Case Summary  |  My lower back pain

What happened is that for several years now, I have had lower back pain. The pain started in 2006, and has been ongoing. I first noticed the pain if I would sit or stand for very long periods of time, and then I would just go to bed, and after a nights rest, I would not feel it again. But soon, the amount of pain, the duration, and the location kept increasing. I would feel my back weaken a lot more. In addition, I started to get sciatica in both of my legs, and I started to have pain in my coccyx area when I walked. I went to the doctor finally when taking Advil didn't help much anymore. I got an MRI, CT scan, and visited a neurosurgeon. He said I had herniated disc in my back in the L4-L5 area, which is the most common location to get it. The inside of the disc, the nucleus pulposus, ruptured through the annulus fibrosis outer ring. The disc then pinched my nerve, and over time, more of the nucleus came out and started causing greater pain. It didn't help that I have to stand for hours on end. The doctor suggested I try taking some percocet, and that has helped a lot. In addition, to ease the inflammation, I am using hot and cold presses. I also started doing some exercises to build up my muscles to provide stability in the area. I am now doing squats, leg abductor and adductor muscle exercises, and lower back and core exercises. This helps to stabilize my back and prevent further injuries. The pain is still there, but with the exercises and medicine, it is managable at the time, and I have not had to go to surgery yet.

percocet for the pain. exercise to stabilize my back.
heat and cold for stopping inflammation of the muscles and ligaments