Lower back - dull ache

Nana b
Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1
After about 15 minutes of house cleaning, my lower back, I mean low,, like above the gluteus, starts hurting. Like a dull pain. I don't know if it's bones, or what. But this has been going on for a long time, over a year, It makes me sit down and rest until it passes. It could be bending, mopping, a lot of walking. I am very active, so the ache surprises me. Any one else have this ache? It has to be chemo related, what else could it be? My scans are fine. Just wondering b

Comments

  • RobinKaye
    RobinKaye Member Posts: 93
    #2
    Lower Back
    Hi, I haven't posted anything yet but have been following so many of you over the last month or so. My husband was diagnosed with rectal cancer in September and he's been following the usual course of treatment.

    Anyway, though no one but your doctor could say if your back pain is related to cancer I'll offer my thoughts. A couple of years ago (I'm 54) I got to the point that cleaning house would throw out my lower back for days. It also hurt every morning on getting out of bed. My problem was lack of core strength. It was amazing how quickly all those little normal aches and pains went away when I started an exercise routine with the help of a trainer. When your core isn't strong there is no support for your back. I'm active as well but special attention needs to be paid to our core, walking might help but it doesn't attack those specific muscles. With all you have been through you lose a lot of that muscle. I've watched my husband who was in great shape lose his muscle in just a few weeks.
  • westie66
    westie66 Member Posts: 642
    #3
    RobinKaye said:

    Lower Back
    Hi, I haven't posted anything yet but have been following so many of you over the last month or so. My husband was diagnosed with rectal cancer in September and he's been following the usual course of treatment.

    Anyway, though no one but your doctor could say if your back pain is related to cancer I'll offer my thoughts. A couple of years ago (I'm 54) I got to the point that cleaning house would throw out my lower back for days. It also hurt every morning on getting out of bed. My problem was lack of core strength. It was amazing how quickly all those little normal aches and pains went away when I started an exercise routine with the help of a trainer. When your core isn't strong there is no support for your back. I'm active as well but special attention needs to be paid to our core, walking might help but it doesn't attack those specific muscles. With all you have been through you lose a lot of that muscle. I've watched my husband who was in great shape lose his muscle in just a few weeks.

    Lower Back Pain
    Hi: I agree with RobinKaye. I get it too when I have to lean over just a little bit like in housework or washing the dishes. Core strength is a real problem - I don't have it! I used to do exercises on the floor to alleviate the pain and build up my abdominal muscles but now I can't get to the floor and I have an incisional hernia that doesn't allow me to do much with exercising the abdomen. It is worth checking out with your doctor but as your scans have been clear, it is likely a core problem.
    Cheryl
  • tanstaafl
    tanstaafl Member Posts: 1,313 Member
    #4
    anecdote
    We've paid a lot of physical therapy/massage bills on my wife over the years for lots of lower back pain. In retrospect, for several reasons, I think she's been low vit D for years.

    Since she started the vitamin D3, K2, C, magnesium and some glucosamine-chondroitin-MSM-fish oil-primrose oil in her formula, no complaints and no bills. We're using tons of supplements on her so obviously not a direct association. Pretty much from some rapid results with an old, injured/arthritic joint and then a transient back issue on me.

    But she certainly did have low vitamin D levels with CRC and chemo despite 11,000-12,000 iu vitamin D3 per day. Fixed that.
  • relaxoutdoors08
    relaxoutdoors08 Member Posts: 521 Member
    #5
    Lower Back Muscle pain Chemo Related Facial Jaw Pain
    Nana B,
    I finished Folfox in April, 2011. I too had lower back pain that radiated down through the buttocks. My CT Scans noted that I had a thinning of the lower back from my pre Folfox Scan to my post Folfox Scan. I agree the treatment is to build your core but I would add a bone scan for osteopenia. Treatment includes Walking to build muscle tone and bone mass, Tai Chi for balance and muscle tone, and calcium and vitamin d.

    I had several episodes of jaw lockup and facial numbness during Folfox and now 6 months later I still have facial numbness, jaw pain when yawning that radiates up to the eye, sinuses on the side of the lockup and down to the deep inner ear, across my mouth in the jaw lines. Has anyone who experienced the Locked Jaw and Facial Numbness experiencing these same issues?
    NB
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #6
    relaxoutdoors08 said:

    Lower Back Muscle pain Chemo Related Facial Jaw Pain
    Nana B,
    I finished Folfox in April, 2011. I too had lower back pain that radiated down through the buttocks. My CT Scans noted that I had a thinning of the lower back from my pre Folfox Scan to my post Folfox Scan. I agree the treatment is to build your core but I would add a bone scan for osteopenia. Treatment includes Walking to build muscle tone and bone mass, Tai Chi for balance and muscle tone, and calcium and vitamin d.

    I had several episodes of jaw lockup and facial numbness during Folfox and now 6 months later I still have facial numbness, jaw pain when yawning that radiates up to the eye, sinuses on the side of the lockup and down to the deep inner ear, across my mouth in the jaw lines. Has anyone who experienced the Locked Jaw and Facial Numbness experiencing these same issues?
    NB

    No, I have not had pain on
    No, I have not had pain on the jaw. I hope it gets better for you. I do thank all of you for the advice. I will start excercising my lower back. Just bending picking up toys feels like I'm splitting in two.

    No one here really understands this pain. I may not be undergoing chemo and I may be NED, but I still have to live with many aches and pains.
  • Rosa1234
    Rosa1234 Member Posts: 11
    #7
    back pain
    I do not want to scare you but my mother was experiencing back pain to the point of not being able to get around. She has stage III colon cancer, had surgery and then chemo. She finished this summer and was hoping to have no more problems. Her back started to be a problem had scans (bone and bowel) nothing but then had a PET scan which found a tumor in a muscle near her spine. It was biopsied and it was colon cancer which is VERY RARE. So the lesson is ask questions and demand answers. Cancer is fickle and tends to not like to hang out in muscles but apparently it will find a "home" anywhere. She will be seeing a specialist soon and hopefully we will get good news.
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #8
    Rosa1234 said:

    back pain
    I do not want to scare you but my mother was experiencing back pain to the point of not being able to get around. She has stage III colon cancer, had surgery and then chemo. She finished this summer and was hoping to have no more problems. Her back started to be a problem had scans (bone and bowel) nothing but then had a PET scan which found a tumor in a muscle near her spine. It was biopsied and it was colon cancer which is VERY RARE. So the lesson is ask questions and demand answers. Cancer is fickle and tends to not like to hang out in muscles but apparently it will find a "home" anywhere. She will be seeing a specialist soon and hopefully we will get good news.

    Hip Joints
    I'm thinking now that I have been talking about it to my husband, that it's my hip joints that ache. Please don't let it be bone cancer, because my shoulder and heel joints hurt too. I just had at CT and PET it all came back clear. Thank God for that.... Still, pain makes you think way too much!
  • wolfen
    wolfen Member Posts: 1,324 Member
    #9
    Nana b said:

    Hip Joints
    I'm thinking now that I have been talking about it to my husband, that it's my hip joints that ache. Please don't let it be bone cancer, because my shoulder and heel joints hurt too. I just had at CT and PET it all came back clear. Thank God for that.... Still, pain makes you think way too much!

    Hi Nana B
    Have you considered that this might be arthritis? I am quite a bit older than you are, but I have joint pain after lifting heavy objects, sitting or standing in one place for too long, etc. I'm not much of a "pill" person, so I don't take anything for it. I just kind of move slowly until it goes away. I understand, however, there are things like Glucosamine-Chrondroitin and such that will relieve this. I hope you are feeling better.

    Luv,

    Wolfen
  • plh4gail
    plh4gail Member Posts: 1,238 Member
    #10
    Raquel, my knees and hips
    Raquel, my knees and hips cause me much pain and stiffness. The other day at work it felt like my hip was giving out and I thought I was going to fall. I hurt so bad I kind of yelled out a little and everyone looked at me.

    I hope you get this figured out! Please pass along any information.

    Love ya, Gail
  • ssc
    ssc Member Posts: 2
    #11
    Did you have radiation? I
    Did you have radiation? I found out that the radiation I had for my rectal cancer caused scare tissue in my lower back. Yoga exercises, especially hip-openers have really helped. Lower back pain is often due to tight hamstrings.
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #12
    Only ONE Solution
    Hire a cleaning service!
    I get lower back pain if I stand in one place too long or when I do yard work. I went out a bought a back support that wraps around my lower back, gives support where needed, and is held in place with Velcro©. You can find them at a local Sports store.

    I used to have chronic back issues that cleared up a lot since cancer. I had spent 20+ years as a printer. Those pains are gone (or not noticed now) but Father Time may be messing with me. I am guessing you are in your mid-late 20s so maybe it's your shoes??? Poor fitting shoes can also cause a lot of problems.
    Hope you get some relief...
    -p
    ;-)
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #13
    PhillieG said:

    Only ONE Solution
    Hire a cleaning service!
    I get lower back pain if I stand in one place too long or when I do yard work. I went out a bought a back support that wraps around my lower back, gives support where needed, and is held in place with Velcro©. You can find them at a local Sports store.

    I used to have chronic back issues that cleared up a lot since cancer. I had spent 20+ years as a printer. Those pains are gone (or not noticed now) but Father Time may be messing with me. I am guessing you are in your mid-late 20s so maybe it's your shoes??? Poor fitting shoes can also cause a lot of problems.
    Hope you get some relief...
    -p
    ;-)

    lol
    Yes, Gail, that is how I feel too. No radiation. Phil, mid twenties, ha, ha!

    I'm 29 and holding, so just a little bit older ;)


    I will live with the pain, beats the alternative! Thanks ladies and Phil!

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