severe lower back pain

For about a month now, I've had severe lower back pain right above my butt, near my tailbone. I have tried ice as well as heat but they only provide temporary relief. I also have a cushion with a hole cut out of the back that I use to sit on when I am at home. The pain has gotten progressively worse that it is next to impossible for me to get up or sit down without feeling like someone is literally tearing apart my lower back. On a pain scale, my pain is a 10. What could this be caused by? I did not have any trauma occur to my back -no falls, no stress-nothing. I am also only 22 and I've never had any muscle of bone problems before. I am average weight and pretty healthy-no medical problems.

Very Low Back Pain

Sorry to hear about your suffering. The very low back pain could be due to various causes. If it is right at the “tail” this could well be coccydynia, a condition where the coccyx is exquisitely painful. It can be brought on by trauma, but can occur for no apparent reason. Apart from the painkillers and anti-inflammatories you have tried, it can sometimes be helped by nerve blocks and surgery.

If the pain is in the lower back or sacral area, it could be due to sacroileitis, an inflammation of the sacroiliac joints. It can be associated with medical conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and ankylosing spondylitis. You could also have a problem such as a stress fracture or trapped nerve.

Clearly your symptoms aren’t settling with the treatments you have tried. You should see a doctor to have an examination and they will be able to advise you on the likely diagnosis and help with your treatment which could be anything from further painkillers, physio or even surgery depending on the investigation outcome.




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