Chronic hip pain/back pain and what to do from here.
I have been living with lower back pain since around age 15, I’m now 36 and a female. Initially started with back spasms when walking. Over the years this has progressed to hip pain as well. I feel the pain deep in my hips on both sides. It is painful to bend either side, and also to bend forward especially carrying a load e.g my three year old.
My Pain fluctuates, I have it at night and wake about once needing to change position in bed and the pain and the stiffness is at its worst currently when I wake in the morning, or after sitting or standing for a long time.
It’s hard to straighten up from sitting to standing due to stiffness. I have had a few bad flare ups over the years, usually triggered by vigorous/new exercise regimes for example 6 week gym challenges or seeing PTs doing cross fit type exercises. These flare ups have resulted in back spasms and pain so that I have reduced movement and can’t really get out of bed, but this has happened around 3 times in the past 10 years so it’s few and far between, and not recently. I’ve had episodes when less fit where it is very painful to turn over in bed.
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I’ve had a lower back xray 10 years ago - NAD and a further Xray around a month ago also no significant changes just some minor degeneration of pubis symphasys (I’ve had 2 kids). Also had bloods recently which were NAD for CRP and other markers. Have been seeing an osteopath for the past 3 months and putting my all into rehabbing what he thinks is likely lumbar disc herniations. When I get up in the morning my stiffness and pain subsides pretty quickly when I start exercise. I have no pain when I exercise. Every day I run on a treadmill, do weights (gently) and I do my exercises from the osteopath at least twice a day, one big session in the morning and one at night. I feel at my best when I am mid exercise session, then slowly seize up when I stop. I am seeing some improvement in pain during the day, but my
pain and stiffness at night continues on, I can’t seem to improve this despite the effort I am putting in.
My GP attempted to refer me to a rheumatologist here in Australia but it was rejected. I want to know whether I should just continue to rehab this or is it reasonable that I ask for an MRI to see what the problem really is? I am not sure if this would be normal for disc herniation to have this ongoing hip pain? Any input would be greatly appreciated.