Back pain in specific vertebrae of lumbar region

Ive had these exact same symptoms, except for me its higher up on the 7th vertebrae up from the tail bone, and mostly on the right side of it. Have seen a doctor (who told me to take Ibuprofen - helps short-term but doesn't resolve symptoms) and osteopath (again helped short-term but symptoms came back) and am now pretty much back to square one. It seems to have started while swimming, and the pain seems to increase after swimming and certain types of exercise, but the doctor told me explicitly not to stop swimming.

Does anybody have an idea of what this may be, and what sort of treatment might help? I'm not sure I'm seeing the right people, or who the right people may be.

EBo,

Unfortunately, the exact pain generators in the back are still being determined. The medical field can determine the cause of some back pain, which has very specific signs and symptoms.

The vast majority of back pain is musculoskeletal in nature. It involves the numerous muscles that are attached to the spine and act upon it. The pain can also be from the various joints in the spine: the facet joints in the posterior elements, between the vertebral bodies themselves, or from the sacroiliac (SI) joints.

The discs between the vertebrae can cause discomfort. Degenerative disc disease (DDD) has become a very common diagnosis since the advent of the MRI, which can show the status of the disc much better than any other study.

Compression of the nerves exiting the spinal canal usually causes a radiculopathy, which manifests itself with pain and/or weakness going down into the leg.


So, without a thorough examination it is impossible to say exactly what is going on. If your symptoms are just not getting any better, despite the usual treatments, then you may want to see a spine surgeon, a physiatrist (specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation), or a pain management specialist, depending upon which way you want to go with your treatment options.

You may also need further studies done, such as an x-ray, MRI, CT, and/or bone scan.

Hope you find the cause of your pain and a treatment for it. Good luck.