My lower back is junk
I messed around with a Dr. for 2 years telling me I had pulled muscles in my back and shoulders.... until the disc in my neck grenaded and paralyzed me from head to toe on my left side. It happened in the middle of the night while I was sleeping. ER at 3 am and emergency surgery as soon as a neurosurgeon could get to the hospital. The concern was not being paralyzed but the fact the collapsed spinal cord get could stop my heart or breathing. 9 months of PT trying walk again. Subsequently have had 2 microdiscectomies on the first disc above my hips with more PT following both. A lumbar fusion is not in the cards for me as the 3 discs above have issues and a fusion moves the load upwards and accelerates degeneration at that level.
Celebrex is my friend, without it I don't walk. Similar to Meloxicam but less caustic to the liver and stomach supposedly, but as stated these types of drugs can mask other issues so you have to pay attention. I'm on pretty much the max dose.
Get an MRI. Find out if you're dealing with a muscular issue or something far more serious before you have a Chirocracker start banging on you. My original GP suggested I should go see one which I declined. Chiro's like to work off x-rays. None of which my damage was present on. The only thing they are doing for you, their science, is trying adjust your bones against the muscle tension their under. A chiro cracking my neck could have killed me in his office. They will never hand you a pamphlet demonstrating some simple stretching exercises and tell you that you won't have to keep coming back by doing such. With a regular stretching and a mild exercise routine you will stay loosened up and aligned. The stuff you learned in PT, yoga, etc. At some point you have to help yourself. 20 years later after completing collectively almost 18 months of PT I still get on the floor with a couple rolled up towels and some pillows and roll around like a walrus.
Orthopedic surgeons, while they may be great at fixing broken bones and hip replacements, they are not skilled on the same level as Neurosurgeons although those I encountered thought they were.
The longer you mess around with the wrong doctors or ignore the problem the better your chances are for the nerve damage to become permanent.