Lower back and neck pain

Have u had any imaging or seen any specialists?

Not a doc, but there can be many causes- a good doc can carefully rule out some with good testing/exams to be sure they don’t miss anything serious that requires immediate attention… my situation is mostly muscle along with aging spine…my osteopath/MD and PT really help, with myofascial release,cranial-sacral manipulation, stretches, focused exercise when tolerated, and walking… muscles can contract without activity and cause nasty pain, limiting one’s life…my back likes a touch of heat when hurting (I also use an arnica type cream)…the neck was tested and I have occipital neuropathy, treated with simple exercises and very low dose amitriptyline….a lot of emotional stress goes right to my back and head/neck—that’s an area most docs ignore…No cure happening here, but pain is more manageable…this post is just to alert people to the possibility of muscle issues—though I do realize many here are dealing with more serious spinal problems.

What is ME/CFS and ASD?

@lobrien88 Yes, that sounds exactly like me at your age! I am now almost 69. I suggest you find a good orthopedic surgeon. You will need a prince (or princess) charming (orthopedic surgeon )as your process unfolds. I also suggest you will need to keep your body strong over the next 30 years and you will need to get used to going to the doctors and being put on the hamster wheel of rehab and physical therapy. Yes, I was just like you I started with period pain when I was 18 and that turned into low back pain when I was 38. I had a lot of outpatient procedures radio frequency ablation, I was on low-dose Percocet by the time I was 43 and I’ve had many joint replacements over the last 25 years. I have led an amazingly great life and that’s what you can do too. You’re going to have to be your own doctor. I can say that with a 100% confidence for the IBS I adopted the FODMAP diet and that worked wonders. I found substitutes for everything and I eat a very wide diet. I’m a true foodie. Getting rid of lactose and gluten stopped my cavities and gum bleeding at my first check up. I take XIFAXIN a targeted antibiotic for periodic SIBO I ended up with arthritis, degenerative disc disease, gout, and insulin resistance. I know all these things sound terrible but they don’t happen all at once they happened over 50 years. I just know where you’re going in your aging process. I always tell people it’s my Jewish genetics because everybody intermarried so much. You don’t happen to be Jewish do you?! lol.
I love MFR therapy as well as the poster above I go twice a month. I used all the other methodologies as well like acupuncture, yoga, and retraining, my body. Heat is my friend. I have a little indoor sauna and a heating pad I travel with! Keep your body as strong as you can. That’s the best medicine. Pilates helped my lumbar back the best. It was never going to overcome my degenerative disc disease which compressed my lower spine and resulted in eventual spine surgery. That’s why I say have a good orthopedic surgeon long before you need them!

@laura1970 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

@laura1970 Not had any imaging or seen specialists yet, only blood tests, GPs and physiotherapists.

@lobrien88 hmmm i would think it is time for a specialist, perhaps a rheumatologist or see who your GP recommends. I would hold off on surgeons until you have more information

Not sure if this would work for you but I found, when I battled with lower back pain, that deep water running was a real reliever of pain that often lasted days. I think the weightless environment takes all weight off the joints for a freedom of movement that isn’t possible when you’re on solid ground. The lasting pain relief comes from muscles engaging (that don’t usually get use).
While in the weightlessness of deep water you wear a floatation belt for some stability. But the body has lost the stabilizer of ground contact. This starts up all those core muscles that try to balance you in the water. As you do a running motion, the movement challenges the stability and further works all those core muscles, again, that don’t usually get worked while on land.
The result after you get out is a slightly more stable body. Now that those new muscles are awakened.
The neck might find some help with traction. And even the back might be helped as well. First ask your dr if an inversion table might do some good. If he doesn’t see any reason not to, then I’d give it a try. They aren’t expensive on fb market place. I’ve used on for years. First for sciatica and more recently for a neck issue similar to sciatica but in the neck causing arm itching and pain.
If you do get one you can reach out to me and I will run through how to use it.

Well...I had the same back pain for a very long time. I thought it might be a UTI or bladder infection so I saw primary care for antibiotics. When 2 rounds didn't do any good I thought it might be a female issue and saw my GYN. He did a biopsy but didn't get enough tissue but before I could get back to him I was in the ER with unbearable pain. A CT scan revealed cancer mass and I was off to Orlando by ambulance that night. I've just finished my 12 chemo and immunotherapy treatment and will most likely need more. I was diagnosed with stage 3C possibly 4, uterine cancer. I received 6 treatments then had robotic assisted hysterectomy and pathology confirmed stage 4 endometrial cancer. Lower back pain like that is one of the sure signs of cancer unless you've had a direct injury. Also I will add that I had a pap before the biopsy that came back normal. The cancer was behind the neck of my cervix and could not be reached with a routine pap smear. They had to go deep to get it at hospital in Orlando. Please see your GYN. You got nothing to lose if you do and possibly a lot if you don't. ❤️

@lobrien88 your primary doctor can refer you for imaging.