Goddamned Lower back pain

[The Industrial Atheist]

I have back pain due to degenerative disc disease. Stretching helps a little but rest helps the most. During late Spring and early Summer the pain and stiffness are minimal. Basically I feel like Hercules when it's hot out lol.

I used to do some heavy-ish deadlifts but I think my form was good on those. With the heavy squats though, my form was sometimes not so good.

Now I don't do deadlifts or barbell squats.

Definitely get your back checked out. You don't want to let something like that go.

[brewer]

Pain in your lower back radiating out to your hip and down your leg usually indicates neurologic/disc/spine involvement. You should go to the neurologist.

If it is neurological/disc, heat may not be helping. Try ice packs, the logic is to reduce the swelling of the disc pinching/compressing the nerve. 

Ya, I have a zipper back also. L5/S1 disc blown. Blew it off, big mistake. Made the surgery (laminectomy/discectomy) and recovery worse. Still don't have full sensation in the outside of my calf after 20 years.  

The exercises in the OP are the same/similar to the PT I did post surgery. 

Good Luck.

Thanks.
The kind of pain you said going down on your leg - did you have it every time you walked or only when you did something intense? Because the pain I described going down on my leg from my back I got when I played an intense football game (not to brag: P we won the game 2-1 , both goals me ^_^). That pain seemed to have gone after some rest but I can feel from the way my body's responding that I need more rest. I've also started to walk a bit because I've read too much rest can actually weaken my back.

The pain in my hip and leg was always present but the symptoms/pain level would vary. Sometimes minor, sometimes debilitating, sometimes only back and hip, sometimes all the way down to the ankle. It all depended on how much I tweeked by back. When I got a flair it would take at least a week to subside, and that was usually with ice paks and oral corticosteroids. 

That KKT treatment mentioned, run away. Stay away from chiropractors. 

I was given the option of a course of spinal/epidural steroid injections as conservative/nonsurgical therapy. I opted for surgery after looking at the  long term success rate of surgery vs injections. The injection process is not a pleasant experience. 

I'd suggest that you not start an exercise/strengthening program until you see the neurologist/neurosurgeon.

[ErGingerbreadMandude]

Thanks.
The kind of pain you said going down on your leg - did you have it every time you walked or only when you did something intense? Because the pain I described going down on my leg from my back I got when I played an intense football game (not to brag: P we won the game 2-1 , both goals me ^_^). That pain seemed to have gone after some rest but I can feel from the way my body's responding that I need more rest. I've also started to walk a bit because I've read too much rest can actually weaken my back.

The pain in my hip and leg was always present but the symptoms/pain level would vary. Sometimes minor, sometimes debilitating, sometimes only back and hip, sometimes all the way down to the ankle. It all depended on how much I tweeked by back. When I got a flair it would take at least a week to subside, and that was usually with ice paks and oral corticosteroids. 

That KKT treatment mentioned, run away. Stay away from chiropractors. 

I was given the option of a course of spinal/epidural steroid injections as conservative/nonsurgical therapy. I opted for surgery after looking at the  long term success rate of surgery vs injections. The injection process is not a pleasant experience. 

I'd suggest that you not start an exercise/strengthening program until you see the neurologist/neurosurgeon.

You've been very helpful. Thank you very much. After seeing the responses I've definitely made up my mind to go to the doctor's as soon as possible. Thanks everyone <3

[Fireball]

I have lower back trouble from years of working as a mechanic, heaving large metal objects that nowadays an employer require two or more people to do. I could pick up a Chevrolet small block engine less the manifolds and heads, and set it in the bed of a pickup truck by myself. That's about 300 pounds, with no decent handles. I'm paying the price for my lack of patience to wait for help. I'm currently wearing a brace just to function. It comes and goes. I stay off the narcotics as much as possible, too. Naproxen Sodium is about as strong as I want to go, but I do have some Tylenol #4 tablets left from my last bout, where I could hardly move from the pain. Got some squishy discs, now. But I'm 64; you are younger and will heal faster. Take care of your back now! You'll thank me someday for that advice.

[brewer]

Forgot to mention one passive treatment that seems to work for a lot of people with all types of spine generated pain. Inversion.

[Godscreated]

@ pool the great, I've lived with back pain since my late 20's I'm now 63, as others have said take care of your back now because later you will regret it if you do not. My pain is also from degenerative disc disease and surgery is not a real option, the surgeons I went to said they would not operate because scare tissue would just make things worse, I'm thankful for honest doctors.
You should go to a doctor to get a x-ray first, then if an MRI is necessary the doctors will let you know. You do not need to see a neurologist/neurosurgeon first that can get expensive fast. You have time enough to go through the doctors as they are needed. I will tell you this laying around doing nothing will not help the pain go away if it's not a serious injury, I know from over 30 years of dealing with the pain. Again go to your regular doctor soon and find out what the problem is, once it's fixed take good care of your back you want regret it. This is advice from experience, I'm no doctor but I've seen many, good luck.

GC