I know it’s a joke " oh haha you’re 30, everything hurts now cuz you’re so old!" But really, is something wrong with me or are backs just this stupid? Not overweight. Decently active although I don’t exersize every single day. No genetic issues, doctor always says im in perfect health. But my lower back will randomly act up, sometimes it gets so bad that I about black out from the pain. Thats pretty rare though, usually it’s just an ache all day when I move or try to put my socks on. Its not sciatica, as I never feel numbness or pain in my legs. Mild weakness maybe if it hurts really bad.
I feel like any doctor is just going to say welp, you’re old it happens, or tell me I need 3.5 million dollar spinal surgery.
Nope. 30 is young and that kind of back pain is abnormal for a 60 year old.
no its not normal, suddenly developing pain that occurs in frequency. you should see a doctor, it could be a spinal issue, like disk disease. weakness implies, pinched muscle maybe? or spinal issue. see a doc.
for example, i did developed back, spine pain, but that was from lying on my stomach and propping myself up with my elbows. it goes away after i stopped doing it. also if it doesnt go away from nsaids meds, its a sign.
sounds like a spinal issue: could spinal cord compression which can be come serious. you most likely need a MRI to see the spine.
another one would be type 1 diabetes: but that is usually very serious and life threatening it comes on suddenly. (due to ketoacidosis), this is unlikely if you dint have other signs already. there was only 1 time where back pain(lower and neck pain) was caused by an infection, shingles. it was so bad it got stiff, luckily in only lasted a week at the most.
if it is spinal issue, you might have to see an orthopedic specialist, sometimes a neurologist if they suspect nerve damage.
also cervical issues(neck), can lead to issues in the extremeties as well.
if i lie on my left side, i do get PN sensations, plus RLS, im fine if lying on my right side instead. definitely get it checked out.
This is good advice. I put up with back issues and sciatica for years, before some time ago I had an MRI - confirmed disc issues in my lower spine.
It’s not the best and I am waiting for another MRI to see how it is now, yet without the diagnosis, follow up physiotherapy, etc. it would be considerably worse right now.Mid-30s here.
Have you been x-rayed? You could have a disc problem or something. My father had diskectomy at a young age.
Maybe.
I had pretty bad back pain back when I was sitting in a shitty chair all the time.
Since I moved to my bed, it’s been fine.
You’re confusing “normal” with “common”. Pain is never normal.
What definition of normal are you using, then? I mean, OP’s thing definitely is neither, but lots of things can trigger pain, even chronically.
No. With moderate exercise and checking for correct sitting postures, you shouldn’t ever have back pain. I’m in my 40s and only feel a bit tight when I overdid my exercise routine.
Well, I mean I guess after a long day or working really hard it can get a little achey and-
But my lower back will randomly act up, sometimes it gets so bad that I about black out from the pain.
No. Holy shit, no. Not normal at all. Go see a doctor ASAP. If you’re ever in debilitating pain for no obvious reason, that is a colossal flashing “go see a doctor now” sign.
Once doctor rules out kidney, cancer, and spinal issues, see a physiotherapist. Before anyone says chiropractic, it’s a scam.
So many people think chiros are legit… it’s fucking infuriating that shit is still around.
They have chiropractors for horses…yes a massive animal that’s stupid muscular and stands 95% of its life. People are duped into thinking a 200lb or less human can “adjust” it’s body…
It also annoys me that my insurance groups chiro together with physio so people might think that they’re alternatives to each other. I had a colleague who said “physio just gives you exercises/homework while chiro fixes you on the spot”
I also have issues with the fact that major pharmacy brands like Walgreens and CVS put homeopathic remedies right alongside real meds. Make sure to actually read the labels on medicines, because lots of them are pure placebo. Zicam is an extremely popular cold medicine that claims to shorten the duration of a cold or the flu by like 50%, and it is completely homeopathic. There are lots of homeopathic labels scattered throughout the pharmacy, so checking the labels is extremely important.
If you ever see something on the ingredients label like “{ingredient} X6” then that means that ingredient has been diluted 6 times. Homeopaths claim that more dilution makes the med stronger, like how fresh water is better able to dilute salt water. But many are so diluted that there likely isn’t any of the medication remaining.
Chiropractors and acupuncturists are grifters
I’m going to wager you don’t work out your core. Strengthen your core and you will likely experience a lot less back pain.
I can confirm. I am not even 30 yet and suffer from severe lower back pain. After being told to strengthen my core by for example doing push ups the pain decreased to a level that’s bearable.
Core n glutes. These are the answers
Some excercise recomendations please ?
Not GP but thanks for this great resource!
Sounds like your sacroiliac joint is gone. I did mine in by moving house and having bad posture, specifically the deep curve in my lower spine. I went to a physio they taught me some exercises that strengthen specific muscles that support the joint, to take the weight of the joint, off the joint. Sacroiliac is the joint of the spine and hip bones. Does it kinda shoot through the centre of one butt cheek, and lower back and seems to hurt no matter what position you lay or sit or stand?
I have exactly what you described, went to a doctor, they suggested physical therapy which I couldn’t afford.
Do you mind sharing some of the stretches that helped you? I’ve found a few online but they don’t ever seem to actually help it much.
Of course! They’re super simple but they actually worked.
Standing at the sink, (or wherever) leg straight, lift leg backwards (keep straight). (Do a billion times, (I forget the number, 30 odd? I can look for the exact sheet I was given) but work up to a billion times slowly)
On floor, on all fours keep leg in bent position, but lift upwards (keeping knee at 90° angle) bend only at hip, till back and thigh are a straight line. Both legs. I forget how often, I’ll look for the sheet, but it was a solid block of time, 10 minutes, go easy though, work within your comfort levels and work up to more.
Both those above 3x a day for a good month to 6 weeks.
This one I found super hard, walking backwards for at least 10 minutes a day. And it has to be vigorous, I was told walking around my coffee table wasn’t enough. Be very careful. Do whatever you can that’s safe.
I also just worked on strengthening my lower back and core, too, after I got to a place where the pain stopped and I had good muscle tone to support it.
The physio person also focused on my walking pattern, you might also be able to find some info on that online. I know tiktok isn’t loved much but it is great for people sharing medical information similar to this, also. You could see what the algorithm there spits out.
The human body is kind of a hot mess, and the back is one of the trouble areas. That said, you might want to see a doctor. If you have insurance. Otherwise just do what I do and pop that ibuprofen.
Let me just say right up front that any pain you have that’s anywhere near the black-out level is extremely not normal. And I say that as someone who has lived with chronic lower back pain for 20 years (of varying severity, from ‘Huh that’s kinda uncomfortable’ to ‘holy shit it’s time to take all of the meds and lay down.’ I’ve never been anywhere near black-out levels of pain, the most I’ve gotten is back pain so bad it makes me sick to my stomach. Go see an orthopedist, they will find the source of the problem, and then probably refer you to a physical therapist and/or pain management specialist.
Sorry. I laughed from your comment. Doctors tell women blacking out from menstrual pain is perfectly normal.
Didn’t mean to distract from your message, you’re absolutely right.
I remember as a teenager I had such terrible menstrual pain I’d take pain killers and just curl up on the bed suffering and waiting for them to start working. I remember sitting in class at school not being able to focus because the pain in my stomach was barely tolerable. Everyone around me told me it was normal. My mother just told me to take pain killers. It only got better when I started taking hormonal birth control pills. I’ve always wondered if I have endometriosis but never got diagnosed (never asked about it to be honest because on bc it’s manageable). I’d really like to tell my past self that I wasn’t just being weak and that it really wasn’t normal to feel that level of pain. It’s good that slowly there’s more awareness about this, but apparently there are still people like OP who believe they just need to live with pain like that.
OP, this is not normal and not how it should be, please see a doctor.
That’s crazy. Though I mean as a guy I have a lot more experience with lower back pain than menstrual pain so I couldn’t speak to what’s normal for the latter. But near-blacking-out from any kind of pain seems extremely no bueno.
I’m not a doctor nor a woman, but I think it’s unacceptable to get blackouts from menstrual pains. To think that a doctor would just dismiss you like that, is even more unacceptable. It’s 2025, not 1925.
No. Chronic back pain is not normal. Acute back pain so bad you pass out also not normal.
Occasional back pain, I think is normal - over my more than half a century I’ve thrown my back out about 4 times and it hurt for a few days each time. Then went away. That seems more normal.
Such pain is not normal. I used to get backpack every month or so. To a level that I could not move anymore. Posture is very important. I now walk like some bodybuilder who is compensating for his small penis and it has done wonders for my back. Also it has lowered expectations about my penis, so women are always pleasantly surprised now.
Tall desk jockey, heavy walker. Not trying to diagnose, but I learned from experience that weak abdominal activation caused over compensation in the lower back to an extreme degree. Went from zero back pain, to plenty during covid, back to relatively little. Yoga, walking and lifting to improve core strength helped. Could it be something like that?
