Back pain/clicking and how to stay positive

[Lauren_0203]

Hi everyone

Looking for tips on pain management/positivity and also to see if anyone experiences the same types of pain/clicking in joints.

I've been suffering with back pain (as well as pelvis, abdomen, hips, neck etc) for around 2 years now, alongside a huge number of other symptoms as I'm sure is the same for most people on here. I used to be so full of life and sporty but these days the pain is too much I have to give up a lot of those hobbies. I'm having a laparoscopy in a couple of months.

The pain has always come in flares previously, but for the last 3-4 months it has been constant and progressively worse every day! It does seem to be worse when I try and work, even if the day isn't that stressful. More recently the pain is in my chest and shoulders, which worsens anxiety for me too as some days it feels like someone is literally standing on my chest!

I'm trying to stay positive and quite enjoy doing research to improve my diet and lifestyle etc but am quite lost with what to do as despite these efforts I still can't function at work (desk job) with the pain and brain fog and general exhaustion, let alone keep up with social life or even life at home.

Does anyone have tips on how to stay positive day-to-day and manage the pain when its like this (aside from pain killers ofc)?

Also I was wondering if anyone else has back and/or pelvis pain accompanied by clicking when they move? My back and hips will make clicking sounds whenever I stand up or stretch out. So just wondering if that could be endo or something entirely unrelated!?

Any help much appreciated!

[Hidden]

Hey there, sorry to hear your suffering more than usual. My first thought is go back to GP, you don't say how old you are or what meds your on but my first thought is this could be perimenopausal, if you're taking progesterone then it could be side affects. You could be developing arthritis. Sorry don't want to be all doom and gloom but I think it's a mistake to always blame endo.

[Lauren_0203 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for this reply! I have been trying to get back to the doctors to talk about the worsening pain but they are never taking appointments at the moment. Fingers crossed I will be able to talk to a GP again soon and I can ask them if any other possible causes for the pain/clicking.

Lauren

[Zulu9]

Hi Lauren_0203,

I'm so sorry to hear about you pain. I have had a similar experience but with undiagnosed back, hip and leg pain continously for 6 years, seeing physios and chiropractors.It was only this year during serious menstruation changes that I was diagnosed with endo through a laparscopy.

Though they removed the endo, I still have extreme back, hip and leg pain, which I am currently working to reduce. Some things I am trying, I am fortunate enough to be able to access a specialised hormonal clinic to get my hormones regulated, I work with a physio to break down the tightness and trigger points that have formed due to inflammation and chronic pain in the body and the pelvic floor while adopting an anti inflammatory diet and testing differnet food groups to see what I can and connot tolerate. It sounds like a lot but it is helping my pain, it is still early days - 3 months in on full body approach as I started each new thing a few months apart.

Unfortunately, many things for pain management are trial and error, I am not happy with taking pain medication everyday and am looking towards natural supplements and Eastern medications to help. Its an on going journey for me at the moment and still have bad days but staying positive and believing that you will eventually find methods that work for you helps me everyday.

I am not a medical expert and write this during my own journey to highlight different methods to try and help stay positive during your endo journey- many of these methods I have learnt about through listening to endometriosis podcasts.

Feel free to message me. Sending support and positivity your way.

xx

[Lauren_0203 in reply to Zulu9]

Hi - thanks so much for this insight and great to hear there are lots of things to be trialling. I enjoy the research / learning side of it all despite the ongoing pain.

Have you been diagnosed with any other related conditions as well as endo, or think endo is the root cause of the pain?

I am similar in that I don't want to be taking pain killers constantly, so will definitely look in to the hormonal clinic and physio/chiro options too. I've started doing yoga more frequently and that seems to be helping somewhat!

Lauren

[Zulu9 in reply to Lauren_0203]

Obviously everybody's experience is different, pelvic floor therapy is always a huge one if you've got undiagnosed back and hip pain. I am hypermobile but the endo going undiganosed has basically caused inflammation, this is theory at the moment and so there is lots of tension around the back hips and legs. Yoga in fantastic for relaxation, learning to relax every muscle (including pelvic floor)!!

Wishing you best for your trial and error journey. Post anything that you find works for you would be great.