Question
Hi,
I am 23 years old and at least two to three times a year, have these spurts of intense back pain - mostly in the mid and lower regions, but sometimes in between the shoulder blades as well. The back pain is so bad that it's uncomfortable to even lie down and I have a hard time sleeping. With the pain comes nausea, weakness and sometimes dizziness. I feel like I've got a really bad case of the flu with how stiff and sore my skin and muscles are - it lasts for about two days and then I feel fine again. I've seen several doctors about these spurts, but none have been able to diagnose me. They've looked into kidney, bladder infections, Irritable bowl syndrome and others but have turned up nothing. My mom has witnessed me having one of these spurts and thinks it highly abnormal that I get these at such a young age. She wants me to start writing a dairy of the episodes and then take them to a doctor. Also, I've noticed that in between these spurts (almost constantly) I have really tight ham-strings, butt and lower back. My husband has played soccer his whole life and says I have the symptoms of a pulled sciatic nerve. What do you think/recommend? I'm so frustrated with this! Your profile says that your pain doesn't have a name either - but I thought that you might be able to point me in a good direction to start?Any insight would be most appreciated. Thanks and have a great day!
- Natalie


Answer
Natalie,

I'm sorry you're having trouble, and believe me, I do know it's frustrating. But I think you're on the right track. First, the dizziness, pain, sore skin and weakness, and other symptoms you  mention are classic symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, with a touch of Fibromyalgia (which does, contrary to public belief, occur in younger people too). However, the thing that's a bit odd is that usually, you don't see it come and go. Ususally, it's an almost constant thing. This leads me to believe that your husband might be right and that you do have a nerve problem;  however, I don't know much about actual nerve problems, and it's probably a good idea to see a specialist anyway.

Second, your mother's idea is excellent; a pain journal is very helpful in allowing you to find a possible link to your pain. The next time you have a spell, write down exactly what it was like, everything you did a few days prior, what you ate, etc. Be very thorough. Then go back through and try to find a common link between each pain spell, in attempt to discover if something might be triggering the pain, which I think is highly likely.

Also, if you haven't seen a muscle specialist, you probably should see one. It doesn't hurt to try all avenues, and it's good to rule out any other problems.

For immediate relief, my suggestion is almost always natural medicine. I'm a walking billboard for it; I've been sick for five years now, and it's the only thing that's ever helped me. Acupuncture is excellent; it's painless, and usually helps in one or two sessions. Make sure you find a licensed acupuncturist, though. You can even find ones that are medical doctors as well. Also, heat is a good thing. Normally rice bags and heating pads are the best way to apply heat, but when your skin is so sensitive that you can't lie down, that's a painful route. A sauna works just as well, wet or dry. I kind of prefer wet, myself :)

And there are always over the counter rubs (like Aspercreme and other rubs, preferably with witchhazel) and anti-inflammitories (ibuprofen) which might help if you don't want to go with alternative remedies.

I really think you're on the right track. You have a very helpful family, it seems :) I hope I've been able to add a few more helpful suggestions. If you've got any more question, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to help. Good luck, and God bless!

Sincerely,

Celeste