back pain (long , but i need your advice)

[*charmalea*]

i have been getting bad back ache for a while now , i got prescribed brufen and told to take it 3-4 times a day ...

I rarely take panadol when i have a headache so i was shocked that i had to take this much brufen ...

i held out and put up with the pain .. but then i started to get really cranky and agititated and couldnt sleep .. i became really sour puss like towards my family ..

so i started to take the brufen ... it only took the edge off the pain ... the doc said just keep taking them and you will be ok ..

he sent me for an x ray .. but i cant afford the spare $130 right now ..

its getting so bad, massgae hurts (when dh does it ) but it relives the pain ..

sometimes i have to punch my lower back hard just to realese some tension ..
i go to yoga , i thought the stretching would help .. but it doesnt ...

so i stopeed the yoga/gym and have just been walking around the block ...

None of this makes a difference at all ....

last night , i couldnt bare it and took 2 prodiene forte (it said to take 2 on the label) it was a last resort , to help me sleep ..

it made me into a zombie ... i felt so out of it .. like i was on drugs ... my body felt heavy and i felt drunk ...i rested on the couch , then somehow made it to bed and my body felt so heavy i just collasped on the bed .... i had patches of wakefullness and patches of sleep (i remember the dreams)

today i feel so out of it .... i feel drowsy and slow .... my back pain is just there ... i can feel it ... i avoided the brufen this morning because i felt funny from the prodiene ... ( would the prodiene or brufen have an effect or affect my anti anxiety meds - lovan ??)

What has worked for other people with back pain ??? medications / natural therapies ... i need help ....

the pain it severe in my mid-lower back ... ages ago a doc said i had slight scoliosis (sp?) so my bad is not as curvy as some ... it is also affecting my neck and sholders .. they are as tights as rock and hard and sore to put pressure on ...

you ideas will be greatly appreicated

[shar]

Go to a physio!! Doctors will only give you pain killers and this is not the solution, you need the problem fixed not just the pain masked. I had terrible neck pain for about 8 years before I found my current physio. Find a good one and stick with them (if you are in WA I can recommend a wonderful one)

[FluffyLaRue]

Head to an osteopath They are wholistic- treat the whole body, and having studied anatomy myself under the guidance of some of the best osteos in Australia I can say they KNOW their stuff- rather than sending you for an xray, they can feel where you might have problems ( of course they also use xray where needed). They are safe, gentle and most times will only need to see you once or twice. I used an osteo during my 4th pregnancy and wish I had known about them beforehand!

[Amie]

Hi Charmalea,

First of all, sorry to hear that you're in so much pain.

I'm with FluffyLaRue on this one (surprise, surprise... hint: my occupation is on my profile!). Brufen and other painkillers will do just that - they kill pain. However they make little to no difference to the cause of the pain, they only work on the effects so really they just mask the pain. An osteopath will assess your whole spine and pelvis to try to find the source of the pain.

If you like, let me know where in Australia you are and I can recommend someone.

HTH

[Laranna]

Sorry to hear you are in so much pain
I had really bad lower back pain for years after I fell down some stairs. I eventually found this really great muscular-skeletal physio who worked out the problem. Basically when I fell the back muscles that copped the injury locked up and stopped working so the rest of my back muscles were doing extra work and so pulled my hips out of alignment and pulled on my lower spine. The physio fixed me up and got me started on Pilates to strengthen my core. That was 3 years ago and I haven't looked back since. No back pain since.

[blue daisy]

hey lea

I am sorry to hear that your are not feeling all that great

I hurt my back a few years ago when I was a new nurse...it wasnt good, bulging disc in the lumbar region and very painful

I was told by my DR rest and painkillers...which worked for a while...but then what

I found a really good chiropractor to help get me back on track...and I discovered yoga

with back pain...we need to build up the strenght of the muscles that support the spine, to take the load off and allow the inflamation to reduce and let the body heal itself

If you did not find yoga worked for you, yoga is great but it is not a quick fix, more of a lifestyle ...and again with anything you need to be careful who you see...perhaps pilates or even a physio who teaches spinal fitness classes

I hope this helps and you feel great soon

xx yogababy

[Mum0809]

I suffer really bad back pain due to a fractured vertebrae, sciatica, ruptured lumbar disc, and Scheuermann's disease. So my back is pretty had it. Physio doesn't help it.
I normally take, Naproxen SR 1000mg Tablets. It is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which relieves pain and reduces inflammation. Its just one tablet once a day but you have to get a prescription from the doctor. You can't take them when you are pregnant. So I can't take them at the moment, but I was on them for ages beforehand and they are amazing at relieving pain. They can sometimes take a couple of days to really help because they are slow release. I had no side effects from them.
Try getting your DH to massage your back with a tennis ball.

[Shanti]

You poor thing... :hugs: I too, suffer really bad lower back pain and at the moment i would call it "chronic" but it comes and goes.... right now its so bad that in the morning i have to get out of bed slowly because i feel so crippled and i literally have to roll over to get out of bed on my side and get out a certain way, i cant just jump out of bed like an average26yr old should be able to, i feel like an 80yr old woman at times....

i've always had bad back (lower) and i've seen physio about it and it did help but i was given exercises which i was told i had to do every day for the rest of my life, and I have just started doing them again, its hard findingthe time every day (just life) so i am getting back into it... and it does help but NEVER totally fixes my back. he thought i had "osteo arthritis" but xrays showed i didnt.
I also saw a chiropractor but i truly believe he made my back worse (some ppl may agree, some won't) but perhaps it was the chiro i was seeing.... it got good for a while then wen't bad....

reason i'm writing this is to say that the painkillers only fix the problem short term (pain relief only anyway as you know) whereas if you try and do exercises every single day this does help....
i dont believe my back will ever be the way it should be or would like it to be!

as for massage, my DH also will try and massage it but its sooo painful even when he does it carefully!

i will be watching this thread closely for ideas i can use

[*charmalea*]

I just found that i am so stiff that when i do yoga , its painful to stretch , esp when lying flat on the floor .. its so bad then ... I havent taking any thing for the pain to day ... but i can feel the pain getting worse.. by tonight after a walk or gym i will be stuffed ... and having this bad back has made me really inflexible ,its driving me carzy ...
I live in QLD in Ipswich , SJH .. do you know any one out here ??

I had a spine check not long ago after i did the bridge to brisbane (12 run/walk) and one side of me is higer than the other ...
I keep telling DH i need a chiro . but it feels more in the muscle , but x rays a few years ago revealed a stage 3 or 4 degeneration in my spongy bits between the vertabrae ( forget the name )

so if any of you know what that is ... you may have an idea .... do you think i will need an operation in my later years ????

I have hurt my back through car accidents and got a tail bone injury which hurt like hell ...

[Shanti]

Does your pain get worse after sitting down for longer than say 20mins? is it stiff and painful after being motionless? or is it painful ALL the time?

[*charmalea*]

yes to all ... it gets sore when sitting , i have to walk around after a while ... and it hurts when i sit up striaght ... when i get out of bed it really hurts ...

but during the day , its a constant ache .. its always there .. but it is worse after sitting /lying down

[Shanti]

yeah the only thing i can suggest is seeing a physio or chiropractor but you have to keep seeing them all the time thats the only thing that works for me... once you stop, the pain comes back worse... well for me anyway. but i cant keep affording to go so i just have to put up with my pain and do exercises when i can... i am about to do more now. *sigh*

I hope you get the help and pain relief you need, its awful isnt it living with pain *hugs* not nice at all

[Amie]

Hi Charmalea,


I have emailed you (can't post links etc here) some details. Let me know if you have any questions

[sjs]

Hi Charmalea, I have a couple of bulging discs in my lower back, since 2001. I have constant pain, especially with standing too long or sitting too long. The back surgeon I went to see said when I got sick of it he could replace the discs with artificial ones but that it was a last resort. He encouraged me to go to a physio.

I have found the best thing for this condition is walking - on the flat ground and about 40 minutes a day with good posture (make sure your shoulders are back, chest out and tummy in). Its important to keep active but also to rest (only about 15 mins at a time)

I use ice packs and heat packs when its really sore and lie on my stomack or on my side with a pillow between my legs and make sure your back is straight including your neck. the physio also told my to lie on my stomach and then prop myself up on my elbows keeping my whole back relaxed and do that ten times. It seems to help.

If you need anymore advice let me know, I know its hard but it can be managed.

[Feathertop]

Hi Lea, please see someone who will show you how to actively treat the problem with your back, not just relieve the pain with drugs or massage. I'm a physio, so I naturally tend to direct people to see a physio, but in my years of working with people and critically evaluating the literature on back pain, I have come to the conclusion that health professionals trained in the McKenzie technique have it right. These aren't just physios, chiros, osteos and even dr's can do the training. Find someone who has done this training and they will show you how to help yourself. There aren't many with the higher level quals in Qld, I think 3 in Bne and 1 in Toowoomba that I know of. Anyway, I hope you find someone who helps you find relief (and doesn't keep you coming back all the time - gets expensive!).

[MrsT]

You poor thing... :hugs: I too, suffer really bad lower back pain and at the moment i would call it "chronic" but it comes and goes.... right now its so bad that in the morning i have to get out of bed slowly because i feel so crippled and i literally have to roll over to get out of bed on my side and get out a certain way, i cant just jump out of bed like an average26yr old should be able to, i feel like an 80yr old woman at times....

This sounds just like me There are some days where it takes all my might to even be able to get out of bed, then I'm hobbling around for a while. And I'm only 28

I also suffer from cronic headaches and have found the best treatment for me is remedial massage. I go to a qualified practioner who works deep tissue and free's me up. I have felt the best I have in years

You might have to try a few different types of treatment until you find what works best for you.

Good luck and I hope you get some relief soon