Pinched nerve in my lower back

Alright.

About a month and a half ago, I lifted this heavy box in my apartment—and of course, I lifted it with my back instead of squatting properly.

The very next day, I made one awkward movement and everything just seized up on me.

I honestly can't tell which specific incident triggered all these current issues.

Since then, I've been dealing with a rotating cast of symptoms: tingling in both legs, shooting pains through the right side of my glute and down my leg, and a dull ache in my lower right back—it feels like some nerve is being pinched somewhere.

The symptoms are so inconsistent; there are days when I barely feel anything at all, but then there are days where the pain is absolutely maddening (and I really don't want to be popping Ibuprofen constantly).

For the last few nights, my sleep has been pretty terrible because I just can't find a single position that doesn't hurt.

What am I looking at here, guys?

Does anyone have an idea of what might be compressing the nerve and how to fix it, because the pain is driving me freaking insane?

This is all totally new to me.

Regarding my medical reports: I had an MRI of my lumbar spine and I've started seeing a specialist privately for therapy.

The MRI report says: The MRI of the lumbar spine in sagittal and transverse projections using T1 and T2 weighted imaging shows a mild leftward scoliosis of the lumbar spine along with a straightened physiological lumbar lordosis.

Degenerative disc changes are visible at the L4-L5 segment, involving the endplates of the vertebrae.

On the T1 and T2 weighted transverse sections, there is a dorso-medial disc protrusion at the L4-L5 segment, which extends bilaterally, more so on the right.
There are no signs of disc herniation in the other segments.

The visualized TH-L spinal cord shows normal physiological signal intensity.

It worries me because the symptoms seem to subside for a bit, only to flare up again, and I have no clue what triggers them. I’m avoiding lifting anything heavy and trying my best not to make any sudden movements.

I realize I have a disc protrusion. My physiatrist mentioned that it’s likely been there for quite a while (meaning it didn't just pop up from lifting that box).

Is it possible that lifting that damn box caused something else to shift, which is now putting pressure on the nerve?

How can I know for sure what exactly is causing the compression?

What should my next move be?

My primary care doctor seems pretty indifferent about it; she basically just told me that this is normal and that it takes a long time to heal...

Okay, I get that I need to do exercises.

But who can point me toward reliable exercises? (I really don't want to mess myself up even further).

Help, please, because I'm totally out of my element here...

I am definitely not going to a chiropractor.

Thanks.

Physical therapy. That kind of protrusion is pretty common.
In PT, you'll go through exercises that you’ll eventually have to do on your own consistently. The goal is to strengthen the muscles so they can shoulder more of the load, which takes the pressure off your spine.
You'll probably get some electrical stimulation or laser therapy too, which helps manage the pain.
Go ahead and take some ibuprofen. It's better to be pain-free, and since it's an anti-inflammatory, it'll help with that nerve inflammation causing you trouble.

Thanks for getting back to me.

It would honestly be such a relief if this therapy actually worked...

I know it’s a tough question to ask, but do you have any idea how long this f*****g nerve pain might last 😁?

I can't help but feel like I'm somehow aggravating the nerve myself through certain movements or something 🤷, because things will be quiet for a couple of days, and then the pain just flares right back up in this endless cycle...

Is that even normal?

I mean, it feels like something shifted inside me, but I just have no clue what it could be...

That’s all pretty standard for the diagnosis you’re dealing with.
You need to be careful about how you move—from here on out, indefinitely. 😁

It could last for any amount of time... but usually, things taper off or recede after a few months.

By the way, have you had an MRI yet? If they spot a protrusion, they really should get some measurements on it.

Oh, thank you so much!

I feel a little bit 😁 more at ease now...

I was working at Holy Spirit... and I guess some doctor from general practice was mumbling something about my results being slightly incomplete... though I honestly have no idea what they meant...

And hopefully, that protrusion isn't actually a major issue since they didn't even measure it 😁...

Anyway, if anyone else has any thoughts or comments, please feel free to reach out...

It doesn't really matter if the protrusion is small or large; what matters is how much pain you're in and how much it limits your movement. If you have the CD from your MRI, you probably have the viewing software too. When you see a doctor, ask them to take measurements so you have a baseline to track any changes down the road.
Something that might help is Perskindol cream—the yellow one. You can pick it up at any CVS or Walgreens and rub it on the painful spot and along your entire spine.
When you start physical therapy, pay close attention to which exercises actually feel right and which ones don't. Be very clear and direct with your therapist about that.

Yes, I finally got the disc with my results, so I’m going to follow up with them.

To be honest, the physiatrist actually mentioned it was only about 3 or 4 mm, so I guess I shouldn't be panicking since even Usain Bolt has a protrusion of 9 mm 😁.

What I meant to say is that this protrusion has clearly been there for a while now; I've only been dealing with these specific issues for the last month or so, so I'm really hoping that isn't what's causing everything—but then again, who knows...

So far, I haven't started any actual exercises yet. It's just been electrical stimulation on my upper back, some massage, and manual therapy (which has been absolutely wonderful 😁).

They told me not to start any exercises just yet...

What exactly is the difference between a pinched nerve and nerve inflammation?

So, basically, what I heard—and this is just my take on it, don't quote me—is that some nerve got pinched between the vertebrae because someone didn't move quite right or something, and honestly, I haven't really looked into the medical specifics enough to know for sure, but that's the gist of it.

Thanks.

But how can you actually tell if a nerve is inflamed or just pinched?

My own gut feeling is that it might be pinched—since there's this constant, dull sensation in my lower right side—but then it flares up periodically with actual pain, so I'm not entirely sure if I'm reading the signs correctly🤷...

... and even if the jamming happened because something shifted out of alignment, how on earth do I reset everything back to its original position 😁?