pain in lower back near my spine

I’m sorry to hear about your struggles. I have had a similar experience with my foot. My podiatrist said “just go live your life” even though the pain is quite extreme since breaking it about 9 months ago (healed in July). PT seems to cause more pain and irritation. As a result, I do my best and do some of the less stressful PT exercises that I was taught. Unfortunately due to some lung issues, I haven’t been able to use a therapy pool to exercise but I am going to keep asking my pulmonologist in hope she will change his mind as I have been stable in this area. Good luck and take care on your journey. I hear people are finding some good results with CBD, but I don’t know anything about it myself.

@happyat76 , I had sciatica which was pain on the right side of my spine and burning pain down my right leg. Very painful. Has your doctor considered that? Good luck.

@happyat76 Have you tried just ice on it I had sciatica and putting ice on it for 15 minutes, wait 10 then heat on it helped me Sciatica yes is very painful

@happyat76 : your pain sounds a lot like Sciatica, or at least something very close to it. I second PT and daily exercises. Results will not be immediate, but over time you should be able to improve things quite a bit. I’ve been doing some fairly easy and gentle specific back exercises DAILY!, that’s the important thing, for roughly 5 years. Takes about 7 minutes every morning. 90% improvement, mostly pain free. Please have a therapist show you what to do, within your limitations. Good luck. For immediate, short term pain relief you may want to try ice/heat, rubs like Icy hot, or an occasional pain reliever. Possibly ginger/turmeric tea, although that did nothing for me. I did have 2 guided cortisone injections years ago near my spine, but that was just a stop-gap measure until the benefits of the exercises kicked in (and before I learned that cortisone injections are inherently are not a good idea).

@happyat76: I'm so sorry to hear about your pain. We are pretty much the same age, and I was suffering from that same pain many, many years ago. Finally, a spine doctor (not my regular physician), diagnosed that pain as spinal stenosis at L-4 and L-3. The pain you describe was the same as I was experiencing and he ordered an MRI. I have had some epidurals over the years and they have helped immensely. I understand that your can't have an unlimited number of these and my spine doctor is careful about that. L-4 stenosis causes the pain you describe, L-3 caused pain down the front of my leg and especially bad pain in my knee. I still have the condition and I am hoping to avoid surgery! P.T. does help, and walking or exercising at a gym (with suggestions of activities by your P.T.) I hope you find relief soon.

@happyat76 As others have mentioned, my first thought was sciatica also. I had a terrible problem with sciatica this past summer but it did go away. It was extremely painful.

@sparklegram Spinal stenosis is also an interesting thought. My brother-in-law had that and he did have surgery for it. The surgery was immensely successful and he's great now. He too was apprehensive about surgery but he researched and found a great doctor and has been very happy with the results.
JK

@happyat76 I have had pain similar to yours where on one side of my lower back, it hurts and it causes fatigue when walking. I work with a physical therapist, and what happens to me that causes this is a misalignment in my pelvis and/or sacrum, and realigning it cures that pain. The pelvis is made of 3 bones and can twist and shift. When it is out of alignment, one leg may seem shorter, or may be pointing differently if you lay on your back. There can be an upslip, where one side is moved upward or an inflair where the illium (our "hip bone) could be rotated inward. Muscles that connect the lower spine to the pelvis can become too tight and pull the pelvis out of position.

Physical therapy helps me maintain normal pelvic alignment as does building core strength. Waking and hiking with some hills helps and also riding my horse at a walk as long as I do that with good posture because it exercises all the muscles up and down my spine and strengthens them. This problem causes sciatic pain and can mimic a spine problem, but physical therapy can cure it. If there is also a spine problem in the lower back, having a pelvic misalignment will just add to the pressure on the spine. It's important to retrain any postural bad habits that are contributing to the problem. My physical therapist also doe myofascial release which stretches the fascia that is too tight that pulls the body out of alignment. There is a lot of information about MFR therapy in our Connect discussion here at https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/

Here is a technical link that explains the issues written by a physical therapist for physical therapists.

Lumbar plexus Compression https://trainingandrehabilitation.com/identify-treat-lumbar-plexus-compression-syndrome-lpcs/

it sounds like my "twisted sacroiliac". i still don't quite know what it means, and i thought it was a peculiar remark from a kidney surgeon at mayos so i ignored it. a couple of years later i went to my family doctor and he made me go to his chiropractor, even though i didn't believe in it. the chiropractor also said twisted sacroiliac and in one treatment cured it, but only for 2 hours. i have been seeing him weekly, and it seems to be pretty much cured