Lower Back Pains

[Kylethomson96]

hey guys,

I'm 22 and ever since i was about 17/18 I have always suffered with a lower back pain. I have been to the doctors so many times about this and they always send me for an x-ray which always comes back as normal, so they don't take things any further. I've recently been told I can only take paracetamol to try an ease off the pain however this isn't really going to work after so many years of the pains. I'm aware of Crohns Disease affecting your joins and muscles and whenever I mention this to my GP they just kind of nod it off. Does anyone else suffer with lower back pains due to Crohns? I'm at the stage where I kind of want rid of it or for it to be treated now.

Any kind of reply or advice is much appreciated

Kyle

 

[Maya142]

Have you seen a rheumatologist? There is a particular kind of arthritis associated with IBD that tends to affect the lower back. Spondyloarthritis typically affects the SI joints and spine. Symptoms include morning stiffness and lower back pain - pain that gets better with movement and worse with rest. For example, sitting through a movie is painful for my daughters (both have a form of SpA).

In SpA, x-rays tend to be normal in the early years of the disease. This is because x-rays only show damage and damage can take up to 8-10 years to occur. Once the damage is done, then it is visible on x-rays.

A much more accurate test would be an MRI, which would show inflammation if there is any. MRIs show inflammation as well as damage, so they are much more useful early in the disease. Now since MRIs are widely available, the disease is more often diagnosed BEFORE damage is done, and rheumatologists are now able to use meds like biologics to prevent damage from occurring.

SpA typically affects the SI joints, hips, knees and spine. However, really any joint can be involved - my younger daughter has finger, elbow, wrist, ankle and jaw involvement as well as the other joints I mentioned above.

CCFA has a good explanation of the various kinds of arthritis associated with Crohn's:http://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/assets/pdfs/arthritiscomplications.pdf

Spondylitis.org is also a good source of info.

It is really important to know whether you have SpA so it can be treated. Like with Crohn's, the disease can cause a lot of damage, including SI joint and spinal fusion, if left unchecked.

 

[jjk308]

Try seeing the top notch orthopedic surgeon in your area.

I had lower back pain from age 13. They diagnosed that I had one leg about 1/2 inch shorter than the other and it got intermittently worse with age. Subsequent orthopedists, X rays, MRIs didn't change that diagnosis. I passed on surgery recommendations because of the high failure rate at that time and possibility of intractable severe pain.

Then at age 50, the pain became constant while walking. I saw the best Orthopedic Surgeon in my area. He took a series of X rays, diagnosed the problem as a form of Scoliosis caused by a pelvic deformity. My pelvis is higher on one side than the other and my spine comes off at an angle that causes an inherent structural weakness. And contrary to what everyone else said both legs are the same length, just my waist is a little higher on one side. It took 3 or 4 X rays in different positions to show it clearly.

Unfortunately my condition is not operable (I'm glad I passed on surgery earlier) but it is an example of diagnostic difficulties. See someone who other doctors acknowledge as the best.