15 years facet arthritis + degenerative disc disease + 5 years bulging discs = All hope is not lost....don't give up.
As the title states, I've been managing lower back pain for 15 years. At it's worst I was unable to walk 25 yards without sitting, suffered horrible sciatica for months on end, and my lower back was constantly tight and in pain.
Reddit has been so helpful in finding camaraderie while dealing with the despair, agony, and occasional hopelessness that I've experienced along this journey.......but today, I'd like to offer some hope.
I recently accomplished something that for many years would have thought impossible. I rode biked and camped 190 miles in 2.5 days carrying 20lbs on my back and 30lbs of gear on my bike. On numerous occasion I had to lug this bike up flights of stairs, hunched over for hours on end, slept on uncomfortable ground, on top of hours of travel in the car.
It was a brutal experience, all of my muscles were sore, everything hurt............except for my back, amazingly.
I have not undergone surgery, nor ablations, injections, nor take pain meds, all of which have been offered. I can only attribute this to consistent time, effort, and tons of trial and error establishing and performing a rehab regimen that seems to be paying off.
Had I given up or accepted the pain as my new normal, the hobbies I've been able to reintroduce into my life and adventures would still be pipe dreams.
Let's be very clear. I am not 100%, nor am I doing everything I one day hope to. My back is still often tight, and I still have flare ups, but I'm lightyears beyond when things were at their worst.
I hope this can motivate you to keep going and not settle for letting lower back pain prevent you from living. While this has not come easy and I've still got work to do, it's been worth it.
Hang in there.