Thanks once again for your help and advice, supernova_krose.

I have just had the results back from my MRI today. The hospital phoned me and said that I had an injury (which they say I could've done years ago as a kid and just didn't know at the time) and have basically hurt my disc/discs in the L2 and L3 area of my lumbar spine. The disc/discs have been pushed upwards and outwards which is a result they say of falling on my bottom or impact of some kind and that I'll need an epidural and to see a consultant which is why I'm seeing this physiotherapist practitioner specialist as she'll be able to refer me to one.

What do you reckon they may do with my disc/s?

The GP thing - I can't really change at the moment but probably will afterwards.

Epidurals can help a lot to calm down the nerve pain, so that sounds like a good start. If you can get with the right PT person after the epidural, they may also be able to help with core strengthening exercises that will help as well. Another option may be surgery, but since that can cause additional problems, you want to do that as a last resort. There's a good web resource at http://www.chirogeek.com/ that explains a lot about MRI's and back pain and treatment...you may want to take a look at that before your appointment.

Best of luck to you!

Kay

Thanks for your help and advcie, supernova_krose.

Yeah, I agree with you on the epidural. Seeing as mine is an injury and it's my discs (not a normal disc injury - I said they are going upwards and outwards from trauma) I am not going to be fixed by PT. Like I said before it hurts too much and doesn't provide relief so I think it is doing more harm than good. I'd prefer to see a consultant spine surgeon as, like I also said before - I've had this for three years. This is not a normal spine injury and needs a consultant to assess it and treat it. I don't mind doing PT after getting it fixed as it'll be fixed and not injured like it is now. What may happen if I leave it? Another thing I'm disabled and can't work because of this. For a 20 year old I have a career and other things to be doing and must not let my back stop me.

I have looked on the link you have provided and think it's got some good views and advice and I'm taking them into consideration in thinking which route to go. There's a lot of mixed reactions everywhere on every kind of treatment even PT so I still don't completely feel I can make the correct decision.

Thanks once again for your help and advice, I appreciate it a lot.