I have SEVERE lower back pain...NEED HELP!?

I am only 15 years old and i have severe lower back pain. If you think i might be exaggerating im not. I have been through very painful things such as tearing my acl (twice) broke my right wrist (3 times) among many other things. I have gotten MRI's and X-rays and they still do not know whats wrong. They suggested physical therapy but that has not been helping. They said i might have a minor case of Scheuermann's kyphosis which i highly doubt because i have looked into it and i do not have any symptoms. My lower back pain is on both the left and right side of my lower back but not on my spine. I also have neck pains if that could be related to it. This has been happening for a little more than 3 years now. PLEASE IF YOU HAVE ANY CURE TO EITHER TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY STOP PAIN PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME! (my parents are willing to try anything to stop having to watch me being in agony that means acupuncture, chiropractor's, massages ANYTHING)

First , severe back pain in 15 year olds is not a common thing. The primary reason for back pain in someone your age is posture, but it is only painful during the posture and never severe....You've had some good imagine studies, but what about blood work? Medical conditions such as JRA and other pathological conditions should be ruled out first. If you have not had this done, it might be time to look into it.

Second, what type of physical therapy have you had? If you haven't done so already, I suggest you see a PT who is trained in mechanical diagnosis and therapy. You can find one at: http://www.mckenziemdt.org. This approach is one that will help to classify your pain and initiat the right treatment approach (if applicable), or will quickly screen you to determine if PT is appropriate/if the pain is mechanical.

Remember, there are a lot of approaches to PT...just like medicine. So many people go to different doctors for different opinions, but no one ever tries a different PT if they had a bad experience the first time around....If you haven't had this approach, I highly suggest it.

Good luck

Mine is mostly related to the muscles around the spine spasming, for one reason or another. What helps is lying on my back, with my spine from my hip bone area up through the neck flat on the surface. I then pull my legs into my chest, thus lifting the pelvis a few inches off the surface that I'm lying on. this helps to stretch the spaces between the vertebrae, which is linked to the muscles spasming.

What also helps is placing a heating pad between my back and a chair or bed.

Relexology (related to acupuncture) has helped reduce the pain. You'll want to explore the bottom of your foot, particularly the area that is the highest point of your arch. Press in gently. You should search for something that feels like a solid ball beneath the skin. When you are able to find this, press into it more firmly. Pressing into it will hurt but, after a few minutes, will hopefully releive some pressure in your back. Always do this in pairs; i.e., do this to the other foot as well.

Oh my dear, you have my sympathy and my prayers. I too have spent most of my life in pain. I have been through a great deal of x-rays, MRI's CT scans, bone scans etc.

I wish so very much I could tell you definitely what is wrong with you, but of course, I cannot.

What I can suggest is that you go to a Pain Clinic at a major teaching hospital. I went to Emory University in Atlanta, GA and was seen by Dr. Byas-Smith. He was wonderful to me. Sadly I had to go on strong narcotics. I pray this is never the case with you, but, if it is sometime in the future (or now) don't feel as though you are doing anything wrong. I fought with the feelings that I was not strong enough and that people looked down on me for my meds. Don't fall into that trap because it just is not true. After a few months he released me to a Pain Specialist in my Area so I would'nt have to ride all that way. (Riding really hurts me).

All my problems are congenital. I have Klipple-Fiel Anomaly (deformity of the neck), a C curve in my middle back, and two degenerated discs in my lower back. I also have degenerative polyneuropathy and chronic pyelonephritis. I also had a Meckels Diverticulum that wrapped around my uterus, fallopion tubes, ovaries, bladder etc. Even though I spent the first 16 years of my life with devastating stomach aches the doctor just told my parents I was lazy and didn't want to go to school. I almost died, in fact, I did go into Cardiac Arrest on the operating table. The only reason I have told you these things is to let you know you are not alone. I am doing well now. Please believe me when I tell you I am not trying to one-up you on who has or is hurting the most. Only the person in pain can know how bad it is and I believe strongly that my pain is no worse than anyone else's that has Chronic Pain or even some short term pain. I also know from your question that you are truly in pain and are "on the level"

I wish I had a better answer for you than a Pain Clinic but I just don't. As I look for and hopefully discover better pain relief I will certainly try to let you know if you like. Please also tell your parents thank you from me for believing their child.

One thing very important to me - If you need someone to talk to someone who understands how pain can devastate your life, and how hard it is to just get through an hour sometimes - please email me at fatmamais50@yahoo.com. I will always try to be there for you.

I wish God's blessings on you my dear.
with much sympathy and understanding
fishergirl

The doctor of Chiropractic is well equipped to diagnose and treat this type of condition. Has been done successfully even on me..I had a neck problem when I was about your age (football injury) and had only one visit to get rid of it.. Five years later low back problem showed. There is a direct connection between the 2 problems. Correcting one does not eliminate the problem. Both areas have to be considered and treated.