Question
QUESTION: Dear Gary

My name is Richard, almost 42, living in Europe.. 1.85m tall almost 100kg so overweight..! For the last 5 years ive been on and off experiencing problems with my lower back...this all happened when some years ago..i had a big lumbago attack when putting my cloth back on (underwear) after swimming..
This episode lasted months.. with pain on the left side (lower back)
and partly radiating in my left leg.. after a few months and many physiotherapist visits..it slowly faded. Since then the left side of my back remains vulnerable to Si joint like paints radiating in leg. Back to now..
the last 7 weeks this same pain came back.. not knowing why. I lead a bit too sedentary life, due to anxiety problems and lots of problems with my chest.. pain, palps and so on..so i stopped exercising cause i was afraid that i might fall dead doing so (cant put it any other way)..
so i often sat down or even was bed layed..so i totaly went out of shape.. but anyway.. pain around left spot lower back-> with spot i mean the bone bump you feel left..lower back..and the other one right lower back is pain free).. the pain is felt around there left..and radiates in buttock and hip left.. when i start making long walks i often get more and more pain on lateral side left leg..and even get a bit sleepy left foot. if i stop walking ..stretch some..i can walk better..pain subsides a little..
i also feel tightness.. around gluteus and piriformis and around left side back and hip.. -> when i do the exercise where i put both knees left and right..Lumbar rotation梟on-weight bearing. when i do this to the right i feel pain and tightness..
whatever i do ..laying down or sit or stand..i can feel the same dull ache pain radiating over buttock. sometimes it irritates even to the front.. (bladder..loins pubic region..can pee and deficate without many problems) ..
im doing many si joint exercises//stretches..but the pain will not go away..and especially the leg radiating..and the foot thing wont go away when walking.. the back ..si itself wont hurt too much when walking..its more the lateral hipside and leg and foot that cause problems.... ive visited my GP..but he is not worried..saying i have tight hamstrings..and strength..reflexes are ok..no problem with laseque test.... my physiotherapist keeps doing his weekly routine..but not much changes..
now i am a worrier..so i started to wonder if this is not so serious ..why wont it go away ? im doing my stretches..do the physiotherapy.. but keep having the same issue.
last days i even started to get more calf pain..only when stretching and using it..not when laying down..i also have left sides shoulder pain..my whole left side seems sore and tight and painful.. while my right side feels fine..

the pain in lower back feels also a bit nervy irritated..even when i shower and i put the showerhead with water on the sacrum point lower back..i feel nervy irritation pain..

so long introduction..but i want to be thorough..

1) While i am a worrier..do you think this sounds malignant? ( like tumor..?
2) does this sounds like a hernia?
3) If this is just si joint and tightness..can this be so persistent and giving sciatic issues?
4)i found your youtube movies and side..doing most of your stretches..but so far not too much luck.. it has been better ..the pain for a few days..but it came back with a vengeance..
what would you advise..my gp wont refer me for an MRI cause he thinks its not necessary and i worry too much.. ?
5) could only muscles and ligaments cause this?

worried..

thx for listening/reading..hope to hear from you soon

Richard

ANSWER: Hi Richard,

It sounds like you just have some very tight tissue that needs to be released, but since you're a self-described "worrier" I'll answer each question specifically.

1) While i am a worrier..do you think this sounds malignant? ( like tumor..?
No, I do not think it's a tumor
2) does this sounds like a hernia?
No, it does not sound like a hernia
3) If this is just si joint and tightness..can this be so persistent and giving sciatic issues?
Yes, if the tight tissue causing the problem is not adequately released then it could definitely be the cause.
4)i found your youtube movies and side..doing most of your stretches..but so far not too much luck.. it has been better ..the pain for a few days..but it came back with a vengeance..
what would you advise..my gp wont refer me for an MRI cause he thinks its not necessary and i worry too much.. ?
An MRI would be nice to show you there is "nothing wrong" but it sounds like you just have really tight hips.
5) could only muscles and ligaments cause this?
It's the muscles being tight that I'd say is causing this.

So, I'm going to recommend you visit and follow along with my Sacroiliac Joint Pain Relief Page,
http://www.do-it-yourself-joint-pain-relief.com/sacroiliac-joint-pain-relief.htm
and the Pelvic Girdle Pain Relief Page,
http://www.do-it-yourself-joint-pain-relief.com/pelvic-girdle-pain-relief.html

The Pelvic Girdle page is similar the the SI Pain page, but I do things a bit differently in a way that might make your technique better.

Lastly, if you do want someone else to work on you and get at some of the tissue that you seem to have a difficult time releasing then
I'd recommend you go to these two websites,
http://www.rolf.org/find
and
http://www.rolfguild.org/practitioners/international
and
http://www.rolfing.org/index.php?id=117
Call the practioners in your area and go to someone who you feel has the best chance of helping you.
I'd generally recommend someone who has been in practice at least 5 years, preferably 10 years.  And feel free to try more than one person if you don't feel like you've found a good one.  I'm optimistic that this could be of benefit, so at least think about it.

I do hope you find the above information helpful.
All the best,
Gary Crowley


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Gary,

thank you so much for answering my question..

just to be sure some additional info..
So..i have this pain and nerve pain feeling left sides over buttock in my leg..(sciatica feeling) my feet feels sleepy when walking.. sometimes i feel some contractions in rest ..spasm hamstrings..
the pain when walking is lateral side leg..
the pain is never really gone..even in rest..for 7 weeks now..

1)So this is all possible in a muscular or tissue problem..and you dont have to have a hernia or worse to have such persistent sensations?

2)Due to an eye problem.. i have a sort of 4th cranial problem (eyes)-> congenital form ..i see double in my right low corner..and when looking down..because of this i always tilt my head a bit to the right..so i never am balanced (skeletal and muscular).. could this be the root of the problem?

3) Is it normal for this to be a long lasting problem..hard to fix ..and still be fully benign ..yet a nuisance?  which sports do you advise with this ""handicap"

Thx for all your help

Richard

ANSWER: Hi Richard,

Yes, you can certainly have all of your issues without having a hernia.

Yes, always tilting your head could certainly be the root of the problem.  Picture a 100 story building with the top ten floor bent over to one side.  The break point will probably be much lower down the building.  Your lower back and pelvis have to deal with that constant imbalance.

Yes, millions of people have long lasting problems that are fully benign.

Oh, and your feet falling asleep is probably coming from your L5 in your lower back.  See my Burning Feet Sensation Page,
http://www.do-it-yourself-joint-pain-relief.com/burning-feet-sensation-relief.ht

I recommend you do Yoga.  And more Yoga.  Be safe and don't overdue it, but I think Yoga would help you a great deal.

I do hope this helps.

Best,

Gary C.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Gary,

thank you so much for your time and efforts..
I m working hard to get this nuisance under control. i bought a gym exercise ball.. 65 cm..(long upper body but short(er) legs) for stretches and exercises.. i put my running shoes back on..and try to make longer walks with them..instead of my normal pair of shoes.
i could walk a bit longer now with those shoes..before getting pain hip and lateral leg..and my toes remain unaffected this time..might be coincidence..but i noticed it..
When doing stretches..yours and on the gymball.. i keep noticing a bizarre tightness ..or pull/strain on the left side ..(the left hump/spot of your lower back..the right always feel free..no tightness or pull/strain)
when doing lumbar rotation..knees left and right ..i feel hear a plopping crack..sometimes its painful..like nerve-irritation..it can be close to spine ..but often on that left spot. i keep having painful upperhamstring..almost around pelvis there..and lateral leg..left..thigh..and calf. when doing your hip..buttock stretch..i feel in more in upper thigh or lateral than my hip or butt..i can do what i want..go as far as i want..the stretch is felt in the leg..

When sitting..also on gymball i feel a nuisance in my left butt..gluteus ..piriformis

So about this tightness that is so persistent..

1) This all still indicates muscular to you?
2) Would having a hernia or something worse malignant like a tumor..present itself differently? i am a profound worrier..and i always think that pain..long lasting for 2 months..cant be such a "simple benign" thing as only muscular imbalance..so where do i go wrong in my head? :)
3) after those stretches and exercises..yours and on gymball i experience more pain.. like i irritated ..stretched it more..and its already not willing to stretch..(so tight).. is this normal?
4)i also have very tight and short hamstrings..and i ve been stretching those ones for weeks/months now..to no avail yet.. -> is this such a slow process?

Thx for all your help.. i will stop sending you questions now..otherwise you might get bored with me :)

many thx
Richard

Answer
Hi Richard,

I抦 glad your doing your best to free your body. Keep up the good work.

Yes, I still think it抯 muscular, especially since you抳e been to the MD already in the past and he
said basically 搉othing is wrong?
No, I don抰 think you have a tumor.
Sometimes it takes a while to free a body that has as much tension as yours.  I think you might want
to consider taking a yoga class as many times a week as you're willing too.
Ideally, you don't experience more pain after stretching.  You may be torquing the joints, more than stretching the muscles,
you always want to feel the stretch in the muscles, not the joint.
It's not a slow process for everyone, but I do think you've gotten some stubborn tissue and a lot of it.

Here's a link to my brand new "Best Hamstring Stretches" page,
http://www.do-it-yourself-joint-pain-relief.com/best-hamstring-stretches.html
Give them a try and see if they get at that tension better than what you've been doing.

All the best,
Gary Crowley