Originally Posted by 40ish

Hi all, I'm new to the board. This seems like a wonderfully supportive place so I thought I might find some answers. If anyone has a suggestion or comment I would love to hear it. Thank you for reading!

The short version of the problem: After I sit down for any length of time I am temporarily unable to walk. The pain is extreme when I am taking those first steps. I feel completely unstable. The pain is sharp and centered in my lower back. My back feels out of alignment and I look like it is by the way I'm forced to move for about 5-10 minutes(Looooooong minutes!). After walking for a while the pain goes away and I feel normal until the next time I have to rise from sitting. I have no pain lying down. I feel better in the morning when I'm rested ....until I sit down. I also get a sharp jab of pain if I suddenly lean back a little far...ex. while swimming. I have no pain at all while I am sitting.

As you can probably imagine this is ruining my life. I go to less and less places because of the pain I have getting out of the car. I would be unable to get up from a meeting at a table for business or fun. Basically, it's turning me into a hermit. I can't park my car and walk across the street. I can't go to the movies or out to eat.

The problem started last summer and has been getting progressively worse. I did months of physical therapy with no lasting effect. The longest amount of relief was for a few hours following an adjustment with myofacial release.

History:
A year ago I had a blood clot in my leg and multiple pulmonary emboli. As a result I was laid up for a couple of months and walked oddly for a while. I was put on Warfarin and just stopped that this week. Because of this I was not able to take most anti-inflamitory meds. I tried muscle relaxants for a couple of months but they did nothing.

I've had X-rays and an MRI. They were all taken with me lying on my back. No segmental instability is shown. The conclusions from the MRI are: Degenerative Disk Disease. Severe billateral foraminal narrowing.

I have seen a neurologist who said that I had "discogenic pain and that the feeling of instability sounded like SI dysfunction" he said "no one really knows
what to do with that...why don't you go to a chiropractor"

I went to a chiropractor. I would feel good walking out of his office and then bad again when I got out of my car.

I am extremely frustrated that I have this disabling pain and I can't find a solution. In talking about it with a doctor recently I cried. She told me that the pain could be from depression and offered to put me on a drug for that! She hadn't even physically examined me herself before making that diagnosis.
I don't have pain because of depression ....I AM depressed that I have this major pain situation going on and can't find a solution. By the way I did read Dr. Sarno's book on the mind body connection... because I am open to anything that might help...it didn't

Sadly, I'm limited in the doctors and therapies I can seek by my HMO.

If any of you have experienced anything similar or no of any suggestions I would GREATLY appreciate it !

Thanks again - mae