Question
Dr. Gold,
I am at my wit's end. I'm a 37 year old female in generally good health. Over the years I've had sporadic lower back pain and very rarely the pain would radiate down my left thigh. For the past two months or so, I have been in agonizing pain. It hurts when I do anything. If I sit for more than 45 minutes I can barely walk once I stand. I get shooting pains down both my legs (more strongly in the left leg) which causes my legs to shake and weaken and I can barely support myself or walk. Sometimes the pain shoots all the way to my feet. Oftentimes I have to push myself against a wall just so I can stand fully erect. Certain movements whether I'm sitting, standing or lying down cause excruciating pain. If I cough or sneeze when I'm standing I almost buckle and fall because the pain is so intense. I get this burning type of sensation on my left thigh. It feels like someone left a hot frying pan on my leg. I can barely touch the skin because it's so sensitive. If I press on any area of my lower back and buttocks I practically yelp. The skin also feels warm to me in those areas. Two months ago I had no problem bending down to put my shoes on and tie them; now I have to sit on the floor. There was absolutely no precipitating injury or trauma prior to this pain developing. When it first started, I had a few days mixed in that weren't too bad but now it is every day all day. I only work two days a week and I'm at a desk. I get up at least once an hour but by the time I can actually walk semi-normally I have to sit back down. I don't have insurance. I don't know what to do. I'm literally crying as I type. I don't take any prescription pain meds nor do I want to. At first I just figured it would go away or gradually get better but I feel like it's getting worse and I can't imagine living with this kind of pain all the time. I'm only 37 years old and I can barely walk.

Answer
Hi, Jennifer,

I'm so sorry to hear of your pain.

The first step is to get clarity on what's going on with you.

The three articles I have linked, below, provide descriptions and causes of symptoms.  You may find yourself described in them.

If the descriptions fit you, the means out of pain are also outlined.

on back pain | http://somatics.com/back_pain.htm
on sciatica | http://somatics.com/sciaticasymptoms-piriformissyndrome.htm
S-I Joint Pain Syndrome | http://lawrencegoldsomatics.blogspot.com/2011/04/understanding-sacro-iliac-joint

In most cases, progress comes quite quickly using this method, in comparison to standard medical approaches.  If relief doesn't begin quickly (within a few practice sessions, as described in the articles), you might get yourself checked for disc problems by a medical professional.  If your discs are healthy, the problem is almost certainly muscular/neuromuscular and can be dealt with the approach I offer, but you may need personal coaching.

on disc problems (locate appropriate entry on the page) | http://somatics.com/back_pain_terms.htm