Pain in the Butt

 Overall, I'm super happy with the health and strength the Lord has given me to manage with proper diet and exercise. I'm 69 years old and I praise God for all the ways I am "able." I'm thankful for the guidance of health care professionals and the physical therapy programs I'm privileged to participate in. I've been diligent and have followed the professionals' advice,

Still, I suffer. I have pain that extends, often, from the top of my butt through nerves down to my lower legs. Though the top of my butt and my legs are usually uncomfortable, the pain isn't constant. It's my opinion that the pain comes from a nerve (or nerves) being squeezed, being squeezed by the weight of my upper body pressing down on them through my spine.

That's my opinion -- but the "interventional pain management" specialist says "There is no clear etiology of what is causing the nerve pain." He doesn't think there's a way to know what's causing the pain in my upper butt and legs. He prescribed a medication, and then increased the dosage. I told the specialist that the increased dosage seemed to have helped soon after I started taking it.. That was about 5 weeks ago. Soon, the pain increased again--at times, Now I wonder if the medication is doing much. Or, at least, not consistently. Recently he suggested I try acupuncture.

I think the amount of pain I'm suffering depends what I've done, recently, that may have jostled the lowest part of my spine, putting pressure on the nerves or nerve roots that pass through tiny openings between the vertebrae. On spinehealth.com I found this explanation: The L5 spinal nerve roots exit the spinal cord through small bony openings (intervertebral foramina) on the left and right sides of the spinal canal. 

I sent a note to my paimary care physician today to see how we can check this out.