can someone please help me out with lower back pain?

That's a lot of hardware in your back kid - I'm always reminded occasionally that there's others out there with more fusions than myself.

It's possible you just irritated one of the lumbar disk nerves; if you had a disk herniation, you wouldn't even consider standing or sitting, as there's no other comfortable position except lying down. Still, the key is to keep from irritating it further.

There are some things I've used for years that you can do to help yourself heal faster and make you more comfortable:

1. The first thing to do is get pressure off your spine. The easiest way to do that is to lay on your side, and put a large pillow or cushion between your knees (preferably one large enough to make your legs parallel to each other). The idea is to get pressure off the hips and the lower vertebrae. I still have to do it regularly, as I have permanent nerve damage in my own back. The other thing is to put a pillow behind your back, and one in front of you in a position that you can "hug it". That will keep you from rolling over onto your back and stomach when you're sleeping, which are the worst positions to sleep in with lower back problems.

If you can't lie on your side, then lie on your back with a cushion large enough under your legs to flatten out the small of your back. It's not ideal, but if the key is to get your legs high enough so that the pressure is off the lower spine. Back when I could still lie on my back, I used to actually lie on the floor with my legs on a couch - think being in a sitting position, only your back is on the floor. You'd be surprised how comfortable it can be.

2. Muscle spasms - one thing that makes nerve problems more painful in the back is muscle spasms. They're like a vicious circle; the nerve pain makes the muscles contract, which makes the back tighter, irritating the nerve more, and so on. I've used heat for years, but the key is using the right kind of heat.

If you can find one at a local pharmacy, get a Thermophore pad - I've used one for 20 years, long before Chiro's started using them. They're an instant moist heat pad; it uses a flannel cover that draws moisture from the air, and it heats up within a minute or two. If they don't have one locally, you can get one at http://www.thermophore.com/ Get the standard size with the switch you need to hold - the timer switch doesn't work very well.

You need to find a way to relax the muscles further if you can. Heat will help, and getting pressure off the spine, but if it's bad enough you might consider asking your doctor for some Flexeril. These days it's the only thing that will still knock me out for more than a couple of hours, but you can just take half if you need to.

3. OTC Meds - Though I've long been a high-dose opiate patient, I still use a lot of OTC meds to reduce my dependence on them. 3 meds I take regularly are:

a. Tylenol Extra-Strength Rapid Release Gel-Tabs - They work fast and extremely well. Just make sure you drink a lot of water / cranberry juice to keep your kidneys flushed. I take mine about every 6 - 8 hours, and even with my level of pain it helps make it tolerable.

b. Bayer Back & Body Aspirin - It also works fast and does a really good job of easing the pain. You can't take as much of it as you can Tylenol, but I still use it in combination with it.

c. Naproxen - Though I use prescription strength Naproxen, you can get it in a pharmacy as Aleve. Prescription strength is 500mg - Aleve tabs come in 220mg. Make sure you only take them every 12 hours.

One final note: though I used to be a Karate instructor, and both of us know the importance of stretching before doing anything physical. You're young and will heal fast, but remember it's not that hard to injure yourself in a way that will affect you later in life. Remember that you've already got spinal issues, as I do. Do your best to keep flexible; besides, your boyfriend should be impressing you, not the other way around.

I've got some free audio mp3's for you to download which will help you release your back.

You'll get to listen to some movement classes known as Somatics Exercises and more formerly known as Hanna Somatic Education.

You can have both your pilates teacher and mom check it out. The pilates teacher may be aware of Somatics... if not, it is the evolution of the work of Feldenkrais.

In any case, you can safely and comfortably do the movement lessons as the point is to learn how to release muscles so they become more comfortable.

The first lesson is 8 minutes long and you'll probably notice the difference.

http://gravitywerks.com/

on a scale of one to ten 2!!! it hurt less than my ear lobes and healed in a week!! im the girl that screamed through a blood test so yeah i have no pain tolerance.... but seriously it does NOT hurt!!!!! your lip will swell for about a week but after the First day eating and talking are fine! i love my lip piercing and i think you should go for it im 14 and i got it done, 13 is fine!! don't listen to the idiots saying crap :) hollie x

I really think you should see a doctor about this before you do any thing else. Because of your medical history you wouldn't want to risk injuring yourself any further.