#1 ·
I’ve been dealing with digestive issues, stomach trouble, heart stuff, and back pain for years now. I also get this sharp pain just below my left rib cage, about four inches from my sternum. Every single test comes back perfect—everything looks fine except for an X-ray showing some scoliosis and blood work showing elevated white blood cell counts, which suggests internal bleeding that doesn't actually show up anywhere else.
It all feels like it's coming from this lump located to the left of my lower spine, tucked under my kidney and above my hip.
The lump feels like a cramped muscle. If I massage it, it gets incredibly irritated, kind of like when you rub a stiff neck. It wouldn't surprise me if massaging it triggers my bowels; it actually gets things moving enough to cause gas, almost like the massage unblocks my gut because everything down there has become sluggish or stiff.
The issue is my doctor is basically brushing it off. She tells me I just need to exercise more, which I do—I swim regularly—but it isn't helping. I tried physical therapy for a while where they used electrical stimulation, and that numbed the irritation for a little bit, but only temporarily.
So, what am I looking at here? I’m starting to suspect it might be a pinched nerve like sciatica. If that's the case, what specific medical specialty should I ask my doctor for a direct referral to?
It all feels like it's coming from this lump located to the left of my lower spine, tucked under my kidney and above my hip.
The lump feels like a cramped muscle. If I massage it, it gets incredibly irritated, kind of like when you rub a stiff neck. It wouldn't surprise me if massaging it triggers my bowels; it actually gets things moving enough to cause gas, almost like the massage unblocks my gut because everything down there has become sluggish or stiff.
The issue is my doctor is basically brushing it off. She tells me I just need to exercise more, which I do—I swim regularly—but it isn't helping. I tried physical therapy for a while where they used electrical stimulation, and that numbed the irritation for a little bit, but only temporarily.
So, what am I looking at here? I’m starting to suspect it might be a pinched nerve like sciatica. If that's the case, what specific medical specialty should I ask my doctor for a direct referral to?