Dealing with chronic back pain

It might not even be a herniated disc. There are honestly a million different things that could be causing that kind of pain.
Usually, the standard routine goes like this: you see a physiatrist and get an RTG, then move on to physical therapy. If you aren't seeing any actual progress after a few months of that, then it’s time for an MRI. Depending on what those scans show, you'll end up sitting in a neurosurgeon's office for a consultation.

What would I give if things were different? Honestly, my college degree depends on this way too much... and don't even get me started on sports, I really don't want to go there right now...
fadedheron892 you're totally right, obviously I can't exactly get a medical diagnosis on an online forum...

You won't actually know for sure until you get the tests done. I've had two hernia surgeries myself, but honestly, I really hope you aren't dealing with that.

What Jeffrey Garcia6 told you is just your standard routine, but if I were you, I’d go ahead and book an MRI at a place like CityMD right now just to be safe since the wait times can hit like four months; that way, by the time you're done with physical therapy, you can jump straight into the scan if things aren't looking up, and honestly, it's way easier to cancel an MRI than it is to sit around waiting for one when you actually need it

Thanks, I hope so too.
I’ve only just reached the physical therapist stage, though I’m still waiting on that for a bit, but thanks for the tip regarding the MRI—I'll definitely get that done.
Two herniations? Man, that sounds brutal. I really feel for you...
Also, I have to ask you something because it’s been weighing on my mind. I was reading that one of the symptoms is pain when you sneeze, cough, or even laugh... did you experience that? And can it show up later on, or are those symptoms a must-have for a diagnosis?

Oh yeah, those symptoms are definitely a thing after surgery. 😁

A couple of my buddies who went under the knife dealt with the exact same stuff, though I've no clue if it hits everyone or just some people, so honestly, don't go stressing yourself out over it before you even get your test results back.

I’m guessing that smiley face means things went pretty badly
and I’ll try my best not to overdo it, thanks!!

fadedridge9 said:I’m guessing that smiley face means things went south
and I'll try not to overdo it, thanks!!

Stop making assumptions because everyone deals with this differently—the intensity and how long it lasts varies wildly from person to person.

Would this actually be worth anything?

http://www.zdravljeinfo.blogspot.com/

Hey guys, I've been dealing with this nagging back pain for a while now, but over the last week it’s really ramped up in my lower back—it feels like it’s deep in the bone, right around those bottom two vertebrae. It probably shouldn't come as a surprise since I’m glued to my desk for 8 or 9 hours a day at work and barely move a muscle, but I can't help feeling like it might be something more serious. I happened to read somewhere that this kind of ache could actually be a sign of bone cancer, so now I'm totally 😲

Just seeing a physiotherapist...

The aches just won't let up. Honestly, instead of calling it sharp pain, it feels more like this constant, low-grade discomfort—kind of like a slow, steady burn crawling right through my lower back. 🤷

I'm dealing with this exact same issue. I honestly don't know what else to try or where to turn... 🙂

Chris Myers5 said:I’m dealing with the exact same thing. Honestly, I don't even know what steps to take anymore. 🙂

The problem is you're being treated incorrectly—you aren't taking control of your own recovery. You need to actually study the work of one of the most prominent physicians of our era, dr. Sarna.

This entire forum is cluttered with counterproductive advice—the kind that leaves people living in constant fear of physical activity and stuck with a diminished quality of life.

Personally, myself and many others who started down this same path—after hitting a dead end with back issues caused by useless magnets and incompetent doctors—now live without even a passing thought about my back being an issue.