back pain

[Sarah1111]

Hi I have been suffering from a bad back which has been going on 2 years. I just woke up in agonising pain.which led to me been laid up for like 2 months. Taking n trying different pain relief. And just when was feeling better I went to the gym. And just by twisting it pit my back out again, just in the last year. Which went to me having sciatica. Well I have not been right since. I can't sit up long with a straight posture. All the top of my but is still numb, from when I had the sciatica. Which makes me think it could be a trapped nerve. I'm in pain every day.i can't sit or lie down long.coz it just makes me feel like I'm been crushed down, n been squeezed in. I think it's not as bad when I motivating. And when I do motivate it just leads to more pain when I do try and relax. I'm so tense, all the time. Which makes my back then flare up. Like it's locked..i am at the moment on cocodamol and naxproxen. While waiting to be seen by the pain clinic. I had Pysio for like 8months.im in pain non stop every day, which is so depressing

I can sum times feel the excruciating pain, like I can feel my nerve endings, symptom pains like from the sciatica.i just want a scan . because I really feel like something is going on inside there . I xxxbt even have a social life because I just can't sit up long in a straight posture for long, without pain occurring, and leading my back into a flare up. Does anyone have this problem. AND CAN HELP me with my pain relief

[Ktchard]

Hi there if I were you I'd push for am mri have you tried ice & heat on the area & gentle stretching exercises ? If your in constant pain go back to your gp & get something a bit stronger than co codamol hunni I hope you get it sorted 😊

[Ktchard]

I suffer with my neck & upper back which are four vertebrae from c3 to c7 has arthritic changes bone spurs & the discs on those levels are foraminal stenosis also bone spur compressing c4 nerve alsohave a paracentral disk protrusion at c6 / c7 also spur growing from my disk laying across my c8 nerve my cervical disks have herniated and are now solid lost there water. I suffer lots of pain tingling numbness & vision problems. These problems have also caused problems in my legs. I do hope your Dr sends you for an mri you need to know what's going on before you can get treatment let me know how you get on kind regards Katie 😊

[RAYJAYC]

Hi Sarah1111

Lots & lots of people on this forum have what you're describing so welcome!!

As has already been said, push for an MRI scan so you can at least know what you have & haven't got! (although not everything can be explained from an MRI!!)

The pain clinic will start you on the road to dealing with & management of your pain.

Maybe ask your GP for something a little stronger in the meantime? Depending on your circumstances, your GP can prescribe different type of meds to get you through!

It does sound like you've got nerve issues going on but we can't diagnose that - needs someone suitably qualified to confirm it.

One thing to note from your post - it does sound like you're pushing your body too far when you feel a little better so you're then gettng the flare-ups.

Maybe try to keep the exercise gentle but consistent rather than none and then lots.

You'll get information and advice from the pain clinic but we get something called 'pay back pain' if we do too much or all of a sudden. You'll probably find a consistent routine much more beneficial at the moment until you get specific medical input.

Keep us updated on how it goes.....

RAYJAYC

[johnsmith]

Your symptoms can be for a number of things which you need to get an MRI scan for.

What I suggest may be accurate or may not be. It is a matter of doing the experiment to see if it is accurate or not. I suggest you see a McTimony chiropractor. They will be able to reduce some of the pain caused by muscles in spasms pulling your vertebrae onto nerve roots. The next step is to do something about your posture. This could be causing over tight muscles from habits of muscular misuse. This is the province of an Alexander Teacher. Both McTimony chiropractic and Alexander Technique are not cures for the problem. They will help reduce symptoms of the problem.

It is an unfortunate fact of life that the medical profession know very little about how overtight or muscles in spasm cause all sorts of health disabilities. Pain killers or anti-inflammatories may appear to help, but often do not. Why not you may well ask? I will explain.

Muscles when they work act on structures. The structures may be nerves, bone or soft tissue. When the muscle works well and there is no scar tissue nothing complains. When the muscle over contracts and remains over contracted there is prolonged pressure on tissue which does not go away. Added to this is further pressure from other muscles movements. Tissue does not like prolonged pressure and complains ie pain and discomfort.. The remedy is to reach for the pain killer or anti-inflammatory. However, the pressure is still present. The pain killer and anti-inflammatory deadens the body's response. The signals to the brain saying that there is a problem is deadened. So the faulty muscle behaviour which caused the problem in the first place has not been corrected. The brain can get the message that it is okay to continue with the muscle behaviour that causes the problem and more pressure can be applied to the tissue that is sore and being inflamed. The result more pain killer and anti-inflammatory is needed to deaden the symptoms. So there can be a need to increase anti pain medication because the cause of the problem is not being relieved.

By removing the the faulty muscle behaviour that is causing the problem the need for pain killers and anti-inflammatories is reduced and removed altogether.

Hope this has been helpful.

[tec2tec in reply to johnsmith]

thank you will look into this

[Mac61]

Yeah I have the same 5 disc in lower back and arthritis.insist on a mri scan.Then you can get to pain management and you can start the PROCESS.if you can stay off opioids.I was a plasterer and at first it was put down to wear and tear of my job.which I gave up 7 years ago.after my Mri scan it showed bulging disc,ground disc and sciatica left leg.i have had 2 different pain management physio acupuncture.had counselling for depression.get it checked.

[Mac61]

I don't know if anyone has tried actipatch.But you can get it free trial you just pap p&p at £2.95.this is for a week it cost 19.99 for 720 hours plus you can turn this one on and off.