I get sudden sharp pain in the middle of my spine, lower back.   It last just a few seconds and then goes away for a little, but is repeated many times over the course of any hour.   I have had a MRI which showed no pinched nerves, nor narrowing of the spine......any suggestions.   Medications dont seem to assist in alleviating the pain.
Hi, thanks for writing to Chat Doctor. Generally, sudden and sharp pain from the spine suggests that it is originating from the soft tissue structures like muscles or ligaments. Probably, your sudden sharp pain may be attributed to an abnormal stretching of the para spinal muscles or ligaments owing to an odd posture of your spine while sitting or sleeping. Use of analgesic medications and occasional muscle relaxants will help in alleviating your pain. Gentle local massaging of the painful area with a painkiller cream will provide good symptomatic relief. Apply ice to the painful area and after any activity. Ice will help calm the inflammatory response and stimulate blood flow to the area. Before activities, gentle heating can help loosen the muscle. Apply a heat pack to the painful area prior to stretching or exercising. As a general rule of thumb, remember to heat before an activity and ice afterwards. Therapeutic modalities such as Ultrasound, Massaging and specific exercises will be helpful. Hope this information is helpful. Good day