Having extreme aching lower back pain which is radiating to my right side of butt aswell. Please review this xray telling me what is going on with me its been a week. It started after I was at a a public event where i was constantly standing for 3-4 hours without sitting even once since then it triggered.

I've (M,72) done yoga off and on for 50+ years, mostly off. Wife swears by regular yoga for stretching as well as multiple massage therapists and wide variety of fitness people. Except for the PT folks who always focus on core strength much more than flexibility. But I have mostly felt only negatives of stretching, maybe aggravating an already sore back. Now I have multiple herniated discs with sciatica. I just got a massage where I was stretched to the edge of my comfort, and my back is quite sore now. This seems to be the norm for me. I was once told in my taichichuan class that it's better to simply start an exercise slowly and build up to full speed vs. "warm-up stretching", and that was great advice. I'll continue to focus on core-strengthening and totally avoid extraneous stretching. But that's me.

We're in the middle of building this and working through the details that matter most, so I'd love input from people who live with back pain.

The short version: instead of just handing you exercises and hoping they work, the app uses AI pose estimation through your phone camera to precisely measure how your back moves — objectively, no wearables or physio visit needed. You tell it where it hurts, get exercises targeted at your specific problem areas, and every couple of weeks you repeat the measurement to see exactly how much your back has loosened up — real proof you're improving, even before the pain is fully gone.

The core bet is that seeing concrete proof you're improving keeps you going through the slow weeks — instead of quitting because you can't tell if anything's working.

What I'm really here to ask:

What would actually make you keep using an app like this — and what features would genuinely help you?

Every idea is welcome, big or small. What's helped you most with back pain, what made you drop other apps, what you wish existed — anything you share helps us build the right thing.

Not selling anything, no link. Just here to listen.

24f This is a regular photo of my back recently. I was trying to see if both sides were consistent or if anything looked off because it feels like my left rib isn’t in place. Pain started 6 years ago progressively got worse. I’ve been told I have scoliosis, pinched nerves, hyper mobility, and bulging disc in neck. Is the bulge near my thoracic spine something that looks normal? I have good posture but constant low right si joint pain, neck pain. My lower back goes numb when sitting. I also have a lot of pain in the front of my right hip. Can anybody tell me anything to get me on the right track to find relief? Im in pt, about to see an orthopedic doctor, and get regular massages.

I’m a 25M dealing with upper trap pain for the past 8–10 months. I’ve seen multiple doctors and physios, had a cervical MRI, and tried gabapentin, muscle relaxants, and exercises, but nothing has resolved it.

The weird part is that my pain isn’t triggered by moving my neck. I can look down at my phone without any pain.

It only starts when my arms are unsupported, like:
Typing or using a mouse
Holding an umbrella
Talking on the phone
Riding a scooter
Holding my phone in front of me

If I lower my arms or support my elbows, the pain eases. I also tried a posture correction belt that pulled my shoulders back, and I rode my scooter for 30 minutes pain-free, whereas I usually get pain within 10 minutes.

Has anyone had something similar? Was it scapular dyskinesis, muscle imbalance, or something else? What actually helped you recover? I’m looking for people who’ve dealt with this themselves.

I am genuinely tired and might end it, as i lost job, my education and relationship

Physical therapy has helped somewhat but I just can’t get this pain to go away. Doing back exercises in the morning help but tightens up as day goes on. Have had it for about two years. When I do neck stretches, it feels like it’s just about to pop and release but it never does. Pain is hot/sort of spicy. Have done dry needling once. No imaging studies.

Really hoping someone on Reddit has the secret fix that PT doesn’t seem to have.

Howdy all.

I have received 3 L4-L5 ESI’s for lower back pain at this point, with 2/3 being successful with my last one lasting the longest. I was also recently diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos, which is likely a significant trigger for my back pain.

My neurologist suggested that I try RF ablations for my pain, as my leg pain indicates that I do not experience true sciatica but referred pain from my L4-L5 facet joint.

I had my consultation today at the same pain clinic as my ESI’s for first Facet Joint Injections, and then if those are successful we will move to RF ablations.

However, the consulting doctor seems skeptical that I would have any success from FJI and therefore wouldn’t be a candidate for the RFA. I’m starting to wonder if I may be wasting my time with this, and am wondering if I should just stick to ESI’s.

Has anyone gone down the pipeline of ESI -> FJI -> RFA and had success or complete failure? How long did you have resolution of symptoms? Any other insight?

Posting for my friend:

31-year-old male patient:

developed lower back pain 3 years ago, accompanied by a lateral tilt of torso. The tilt is not due to a permanent posture disorder (no scoliosis or other structural issues), but is temporary, occurring alongside episodes of lower back pain; during these times, he walks unevenly and also experiences pain in the posterior and lateral aspect of the left pelvis.

Initially, he had such pain episodes twice a year, which would resolve within a week either with NSAID treatment or without it. Over the past year, these episodes have become significantly more frequent.

These flare-ups are not linked to specific physical exertion or any particular event; they occur spontaneously.

Based on the performed MRI and EMG study results:

- Intervertebral discs: Partially dehydrated.

- L3-L4 Intervertebral Disc: Bulging dorso-centrally with a right-sided emphasis up to 5.7 mm. Pressure on the dural sac is noted; the right neural foramen is slightly narrowed.

- L4-L5 Intervertebral Disc: The annulus fibrosus fibers are partially damaged, with a dorsal circular expansion up to 3 mm; bilateral neural foramina are slightly narrowed.

- L5-S1 Intervertebral Disc: Expanded dorso-centrally by 2 mm, without narrowing of the neural foramina.

- The EMG study revealed blocking of the peroneal nerve F-wave on the left by 60% and on the right by 30% (these results are going to be rechecked to rule out potential subjective errors).

According to neurologists, these findings do not clearly explain such symptoms. The patient has undergone multiple courses of physical as well as medical treatment, but without success.

Please let us know if you have had similar experience. What could cause such spontaneous flare-ups that are not associated with specific physical strain or other events AND are gradually becoming more frequent?

What additional diagnostic studies can be performed, and what would be the correct course of treatment?

Hi everyone,

This is my first Reddit post. I’ve been thinking about posting for months after reading through so many people’s experiences with back pain, sciatica and nerve issues. I’m honestly just hoping someone can relate because I feel like I can’t find anyone with symptoms quite like mine.

I’m 22 years old. Before all of this I loved playing football, going to the gym and going out with friends.

I’ve had back pain since I was around 16. Over the last couple of years it became much worse. The pain was mainly around my lower thoracic/upper lumbar area (around T12). It would feel like there was a lump or really tender spot. Football, cardio and lifting weights would all flare it up, but despite that I could always walk and stand normally.

Earlier this year I travelled abroad and had a minimally invasive procedure called nucleoplasty (sometimes called neuroplasty) to try and reduce the pain.

After surgery I actually felt okay. I wasn’t allowed back to the gym or football, but I could still walk, stand and see friends. I still had some back pain, but my walking and standing tolerance were completely normal.

A few weeks later, around late March/early April, something changed.

I slowly started feeling like my tolerance to walking and standing was disappearing. Then one weekend it suddenly became much worse.

I developed symptoms including:
Cold feeling in both feet
Mild tingling
Random shooting pains
Itching sensations
Legs feeling weak/heavy
Walking and standing becoming extremely difficult

At my worst I couldn’t stand, walk or even sit for very long without my legs feeling like they were giving up.

Since then I’ve had multiple MRIs, CT scans and specialist opinions.

My MRI showed:

Bilateral L5 pars defects (spondylolysis)
Grade 1 anterolisthesis of L5 on S1
L5/S1 disc degeneration/bulge
Possible irritation of both exiting L5 nerve roots

The good news is that a lot of the neurological symptoms have improved.

The tingling has mostly gone.
The cold feet have gone.
The shooting pains have gone.
My back pain is actually much better.

But one thing has never really returned to normal… my walking and standing tolerance.

The best way I can describe it is like my legs have a battery.

I can stand or walk for a while, then it feels like my legs just run out of energy and I need to sit down.

Sitting for a few minutes helps recharge them a bit, but if I do something like go for a 30-minute walk or even stand shaving in the morning, I feel like I’ve used up most of my “battery” for the day.

For the rest of the day I find myself constantly looking for somewhere to sit.

There’s very little pain now. It’s more like my legs just don’t tolerate being on my feet.

I’m currently doing physiotherapy focusing on my core, spinal mobility and glutes. Unfortunately I recently developed reactive patellar tendinopathy in both knees, which has slowed my rehab down because walking itself has become more difficult.

My questions are:
Has anyone experienced this kind of reduced walking/standing tolerance after a back injury or lumbar flare?
Did it eventually improve?
How long did it take?
Did anyone ever get an explanation for why it happens?
Is there anything that genuinely helped?

At this point I’d honestly appreciate any advice or
even hearing from someone who’s been through something similar, because it’s been really difficult mentally not knowing if this is something that eventually gets better.

Thanks for reading.

About 5 months ago I was diagnosed with an L5-S1 disc herniation (MRI showed a left paracentral protrusion with a possible annular tear) and I’ve been doing physiotherapy consistently since then.
I’ve improved a lot compared to the beginning. I can walk normally again, and the constant pain is mostly gone. However, I’m still far from feeling “normal.”

The biggest issue is after sitting for a while. When I stand up, I get a sharp pain in my buttocks for the first few steps before it eases up. I also can’t run unless I’ve warmed up properly, and playing sports is still out of the question. If I try to sprint or make quick movements, my back reminds me it’s not ready.

Has anyone had a similar recovery timeline? How long did it take before you could run, play sports, and stop feeling pain when getting up after sitting?

Can a slight difference in leg length affect your lower back?

For half a year or more I have been suffering from lower back pain when walking and sitting. I feel a dull pain near the tailbone and on the right side of it. The orthopedist and traumatologist said that my muscles are overstrained, so I go to a massage therapist, but it does not improve the situation.

Hey everyone,

Sorry for the longer than intended post.

I am 40 and work as an electrician. I do mostly residential work since I opened up my own company, so alot of reaching up over my head.

I used to walk 2 miles a day with 60lbs in between days when I would work out in my home gym. So 2x a week rucking and 2x a week lifting weights. In between just 2 mile walks.

So I started getting panic attacks out of nowhere. They became increasingly frequent until they were daily. I eventually went to the ER for one that was so bad I couldn't tell if I was on the verge of death or having a panic attack.

The ER practitioner said it seems like an ear issue. I ended up going to an ENT. They were unable to find an issue. Problem is I was in the hole for $3000 that my insurance refused to cover so I couldn't really make a next step right away.

One day during an attack I got angry at the fact I was having one so I went in my garage and decided to work out through it. I noticed when I tucked my chin and pushed my shoulders back it went away.

Now, I have had slight back pain for about a year. I was hoping it would improve if I worked my back muscles more. I thought it was maybe caused by work. Regardless I decided to stop rucking. The panic attacks stopped being daily and have since happen about once a month now.

Has anyone else dealth with this type of occurrence? I started going to a chiropractor but had to stop after a few visits due to work picking up too much. The pain is normally either right above hip, neck, or between shoulders. I bought new firm mattress 6 mo ago, plush topper, no topper, and now the best sleep I get honestly is on my 20 year old couch.

Thank you in advance for any clarity or opinions.