I have no clue what’s going on. (Right lower back/hip pain)

Posted by sltesterl2 @sltesterl2, Sep 9, 2018

Around May of last year, I’ve been having this pain that’s around my lower back/hip on my right side. It starts off as a dull ache and becomes stronger if I sit or lay down for too long.

I noticed it when I used an ab roller at the gym and I noticed that I may have put too much strain on my lower back. A few days later that’s when the pain began.

I’ve gone to three doctors already. I’ve had x-rays, and MRI, had massages, acupuncture, physical therapy TWICE, and still no one knows what it is. The MRI and x-ray shows no sign of my spine being out of whack and no muscle tearing.

It’s really starting to Affect my sleep. I’m typing this message at 2 AM because the pain won’t let me fall asleep. I can feel around where the pain is, but I can’t find it directly.

Please if anyone knows or has an idea please tell me. I’m tired of waking up in the middle of night and taking naps in the day to make up for lost sleep and messing my sleep schedule even more.

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bernese53 | @bernese53 | Sep 9, 2018

I don’t know how close you live to a Mayo Clinic location but if this pain persists, you should consider going to the Mayo Clinic. You do not need a doctor’s referral; you can self-refer. Best of luck to you.

Martin Jensen, Volunteer Mentor | @predictable | Sep 9, 2018

Hi @sitesterl2. Welcome to Mayo Connect. I hope you find us helpful by telling you about our own experiences with problems like yours. I had similar pain in my lower back and around my pelvis three years ago, but no more! Physicians and surgeons and physical therapists and radiologists all tried to help me, but fell short. The pains persisted until the following breakthroughs:

First, a physician treating pain asked whether a physical therapist had targeted my Piriformis muscle which connects the pelvis to the top of the thigh bone, running behind the buttock muscles. Once I got help with special stretching exercises, that part of my problem resolved within three weeks.

However, I still had a residual pain in a slightly different place near the bottom of my spine. My personal care physician, an Internist, asked whether any doctors had suggested inflammation in my Sacroiliac joint or joints, and that was news to me. The SI joints (on each side of the spine where it connects with the pelvis) sometimes get inflamed and painful, but it's very difficult to pick that out as one of a half dozen causes of lower back pain. My doctor said research shows that Sacroiliac inflammation is most often diagnosed by injecting anti-inflammatory medication directly into the problem joint. We did that, and it ended my suffering within a few days.

Have you discussed either of these possible causes with your medical team? If so, do you think it's worth a try to see whether you could get some relief?