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Exactly what @ObiWomKenobi said. Get MRI and then a proper diagnosis.
Any Physio, chiropractor , osteopath who tries to diagnose without an MRI is just guessing.
Two people with similar symptoms may require very different treatment so please get your own treatment and not assume what worked for someone else will be correct for you.
When I got sciatica it felt like tightness in my hamstrings so I stretched more and this antagonised it badly. One Physio also gave me stretches for the nerve which made things worse. I was studying anatomy and physiology as part of becoming a yoga instructor at the time the lecturer was an osteopath and I asked him for advice. He said outright he wouldn't offer any advice without an MRI and that anyone who gave advice without was just guessing. So I saw my GP got an MRI referral and was told I'd have to wait for 6 weeks for the NHS. I was in such agony I paid for a private MRI and private Physio until NHS Physio started.
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dancing james
M_V
I'd never had any back issues until the last 9 months or so so not sure how serious my condition is. Also not sure if the issues I've been having are linked...
About 9 months ago I flipped off the back of a trials bike, I went from standing up on the pedals with the bike upright on the rear wheel to flat on my back on hard concrete. As far as I can remember the whole of my back hurt like fuck, I attended a&e later that night as I could barely move but was told it was just muscle injury and given co-codamol and ibuprofen. Cleared up within a couple of days.
At the end of August I lifted a heavy dinner set out of my car at an awkward angle and hurt my lower back, took a day or two to come on proper bad but was painful to the point I could barely move again, definitely couldn't bend enough to put my socks on etc. Hit the co-codamol and ibuprofen again and it sorted itself in maybe 3 or 4 days or so. Actually seemed to improve slowly at first then I was lifting some wood out of a van and that seemed to fix it somehow.
Now I'm in the midst of another bout of pain. Can't pinpoint anything in particular as a cause this time and it's slightly different in that it's lower back again but definitely concentrated on the left side and extending down into my left buttock/leg. It started off a tight feeling in there when bending over, then was out on my bike and could feel it tight depending how I sat and when I stopped and put my (left) foot down at lights etc. Got really sore during the night after that ride and next day it was kinda spasm-ing, I'd get a stab of pain and feel like I might collapse when walking. I've hit the co-codamol and ibuprofen again and been able to live through it alright, but that bike ride was a week ago so it's definitely lasting a bit longer this time.
I haven't taken anything for it today and that bottom left back, left buttock and leg are feeling really tight and painful again. Tried foam rollering the area and that only gave me very short term relief.
Doubt it's serious enough to warrant a visit to the doc and given the time of year I'd probably be waiting a couple weeks for an appointment anyway. My old man has suggested I self refer to the nhs physio as it's something he's in the middle of for knee issues.
I'm hoping its just muscular and I've not damaged anything flipping off that trials bike. I'm guessing I'd have landed sort of on my upper back/shoulders when I did that though and this is definitely lower back, could the two still be related?