I have a HORRIBLE backache, and I don't know what to do.

[SmileyBoy]

I'm currently semi-bed ridden. It's very painful when I stand up. I was out filling out a job application this evening, and I was sitting down and filling it out, and all of a sudden I had this horrible, shooting pain like a laser around my lower back, and the pain shot down my left leg. The manager there probably thought I was acting real weird, but is he gonna believe me if I told him I just got a horrible pain shooting down my lower back and left leg that I never had before??

It's a little better now, but there's still a lot of soreness and aching. There's still a little aching in my left leg. I can barely leave my room for a drink of water. I'm at my wit's end. I've never had anything like this. What the HELL should I do??

[seriousstan]

1. Go to your doctor. The leg pain is the real telltale sign.

I have a similar problem. I have no real good news for you so I will just leave it at that.

Were you ever in an accident, like a rear end collision? Even years ago?

[SmileyBoy]

2. No. I was never in an accident.

It just came all of a sudden about four hours ago, and it still hurts.

[SharonAnn]

3. Sciatic nerve, pulled muscle, slipped disk, kidney stone

Lots of choices for you.

One you've had a sciatic nerve flare-up, you'll recognize that right away. I learned where the nerve goes in the leg (the exact route, etc.) from the pain.

Slipped disk could be pressing on the sciatic nerve (or not).

Kidney stones come on suddenly, very painful, usually need medical treatment, often emergency room is the way to go.

[newsguyatl]

4. hey guy

i obviously can't give you any medical advice, other than to say get to the doctor ASAP! what you're describing is never a good sign... if the pain gets any worse before monday, go to the hospital to check it out...

could be nothing, but it could be serious -- you never want to take any chances with your health...

it's obviously a sign your body's sending that something's wrong.


good luck my man!

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

6. Something from Webmd.com

http://my.webmd.com/content/pages/1/3073_190.htm

<snip>

Activity, stress or a mechanical problem in the spine can cause one of the discs to bulge and become misshapen just as a rubber tire might with pressure on it," Dr. Heary said. "When this happens, the disc may pinch or put pressure on a nerve root and the patient experiences pain. This is what frequently happens in a mild or moderate case of low back or leg pain."

Occasionally, the disc will bulge to the point where it herniates or ruptures and puts even greater pressure on the nerve root. In the lower back, the nerve roots lead to the legs and irritation may cause not only back pain, but also pain that radiates down one or both of the legs. There also can be muscle weakness, numbness or changes in the reflexes in the legs if a nerve root in the lumbar spine is irritated.

"It?s common to develop a back sprain like a sprain in the ankle," explained Stewart Dunsker, MD, President Elect of AANS and a neurosurgeon practicing in Ohio. "Even mild episodes of low back pain usually involve some sort of irritation of the nerves in the spine. The key to that initial treatment is to relieve the nerve irritation."

<snip>

Does this sound like it? I hope you're feeling better soon. If you go to the doctor/ER tonight, be careful (don't know if you're experiencing the bad weather like a lot of us are here).

[SmileyBoy]

7. I was talking with my father, and he was suggesting a pinched nerve.

It might be a pinched nerve. That's what I'm leaning towards.

I'm seeing a doctor tomorrow morning.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

8. Feel better soon, sweetie. :)

[ArcRabbit]

5. I hate to tell you this

But I had the exact same thing several years ago. I was sitting down (umm, in the restroom) and I had a sharp pain in my lower back and shooting pain down my leg. I was bed ridden for months before I could barely walk. The pain was almost unbearable. I could not work, the pain shooting down my leg went on for a while.

I finally went to the doctor and they said I had a slipped disk. I can't tell you how you are. But I'll tell you what they told me, they said that I honestly would never be the same and that sometimes these things just happen. I still hurt quite badly to this day. They did say however there is a sure fire way to fix this for good. Back Surgery.. (which I couldn't have because I'm poor) Where they take a disk out and/or replace it with a plastic one.

But I am overweight so that may have a lot to do with it. But I URGE you to please please go see a doctor. Especially with the pain shooting down your leg. That's a nerve that is being pinched and that could mean big problems.

[biscotti]

9. Get it checked out

and include a blood test. Out of the blue I got an infection that turned into osteomyelitis. Had to have a heart valve replacement and now have 12 screws and 2 c clap things in my back. Never sick before in my life. It came on very quickly. Spent 4 months in the hos[ital. Not fun.

[bobbieinok]

10. happened to me a year ago last fall

walked out to car Sat afternoon, and WHAM intense lower back and left leg pain

considered ER that eve, brother took me to doctor the next day, and I got some pain pills....didn't help....got different pain pills and no help....got walker (doctor afraid I would fall because I was totally bent over, could not straighten up)....got Xrays, in great pain....after ca 2 weeks got MRI.....specialist said it was a slipped disk; new pain medication....in one day pain essentially gone....NOTHING had been done

primary care physician 'justified the delay in doing MRI' because 'quite frequently there will be intense pain, and then it will go away'

since then, have a little pain when really tired

primary pain problem now is from rheumatoid arthritis, which came on a year earlier

the pain was incredible...I had never had anything like it before

[elfin]

11. See an orthopod

I had a similar thing many years ago where I literallycouldn't walk, the sciatica was so bad. Degenerating disk(s) which thankfully responded to anti-inflammatory, and mild stretching exercises followed by more stronger exercises as I got stronger. The meds made my stomache act up, but by then I could switch to Ibuprofen.

Now don't need anything but vigilance to avoid situations that could trigger another episode. At the first twinge, I load up on Ibuprofen and religiously do the exercises.

A handy hint for all sufferers - get an inflatable camping pillow (I get mine from Campmor) and fill it just a little bit. It squishes perfectly to fit your back. The best $5 you will ever spend. I had a neighbor who had broken his back and was having a terribly painful recovery. Gave him one and the registered nurse called me to ask where she could get some more because she had never seen anything work so well.

[Floogeldy]

12. My back gets stronger when I do some mild and small leg lifts

But don't do this if it causes you any pain.

Whatever my back condition is, it seems that leg lifts counteract it.

But, again, you should alone determine if this is best for you, and see a doctor.

[shesemsmom]

13. I would not hessate to see the doctor. Could be back related, could be

kidney related. A kidney infection or stone can make you sick fast.
Let us know

[BrklynLiberal]

14. Sounds like you did something to your sciatic nerve.

Were you shoveling snow or lifting heavy stuff or twisting or turning in a funny position recently? Even a funny sneeze that you tried to hold in.
Orthpedic dr or Chiropractor
Do not procrastinate.

[SmileyBoy]

15. Nope.

Just the normal routine.

[biscotti]

16. My back pain came out of no where

Extreme pain. Evidently everyone carries staph in their body and very seldom it cranks up into a full blown infection that attaches itself to various parts of the body. Mine was heart and spine. The pain was incredible. Went through a week of x-rays, bone scans, mri, etc. Finally they did a blood test when I was about to be extinct with an aorta being eaten up much less bone in my back. They had me on morphine and methadone and 4 Advil every 4 hours. Nothing stopped the pain. A blood test would eliminate that worry of an obscure infection.

[hickman1937]

19. Geez, are you alright?

:wtf:

[Narraback]

20. Ice and anti inflamatory pain meds (advile or ibupropen)

and bed rest.

I have the same had the surgury and the got a bulging disk again. Ice it and rest in firm to hard bed. See the MD. They can tell which disk by the pain track.

All the best.

[SW FL Dem]

17. Sounds like Sciatica to me

a shooting pain down your leg is the telltale sign. Take a hot shower, a couple of advil and if it doesn't get better in a day or two see your doctor.

[Nikia]

18. Dr. wasn't very helpful when it happened to me

He said that he believed that the cause of my problems was in the muscle. He then prescribed Naproxen (Aleve)and told me to take it regularly for a while and to rest one day. I still get mysterious back pain sometimes but rarely as bad as when I went to the doctor. I would say that it occurred for no reason, but I don't have the best posture at the computer, I walk around on concrete all day at work, and I am frequently stressed out. My father and his siblings also all have back pain so it might be genetic.

[welshTerrier2]

21. another vote for sciatica ...

these are classic sciatica symptoms ...

a comfortable position might be lying on your back with your knees slightly bent and a couple of pillows under your calf muscles ...

another good position is lying on your side with a pillow between your knees ...

both of these positions take some of the strain off your lower back ...

anti-inflammatory drugs (aleve, advil) are probably worth a try ...

you should definitely see a doctor but they probably won't do a whole lot for you beyond giving you stronger drugs ... they might send you for an MRI to try to diagnose possible disc problems ...

sometimes this goes away in a few hours and sometimes not ... i knew a very fit distance runner who had these symptoms for over a year ...

hope this helps ... do some internet research on sciatica ... good luck ...