It may not help, but I did it anyway

Have you ever been in so much discomfort that you do something you know won't work just to feel that you tried? That is where I am today.

I have a pain that pops up in my lower right back periodically. Actually it is so low that is more in my hip joint toward the back. Anyway, sometimes it goes away with rest, but there are other times (like today) where it lingers and travels down my entire leg. The pain is positioned in such a way that I can't get away from it. Standing hurts, walking hurts, sitting hurts. Ibuprofen doesn't make a dent at all. The pain is distracting me so much that I can't focus on anything, so I felt that I had to do something. I broke down and rubbed my hip and thigh with one of those pain-relieving creams that smell like an old folks' home and set your skin on fire. I've tried this before and it didn't really help much, but I felt like I had to do something.

What have you done when you were in pain, even though you knew it wouldn't give you much relief?