Go to a chiropractor.

Once you injure your back, you begin to favor it and do things like, "lift with your legs".
Get out of this habit.  Do lots of WEIGHTED sit-ups and WEIGHTED roman-chair/hyper extensions, to build the muscles in the area.
The shooting pains could be disc-related.

Sounds like you could have a herniated disc or scar tissue resulting from your injury. I am no doctor but I have had 3 herniated discs and a spinal fussion, thats four major surgerys in 10 years.  Go to a neurologist or an orthopedic doctor, get references, dont trust your spine with just anybody. Avoid surgery if possible, but sometimes you just cant help it. Good luck I know where your coming from.

Too bad you're on the East Coast -

I suffered for over 10 years with pain in my back and shooting down my leg from a lifting injury because I didn't want to get the spinal fusion that several doctors recommended.

Then I found Dr. Chiu -

[url]http://www.spinecenter.com/[/url]

He performs endoscopic surgery - you know, like they do on knees.  Dr. Chiu snipped away the buldge in L4-L5, then sealed it with a laser.  My surgery lasted 40 minutes, and when it was done I stood up, walked out, and went home with two little band-aids on my back.  The relief from pain was immediate and permanent.

About a year ago I was stopped in traffic on the freeway when some asshole slammed into me at full speed.  Among other injuries, it screwed up my back - this time it's L5-S1.  The insurance company was pressuring me to let their doctor fuse vertebre, so I got a lawyer and filed suit.  The outcome is now they're going to pay for Dr. Chiu to fix this disk.

People fly in from all over the country to get treated by Dr. Chiu.  Get on a search engine and look for things like "spine" "surgery" "endoscopic" etc.  But whatever you do, don't let anyone fuse your spine until you check this out.

Acupuncture can be your answer if you find the right doctor.  Look for a Chinese medical doctor trained as a medical doctor in China and who now specializes in acupuncture.  If you are anywhere near San Jose, CA...e-mail me.  My wife had a leg problem that was ten or eleven years old.  This problem stemmed from an auto accident and she tried it all....except surgery.  Cortizone and chiropractor were the latest.  Then, we found Dr. Chen and in three visits her problem was completely gone.  She couldn't even remember where the pain was today if you asked her.  He also fixed a ratcheting finger joint on me that was going on two years.  A good acupuncturist/acu-pressure specialist will tell you if they think they can fix your problem.  It's worth a try.....

See if you can find out what factors causes it and try to correct those. In my case if I lay or sit in a certain position too long the sciatic nerve gets inflammed.  I have found for me through trial and error that if I sit Indian style for about 15 minutes the pain goes away. Must be that I am stretching the sciatic nerve and letting a different part of it get pinched. I have found as long as I am careful in what I am doing I can keep the pain under control without any other interventions besides the stretching(walking is also very helpful in my case)

Sounds like you've been there and done that.
I had the same problem since I was 14 (lifting improperly) About 10 yrs ago a chiropractor talked me into the Roman chair excersize and I tried it for 1 week. After the week I felt like a new man and so continued with them to this day without any problems with my back, and I'm over 50. Try the Roman chair if nothing else. What have you got to lose except pain?

not a doc either - but in my experience you need to treat the body has a whole - not specific parts.  when my back goes out - i use tiger balm on the area at night and do yoga vey gently - i have been doing yoga for 3 years now on a regular basis and it helps to keep my back from gong out.

steve

Chronic back pain could be a symptom of serious kidney disease.

51 now with chronic low back pain from old motocross injury. generally what happens in a case like yours is that the episodes get more frequent and last longer until you have an episode that never goes away and you are stuck with chronic pain(like myself).please take it from me, stretch, walk, swim, keep midsection in shape(abdominal exercises) and keep exercising as much as your injury will allow. Use good posture, bend legs when you lift and most importantly, stretch before you get out of bed in the morning and brace yourself while shaving, brushing teeth,etc until your muscles get warmed up.

Wierd, your case sounds just like mine, good luck to you, there are many more of us out here!!!  

I think Steel Rat has the right approach. His doctor is performing minimal invasive surgery to correct a very serious injury. I have been there, and I know the pain. In my experience, when pain is either numbing the lower extremities or causing weakness, surgery is a very possible recommendation to prevent permanent nerve damage. Naturally, I am only speaking in general terms, as each case is specific to cause and origin. The older you get, the results of successful surgery are less pronounced. You are still at a good age. If I were in your situation, I would contact this doctor and send him your xrays for evaluation, as a herniated disc may be treated differently than a bulging disc. If he can help you, he would be the man. The trip there, no matter how far, would be the best investment you can make. Having said all that, try simple back message, as all surgeries carry risks. This is currently the best approach to reducing spasms and pain.
Good luck and hang in there.

Cronic back pain can be a sign of testicular
cancer.
Please, more info on Roman chair exercises.

There's a piece of gear in most gyms that allows you to do hyper-extensions.  you are facing the floor, legs locked, and doing the opposite of a sit-up; lifting with your lower back.

Once you throw your back out a couple of times, you begin to favor it.  You fear throwing it out again, so you avoid lifting with it.  The muscles become weaker, GUARANTEEING that you will throw it out again.
  So exercise (or physical therapy) is very important.

Sometimes it's an alignment problem, and a chiropractor can fix it.

If it's a major disc problem, only a real doc can help.

I would recommend against using weight related excercise as long as there is swelling in the area...the swelling is pushing against the nerve endings causing pain in the sciatic nerve..this could be the result of bulging discs...weight training can not only ascerbate the swelling but could cause the disc to rupture..need some xrays of the area after the swelling goes down to ascertain damage to the discs themselves..mild stretching excercises..and excercise in the water where your body weight is buoyed up may help...check into an excercise program called "super slow excercise" weight training program developed for people with bad backs...or in need of physical therapy/ ..your nurtrition could also aggrevate your condition...caffeine has been associated with arthritis inflamation of joints..there is a couple of nutrional supplements that may help.. Tahition Noni juice.. (contains large amounts of zeronine) and Sulferzyme (a natural supplement..) along with Glucosamine and Chondroitan may offer some relief..over time.. for first aid...apply ice packs when you first feel the pain to reduce the swelling..Not Heat....Heat will aggrevate the swelling... whatever you do avoid Weight training while you have pain (swelling) in the back area if the disc is herniated Wt. training could cause the disc to rutpture...I agree with avoiding fuzing of vertebrae and not being pressured into by insurance company practices..it is irreversible...in my opinon...

Check out:
[url]www.spine-health.com/topics/cd/hurt/h01.html[/url]

I am presently recovering from a herniated disc; the symptom was a shooting pain down the leg.  Fortunately, I have a very mild case, and am undergoing "conservative therapy": stretching, gentle back exercises and a couple of chiropractic adjustments.  I started with an MD and had an MRI performed.

Good luck, man, I know the pain, and wouldn't wish it on anyone.

I've had back surgery twice, for a ruptured disc at L4-5.
NOT fun.
The pain occasionally still gets me, but I'm a LOT more careful with my movements than I once was.

Same here...  Failed Laminectomy at L4-L5 and L5-S1.  Trying PT, etc..  but told that I am probably going to require bone fusion.  (low chance of positive results too.)  Trying to avoid it until better technology surfaces.

Backs suck!

Doctors suck.  

Women Suck.  (first injury : i was teamed up with a woman partner who dropped her end of the "Jaws of Life" while we were cutting a door off of a car --  I literally felt the "popping" occur in my back and I was down for the count - Arghhh!)

My spinal fusion surgery was a living Hell, I missed 18 months work(thankGod it was a work related injury, Workmans Comp) used a walker for six months and a cane for another six months, but I will say that my back is much better since the surgery.

Can you give us exact details about the surgery and who the doc was?   AND...  are you in any pain now?  I am tired of taking "the dreaded" Oxycontin every day and feeling like I am in a haze....

Did they do a BAK cage and replace the disc material with bone??

How old are you?  (I'm 35 but feel like I'm 92) [BD]

Did they tell you that eventually (within 3-5 years) the fused are will transfer loads up to the next level which will then probably need to  be fused as more discs degenerate or herniate??

Can you bend over without excruciating pain?

Are you able to sit?

Thanks!!

I haven't been back to work in 2 years.  (the fire-rescue work was volunteer -- no workman's comp) Fortunately my boss, [url]McUZI.com[/url] keeps me independently wealthy.

Oops.. the above "Baddog_" post was me.  (my alter-ego when bashing bandit's wife)

RBAD

hipwr223- I am in the same boat as you except mine was a tobbaganing accident at the same age.  A few times a year I would not be able to get out of bed and just roll on to the floor. It would go on for about a month.  I didn't do the chiropracter thing because it helps but my friends who go never stop.  They become addicted.  Plus I just don't do the doctor thing unless death is immenent.

Anyhew, last year we bought a bed by European Sleepworks, and they claim to help back pain.  I didn't think it would work and my back was OK at the time so I didn't even think about it.  Then last month my wife commented that I haven't been stuck in bed since we bought it.  By golly she was right.  I haven't even thought about it.

I'm not saying to go out and buy one and that it will solve all your problems, but look into what you are sleeping on and maybe something new could help.

Good luck, I feel your pain brother.

Ok as a real doc, the guys are basically giving you good advice. Try with the least invasive and go from there.  PT does wonders.  But you need a professional to help.  You dont want to goto the gym and hurt yourself and make it worse. Accupuncture works well and so do some chiropractors.  If you have a mechanical defect surgery might be the only fix but try the conservative first.  Good solid bed is good.  There are stretching and strengthening exercises that your doc can give you.  I dont like to give drugs to my patients because it hids the pain and may  get them addicted. Lots of hard PT and regular exercise helps a great deal.  Are you overweight?  Thats another problem.