BACK PROBLEMS I am a 21 year old male with back problems, It just seems like I have had this all my life. I can't remember what caused it. But I remember when it started. Four years ago is when I started to feel back pains, mostly in my lower back. It took me a long time to deal with it and quit being macho about it. I used to try to ignore the pain while I played sports, during school, and even at work. Even though the pain is unbearable. The pain is so painful it sometimes knocks the nerve out of my right knee. Which is weird because I receive the pain in the bottom left side. So I am feeling pain on opposite sides, which is dramatically painful. I felt that if I quit the game that I love so much I will never be able to look at myself in the mirror or wonder what it could have been. I still remember my last hockey game as a goalie. My team and I were up by two goals in the start of the third period (last period) when from out of nowhere I felt a tingly sensation in my spine. This always meant that my back problem was starting to come back. I remember telling myself that I just had to last until the third period was over when suddenly there was a breakaway (this is when an opposing team player has the puck and no one else is around him). As I skated out to cut down the angle, the opposing team's player shoot and as I went down to block it, I felt a popping sensation and a overwhelming pain went to my back. It hurt like hell but luckily he shot it right at my position and I covered it up. To make matters worse the guy that shot the puck tripped and started sliding uncontrollably towards me. When he made contact with me I was on my knees and when we collided, all his weight caused to fall backwards onto the ice. The only sound that I heard was my own voice screaming in pain. My teammates tried to help me up but my back wouldn't support my weight. So I limped off the ice, so angry that I throw my helmet to the ground. I ended up watching game on the bench. No one knew this was my last game but me, but luckily we won the game by one. After the game I went to the hospital and the doctor told me that I had pinched nerve and that this would be with me for the rest of my life. Not even surgery could fix this problem. He then told me the news that hurt almost as much as my back, I had to quit the game that I loved so much for my health. The doctor gave me two prescriptions and sent me on my way. One was supposed to be a muscle relaxer and the other one a painkiller. Both medicines helped for awhile, but after a year or so, my body became immune to them and I was forced to live with my unbearable pain. In conclusion, even though some people may say that I'm too young to experience back problems, I can personally say that age doesn't matter. Chronic back problems are something that thousands of people deal with everyday, both young and old.
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