View Full Version : Back Pain
So I've had a couple bouts with health anxiety in the past. I a persistently upset stomach was some form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. I thought recurrent headaches were an aneurysm pressing on my brain about to rupture. These both lasted a few months until I was able to have some kind of test to disprove them. A GI doctor found just mild colon inflammation, and an MRI was clear. After finding out that nothing is wrong, my symptoms slowly faded away.
Right now, though, I'm having really bad anxiety about back pain. I'm specifically convinced that I have an autoimmune condition called Ankylosing Spondylitis. My lower back has been hurting for about 2 months now, and shares many of the symptoms of AS. For example, it's much better when I'm walking or running, and tends to get worse when I sit still. I'm also in my early 20's, which is when symptoms tend to start. It mostly just feels very stiff to bend it too far in any direction. I've been to my GP about it a few times, who has told me it's probably musculoskeletal and has been instead treating me for my anxiety.
I guess my question is, how can I just believe that nothing is wrong with me? I see so many stories of people with AS starting out with plain old minor lower back pain who are now in chronic pain and on disability. I can't focus on school or most of the rest of my life because I'm so worried about what my life will be like months to years from now.
Thank you all for reading and for any help
So I'll start this off by saying I have the exact same back pain. And I'm 27. And I know for a fact its attributed to having a desk job.
You think you have something and the doctor said you don't. And you have pretty much like 1 symptom. I coughed yesterday. I don't have lung cancer. You should trust your doctor.
Also... I'm reading that Ankylosing Spondylitis has an incidence rate of like .44 to 7.7 in 100,000 a year. That means at max, 7 people out of 100,000 will get Ankylosing Spondylitis in a year. 99,993 won't.
Thanks for replying. I'm glad you mentioned you have a desk job and similar symptoms. I'm a student and have bad vision so I spend a lot of time sitting hunched over a computer. I've never had back pain before, but it was definitely a thought about where it's coming from now. Is your pain essentially gone when you're out exercising? I run many miles a week and have no pain at all while I'm running, which makes it seem like it wouldn't be musculoskeletal.
I work out to get rid of the pain.
Repetitive strain makes muscles hurt. It's a known fact. I do several miles a day after work and couldn't feel better. Had the pain in college too
Hm, I did just run my first marathon about a month before this pain started and don't do any cross training at all. Do you recommend any lower back exercises? Deadlifts and stuff?
I'm unsure if the pain is muscular or skeletal. I think mine is muscular. Not sure if deadlifts would be the best. I would be more likely to do hyperextensions or something along those lines to be honest.
Cool, thank you for all your help. It'll be nice to be able to come back to read this next time I freak out.
No problem. AS is a little too rare to worry about. Its a possibility... but everything is. Inactivity is much more likely.
Plus the gym helps. More reasons to get swol.
Do you feel like you wake up a little extra stiff in the mornings? I know everyone needs to stretch a little to get moving, and I'm probably just reading into it too much since morning stiffness is a symptom of AS, but I definitely feel like my pain is worse in the mornings.
---------- Post added at 11:12 ---------- Previous post was at 07:33 ----------
Can anyone else weigh in on if they have similar symptoms? The daily, worse-in-the-morning part makes this very concerning for me. It also began shortly after a UTI with an atypical organism, which has been shown to set off arthritis in some people. I'm just really worried that this is all the beginning of a lifetime of pain. I understand that back pain is very common, but I have so many of the symptoms and warning signs of AS..
PASchoolSyndrome
01-03-17, 16:19
Sounds more like a bit of arthritis than anything. A body in motion stays in motion, a body at rest stays at rest. If it gets a bit better with a bit of movement then do that! I'm always stiff in the morning, stretching helps. Tylenol if it's more bothersome that day.
Health anxiety makes you take one common symptom, find the most rare and unlikely cause (which usually has a multitude of other symptoms), and COMPLETELY IGNORE the most likely, most common cause.
I just worry that if it's arthritis or AS that it will continue progressing until I can't keep moving without pain. I'm a very active person as is, and the prospect of having a disease like this is really getting to me. Plus, (and this may just be the anxiety) I don't really feel like I only have 1 common symptom, I feel like I have several more specific symptoms. I've discussed it with my girlfriend who has had back pain on and off for many years and she has had a much different experience with her pain than what I'm having.
PASchoolSyndrome
01-03-17, 16:34
Then if it's going to progress why worry?
I bet if you keep being active like your being (which 100% causes morning stiffness btw) you'll stay being active.
I am 28 and get lower back pain too, also neck pain. It is everytime I sit or lie down, in bed I just keep tossing and turning until I doze off as I can no longer get comfortable. I guess it's not uncommon to get aches and pains unfortunately. It won't necessarily get worse and if it eases when you're walking (mine does too) then there may be ways to prevent it. Perhaps it's posture related as I suspect mine is and that's why it improves upon moving.
First of all, thank you guys for talking to me about this.
Since you both have similar pains, I guess my question becomes: How do you keep from worrying about it worsening in the future? My doctor has me on a short-term course of an as-needed benzo because I have a big test coming up that I needed to be able to focus on. It helps keep me from having the major breakdowns I was having, but does nothing for the basal level of worry I have about it slowly getting worse until I can't work, for example. She's considered switching me to an antidepressant or something similar. Do you think that would be more effective day-to-day? I just feel like I'm missing out on enjoying what should be the best years of my life because all I do is sit here worrying about how bad the pain will be in the future and how quickly it will progress.
I don't worry as I strongly believe it's posture related. My neck no longer aligns with my back and when I look at myself sideways I look like my neck is leaning forward so I'm not suprised I have neck pain. As for my lower back it gets worse in certain positions so more proof it's related to posture or something.
I've never even thought about it getting worse to be honest.
PASchoolSyndrome
01-03-17, 17:09
Well honestly as I battle my own health anxiety the easiest thing to say is "don't worry" but it's the hardest thing to do. If you're going through everyday constantly so worried then maybe an SSRI would be a decent option but that's a discussion with you and your doctor. If it is going to progress then it is whether you sit there miserable or go out and live your life. So even if you are worried about it the best thing to do is get out and live anyway.
I am not a doctor, I am a physician assistant in training but I can tell you that there are requirements that need to be met before a diagnosis is made. Requirements and algorithms for diagnosis that are studied and studied as by institutions and societies which are proven to help decrease misdiagnosis. The biggest frustration is when I am examining a patient and they tell me something they read from google and refuse to believe my years of medical training and believe google, a non medically trained, non critically thinking robot.
Not to be harsh, but just because google says something is a symptom, doctors look at an entire clinical picture before they even decide if something even needs to be evaluated further.
I get what you're saying - I'm in medical school myself, which explains why I've even heard of AS and, probably, why I'm worried about it. That being said, I have access to the same information and studies that real, full doctors do, and that's what's scaring me the most about this. I can see how well my symptoms match up with the things I worry about. The problem, and the reason I'm posting here and asking you awesome people for help, is because I have a hard time finding the line between my own knowledge and intuition and how my anxiety has clouded my mind. There isn't a doubt in my mind that the pain I'm having is worse because I'm stressed about it, tensing up all my muscles and making my mind focus on it. I just don't know if that's the only reason for thepain, or if it's just making it worse.
One thing I do know is that talking through it with you all is super helpful, especially hearing from other young people dealing with the same type of pain that I'm having who are handling it like "normal." healthy people should and not letting it take over their lives.
PASchoolSyndrome
01-03-17, 17:30
I get what you're saying - I'm in medical school myself, which explains why I've even heard of AS and, probably, why I'm worried about it. That being said, I have access to the same information and studies that real, full doctors do, and that's what's scaring me the most about this. I can see how well my symptoms match up with the things I worry about. The problem, and the reason I'm posting here and asking you awesome people for help, is because I have a hard time finding the line between my own knowledge and intuition and how my anxiety has clouded my mind. There isn't a doubt in my mind that the pain I'm having is worse because I'm stressed about it, tensing up all my muscles and making my mind focus on it. I just don't know if that's the only reason for thepain, or if it's just making it worse.
One thing I do know is that talking through it with you all is super helpful, especially hearing from other young people dealing with the same type of pain that I'm having who are handling it like "normal." healthy people should and not letting it take over their lives.
Then my argument is completely invalid. Sorry for telling you what you already know :wink:
That's why we're not allowed to be our own patients. Our judgements when it comes to our own health and anxiety is way out in left field. I've printed out documented cases and articles from databases and showed them to my doctor when I thought I was real sick. He essentially laughed at me and helped me treat my anxiety. All the textbooks and even if all exams are aced mean nothing in the face of an experienced clinician.
Hence my screen name. Everyone single one of my classmates and myself have fit all of our everyday symptoms into rare and dangerous diseases and have diagnosed ourselves essentially every unit. I couldn't tell you how many lymphoma, lupus, or even anemic patients my graduating class has! Some of us just take a little more effort to get over that hypochondria.
It's funny, the doctor at Student Health that I go to has said that she can tell what we're studying by the chief complaints that month.
That being said, I've had health anxiety issues since before starting school, so I really think it's time I look at longer-term solutions for it than panicking every 6 months. This site has certainly helped in the past, so I finally made an account to post about this particular problem.
PASchoolSyndrome
01-03-17, 17:42
Haha yep. We're not alone in our school based hypochondria - but I agree maybe having more long term therapy would be best - I myself (after finally accepting the doctors diagnosis or lack thereof) have started talk therapy just so I can stop dying every unit. its Women's Health now and being a woman.. oh man.
Sorry to bring back up an old topic, but I've got myself a little worried again. I keep waking up with pain and stiffness in my lower back/hip area, and it seems to get worse if I'm sitting for longer than 10 minutes or so. Is there anyone else who has this?
Like 95% of the time I'm convinced it's just musculoskeletal, but occasionally my mind wanders and I start freaking out.
Nobody else with similar pain? It hurt almost all day yesterday and I'm getting really worried.
Trying to convince myself it's just musculoskeletal pain. Anyone with back pain caused by tense muscles that might be able to describe it a little? Waking up stiff, stretches that help, etc. I would really appreciate it.
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