Question
On Tuesday, I fell while I was on the bus, flat on my back. I was hardly, but able to walk. I went to emergency and got x-rays taken-there was no evidence of any broken bones or fractures. My doctor said it was a bruise... but there is no bruise visible and he didn't really try to figure out what exactly might have happened. I'm pretty sure I landed on the right side of my mid to lower back, which hurts to the touch and that same pain travels vertically straight down then stops for a an inch or two. If my back were divided into quarters, my complete right bottom half of my back is completely numb and a bit below my waistline. Also, when I bend down or get up or turn certain ways, I feel a very sharp pain in my lower back. If I move very slowly, and stay very still when I find a comfortable position, I don't feel any pain. But it hurts a lot to lie down except when I'm completely on my left side... My question is, could this be a bruise?! Or.. is it just me and my paranoia of thinking it might be a bit more serious...

Answer
Since I'm not a physician and your own doctor says that the area shows no fractures, I can only guess that the area is bruised just from the impact alone.  It's only been a couple of days and any jarring impact like a fall can hurt for quite some time.

I would suggest slow stretching to keep the area from getting tight and some relaxing warm baths.  If the pain persists more than a week or so, please see your doctor and update him.

Thank you for your question, Shannon. I hope that my answer was helpful.