[CarolinaSC77]

Hello... I came across this site when researching chronic sciatica pain.

I'm 35 years old and have 2 VERY active children (12 & 9). We raise horses and barrel race on the weekend. In May 2012, while trying to learn to ride one of our new horses, I fell off and thought I had just "hurt my back". I saw my family doctor, who provided me with pain and anti-inflammatory medicine so I was able to function and went back to riding within a week or so. In November, the same horse tripped while running the barrel pattern and I was thrown over his head and landed in the dirt flat on my back. Since that day, the pain in my lower back, legs, and feet hasn't stopped. There are days that it is tolerable and then there are days that I struggle to walk

According to my family doctor, my most recent MRI shows "arthritis around L4 and L5" but nothing else. I decided to go for a second opinion and the doctor I saw suggested that I see an Orthopaedic Spine Specialist. My appointment with him is on Feb 13th.

If anyone has any suggestions or know specific questions I should ask, please let me know! All of the terminology is very confusing to me and I want to be sure that I understand what the doctor tells me as well as convey to him that the type pain I'm having is not "normal".

Thank you!