re: Lower back pain - what to do next

Try deep tissue massage. If you have an assisted stretching place, such as Stretch Zone, try that. It may keep you out of the surgeon's office.

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No, go to a neurosurgeon, they deal with nerves and that's what back issues involve.Have an MRI done and see what you have.

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Nope, that is way incorrect. There's no difference between an Ortho and a Neuro for a first time evaluation.
An MRI is an MRI is an MRI, regardless of which specialty orders it

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they both treat the same causation issues. And orthos probably see way more of these issues from the potential patient base than Neuros, simply cause if people have back pain they first think Ortho not Neuro.

But, if they order an MRI on the very first visit, that is typically bad news cause they are trying to pin point the cause of nerve issues they are seeing on his first exam, not just muscle strains etc.

And if the nerve root is compressed by foraminal narrowing or a herniated disc or bone spurs etc., he can then go through different treatment recommendations from either or specialties and pick one he thinks will work best,.

And for sure skip PT first. I'm not a Dr but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night. Those symptoms that are progressing like that sound pretty serious. You don't want a PT making things worse till he gets an MRI first.



Good luck to the OP. .