Intensifying Pain in Lower Back and Coccyx
(21 years old, 5'5", 150 lbs): Two months ago, while seated at my desk, I experienced an excruciating pain, rated at a 10/10, primarily focused in the vicinity of my S1, sacrum, and tailbone. My understanding of anatomy isn't great, but the sensation was overwhelming. I fell onto my bed, applying a heating pad, yet on waking the next morning, the pain had lessened only slightly to a 9/10, making it impossible for me to move or change positions. I had to call my father for assistance because the agony was so intense that even gentle pressure on the affected area was unwelcome; he could only provide a soft massage. Gradually, I was able to walk, but not without a significant limp, as it was an act of sheer determination rather than relief from the massage.
During the following night, I woke up three times with persistent pain, which had started radiating down to my legs and feet, all while the initial discomfort lingered in the same region. However, as the day progressed, the pain diminished to a 5/10, leading me to believe it was improving, so I attended school without a limp. Unfortunately, while using public transit, the sharp pain returned, reaching an intensity of 8-9/10 once more, and I resumed limping home. As I removed my socks while standing with my legs crossed, I felt a pop in the sacral area that immediately sent a burning sensation down my left leg, forcing me to retreat to bed with a heating pad. This left me incapacitated and missing school for a duration of two weeks.
As time went on, the severity of the pain subsided somewhat, but I found it challenging to perform simple tasks such as showering, standing, or sitting for extended periods and walking even short distances. Believing it to be sciatica, I sought physical therapy, where it was suggested I might have a herniated disc. Yet, after three weeks of therapy and an MRI scan of my lumbar spine, it was confirmed that my spine was intact and my condition was not indicative of a herniated disc. The pain I was experiencing, which had begun to centralize as it remained in my feet and calves but heightened in my lower back and sacrum, was not due to a healing issue with a disc.
Currently, the discomfort in my lower back and the coccyx is relentless, sharp, and burning, leaving me unable to alleviate it through any means, whether ice, heat, massages, or shifting positions. I have been frequently absent from school and find myself in tears regularly; my eyes become puffy from the distress. During class, I often sneak away to an empty room to lay on my stomach; while this does not relieve the pain, it is somewhat less intolerable.
I've been experiencing extreme fatigue, going to bed at 8 PM and frequently taking naps throughout the day. Though I'm uncertain if it correlates, I have endured undiagnosed abdominal pain for the past year, which has been unresponsive to scans. Additionally, my menstrual periods have become increasingly painful, although I cannot determine if these two issues are related since the new pain manifested only two months ago and has persisted since then. The situation has become so unbearable that I am contemplating extreme measures.
I assure you, I'm not exaggerating my pain; I have previously endured severe tooth pain due to a dental abscess for an entire week, as I lacked insurance. That experience was the worst, and this new pain is a close second.
I am reaching out for assistance because I am desperate. The agony is unbearable.
BronchitisAllergy & ImmunologyPulmonology