Question
I am 59 and in good health. A few weeks out of nowhere I developed a sore back which has persisted. Usually it goes away. Now a few days ago, I got out of bed and couldn't straighten up without getting this grabbing pain in my left glute. I walk around like Groucho Marks for a couple of hours and with a little time on a heating pad it begins to ease up and by the end of the day, it feels fine, only to go through the same thing when I arise the next morning. Although I feel it must not be anything serious or it wouldn't leave, it is annoying that I can't walk straight up and take a step without feeling like there is a fishhook stuck in my rearend. Any idea what is going on?

Answer
Hello Dana,

Sorry to hear about the pain issues.  The good news is that I do think I can help get you out of pain now and in the future if this reoccurs.  However, first I need you to assess whether or not you may need a new mattress.  If your pain is worst in the morning and then gets better throughout the day it sometimes indicates that your mattress is no longer supporting your lower back the way it used to. Just a thought.

Okay, before I tell you what you can do to fix yourself it's important that you understand some very basic things about your body.  First, all the muscles in your body are like the rigging (ropes) on a big old-fashioned sailboat.  All the muscles must continually balance their tensional settings in order for us to stand, walk, run, sit and lie down without pain or discomfort.  When certain muscle groups get to tight they pull bones slightly out of position and yank on nerves which cause lack of optimal function and quite often pain.

Bones are basically chunks of calcium that only go where muscles pull or hold them and nerves only send pain signals when they are distressed for some reason.  Most of the time with chronic structural pain in a body freeing the inappropriately tight muscle tissue allows the bones to return to their ideal position and the nerves to no longer be negatively affected either by the tight tissue negatively affecting them directly or indirectly by pulling the bones out of position.

I explain all of the above in great detail on my completely free website, Do It Yourself Joint Pain Relief,
http://www.do-it-yourself-joint-pain-relief.com/
You just follow along with the free videos and most likely you'll be able to fix yourself.

So the key is to release the inappropriately tight tissue that is causing you to feel pain. Someone just needs
to show you how to do it and where to do it.

I think you would benefit greatly from the main Lower Back Pain Relief page,
http://www.do-it-yourself-joint-pain-relief.com/lower-back-pain-relief.html
on my website.

But if you want a "quick fix," it sounds like video 2 of 4 on the Sciatica Pain Relief
page may be just what you need (this is just an educated guess).
http://www.do-it-yourself-joint-pain-relief.com/sciatica-pain-relief.html

And do give your mattress a good look because if you need a new mattress then
all the work you do to fix yourself will be undone all night if you are sleeping on a bad mattress.

I do hope this helps.

Best,
Gary Crowley