i have been suffering from lower back pain which goes into my right groin and leg now on and off for about 3 years.
this latest flaire up has had me in hospital to control the pain.
i have been seeing a MSK specialist who sent me to physio, osteopath and i have also had a facet joint none of which i can say have given me total relief.
At one point i did think i was winning but whilest having a cold i coughed at was back to square one now with added pain under my rib cage both at the back and front right hnd side .
the only answer doc gives me is keep taking pain killers and go to physio
i really dont know how much longer i can go on with this
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prim50
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Sometimes the ligaments can become aggravated if we are holding ourselves in tensed ways. The tiny ligaments between all the ribs can sometimes get strained in a violent sneeze or cough. Suggest to your doc that a chest x-ray might be useful ? Or might you have a chest infection needing antibiotics ? I think this has to go back to GP. Sometimes you have to give them your ideas, especially if they think they have got as far as they can with your symptoms. These are new symptoms, so need another response.
Also, with your back, could your pelvic bones/sacroiliac be perhaps causing the problem ? I'm not a doctor etc et etc but your MSK people should be able to check this out.
sorry to hear of your problem with back pain. I myself have had back problems for 20 years + I had a specialist look at me at specialist bone unit in Oswestry north Wales and was told by them that I could have my spine fused which would stop me bending and possibly end up Paralyzed and in a wheelchair no contest it was a no brainer I refused to let it get to me so for a long time I worked until 2007 when I was laid up with Heart problems and the medication I was taking interfered with the Arthrotec I was taking along with Ibuprofen 500mgs and It started to really hurt this was when I had to finish work for good I could not function and through the pain I was sent to a pain clinic who were fantastic they sorted out medication and showed me how to pace everything I do which has been a must for me. Now I am 65 years of age and I am now enjoying my life it is not a strain to take it easy. When I went of sick in 2007 I was very surprised that no one Management or shop floor workers came to see me or enquire how I was only my real friends came to see me bet your in the same place no one wants to know. The pain Clinic and my doctor worked out my medication I need which is a nightmare if I forget any of the pain medication I am in agony for the next few hours anyway my freind there are lots of medication you can take like slow release Morphine Capsules ask your doctor HAVE A GREAT PAIN FREE CHRISTMAS Prim50
No work colleges,sounds about par for the course. I too retired due to back problems,never heard a word from all my fellow workers or bosses. Pensioned off at £20 a month. Hey ho who needs them.x
Yes you think someone would look it to see if you were ok and managing I was really ill when I went off and if it had not been for my wife working we would have been in dire straights with no money coming in just about put us in trouble with Council and British Gas and putting food on the table it was no joke but we have pulled through and feel better for it. You summed it up when you said who needs them we don't what you have not got you do without which is what we did my wife and I have three wonderful kids all married and gave us grandchildren to fuss over that is all I need I still have pain but it's manageable I look on it as a warning bell if I do to much o boy it lets me know and at night I have to wake the wife to sit me up so I can get out of bed it's a real pain I do not think I could have managed without her she is A brick always there when I need her love her and my kids to bits they are my life. You take care now and think there is always someone somewhere who is worse of than us or me thats what I think Bye Bye Colboy
Wonderful reply Colboy,so glad you appreciate your wife and family. I was working because my husband couldn't after bowel cancer so life was hard. Thankfully he's fine now after a secondary tumour.Like you we have a wonderful family and appreciate everything we have.Take care.x
Thank you Beaton I know what it's like to want and never get if it was not for my family I don't think I would be here now I live day to day in pain but they make it worth while you take care and good luck to you both and have a Merry Christmas
Has anyone looked at your sitting posture? A number of back problems are caused by not sitting properly and also having armchairs that are too low. The chair you sit on needs to be at a height which enables you to have your hips and knees flexed at a right angle (and with your feet touching the floor of course). Physios or Occupational Therapists should be able to advise you. It's also important not to cross one leg over the other when sitting.
I hope this helps.
Try some remedial pilates, for people with strokes etc, it's much gentler and focuses on exercises rather than working through the levels like regular pilates. This with strengthen your core muscles over your tummy which in turn supports and stabalises the spine from the front.
Also bracing yourself before coughing and sneezing -sit or stand straight, pull in and tense tummy muscles will help t support the spine too. Not always easy to remember in the short time before a cough or a sneeze. Though.
You need to determine how tense your muscles are. You can have very relaxed surface muscles and very tense muscles deep in the body. Tension in the muscles can have a bearing on pain, particularly id you have muscles going into cramp.
You can build up a habit whereby you over tense a muscle when you partake in activity. Once a muscle is over tensed it is very difficult to untense it. Developing new skills on using muscles when you have miss used the muscles over a number of years can be quite difficult. Alexander Technique lessons under an experienced teacher can help you become more aware of your muscle usage.
Strengthening muscles often does not work. Muscles are their strongest at their longest length. The more contracted a muscle the weaker it gets. Also the more contracted a muscle is the more the muscle cuts off its blood supply and becomes less able to remove its waste products and at the same time becomes less able to obtain nutrient from its blood supply.
I have found from experience that physiotherapists in the NHS tend to use exercise of one size fits all. This is effective for some conditions and a failure for many types of condition.
As I cannot determine how you use your muscles I cannot offer advice. An Alexander Teacher can show you by the use of their hands how you are using your muscles and enable you to move your muscles in a different and more efficient way. This requires a lot of mental work. The work required to unlearn old habits and the work required to learn new moving strategies all at the same time.
Everyone knows I'm a serious advocate of the Alexander Technique. It did and continues to do wonders for me and once learned, never forgotten.
I had to pay for it privately (a little pricey) but you may be able to get a referral from you doctor - depending on where you live.
I think I'll look into the Bowen Therapy as well - I don't know anything about it but if Forum Members have mentioned it, it's definitely worth investigating.
hi, just a suggestion...get your GP to test you for posterior sheath nerve entrapment syndrome, chances are he/she will never had heard of it. Your pain symptoms are typical of this condition and there is only one way to diagnose it. It is a much overlooked condition, the test is very quick, it involves you lying down on a bed, crossing your arms over your chest and tensing your stomach muscles, the Doc will then prod you in various places on your abdomen to see if the pain you are sensing is beneath the abdominal wall or not. it's worth a try if you haven't got a diagnosis.
I can only sympathize with your dilemma, it took me 11 years to get even a partial diagnosis. Don't give up, you are not alone. Unfortunately GP's are not experts on pain, get them to refer you on at the very least to a Pain Clinic. i found physio and Osteo useless too. Relaxation is so important with pain, have you tried any relaxation techniques yet? if so what? There will be one out there that will suit you.
i am trying reflexilogy at moment the back pain and leg is easier but now its this pain under my ribs that is worst back to docs next week just to get him to rule out stomach problems
yes i have had help with relaxation techniques , and do them when all else fails, but i am it such awuful pain all the time, but life goes on , and so do I. good luck to you and thanks for your coments
yeah, I get a lot of pain under and between my ribs, with me it's intercostal spasms, basically caused by the abdominal pain where the bodies automatic response is to curl up to protect the abdomen area, it causes so many other problems it's ridiculous. I can pull them out with stretching but it is so painful it makes me cry, but it's got to be done otherwise it's a snowball effect. Good luck at the Docs.
Hi, i am sorry you are in so much pain, but i do understand, i to have had cronic pain for 3 years plus,in my spine, bum , through my ribs like yourself, and even sore legs, i have had injections in my joints, been to physo, and nurogolist, mri scans, and still no answers, and still serching for an answer, to my pain. With 4 doctors giving up on me, so like you, just left taking Morphine, and being in cronic pain daily. but i wont give up, there must be an answer out there some where. So good luck to you, keep on pushing then doctors, i am going back next week, to push the doctors again. i truly feel for you, i know what u r going through, and good luck
i know what tou must fell like, it angers me, if they could have our pain for just one day, they would never say such a thing, keep your chin up, i know its tough, my family are my strength, heres to better days x
Hi prim, can you use your hands? if so have you tried knitting or crochet? I know it probably sounds silly but doing an achievable activity with both hands can have a really positive affect...and you get something home made at the end. It's got something to do with using both hands and what that does in the motor cortex, don't know what but it definitely works. My heart really goes out to you and your predicament.
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Sciatica 
what is causing my lower back pain, right leg pain, left leg pins and needles? 
Constant pain not bad enough for help
At a loss!
Where Do I Go Now????
