quite excruciating without being cancerous. (I was amused that they gave me serious painkillers after my spine surgery, when it hurt so much less after than before!)

What did the NHS physio say you had to do before he could treat you? It's not uncommon around here for them to want a scan to make sure there's nothing they'd be damaging before they'll start treatment. Is that the deal?

In my personal experience, "adjustments" (which sounds rather chiropractic rather than physio, so it makes me raise an eyebrow a little) aren't cures and shouldn't be expected to be in such a situation--there's generally some irritation and strain that needs time to heal even after tightness or misalignment is sorted out. And with SI and soft-tissue issues, it's generally not a one-time "sorting out" anyway--a wayward SI needs to get nudged toward neutral periodically to keep it where it's supposed to be; a clamped down piriformis needs to be encouraged regularly to stretch. Additionally, a really good massage therapist can be invaluable (one's kept me running for a long time now) in a situation like this, if only to minimize the impact on the rest of your body.

Hang in there, do what you need to do to get into physio. Have you tried doing any gentle stretching? Stop immediately if it increases the pain, but it's likely to help most things these symptoms suggest.