Lower back pain

i have suffered from back problems forever and i would say go see an orthopedist immediately. you may just have a sore muscle, but it could be something more serious.

let him take look at you and ask some questions. then get an mri or whatever image of your back to check for ruptured discs. also get multiple opinions. i had three or four doctors give me the, "well, your flexibility seems fine and you don’t seem to have any loss in strength so take a couple of Advil twice a day for two weeks and come back if the pain persists." i lost years of racing/riding/sports because of those douche bag muther fockers. finally, i found a doctor who recognized what the problem was, but it was already too late. he prescribed an intense exercise regiment and physical therapy. now i ride again -hard too- but the damage to my back was permanent.

go to an orthopedist ASAP and if he gives you the 'take some Advil....' routine, go to another doctor. repeat as necessary.

a bad back will make you miserable. trust me. it can be fixed and it is damned well worth it!!

well, not to start a flame war with the other two guys, -in fact i think we all agree- but what you are experiencing sounds a lot like what my problems started out as.

to me the most important thing -the break through- was being diagnosed properly. the only way to actually detect if you have herniated discs or not is to do an MRI scan. the orthopedist i finally wound up with is also a licensed chiropractor as well as a licensed accupuncturist (is there such a word?). both my doctor and a specialist/surgeon said and MRI was necessary. the MRI helped identify three ruptured discs. after discussion and further analysis the doctors unequivocally ruled out any operation. i ruled out pain killers (except alcohol ).

as i said earlier, we decided on a rigorous treatment & prevention regiment. this regiment was a combination of stretching, specific muscle group strength building, chiropractic adjustments and accupuncture. (yes, accupuncture. my insurance even paid for it!)

be careful with what exercises you choose. in fact, it is definitely better to let the doctor or experienced physical therapist reccomend some exercises. don't over do it -less can be more.

so, i repeat myself: go find a doctor (be it and orthopedist or a chiro, whatever) that doesn't just charge you a hundred bucks and tell you to take some pain killers/advil/tylenol for a couple of days. keep looking until you find a guy who is willing to prescribe corrective and preventative PT...it is your right to ask for a second opinion!

edit: i tried the mckenzie program too. people at work though i was nutty. you are supposed to those exercises like ten times a day or something.... me with my exercise matt in the office doing those exercises on the floor got me a couple of weird looks.

i had the same problem
killed sitting in the car or at class, i always have to sit with my knees above my pelvis.
sounds like you could have a herniated L4-L5, usually this would cause pain radiating down the leg but with a herniatition directily out the posterior of the disk you get severe pain when sitting with your knees lower then your waist.

i live in canada so i got an MRI and CT scan for free, found out i had a herniated L4/L5 with a buldging disc at the L3 Level. you must get one of thesse to determine the exact cause of your pain.

what helped me the most and i swear by it, is sleeping postition, i havent slept in a bed for 3 years now and i always sleep in the fetal postion with a PILLOW between my knees. i found that when i slept on a matrress my pelvis would sink into the mattress causing my back and ankles to come out of alignment, i know it sounds stupid but on the floor with a pillow between my legs both my legs are perpendiclular to tthe ground limiting the amount of stress on the lower back region.

ab excercises especially with a stablity ball and lower back extensions and some massive hamsting stretching should help you out alot.
good luck
STEVE