Lower back, upper leg, slight groin pain
by Jesse
(Portland, oregon, usa)
I'm 35 years old, and I've been having mild back issues ever since a fall I took about six months back. But the problem I'm having now only started the other day pretty much after I got off work. I might've bent weirdly picking something up, I don't know, but I'm having really bad pain in my lower back, upper legs, and slightly in my groin and gut area, ever since that day, and I've been laid up in bed pretty much the entire time, which has basically been the past three days and nights.
I'm starting to panic because I have to go to work tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that, and I can't very well take it off; I really need the money, but the pain is not diminishing.
I'm not asking for a diagnosis, just asking what I can do that I'm not already doing from home. I have these tiger balm pain relieving patches, I have ibuprofen, I've been lying on my back occasionally and doing leg stretches, taking hot baths, I don't know what else to do. Any thoughts??
Hello Jesse,
Lower back pain radiating to the leg always needs to be taken seriously; it's the kind of stuff that gets surgeons excited, and you don't want that!
Certainly you need to be very careful if going to do hard physical work, and even sitting can be problematic.
If you bend forwards or backwards and then to the side, if the pain immediately radiates to the leg, then my advice is to see a professional immediately. What's needed is a diagnosis.
Sitting in a kitchen chair, if you flex your head onto your chest, and the extend the knee so your leg is parallel to the ground, first and then left, do you get back and leg pain?
You say legs plural; correct? And gut pain? I'd start with a visit to your doctor.
In the navigation bar at Chiropractic Help, you'll find some gentle lower back exercises; do them before getting out of bed.
Let me know what comes of this.
Dr B