For years, I told myself it wasn’t that serious.
That it was “just back pain.”
That everyone dealt with aches like this — and I just needed to push through.
But every time I stood up after sitting too long, or tried to get comfortable at night, I felt it. A deep ache starting in my lower back, running through my hip, and down my leg. Some days it burned. Other days it felt tight and pulling. And no matter how I adjusted, stretched, or rested, it always came back.
I tried to ignore it. I told myself I could live with it. But quietly, it started shaping my days — how long I could sit, how far I could walk, how well I could sleep.
This is the story of how I finally stopped ignoring my pain — and what actually helped.