I have also been told I have a small disk bulge but the pain might not be coming from here.

A fitness program called "combat conditioning" includes an amazing exercise known as bridging. This movement involves supporting the entire bodyweight on your forehead and feet, stomach facing up. This may sound extreme but you work up to this. I would advise you to invest in this program. But for now I will attempt to explain ways to get started. The first exercise you should do is stand upright, feet shoulder width apart and bend ur upper body backwards as far as you can and return to upright. Then when you can do this well do this. Stand against a wall and take 3 steps heel to toe until you are about 3 feet from the wall. Now lean back let your head fall back and try to walk down the wall backwards. This may sound strange but I am deadly serious. Let me know of your success and I hope that this helps!!!

Hi Alex,
I can totally sympathise with you. I have had what sounds like the same problem you have. It started with a fractured foot that was not diagnosed for 6 weeks and i guess the way i was walking on the foot created a problem. that is the only thing they could figure,started the bad hip pain. When i walked to much , sat to much, and stood to long. i have cronic pain now and have for the past 4 years. ( i hope this isn't they way it goes for you), Anyway i have had MRI's and bone scan's and X-Rays, They see some bulging in my lumbar spine but it is considered slight, and i had an enlarged bursea in my left hip where the pain is, so last November they removed it. it was a bit helpful at first but the pain is yet again back full force. Now they don't know what to do with me so they have me doing physical therapy. I have some relief with the therapy but it comes back again later on in the day. But at least it is some relief ( better than no relief), He has evaluated me ( the therapist that is)and believes it is all having to do with the back. He pulls with all of his mighton my ankles (which doesn't hurt at all), until the hip pain goes away and it does magically in about 1 minute. It doesn't last all day but he has told me the key thing to do is sit up straight always the help keep the discs apart and to lay on my stomache as much as possible, frequently get up while at work and arch my back by leaning back as far as i can as many times as i can, and avoid walking alot and alot of stairs til he strengthens my back. He is also stretching my left leg(as i have pain down my thigh) to loosen the IT Band. He believes with all of this on a consistant basis that i will learn to do it on my own when the pain gets really bad and eventually it will lessen greatly. I don't know if this will help you but i hope it does. I feel for you as i have this and it is quite a problem in every day life, But if your girlfriend really loved you she will stick by you hun no matter what. That was not fair of her. I am sorry to say. Hang in there and if you would like to talk send me a message. Take care Alex.
Lori

Hi Alex,

I'm new to the forum and hope you are pain free by now, if not I have a suggestion which may help to alleviate some of your pain.

I use a tennis ball, you need to get a trainer ball, these are harder than normal balls.

How this works: There is a technique called digital ischaemic pressures. If you have been treated by a therapist they have probably used this technique on you. You are able to use this technique in a small way with the tennis ball.

Position the ball on the bit of the muscle that is tender and sit or lie gently on it. Put enough pressure up to your pain threshold and hold for 0 to 60 seconds. The pain can dissipate quite quickly dependent on the tightness of muscle. Repeat as many times as necessary.

If done properly you should not feel sore but relief of your back pain.

Hi Alex,

Your pain could be coming from the disc bulge. Just because it is small, does not mean it is not causing your pain.

Each of us are individuals and how are body responds to various things is individual to each of us.

A small disc bulge may not cause any problem for some people, and have others doubled over in pain.

What really needs to be done is to determine if that disc bulge is the cause.

Has anyone suggested that you have a selective nerve block to the are where you have the disc bulge?

This could be very helpful to not only relieving some of your pain, but also in seeing if that is the cause of your pain?

They are not for someone with spine pain, least of all someone with a small disc bulge. The chances of your bulge staying small is all but none, if you try something like that.

can you tell us what bupa is?

Johneman, gave an excellent idea for you to try. It may or may not help you, but it is a safe and simple thing to try and if it doesn't work, it will not make things worse for you.

Good luck,

Fran