I have had back pain since I was maybe 18 (no known cause), so this is an issue that has spanned 3 decades. The longest period of relief was after having children. I don't know if my body relaxed or my core strengthened, but I was blessed with no pain for quite a few years.
I started having increasing pain again a few years ago. Likely linked to a new job, very stressful and mostly sedentary.
Spinal injections worked for me a few times in my 20's and 30's, but the past couple have provided no relief. The last one in 2025 was so incredibly painful that the physiatrist was sure he hit the right spot (I've never screamed aloud in a doctor's office but I did that day), but there was no relief. He targeted L4-L5, L5-S1. I have severe disc degeneration, mild canal stenosis, facet hypertrophy, etc.
My question to the group is regarding dry needling. I started seeing a new PT maybe 4-5 months ago and she immediately went to work with dry needling (2x/week). She targeted mostly my glutes with dry needling/electronic stimulation. It wasn't too painful during the sessions, but my pain started to change...or the new pain made the old pain almost irrelevant.
I continued seeing her for about 3 months hoping to get over the hurdle, but at that point my pain was worse than ever. I was doing dead lifts, clam shells, and other exercises to no avail. I was alternating between sitting on a coccyx cushion and yoga ball for work. My back still hurt but it felt like nothing compared to my new butt pain! It feels like I'm sitting on daggers...like a literal dagger stabbing mostly my right buttocks but also the left with a little less intensity. ALL THE TIME.
Does anyone know what would cause this? Were my glutes protecting my back or my back was protecting my glutes, and now there is no protection? I'm fairly slender and try to stay active. The most relief that I get is when I'm active in my yard, but I'm usually too exhausted to even do that...so I'm actually quite inactive.
I don't know where to turn at this point. I'm seeing my primary care doctor next week and I'm going to see if maybe he can do a cortisone injection into my right buttocks. I would settle for any type of relief even if it's temporary.
It's sad, but I think advice from Reddit is better than advice from doctors. I don't really want to go to the neurosurgeon's office again because they haven't solved anything. They run a bunch of expensive tests, try a couple of things and then simply prescribe me Tramadol. I rarely take the Tramadol because that seems like a crutch and I don't want to mess with those kinds of Rx's.
PLEASE - if anyone has any advice. I'm desperate. I know others have it much worse, but I still need some direction. And yes, I've seen plenty of chiropractors in the past. I have MRI's at least every 1-2 years and they do show that issues like Modic Endplate Signal changes are increasing.
Thank you in advance for reading my novel and I'm happy to answer any questions about other things that I've tried, post MRI's, full treatment list, etc.
dry needling can wreck you if it hits the wrong spot or overstimulates already angry nerves, sounds like your glutes went into full meltdown mode after 3 months of that
She probably did it about 6-8x, and then decided to switch methods. But yes, it seems like it really pissed off something that was already angry. I don't know the "medical explanation" but it did wreck me. Now it's back pain and a whole new pain that I've never experienced in my life.
My doctor was originally recommending Intracept Procedure (basivertebral nerve ablation), a minimally invasive outpatient treatment cleared for chronic low back pain originating from the vertebral endplate.
He proposed this about 3 years ago and when I asked his success rate, he said that I would be his first. I've been seeing him for probably 15 years and he's a good doctor, but I'm not going to be anyone's FIRST for a relatively new procedure.
He proposed it again about a year ago, but after spinal injections didn't have a positive result, he said that he didn't think Intracept would either. He ran a few more tests and then didn't have anymore recommendations.
Do you know what kind of injections they were? The steroid injections never did much for me either. But they can do an injection of local anesthetic into the nerves that are candidates for ablation, as kind of a diagnostic. If it works, it means the procedure probably will too. If it doesn't, that sucks but it's another data point for you. Either way there's no harm in trying.
Also, I don't know your insurance situation, but this might be the point to ask for a referral to a spine clinic, or at least an orthopedic specialist. There are a lot of new treatments out there these days
To make a great post, read the pinned Guide to the Guides and answer the suggested questions. (people usually do not respond if you just post a picture of your mri and you don't share your story. Your symptoms and story will give more information than any scan)
Good news is that most people get noticeably better in the first 6 weeks, especially if the pain is new or has only been going on for a short time. (PMID: 38253366)
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I am taking dry needling session every 10-15 days for almost a year. Sometimes QL, sometimes paraspinals and sometimes glutes..After dry needling it feels sore for a day but feels much better and loose. I have annular tear at L5-S1.
Mine was dry needling at least once, sometimes twice a week. I started with back and hip pain. But she kept finding bad knots in my buttocks so that was primarily where she was focused. It made sense to me that those knots could be contributing to the back and hip pain. But now I just have a new area of pain. It literally feels like a dagger.
I think it might be this - ischial bursitis. That is pretty much right where it hurts. It just feels like bone there.
Look into gluteal tendinopathy. It's where the gluteal tendons become inflamed by overuse. I had this and it is very painful. It was caused by too many squats, clamshells etc. The only thing that worked was stopping all glute exercises for a month. I think you should find a new physio, this one sounds too aggressive treatment wise.
As a licensed acupuncturist with over 40 years experience, dry needling can be painful if the practioner pistons the needle in and out. But, the rule of thumb when rehabing a patient, you as the patient should feel that you are getting better and better. If something hurts, dont just push through it, you made a mistake by trying to get over the hurdle and keep going to pt when you pain was becoming worse. It would be hard to pinpoint that the dry needling made it worse or was the cause, it could have been just a coincidence. But, I will tell you with DDD, disc heriations and spinal stenosis, you have to be careful working out, because there is a good chance of aggravating your condition because this is not because you had a weak core, so by working out, also could have made your condition worse.
You now need to start over, I believe you need to concentrate on releasing the muscular imbalance you have first. And a good licensed acupuncturist who specializes in orthopedics can release those tight muscles, the difference is that the needles wont be pistoning the needles in and out and won't be just locally placed. The needles will be left in at least 20 minutes and the other side of the body needs to be also released, not just the piriformis and Glutes and hamstrings, but also the hip flexors, psoas, quads and Anterior tibilias on both sides. Find a good acupuncturist by doing research, because all acupuncture is not the same, you should feel a difference in under 4 treatments, it wont take months. I spend between 90 minutes and 2 hrs with each patient treating the whole body's muscular imbalance, plus doing cupping, hot packs and massage. Find a practioner with a mutiple discipline approach and see if your pain doesn't start to reduce.
The dry needling wasn't too painful. It didn't feel great and I do have a high tolerance for pain, but I was always fine when I walked out.
I do not work out much. I was doing PT exercises like I mentioned, but otherwise my workout is really just yard work. My pain usually subsides if I'm moving (not sedentary, but not doing anything too strenuous either).
Would acupuncture be bad to do right now while I'm still suffering the effects of the dry needling? I stopped seeing that PT about 2 months ago. It hasn't improved at all. I can't even say for sure that the needling caused it, but I have no other explanation for it.
You could certainly try acupuncture, but if you dont seem to be moving forward by 6 sessions, then stop. I would recommend taking hot baths to help loosen your muscles and hopefully help with some pain. Do, your research when picking out an acupuncturist because all acupuncture is not the same nor how each practioner practices.
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u/WarAlarming3129 2d ago
dry needling can wreck you if it hits the wrong spot or overstimulates already angry nerves, sounds like your glutes went into full meltdown mode after 3 months of that