Lower back pain on right side?
I have a really bad pain on the lower right side of my back. It gets worse when bend over, cough or sneeze. And now the pain is shooting down my hip and leg. It gets worse as I sit down or drive. Also, I do a lot of heavy lifting. Does anyone know what could be going on? I do plan to go to a doctor with in the next couple days. The pain started about 1-2 weeks ago.
Public Comments
1. It sounds like you strained your muscle. Put some Tiger Balm or pain relieving ointment on it. Take hot baths and don't strain it. You need to let it heal. No more lifting heavy things.2. Your dieing.
3. It sounds like a spinal nerve root is being impinged. A herniated disc can impinge a nerve root or just the nerve the nerve root itself may be impinged as it exits the spinal column through the intervertebal foramen.
The fact that your pain increases when you cough or sneeze is indicative of nerve root and/or disc herniation. This is because coughing/sneezing increases the pressure in your spine (called intrathecal pressure), causing the disc to bulge and put pressure of the nerve root.
Furthermore, the fact that your pain also increases when you bend over or sit is also indicative of nerve root pathology and/or disc herniation. This is because bending "squishes" your disc and/or nerve root.
Finally, radiating pain down the leg is very indicative of disc herniation and/or nerve root impingement.
I suggest that you keep your plan to see your doctor. He'll probably prescribe physical therapy which should help.
4. Hi...I am a physical therapist. I agree with Jessica. Pain with bending, coughing and sneezing indicates a herniated disc. You will want to see your doctor to begin treatment, hopefully including anti-inflammatory meds (such as a Medrol steroid pack) and physical therapy.
In the mean time, if bending hurts, you will want to minimize bending and any lifting or extended sitting. Instead, try lying on your stomach for 30 seconds to 2 minutes FREQUENTLY during the day. This will help to minimize the disc bulge. You may feel some increased low back symptoms in this position but you should feel relief from your leg pain. This is called centralization of symptoms and is a good sign the disc is moving away from the nerve.
In addition, to help minimize inflammation use ice packs (NO HEAT!), 10 minutes at a time frequently throughout the day. If you can tolerate taking anti-inflammatory medication, begin taking the medication on a frequent basis.
Check out the link below as it will have information about herniated discs and pictures of the stretches.
Good luck.
