Father of Triplets Can't Stand Up

by Justin L.
(Chicago, IL US)

I first noticed this pain in my mid-twenties while playing in a flag football league, but it was not as debilitating as it is now.

Now I’m 36 and one day while taking my kids (triplets!) to their pediatrician for a checkup, I felt a shooting pain in my lower back and was unable to get out of the car. I couldn't walk without assistance.

I was given 1000mg of ibuprofen by the pediatrician then picked up by an ambulance. After seeing a doctor and receiving physical therapy, it took me two weeks to fully recover. Yet I was not given a diagnosis.

I was told all my X-rays were negative and to keep up with the exercises.

Fast forward to one week ago, I was traveling to Toronto for business and after the first day I went to bed early because my back was not feeling that great. The next morning I woke up at 6:30am and I could not move. I crawled to the bathroom and finally had to call an ambulance.

A little more detail about my injury and affected areas. I have no pain in the leg and no problem going to the bathroom. When my back seizes up I just can’t stand up or get back up after sitting down. And the pain is centralized to the right of my lower back.

So now I’m doing my own research and am learning more and more about the iliopsoas muscle. I have not read about too many individuals who could not walk at all, as happens to me. So I am not completely convinced I have Iliopsoas Syndrome.

I sit in front of a PC all day long and probably have terrible posture from that. I have stopped my workouts for some time now.

Can you help provide some insight?

Thanks!