Aren't I too young for this?

[EnergizedLib]

If you're a fan of the Lethal Weapon movies, you'll know Murtaugh's catch phrase, "I'm too old for this (expletive)."

Well, I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum, at almost 32, I'm too young for this (expletive).

So, what exactly is it? An x-ray I had this week confirmed what I've known for some time about my scoliosis and curvature in my spine, but the back pain has been very intense recently, and I've had soreness/pain in my buttocks that isn't going away. It hurts to get out of bed, get out of chairs, to sit down, takes a lot of effort to get up. I'm taking different medications now and getting different relief. There's even been tingling in the back of my legs.

I was talking with a relative last night who wonders if the burnout from my job is contributing to my pain and if it's stress related.

I'm supposed to have an MRI a week from tomorrow, could be a candidate for surgery or not, but an MRI would give me more detail on what's going on than an x-ray would.

It hurts to even bend over, to crouch down, to hug a loved one or to lean over and wash my hands over a sink.

I've got a few extra pounds on me, but I'm not morbidly obese.

To paraphrase Roger Murtaugh: I'm too young for this (expletive).

[LoisB]

1. I really hope the MRI provides a definitive answer so it can be taken care of. Yes, you are too

young for that. Good health to you.

[EnergizedLib]

2. Thank you

[MOMFUDSKI]

3. MRI

is best way to see what is happening. You should be given options afterwards. Patience for now. Best wishes to you

[EnergizedLib]

4. Thank you

[WhiteTara]

5. okay, here's a bit of unsolicited advice

here's my background: I had a serious fall during my late 20s and have deteriorated ever since (50 years worth) and I have had surgeries, chiropractic care, physical therapy, all to no avail. So during an injury diagnosis for some other new fall, the dr sent me to a nearby pt clinic. There I was introduced to a technique called "dry needling." This entails a trained professional inserting acupuncture needles into trigger points in the muscle. Acupuncture works with the nerve points.

So after a 30 minute therapy session, the intense pain I had been experiencing for a few months was completely GONE!!! I was stunned and signed up for more sessions. The broken back problems have been greatly mitigated and I was feeling so great, I overdid the climbing up and down the ladder and the pain has flared up and I'm scheduled another session this week.

I wish I had known about this years ago, but it seems to be new in the pt field.

Good luck with your search for health.

[EnergizedLib]

6. Good for you

Good luck with the acupuncture, sorry you had to go through so much before your pain subsided. Hopefully it does again this time.

Thanks for the well wishes.

[WhiteTara]

8. not acupuncture which is to create balance

but dry needling to relax deep muscles to stop pain.

[EnergizedLib]

9. The needling wasn't too painful, was it?

[WhiteTara]

16. No, for the most part, I didn't even know

he had inserted the needles. There were a couple places in my back where he went through a major "trauma point" where the muscle had almost calcified (my word) But then it would almost immediately dissipate and when the treatment time ended (I think around 10-12 minutes) I felt really relaxed. Many people fall asleep, but I was feeling the energy flow and was fascinated by the feelings. For some reason, I feel connected to the ground under my feet at the end of each session.

BTW, my insurance covered it. He charges $30 for a session without insurance. Just to give you an idea of the cost/benefits.

[mopinko]

7. ya know, i've asked that for years.

i started losing bone mass in my 40’s, and my intestines started going, too.
i had a double disc fusion a few yrs later. multiple other annoying things that arent supposed to happen for 20 more yrs.
turns out to be autoimmune. my da was the same. all the same systems.

not saying this is, but sometimes our bodies pile on to the aging process.

[usonian]

10. Now that you mentioned job,

Please be aware of your posture. I remind myself constantly about my own posture, computers, piano bench ( no support at all! ) chairs and couches, and despite general wellness, I give the spine a gentle foam roll in the hallway now and then. Stress definitely contributes in a big way.

Now, these are just going to help, but not cure, but they are always worthwhile.

Hoping you get an accurate diagnosis and cure.

And take care!

[EnergizedLib]

13. Thank you

I’m on my feet a lot and can work all hours throughout the day.

[jmbar2]

11. I've had a similar experience...

I found a series of physical therapist vids online that are VERY helpful.

Bob and Brad have hundreds of videos on various topics. They are a little tongue-in-cheek, but very good. One of them has recently had to retire due to his own issues, but it's worth a look through their videos to try some of their exercises.

Good luck!

[EnergizedLib]

15. Thanks for the vid

I worry if I strained myself with some of my exercises.

[WhiteTara]

17. having a pt guide you through the exercises

is a good idea.

[appalachiablue]

12. Stress is a nasty foe and can add to pain, in my case at least. Yrs ago

I fractured a bone, it healed fine and months later imaging showed some spine changes. A couple of medical professionals made a huge deal of this and scared me a lot.

The situation never got as bad as they claimed but the worry it caused contributed to mild back pain, mostly generated by nerves I think.

This is my personal experience of course, and may be irrelevant to your situation. But stress is generally thought to be unhealthy and detrimental to effective recovery. Reducing it is often the challenge.

Anyway, I hope you receive expert info. and assistance. TC and all the best.

[EnergizedLib]

14. Thank you

I’m glad you got past your pain.

[silverweb]

18. I also have scoliosis.

Mine is lumbar scoliosis & it sounds like yours is, too. I also had intense buttock pain, especially on the left. I worked with a physical therapist for several weeks, who gave me a graduated program of core strengthening & balance work. This didn't *eliminate* the pain, but alleviated it greatly in both low back & buttocks.

He also said it's important to avoid exercises that could/would make it worse, which include twisting, bending and twisting at the same time, sit-ups of any sort, rowing machines, and any heavy lifting at all. If bending is necessary, "hinge" bend at the hips, never the back.

Now I only need occasional ibuprofen & acetaminophen together, and a rare 50-mg tramadol. The right exercises can help a LOT.

Another thing that helps me is dead hanging from a doorway pullup bar. It's instant traction and may hurt a bit at first, but then is very helpful. My physical therapist said if it helps, it's fine to do.

Scoliosis is no fun & doesn't go away, but there are ways to make it tolerable. I wish you much luck and improvement of symptoms.

[EnergizedLib]

19. Thank you very much

I feel like when after the MRI happens, I’ll have a better idea.

[silverweb]

20. You should.

I hope all goes well for you.

[twodogsbarking]

21. I wish you well. Sometimes things get better with age.

Do your best to get better. Watch out for mental crap that can drag you down more.