Hi,
Sorry this is so long.
My name is Vicki and although I have not had the problems with the arm or upper part of my body you are having, the lower back has given me fits for about
the last 8 years now, arthritis of the lower spine,(slowly creeping up). You do not have to have had a injury for this to happen, it can be genetic. Arthritis has no respect for age (or anything else). Doctors have diagnosed me with Arthritis in my Faucet joint's and degeneration of the spine.
The symptom's are low back pain, pain in the butt and hip area, goes down my legs and to my feet some time's, muscle cramps in my calf's and in my low back. Walking is a night mare I use to walk 5 miles a day that was my routine, now I can't even walk across the parking lot at work. Pain gets so bad in my hip's and legs I have to stop every few steps just to get some relief. This they say is my SI joints,(and the Piriformis Muscle), I do have 2 herniated disk's, in L4 and L5. Pain med's do help but I really want off of them, I found a new doctor that refused surgery, but is trying to help me they have a team of doctors, pain management and therapy, along with my neurosurgeon, 2 Weeks ago I had the Radio Frequency Ablation (where they go in and burn the sensory nerves, it does not cure the problem just stops the transmission of pain to the brain), it has helped the back pain but not the hip pain or walking. When you have this many problems I know it is hard to adjust believe me, but you have to take a breath and start researching, Start with the diagnosis you have already got, and find out how they can help you with that first. Then go from there some of it may be anxiety from being overwhelmed with all that is going on in your body, Try to get plenty of rest even if you are not sleeping good (it is hard to sleep when you hurt all over and are Frustrated not knowing what is going on) a lot of times I will just lay down, I know you said you have a baby so when the baby takes a nap lay with them, you don't have to sleep just rest your body, don't push your self. As bad as I want to be active again I know if I push to hard then I am going to be down for a few day's. Do what you can when you can, I am very lucky my husband is very understanding. My Chiropractor has been very helpful the one thing that has helped me the most is when she does acne puncture on me it tends to release some of the stress in the muscles and nerve endings. Massage helps with the muscle cramps, ice 20 minuets at a time 3 to 4 time a day on your neck and low back. I am sorry you are going through this at such a young age, and I hope this will help you, but do not give up do what your doctors tell you to and as I said research (don't believe every thing you read on the internet) but sit down and wright out your symptom's and look them up, that is what I did, then I researched doctors, have your doctor get you a second and even third opinion if that is what it takes. I have been to several different doctors and one even told me I needed a 2 tire fusion in lower back, but 3 other doctors have told me they were so glad I didn't have it because it would have only made me worse (if that is possible). So take a deep breath hold that baby close, and just put one foot in front of the other, I am praying for you and hope you get better soon.
