How do i deal with lower back pain when docs say nothing wrong any docs have opinion?

M R I says
L3 - 4 thereis very mild ,early degenerative disc disease there is mild bulging at this level .this no canal or nerve root compromise.

L4-5 there is a small ventral epidural impression at the disc space level. a small disc herniation,protrusion is seen. there is no singificant spinal canal stenosis.

L5-S1 there is a left sided disc herniation protrusion.there is contact of the s1nerve root

good luck and dont go by one mri it took 5 for them to see my degenerative disc disease and ive had 4 sets of braces and eight screews and still have pain you can e mail me if you want to at edwardrmartin@yahoo.com

That looks like a recipe for back trouble to me.

Use a heating pad and start doing exercises to strengthen your back muscles. And you might want to see a chiropractor to see what can be done to help otherwise.

Good luck!

Basically, you do not have ENOUGH wrong to necessitate surgical intervention at this point. So, what the docs are telling you is true. However, you can take measures yourself to minimize your discomfort. Things such as range-of-motion exercises (ROM), stretching, heat, ice, over-the-counter or prescription anti-inflammatories may even be beneficial. Try massage or yoga. Anything that you can do to keep your back strong and healthy for as long as possible is worthwhile. Surgery is not necesarily the answer in all circumstances. Check out the 'net for some ROM exercises and stretching for lower back problems.

I know how this sounds but...

There is a guy called Dr. John Sarno. - H. Stern said he cured him of back pain, and I saw a 20/20 segment on him. He says that back pain is often pain deflected when we do not want to handle things that are bothering us.

I was having chronic pain for a while and I followed his suggestions ans it did relieve the pain.

It sounds very hokey but it really did work.

When in pain you say to yourself, I can handle the situation I would rather deal with it than feel this pain in my back. I will face what is bothering me..or something like that, it was a long time ago. I know it sounds crazy but it really did work. If I were you and in allot of pain I would check more into it and give it a shot, it can't hurt... sorry no pun intended.
Good Luck.

But I must also mention that I read a story of a woman who went to 10 different doctors for back pain before she got the right diagnosis.

Seems time to see a chiropractor.

WOW.. it that my MRI
I have the same diagnosis
I went through a series of nerve blocks, ice then heat therapy, 8 weeks of Physical Therapy 3 x a week Jan->Feb 2005

I now take core exercises 2 x a week started over 28 weeks ago

Strong Abdominal muscles mean a strong back


I now feel no pain
Good Luck

Well if you have the results search for a Chiropractor. They are bad, not all of them have to crack your bones. Also go see a neurosurgeon. Find a new doctor even if you have to go out of town or out of state. There are some great clincis out there like the Mayo Clinic, The Marshfield Clinic, and others all acrosss the us.
Contact the American Medical Association, online and use there referral service. also try the Mayo Clinic online at www.mayoclinic.org

What you have just listed sounds like a lot wrong. I too have ruptured, and degenerative, (backwards - I forgot the tech name) discs. Disc pain is awful because they are so close to the spinal nerves. Unfortunately, pain medications can only make things worse. They may minimize the pain for a time, but then you tend to over work the muscles...pain tells you when to stop, so you won't do more damage. The best remedies, for home are warm baths, heating pads (alternate with ice 20min on 20min off.) Also you can buy a percussion massager (different than a vibrating massager) these are the professional kind, they are at walmart and walgreens around 30 dollars. But if you want to get a good recovery, you need to see both a chiropractor and a massage therapist. The chiropractor can make sure you are in alignment so the degeneration process will slow down, and the massage therapist helps keep the muscles loose and in place, and can actually decrease swelling in the area so the nerve will not be pinched...also helps with sciatic trouble. Good Luck and don't lift anything heavy! :) Best wishes and I hope you find relief soon! Back pain is THE WORST!

see another doctor! The guy who told you 'there's nothing wrong' after THIS MRI shouldn't even be in practice!
If you DO use a heating pad, do not use a dry one, and do not use it for over 10 minutes. Moist heat for no longer than 10- minutes is ok.
See if you can find a good Yoga video and do stretching exercises to help yourself. I would go see a Chiropractor, definitely.
I'm not a doctor, but I've had back problems also. Yoga has done wonders for me. It's cheap (buy the video once and do it at home) and easy to do.
Also watch your nutrition. Make sure you get all your vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. Remember that the body rebuilds itself constantly. It needs good materials to build with, otherwise it can't build good cells.