Lower back pain

[mousey1]

I hurt my back a few years ago due to pushing partners wheelchair,and it goes about once a year.I was reaching in the car for my handbag and felt it go that was about 6 weeks, just as it seems to start getting better I seem to tweak it doing something and it's back to square one,with having lupus does it take longer for it to recover.I have now got another chest infection so coughing doesn't help.I have just bought a lower back support which I think helps slightly .

[PMRpro]

I have had a lot of benefit from Bowen therapy for such problems - very gentle, no side effects, the only downside is that it is not on the NHS (except in one Health Trust where the Pain Clinic offers it!). If you can afford it do have a try - if it hasn't helped in 3 sessions it probably won't so it isn't an open-ended commitment.

Hope it settles down quickly.

[mousey1 in reply to PMRpro]

Hi,Thank you for replying .I did try that method but only once,but I couldn't lay on her couch ,so she used a massager on me,but unfortunately it left me with bruises over my back,so didn't try again and it's the expense as well .

All the best.

[PMRpro in reply to mousey1]

Massage, even by a gentle and experienced therapist isn't very good in PMR. Do you mean real bruises? Did you mention that to your doctor? Massage should never cause bruises - it may release inflammatory substances from the trigger points if you have myofascial pain syndrome as well and apparently cause a flare of the PMR but not visible bruising.

[mousey1 in reply to PMRpro]

Hi, it was my doctor who saw them,when he examined me.I am on warfarin and steroids,so I do bruise easily .

[PMRpro in reply to mousey1]

So am I - I never bruised due to Bowen or massage though!

[Paul_Howard Partner LUPUS UK in reply to PMRpro]

Hi PMRpro ,

I'm always sceptical when I see somebody state that any treatment or therapy has 'no side effects'. In some cases people have reported side effects to Bowen treatment. These include flu-like symptoms, headaches, stiffness and tiredness. Some practitioners may recognise this as a process which they refer to as the 'healing crisis'.

[PMRpro in reply to Paul_Howard]

OK - fair enough! But Bowen should NEVER cause bruising!

[jayfer]

Hi, what's Bowen therapy. I've just had steroid injection for pain in back, 1st time, but the site where he injected I can't touch, its like an electric shock ! The pain in lower back has gone though. I've had back problems about 30 yrs but more frequent 'tweaks' since lupus diagnosis and this time its lasted over 3 months

[mousey1 in reply to jayfer]

Hi . It's gentle moves on the body,a bit like a very gentle massage.

Sorry to hear about your back .I hope mine doesn't last that long,my problem I think iI'm not moving about enough as it's less painful sitting, and also when I'm having a really tired day can't move about much.

[PMRpro in reply to jayfer]

This site

healthnorth.co.uk/treatment...

is from the group that supplies Bowen therapy for the north of England Trust whose Pain Clinic uses it. It describes what they do. A 2 year contract was tried originally to see if Bowen would help patients who the Pain Clinic couldn't - the results were so good that it was renewed. Since "my" Bowen therapist works there I can vouch for her at least!

The site I used to suggest has died it seems! But there is a video

youtube.com/watch?v=Nv-_FFZ...(Not working as expected?)

I'd also had back problems for years - I still do but they do respond well to Bowen and another therapy called intramuscular stimulation which in one form is akin to acupuncture and is also called needling. Bowen is far more widespread in the UK though.

[mousey1 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for that .When I went to a chiropractor a couple of years ago I bruised really badly.I will see how how I get on and maybe give her another try.

[PMRpro in reply to mousey1]

I once had a few tiny bruises from my osteopath - wasn't on warfarin or pred then though! She did apologise when I showed her!

But Bowen really shouldn't - it is such a gentle technique done properly. Good practitioners can do it with you on a chair at first if you can't get comfortble lying down - though obviously lying is better.

[Buffy14 in reply to mousey1]

You should not go to a chiropractor if you are on warfarin I was told .I had a severe bad back for 6 months lost my job because of it . I went to a chiropractor .I nearly jumped off the table with one movement he did and I couldn't breath that night I'm sure he cracked a rib . It was after that someone told me you should not go if you take warfarin because of the bruising . I tried numerous things , in the end it was putting myself through painful exercises that finally got rid of mine . I saw a leaflet at my rheumy clinic about exercises for bad backs , I took it home and did them . The one I remember most is one were you lie flat on your back and move your legs downwards as though you are trying to stretch your legs to make them longer , one leg at a time . It will hurt at first but I did it just a few stretches a time at first and it worked . No one really got to the bottom of my back problems at the time , i had had a broken pelvis previously and when that happened the hospital said I hadn't broken anything and sent me home I only discovered that I had actually broken it 2 years later when I had an x-ray for my back problem and they said the only thing showing was my previous broken pelvis . I have since been diagnosed with osteoporosis. I still get a bad back sometimes but nothing like that one however every time my back starts hurting I do the leg stretching exercises.

[mousey1 in reply to Buffy14]

Hi.you would think the chiropractor would know as mine did ask about medicines etc.Thank you for the stretching exercise I will give it a go.Unfortunately coughing isn't helping my back at all.

[Buffy14 in reply to mousey1]

I hope it works for you my back was horrendous I couldn't get out of bed in the morning when I moved had shooting pains right down my body , I tried heat , tens , massage heat chair pad , ice packs heat packs pain killers etc it was only following those exercises it improved, take care x

[mousey1 in reply to Buffy14]

Thank you.You take care too x

[beccaboom]

I stretched my legs and eventually my disc popped back in and I never looked back and I thought I would be crippled the test of my life after an accident. At 30 I felt a hundred. Through chiropractic, massage, and acupuncture as well. One day the chronic back pain left as fast as its onset. One day I am saying on the couch, two days later moved to Jamaica. It felt like I had risen from the dead. I think everything helped and one day the back just popped in and I was good. Keep the faith.. It can, and will happen. My neighbor or even told me that a year before I got healed. Giving up heavy pain killers helped because the body creates pain so it can stay addicted. I was told anyway. I actually got kicked off my meds for smoking weed. best thing that ever happened.... I still smoke weed for pain and anxiety but my pain is now more from lupus

[Cas70]

See a Chiropracter that has a Tens machine. I did the same to mine and he told me that stretching for a handbag in a car for handbag causes a lot of strain - I keep mine in the boot or seat well. Deep Freeze gel really helps and doesn't smell, but that Tens machine deep massages - excellent

[mousey1 in reply to Cas70]

Hi, Thank you for that. I use bio freeze that a osteopath told me use but might try deep freeze gel.Doctor gave me voltarol but it was useless.

[Cas70 in reply to mousey1]

Yes Voltarol is useless! Deep Freeze is much cheaper than Bio - you can find it in most supermarkets near where they sell Olbas Oil which is also good for joint and muscle pain. Best of luck

[mousey1]

Thank you for that, I will get some.