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Thanks Jonny, I've been seeing a chiropractor who has helped with my posture somewhat but he too is fairly baffled as to why I'm still experiencing the inflammation.
I've just come back from the GP who categorically said "no, you don't have any 'red flag' symptoms" when I asked for a scan, despite telling them I'm getting pain in my legs from it, insane. She did however agree that blood tests would be a good idea, and that if I wanted a scan I now had to ask the physio to refer me to the rheumatoid dept at the hospital.
I've tried changing beds, and actually slept on a yoga mat on the floor when it's been bad, but that's not helped either
@dancing james How much was your scan? I have some very basic private healthcare package that covers me, but usually only if the NHS have already referred me. Not sure they'd offer it free, but certainly might be able to get a reduced cost once Ive talked to the physio again
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TooTallTim
@Jonny69
Tim, I'll comment on stretching if it's ok, in case it's any help.
Background is I've been going through hell for the last 5-6 years since I injured myself lifting something awkwardly. Took 2 years jumping through hoops on the NHS to get an MRI scan to confirm what was up, which was a herniated disc on L5. They then referred me to an NHS physio who was no help. They set me some generic floor exercises which were no help at all. Throughout all that time, not one person had ever touched my back and I gave up because I'd wasted enough time. I suffered it out by myself for a couple of years with painkillers until it became too unbearable recently and so I paid to see an osteopath.
This has helped. He looked at my posture and the shape of my back, watched me walk around in bare feet, watched me bend down to touch my toes starting the top of the spine and rolling down etc etc. His approach was that the damage is done and it's not going to go away, but he could provide relief by working more flexibility and movement into the other parts of my back and straightening me up - which I couldn't do. So while the damage is at the bottom of the spine, he worked on making the mid and top more bendy so that it would do more of the work and stop the lower back from having to work as hard. I do a morning stretch on my mid/upper back and neck which maintains the flexibility and strength and allows me to stand up straight, which I wasn't previously able to do. It wasn't instant relief, I've done this over a 3 month period, but it's a LOT better than it was and I'm not taking anywhere near as many painkillers. I really seriously recommend seeing an osteo.
You're right about the cycling - it's what kept mine bearable for a very long time. But as soon as I injured my knee and couldn't run or ride, my spine came back to haunt me bigtime and it was REALLY bad. An osteo will get it good enough that you can then work on it yourself and keep it maintained. After a while you just need to go back and see them from time to time as maintenance.
Another thing that has helped me is changing beds. Don't underestimate this! My old bed was soft, I sank into it and it was making me wake up with killer back ache in the morning which just got worse during the day. I changed it for a really hard bed and now I don't wake up with much or any back ache.