Dear Alice,
I have been having a bad lower back pain since the start of summer. It's been getting worse, and now its REALLY bad because it starts hurting when I sit for more than 1-30 minutes (depends on the chair). At the beginning of the summer I noticed that my lower back starting feeling stiff. At the present moment, the pain has shifted to the area above the right buttock. A recent change is that when my back hurts, my right ankle usually bothers me as well. I have been to a specialist, and have been to physical therapy, and it has not helped. X-rays have shown to be negative, and so far there has been no sign of a nerve impingement. But this pain is driving me nuts! I look to you as a last hope. Please help!
Thanks,
Signed,
Aching Back
Dear Aching Back,
Alice can't diagnose your problem over the computer, as Alice has told others before you. But, a doctor Alice consulted with suggested that X-rays are not always correct and you might want to go to Health Services, or back to your specialist, and have a re-examination.
Back problems are often a sign of stress. You might also want to work on ways to reduce the tension in your life, as well as making yourself more physically comfortable. Definitely change your regular chair, carry comfortable cushions for long car or train rides, take baths, and work on your posture. Try small amounts of aspirin, and check out Arnica in a health food store. Arnica is an herb known to be a muscle relaxant. None of these will cure the problem, but might help to make you more comfortable until you find the real cause.
Hope you feel better soon!
- Alice
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Lower back pain?
