How long should it take?

[sam5935]

Hello,

So, as some of you know by my recent, previous posts, I'm in the middle of the worst flare-up I've ever had. It's almost exclusively lower back pain that's causing me problems.

I've cut my working out way back. I've cut my coffee consumption back as well. I've also been doing stretches.

I've found spots in my hips and back that kind of replicate my back pain. However, they are completely symmetrical. If I have a spot on one side, it also hurts on the other, which makes me think they aren't trigger points.

I have an appointment with a PT this week, but it's at Kaiser so I doubt they're going to be too savvy about CPPS. Hopefully they'll be able to help with the back pain though. My back pain symptoms sound exactly like "classic" nerve root back pain so I'm not even sure if the chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome is the culprit at all!

So, here's my question(yes, there really is a question!). Provided the stretching and the "trigger point" therapy are going to help...how long should it take to notice a change? I've be working on them for 2-3 weeks now and it anything, my back is worse! This leads me to believe I'm not doing the right things at all.

Granted, my groin pain is not bad right now....and I am thankful for that, but it is the back pain that has been the worst and is threatening to disable me. I'm desperately hoping that this is just "normal" back pain and that the PT will be able to help me, or it's a herniated disc, or something "normal." Otherwise, I feel like I'm just screwed and destined to have this back pain forever.

Basically, I feel like I'm completely off target. I'm really starting to doubt that I have any trigger points that will provide relief and that stretching isn't going to help either. I just feel like I'm poking and prodding at myself blindly to no avail and perhaps making things even worse. I'm fully aware that there may not be a quick fix...but I'm starting to doubt there is ANY fix!! How do I figure out a treatment regimen?

Thank you for your time and for listening to me whine. I am aware that it could be worse!!

Shayne

[webslave]

Have you had a back injury? Car accident recently? Lifted something really heavy and felt a sudden back pain? If no to all the above, try to get an MRI to rule out herniated discs. Also helpful would be ice packs to lumbar spine/small of back (area about 3ins/8cm above buttocks, directly on spine, for about 8 inches/20cm). Keep ice packs on for 10 mins, do 3-4 times a day. Allow flesh to warm completely before repeating.

If you have no suspicious history, ice packs do not help and MRI is negative, you probably do not have nerve root pain.

Back to CPPS, I'm afraid. At my worst, I found it difficult to walk, so severe was the muscular pain in my pelvis.

[sam5935]

I have no indications for a back injury. Although I have been lifting weights for years and years and have never done any lower back strengthening exercises; The back pain started slowly about 4-5 months after the CPPS. I noticed that it really started when I figured out that by slumping down in a chair, I could avoid the testicular pain I was having. This way of sitting puts strain on the lower back and I was thinking that sitting like this for hours every day was starting to irritate the small muscles in my back.

Naproxen helps a lot, but I try not to take too much of that. When I wake up in the morning, I'm fine....then I start to feel this tightness in my lower back/upper buttocks area. Then, if I stand for more than about 20 minutes....my back starts to hurt. If I sit down or stretch my hamstrings it gets much better for 10-20 minutes, then the pain starts to creep up.

I realized last night that I'm to the point where I absolutely don't do anything that requires standing unless I have to. I don't go out to see my friends, run errands, clean my house....nothing unless it's crucial. I basically have no life left at all. I'm still hoping that a PT can find something out of whack that will help.

So, provided it is chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome and stretching and working on TP's will make a difference....how soon can you tell that a particular stretch or spot is part of the problem and needs additional work?

Thanks again!
Shayne

[webslave]

If TrP treatment leads to a big increase in pain, it's fairly certain that they are the problem. If no increase in pain or change in symptoms, then not.

What sort of disposition do you have? Do people tell you that you are anxious or tense, that you need to chill out? Because if you are highly strung and think you can get better without working on your mind as well (as in paradoxical relaxation), it won't work.

If you are not keyed up and tense mentally, I'd guess you may have some other problem, probably related to your back or pelvic joints. Your history of heavy lifting is suspicious. Also see https://ucpps.men/lifting-and-testicular-pain-epididymitis

[sam5935]

I honestly can't tell if the "TP's" are making things worse or not.


However, I'm extremely high-strung, worry about everything, and am in the middle of a top 20 nursing program where I'm #1 in my class and have completely stressed myself out to earn that distinction. Sound familiar?

So, I'm going back into therapy as well as getting a med. adjustment. I've been on Wellbutrin for years for depression and it is a very "activating" med capable of producing muscle tension and anxiety on its' own. I'm also going to start doing relaxation exercises.


I just feel like I've got so many treatment things going on, I can't tell what's working, what's making things worse, and what's doing nothing.

As always, thank you so much for your time. Hopefully in my health-care career, I'll have the opportunity to give some of this back to someone.

S-

[webslave]

Sounds like you're on the right track and your own assessment of where you are is most likely accurate. Keep us posted.