I have always had that and never really been able to do many crunches and do them properly. What I get is an almost paralyzing pain on both sides of my spine from right above the waist to the middle of my back. I presume it's because I have slight scoliosis in that area of my spine from when I was a kid that never got fixed. Nothing visible or sensitive and I don't normally get lower back pain. But it's really difficult to do any kind of ab workouts. Any ideas on how I can work around it and if this is typical? I am certainly OK but not extremely fit so I suppose not having a very strong back could also add to the problem. I would love to hear any ideas. Thanks!

Do you work your lower back??? You might try doing a few sets of supermans before your ab work and see if that helps.

plank
YouTube - Ab Exercises!

Bodybuilding.com - Exercise Guides Database.

I'll start doing the supermans then. I do exercise my back already - normally do 3 sets of 15 bends on the lower back bench. It's difficult to do more as it really hurts and after the 15th rep I have to stop.

I used to get that and still do sometimes. I find doing overhead presses with my wrists straight underneath my elbows, really works those muscles in the lower back. Since I started doing these, the pain has subsided. Let me ask, are you skinny? Another thing may be a pad under your butt. Im thin and my butt bone and lower back can really grind into the ground.

Overhead presses are not something I am doing right now. Relatively skinny, but I do most of my ab workouts on a bench, not on the floor and normally those are pretty cushioned and I still get the pain. BTW, resting or stretching my back for a few secs alleviates it and I can continue doing the workout, but the more I do them the quicker it starts to hurt.

you could try some ab exercises where you don't flex your back, like planks, side planks (if the regular versions are easy for you, there are ways to make them harder)
If you have back problems then flexing the back is most likely something you don't want to do.

Planks are in one of the videos i posted. You should be able to do them without back pain.

hahaha, not there yet, more likely need to make them easier. when I did yoga 2 years ago, I had just gotten to the point where I could do them, but life changed and I don't do yoga anymore, will start again soon but will try the planks now.

thank you guys for all the suggestions!

just do them on your knees or leaning up against the a wall to make them easier