Chronic lower back pain & Radiculopathy 21 yrs old

You should be seeing specialists, not a GP, in my opinion.

I have to see the GP before hand and they evaluate weather or not you see a specialist or not as you need a referral

I dont know where you live, and some insurance does require a referral. If you asked your GP for a referral to an orthopedic doctor, wouldn't they agree? Your GP maybe can order an xray to check your back. An Orthpod can order an MRI, but certain back issues will heal in time without treatment. But if you have pain, there are meds that can help.

Im 71 yr old man and because of injuries in the army I have had ACDF 5/6 in neck which is replacing a disc and fusing of vertebrae and had L5/6 herniate and caused all kinds of problems.

I won’t go into all my problems because all I wanted to do was reply what I have tried which is just about every med there is along with physical therapy, injections and acupuncture. I was on norco for 30 years which just took the edge off of pain so I could get out of bed.

Because of the push to stop opioids my VA pain doctors finally put me on Buprenorphine 10mcg patch which relieved about 80% of my pain especially the feeling in my feet like I was walking on sharp rocks all the time. It took my pain level from 6/7 on norco to a livable 4/5 and they also added Celebrex which did wonders for my neck and my hands.

Buprenorphine is technically an opioid but has major differences so you should research it. Because of chronic excruciating pain it helps - at least in my case. Everyone is different though.

Sorry to hear you are going through this, especially at such a young age. I had steroid injections several times... and they may have helped 50% of the pain.... but that only lasted (for ME) a couple of weeks. Has any doctor mentioned doing an ablation on some of the nerves causing most of your pain?? Those don't work for everyone, either.... but it seems that might stand a better chance than just the injections. And I agree with others who have suggested more testing.... especially by a rheumatologist if your family has a history of autoimmune disorders.
I wish you the best and hope you find something that helps! Mike

Your GP PCP can order a MRI, but will count on the radiologist to tell them what it means. The orthopedic doc will want you to get it before the agree to see you, and it should be included in the referral.

I believe this answer from @bajjerfan should be directed to the original poster. Does not apply to me at all. Even an orthopedic doc will get a radiologists interpretation of an MRI.

Understood, but it was intened to be a general response even tho YOU are the one who mentioned a GP. Nothing the OP said would merit a response such as mine and IMO it would seem out of place. Since the OP started this thread I expect that he monitors it and reads all responses. Needing a referral should be basic knowledge for just about everyone.

If minimally invasive surgery is an option for you jump on it. This type of procedure can remove the compressing disc material from your nerves therefore decreasing or ceasing your pain. Your weight is normal for a women your height. Are you athletic or do you exercise? Do you have large joint issues? I hope your autoimmune testing is telling for you.

Hi Ella!
Thank you for sharing your experience. I have a very similar story, actually! I started having chronic back pain around 17. I began getting radio frequency ablations at 18. Still, no one could tell me why I had degenerative disk disease, osteoarthritis, ankilosingspondylolithesis, bone spurs, or any of the other dozen things wrong with my spine. I was previously diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease: Behcet's Disease. My doctors and I assumed that my daily joint pain and back pain, as well as "growing pains," were all due to the autoimmune disease. I continued having worse and worse back pain until I finally gave up and went to see a neurosurgeon about surgical options, but still did not know WHY my spine was so degenerated. The neurosurgeon was the one who diagnosed me with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: Type 3-Hypermobility. It explained why, at that point, my lumbar spine had basically collapsed: my connective tissues were unable to hold my spine and all its parts together, causing me excruciating pain, dysfunction, and deterioration. I, too, was a very "flexible", sporty kid who loved dance and gymnastics, and could do cool tricks with my extremities that I always brushed off as just being evidence of being "double-jointed". Soon, other medical symptoms beyond the spine started coming together, and I tested negative for all the different types of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and every other genetic connective tissue disorder available. I have had to undergo two multi-level spinal fusions so far (lumbar: L3-S1 and Cervical and thoracic: C4-T-3) and kyphoplasty, for which I accidentally fractured my L-1 vertebrae following a fall at home due to my POTS. All of my surgeries have been great successes, and I know how lucky I am to be able to say that, especially with my spinal surgeries, because there are so many factors involved; from preparing for the surgery/getting strong enough to withstand the trauma, getting through the surgery, getting through the recovery, and committing to the intense physical therapy and ultimately returning to "everyday" life. I have had to have both of my shoulders operated on because they were dislocated approximately 10-15 times a day. I also grew up constantly spraining my ankles- five times on the right and six on the left. I have also suffered from terrible gastrointestinal complications my entire life, and all of those aspects of EDS made perfect sense for me, as well. I am in no way diagnosing you or giving you medical advice; however, I was a patient at the National Institutes of Health and part of two clinical trials for my Behcet's Disease. While I was there strictly for diagnosing my Behcet's Disease, none of the doctors put together the signs and symptoms that I know now were giant, fluorescent, blinking signs for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. The best doctors in the world, with the most research available to them, missed my diagnosis because they were distracted by the more obvious diagnosis. I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes you need to listen to yourself, listen to your body, and advocate for yourself. Do not be afraid to ask your doctor questions and speak up for yourself! Remember: although some doctors may have studied your illness or disease during medical school, you have been living with your symptoms day in and day out, so you know yourself better than any doctor. Trust yourself and trust your body. I hope this helps! You can reach out to me at any time on this platform or via any other means. I'm brand new to this website and this online database-sort of thing, so I'm sorry if I'm doing it all wrong.