My Ex-Wife wants me to stay healthy. She forces me to walk every day. After 500 meters I developpe strong pain in my lower back. (in German; Kreutzschmerzen). The Doctor says: At the age of 72 you must expect all kinds of things. Furthermore, surgeons shy away from "surgical-corrections" as 1 "wrong" cut in this bodily aerea can send you to a wheelchair. So, they rather do nothing.

 

So I stopped walking, replacing it by increased drilling in my nose and scratching my ass.

Are you fat? I got that when I got fat. Then I got fit and it went away. 

2 minutes ago, AnotherOneHere said:

Are you fat? I got that when I got fat. Then I got fit and it went away. 

I got leg pain and I am not fat 

 

why do you need your wife to tell you to take basic excercise and stay fit and health?

36 minutes ago, still kicking said:

I got leg pain and I am not fat 

Start  with McKinzie stretches

 

https://www.verywellhealth.com/mckenzie-exercises-for-your-low-back-2696222

Stopping is not the answer. If anything it should encourage you to do more.

 

Its probably the lack of mobility and exercise that's having an effect.

as the saying goes "use it or lose it".

 

Time for a personal review and decision making.😀

 

 

Sometimes, just changing shoes, can help.

You could see a specialist, no need to have an op, probably need more exercises, daily stretches and being a healthy weight, not the usual obese weight you see around town

2 hours ago, still kicking said:

I got leg pain and I am not fat 

Sounds like "referred pain' from a pinched nerve or herniated disc.

Not all doctors "shy away" from surgery (if otherwise indicated) on a 72 year old unless you have other conditions that make you a poor surgical risk (e.g. heart  kidney, lung, or liver problem). Especially now that there is more available in minimally invasive surgical approaches.

 

In addition there are often non surgical interventions like epidural injections, nerve blocks etc. that can greatly help. 

 

However, Thai doctors lacking specialized expertise in spinal disorders (a select few and even excluding most orthopedists) will certainly shy away ftom any of these things.  And Thai doctors have  a marked tendency to never tell a patient that they need to see a more specialized doctor elsewhere.

 

You should see a good spinal specialist for proper diagnosis and treatment plan if this pain has been going on for say 6 weeks  or more. That will probably  mean travelling to Bangkok.

 

If the pain is newer than that, and not radiating down your leg  or causing leg weakness  then conservative measures like anti-inflammatory meds (if no contraindications), heating pads, and stretches/exercises can be tried.  You will find plenty of suggested exercises and stretches on You Tube if you search under "low back pain".  Important: stop any stretch or exercise that worsens the pain at once and don't repeat it.

 

Continue to walk up to your tolerance, don't stop altogether.  Several short walks a day may be better than one longer walk. 

See a good chiropractor. I had all sorts of problems that went away after I had a few sessions with one. If that doesn't work, then go for something else, but see a chiropractor first.

 

BTW, if they don't take x rays they probably ain't a good one. They don't have x ray eyes.

 

Mine said the best prevention of recurrence is walking, and lots of it.

Which leg are you getting pain in? If the left leg then you could have a herniated disc nucleus pulposus. I have been diagnosed with this as well as a degenerative bone condition of the spine. Basically the fluid in the discs leaks out onto nerve endings in the spine which affects the left leg.

I was given a good support corset by the hospital in Chumphon and this has made a big difference.

For spinal operations there is only one hospital in Bangkok that would entertain this as a last resort.  

Boom boom the wife more. Tell her better exercise than walking.

Try acupuncture as an option. I had a pinched nerve in my lower back that was giving me considerable pain down my right leg. Try 7-8 treatments, I did and the pain went away and has never come back. Try for a acupuncturist who has been trained in China. Not expensive, perhaps 500-1000 per visit and better than surgery.

 

Had many back,  shoulder etc  pains including lower back pain.

 

Pretty much always resolved by a visit to my masseuse (deep tissue) who usually resolves such issues in just one or two sessions. Not for all, works for me.

I am much nearer 80 than 70

I have been a 5 miles a day walker for decades with little or no pain...even did a 250 mile hike four years ago....but as i have aged i am finding more and more that after 2 or 3 miles i start to get pain generally lower back area.....went to all kinds of docs had ex rays etc etc....no obvious problems and no obvious solutions per docs....so last year i started swimming and cut way back on the walking....started slowly with 15 mins or so but worked my way up to a minimum of 45 mins and often 60 mins a day...not super fast but a steady back and forth in a big pool...after a month or so i just felt lot better overall and managed to swim 170 out of 180 straight days over the first six months....i still walk a few miles but even now too much walking and pain comes back.....i did have a cortisone shot and that helped for a while but don't want to do shots too often.....so at least for me the swimming was the answer....butof course need a good big pool to make it work which i do have in pattaya.....

 

i think that x amount of pain comes from old age and perhaps all the walking for decades takes it's toll...but for me at least the idea of increasing the walking just did not work and made it worse....i am not skinny and not obese...i pretty much weigh the same as i did when i was walking a lot with no problems.

 

extra bonus: swimming in super hot weather can be lot more enjoyable than sweating like crazy on a walk..

 

worth a try if u have access to a good pool?

Have we established yet if the author is overweight because this apparently is the most common cause of lower back pain. 

 

https://www.healthline.com/health/obesity/back-pain-and-obesity

Sciatica is another possibility, though the pain is usually in a hip, not the lower back.  I had a bad case of sciatica in my right hip, acupuncture an ibuprofen didn't really help, so I just stretched a lot and walked as far as I could every day and after 6 months I was able to walk a full 5 miles without pain again. 

42 minutes ago, worrab said:

Which leg are you getting pain in? If the left leg then you could have a herniated disc nucleus pulposus. I have been diagnosed with this as well as a degenerative bone condition of the spine. Basically the fluid in the discs leaks out onto nerve endings in the spine which affects the left leg.

I was given a good support corset by the hospital in Chumphon and this has made a big difference.

For spinal operations there is only one hospital in Bangkok that would entertain this as a last resort.  

Herniated disk can cause pain on either side, just depends on where the disk bulges.

 

There are other causes of back pain as well, not just herniated disk.

 

Spinal operations are done in multiple Bangkok hospitals both public and private. But it is far from clear the OP needs surgery. We don't know how long the pain has been present nor its cause. Sounds like he has not had a proper diagnosis.

On 5/27/2024 at 2:54 AM, still kicking said:

I got leg pain and I am not fat 

 

Maybe Sciatica . Apparently , x-rays alone are not enough to acurately diagnose this. To really get a good look inside my doctor recommended a CT Scan or better MRI. 

 

Not cheap and not a cure just a correct diagnosis.

On 5/27/2024 at 2:54 AM, still kicking said:

I got leg pain and I am not fat 

I am not fat either.

Just large boned.     

All that laughing is my exercise for the day  

Getting a stronger core helped with back pain. Crunches and leg lifts.

57 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Herniated disk can cause pain on either side, just depends on where the disk bulges.

 

There are other causes of back pain as well, not just herniated disk.

 

Spinal operations are done in multiple Bangkok hospitals both public and private. But it is far from clear the OP needs surgery. We don't know how long the pain has been present nor its cause. Sounds like he has not had a proper diagnosis.

A lower herniated disc will affect the left leg and a higher herniated disc will affect the right shoulder and arm. 

 

I was just putting forward a suggestion. Yes, a proper diagnosis is required though.

On 5/27/2024 at 1:31 AM, swissie said:

My Ex-Wife wants me to stay healthy. She forces me to walk every day. After 500 meters I developpe strong pain in my lower back. (in German; Kreutzschmerzen). The Doctor says: At the age of 72 you must expect all kinds of things. Furthermore, surgeons shy away from "surgical-corrections" as 1 "wrong" cut in this bodily aerea can send you to a wheelchair. So, they rather do nothing.

 

So I stopped walking, replacing it by increased drilling in my nose and scratching my ass.

Exercises to strengthen back muscles on either side of the spine might help. At age 77, I'm getting Arthritis flare ups, walking actually helps my lower back ... but the hips can be a pain (literally).

On 5/27/2024 at 1:31 AM, swissie said:

My Ex-Wife wants me to stay healthy. She forces me to walk every day. After 500 meters I developpe strong pain in my lower back. (in German; Kreutzschmerzen). The Doctor says: At the age of 72 you must expect all kinds of things. Furthermore, surgeons shy away from "surgical-corrections" as 1 "wrong" cut in this bodily aerea can send you to a wheelchair. So, they rather do nothing.

 

So I stopped walking, replacing it by increased drilling in my nose and scratching my ass.

Go for swimming and appropriate massage. Also a gym might be good

 

At 72, it isn't worth intrusive medical procedures because the operation or recovery may be worse than your ailment.  For lower back, you may have lumbar or sacroiliac joint deterioration which exercise will not help.   

If you want to continue exercising, choose less stressful methods which reduce the effects of gravity such as swimming, or even underwater walking.  Perhaps an exercycle if that doesn't hurt.

For "simple" lower back pain in most cases there is no cause or reason to be found. Surgery fro back pain is usually very disappointing, especially in elderly patients. Nevertheless I think it is warranted to do one screening: an X-ray and an MRI (just a simple one, all the extended sequences that are done to increase the bill are usually unnecessary and should only be done if the T1 and T2 give reason to do so). Sometimes something is seen that can be corrected with an operation, but the result of such procedures is difficult o predict and often only the MRI and X-rays improve, not the patient. In the end it usually boils down to exercise, lifestyle adjustment, and whatever shows improvement, often by trial and error. There is very little evidence based treatment, contrary to public opinion, the evidence of which you can see by some of the comments. But a doctor who says "I don't really know what causes you problem and don't really know what is best to do about it" is not considered an expert, however true what he says may be.

If you're in Bangkok or Pattaya this guy can come to you. 

Chiropractor

 

Satoshi A

 

You can find him on Line

2 hours ago, worrab said:

A lower herniated disc will affect the left leg and a higher herniated disc will affect the right shoulder and arm. 

 

I was just putting forward a suggestion. Yes, a proper diagnosis is required though.

Both higher and lower hermiated disk herniations can affect either the left or right side - or neither; disk herniations can be asympyomatic.   It depends on whether the disk presses on a nerve root and if so, on which side. Both sides are equally possible.

1 hour ago, Iron Tongue said:

At 72, it isn't worth intrusive medical procedures because the operation or recovery may be worse than your ailment.  For lower back, you may have lumbar or sacroiliac joint deterioration which exercise will not help.   

 

72 year olds vary greatly in their state of health.  Many can and do undergo surgeries and invasive procedures with prompt recovery.  My mother had 2 major surgeries in her 80's. Walked out of the hospital 24 hours later just fine in both cases. People in thei  70's and 80's, and sometimes even their 90's -- -  undergo major surgery  all the time. Not unusual these days, thanks to improved surgical and anesthetic  techniques.

 

Conversely there are much younger people who, due to obesity and/or chronic health conditions, are poor surgical risks. 

 

However no indication at this point that OP needs surgery. Sounds like he hadn't even gotten a diagnosis yet.  And we don't know anything about his overall state of health.