back pain & leg issues

Hi, I am 27 year old female. I am a housekeeper and laundry attendant at a hotel who recently re-started work two months ago, after a period of 3 months of being off. After returning to work, I began to have back pain in one specific spot directly on my lumbar spine area. My job is very physical and repetitive - lifting/carrying baskets of linen, pushing heavy carts, folding hundreds of towels/sheets a day, bending to make beds, cleaning, etc. I am wondering if I unknowingly injured myself - there was one specific incident where I twisted my back in a weird way to grab a vacuum but no traumatic injuries or anything. The back pain became its worst when doing a lot of physical activity, including standing/lifting/walking/bending, etc. It would also hurt to sit on the couch or sleep at night. Felt a tremendous amount of pressure on the spot on my spine. Frequent urination & change in bowel movements -- constipation, pencil thin stools, and some pebbly stools. Began having some numbness in right bum cheek, and right shin pain. Tried ibuprofen but it didn't help at all. I continued to work through the pain for a few weeks even though it was challenging, but eventually ended up in the emergency room. The emergency room doctor thought I had a muscle strain as she could feel tight muscles around the spine and I was having spasms. She asked me to do some simple movement/neurological tests: bending/touching toes, lifting leg, doctor checking reflexes, etc - no problems although I...
Source: MD Health Forum - Medical Discussion Boards - Category: Consumer Health Advice Authors: Tags: Neurosurgery Source Type: forums