Question:
For over a year now, I've had lower back pain, on the left side, more muscular than spinal. It's a dull, throbbing ache that is at its worst when I first wake up in the morning. It takes me a few minutes to get out of bed, and it can be very painful to do so. After a very long, very hot shower, the pain lessens, but never goes away completely.

Also, I get frequent headaches, almost daily. They too, never seem to go away completely, but are not usually severe enough to keep me down. On occasion I wake up around 4 am with a headache so severe that it's difficult to get out of bed to take some pain medicine. Migraine medication (Exedrin Migraine) helps, but only to lessen the pain, not get rid of it completely. Whether the back pain and headaches are associated, I have no idea, and neither do my doctors. Anyone else have an idea?

Answer:

I am not sure what could be causing the headaches, although it could be diet related. You could try seeing a nutricionalist, might be able to help?

alternatively, the headaches and back pain could be related? You could try seeing a osteopath, or a acupuncturist.

My friend suffers from spondilosis, her symptoms are very similar to yours. It takes her a good five minutes every morning to get out of bed, I think she also does the shower thing but I'm not sure. She visited an osteopath in the past and found it very beneficial... not sure why she no longer goes. She has also been recommended to take regular physical activity, which she has found to help a great deal, as well as hot compresses, like a wheat bag.

For your headaches you could try using Essential Oils, Lavender is generally recommended for headaches and is generally regarded as safe to use, except if you are pregnant or suffer from low blood pressure, but I don't think there is a problem there!

You can use the oil in a number of ways, either by putting a drop on a hankerchief and smelling it regularly, or by rubbing one drop into your temples. How many pillows do you use to sleep? Has this changed? If so, when? Was it before or after you started experiencing pain?

What sort of work do you do? Had it changed in any manner at the time of onset? Do you drive for a living? If so,. has your route changed? If so, when? What other changes, no matter how slight, occurred around the time of onset?

---

---