As far as what I did...
I was on my way up to the blue ridge campground 2 years ago... took a slow fall in some loose gravel.
I just had a skinned knee... was cussin' myself and looked over at the bike, just had filled it up about half hour before, and the gas was drippin' out of the cap onto the hot engine....
I freaked, grabbed the handle bar and the trunk (I had about 80 lbs worth of stuff stacked on top), and facing the bike I jerked it up (bad move), my back popped rather loudly and instant pain.
I still continued with the gang for about 3 days, then bugged out to home.
It was a compression fracture on my L4.... well, the military didn't see it on their xray and sent me to therapy... yeah... made me do situps, leg presses ect... made it worse.
After about 4 months I told them I needed to see a specialist, they sent me to a spine doc.... he told me that it had healed already and I got some steroid shots.
3X last year and once this year already..... it is not working.... so now the nerve burning.
It is supposed to last a year, we shall see.
Thanks for the posts, had to bump my appointment to next Friday.... and now the new doctor wants to "go over my records and talk to me first".... which I think is great , now I can grill him.

Oh, and they won't "fuse" it with plates and screws, because my years worth of chemo messed up my bone density (I have osteoporosis) and they are afraid the screws will crack the vertebra that they anchor into.

I have been sick since the last of midweek with the worse flu I have ever had. I hope to go to work tomorrow as I am feeling better today, Sunday.
Stayed in bed most of Saturday, my 63rd birthday.....
But reading your plight makes me thankful Old Rider.

I hope it all goes well!

Rewinding the clock, oh yeah  

Update...

The appointment went well, the new doctor actually seen me.... and I got to talk to him!

He is an elderly doc... asked tons of questions, made me stand on my toes, bend over, stretch, pick up the left, ect....

Monday, shots to the pelvic area.... he thinks I damaged my sacrum (sacroiliac), on both sides!

Doesn't sound like fun, as they will not sedate me for it... I will be awake and see if the shots take away any pain...

I have been in pain for about 2.5 years now... if this procedure does not produce any positive results I am changing physicians and specialists, i'm done with them.

I realize my past has resulted in body my degen.... but I have let each specialty know what happened.

The military was incompetent, the physical therapy was not needed (and actually did more damage), and my current specialist has been dragging this out for nigh on 2 years.....

My wife wants to sue the lot of them..... I don't have the finances to do so....

Anyway... I'm hoping the next treatment produces positive results.....

Old Rider,

By the examination that the Doc gave you it sounds like he has the experience to heal you.

Good Luck!

Kenny G

I think I found the problem : then a case of water bottles with no increase in pain level.

I hope your talking about the 12 pack of .5L case ?    

Give your self a 10 lb. max limit for a couple of years .    Dye your hair Grey and start walking with a cane !  Let the young folks do the work.    You will feel better sooner .  

I know its hard to "QUIT doing the lifting"  but that is what works .

Still have some pain... not a high stress level though.
Its a aggravating pain, constant, won't go away type, they ask you to give a 1-10 level.... my average is about 4-5, never ceases, I don't think I've ever been without pain over the last 5 years, it just goes up and down at times.
But, like I was saying... my sharp stabbing pain and travel down the leg pain, have almost gone completely.
If I sit for a while (30 min) and don't move, the lower back starts to throb... yeah... regular pain pulse....
Now that the hip pain has gone down to tolerable levels, I have begun noticing the pain from the fracture again.... constant 3-4, no major discomfort... just a pain.... wears at you.....
At least I can walk around again without worrying about getting an ice pick in the lower back if I step or move wrong, or getting a headache from the level of pain lasting too long.
I will have a few choice words for the Doc, now that I have calmed down I might be able to have a non violent conversation with him.
I did some raking of the yard yesterday.... slow and steady.... filled up three trash cans.... I quit there....LOL.... didn't want to jinx myself.

Old Rider,

You have made some progress and hopefully the pain level will continue to diminish.

Kenny G