Question
Hi,
I抦 32 yr old Male living in London.  
A year ago I started suffering from a sharp lower back pain, frequent urination particularly in the night, intermittent aching in my testicles, constipation, and very mild urinary terminal incontinence and a general feeling of not being able to empty my bladder.

Thinking this was possible prostatitis I saw the doctor, after three dismissive failed attempts to help I asked for a referral to a Uroligist. I then under went a DRA, flexiblsyscoscopy and then a CT contrast scan of my lower organs.

The flexy into my ureathra revealed that I did not have a urethral narrowing but a well defined bulge in my bladder, the CT scan revealed the bulge to be compact stools in my bowl pushing on my bladder. The CT scan did not point to anything else so there was no need to have a biopsy. The specialist suggested lots of fibre and a very healthy diet, I was already on the case and due to the fact that the symptoms were easing he was happy to discharge my case from the hospital as there were no other signs of anything more serious than chronic constipation.

I always keep fit and healthy and can only assume that the chronic constipation was a result of a very stressful period at work during the previous year. My diet was also very good.

After several weeks although symptoms had eased I still had low back pain and frequent urination. An osteopath that I had been visiting said he felt that I could have some kind of trapped nerve within my vertebrae.

I decided to go back to the Doctor who although reliably unhelpful sent me for an x-ray on my pelvis. This predictably showed no signs of anything abnormal.

At this point months on and feeling completely lost and really no further forward I decided to have a colonic irrigation and go through a complete colon cleanse. I started taking a product called oxy powder which cleanses the whole intestine through oxygenation, the results were amazing, it appeared to completely alleviate the back problem and other symptoms, and I felt fantastic.

After several weeks I stopped taking the Oxy powder and everything seemed to resume to normal, no back pain, no more frequent urination and regular bowl movements. I enjoyed this pain free period for about two/three months.

However a visit to the Golf driving range the week before last has triggered everything back again! An hour after hitting Golf balls seemed to cause a killer lower back pain, followed by aching testicals the next day and fowl smelling urine.

Back to the Doctor who took a urine sample for a possible UTI showed negative! The Doctor thinks it could be a muscular/skeletal related problem, the osteopath thinks it could be Spondylolysthesis (trapped nerves between vertebrae)

I抳e have had tests at the GU Clinic for SDI/UTI抯 which were all negative, kidney tests, blood tests, ultra sound on my testicles & bowl, urine flow tests and all of the examinations mentioned above, all of which were negative.

I抦 lost and finding it hard to concentrate at work and I抦 having to avoid exercise, which I love,

Sorry for the long draft but can any one shed some light on this, do I need a designated MRI on my spine.

The symptoms are starting to get on top of me and I don抰 know what to do.  

Answer
Although I am not a physician,  I agree with the osteopath in his assessment of some pinched nerves in your lower back.  The nerves in the lower back contain those that involve the bladder and reproductive system.  

I would recommend continuing with your colon cleansing routine although not as strident; try more of a maintenance approach.  I would also recommend a follow-up with the osteopath for further assessment and testing.  That may or may not include an MRI.  I believe that your osteopath will recommend some manipulation of your low back along with some physical therapy.

Thank you for your question, Dan.  I hope that my answer has provide a path for relief.