question: Hello, I have been experiencing lower back pain for years now, I was going to the doctors and they told me it was just a muscle spasm. Recently I went to an urgent care due to really bad radiating pain from my low back, to the belt line of my left buttock, and it shot down my leg. They diagnosed me with Degenerative Disc Disease, which was causing sciatica.(L5,S1) (DDD runs on my mother s side of the family, her, her 3 siblings,and her dad. But I do understand that it is something that happens to pretty much everyone over time.) MY LOW BACK HURTS on a daily basis but is getting worse. Urgent care wrote me for methyl-prednisolone, ibuprofen 800, and Norco 5mg, for the sciatica, which helped minimize the pain but I can still feel it. I just looked into the mirror and my right love handle is noticeably bigger than the left. Any clue as to what this is? I also have this weird pain that comes from time to time, usually after eating a majority of the time, where it almost feels like a pressure type of pain (it s like I can feel it gaining pressure or the pain progressing) about 5 inches above my belly button center of my chest, maybe like the sternum area, and i can feel it in my back in the middle but under my shoulder blades. And it s inescapable, but goes away with time. I ve been thinking it s just gas maybe? I m just curious and wanted to ask an opinion of a professional. Thank you, -chris