Pain increasing in back

[marcusanthony24]

I've had lower back pain and stiffness for at least 15 years, I'm now 39 yrs old. My neck, shoulders and inbetween my shoulder blades ache virtually all day and seems to be getting worse. More recently my knee has been sore. I've been to chiropractors over the years, they have improved it to a point but it gets expensive. Should I go a GP? I went years ago and just sent me with a prescription for Ibuprofen and felt like a was wasting their time. It's really starting to get me down now as I like to keep active, I was also recently diagnosed with Asthma which doesn't help. Any suggestions?

[Madlegs1]

After all this time suffering, you should certainly see a doctor. Insist on an MRI and relate just how debilitating this condition is for you and the implications for continuing work.

Good luck.

[Hidden]

Push push push when it comes to your GP. If you're not happy that all avenues have been explored with regards to the cause of your pain as well as possibilities of reducing or managing it don't let it drop. Do as much research as you can & if necessary bounce around different docs in your practice until hopefully you find one that is open minded & patient led. It took me years but I finally found a GP that was incredibly supportive, whenever I came to him with an idea of something new to try he looked into it if wasn't completely in the know about it & went out of his way to learn about my condition.

I totally understand the frustration I suffer similarly. Personally, I found osteopaths were more effective than chiros.

I can't stress enough to push for an answer though, pain doesn't just effect the 'physical location', it has so many knock on effects. I'd also suggest being as open minded as possible to alternative therapies & trying things multiple times before deciding if something works or not.

Off the top of my head could perhaps try: hydrotherapy, water based physio, acupuncture, massage, (obviously heat/ice don't really need to be said), Pilates, meditation, gentle stretching oppose to exercise/workouts, topical ointments capsicum cream (I have found better than deep heat for some areas), ask to be seen by occupational therapy (community & hospital based), rheumatology referral might be beneficial, we also have pain management teams although I myself had horrific experiences with them & don't know any person who has had a positive experience or word to say about them unfortunately as in principal they sound promising, depending on what the cause of your pain is depends on what kind of prescribed pain relief would work in my experience be it nerve blockers, anti inflam, if you're taking a lot of ibuprofen you should be put on to naproxen really, urm...combined with some actual pain relief normally starting on a codine based one which can be taken with anti inflam.

Really hope you get somewhere but don't suffer in silence, for all its faults the NHS is free so use it when you need it. If you can queue jump by going private brilliant but prices are steep I know I've blown savings to try get answers quicker over the past 13 years. Get on referral list ASAP as some you're looking at 12+ month waiting lists which is bonkers!

Good luck!!

[johnsmith]

You definitely need to see a GP. You need to check that the neck is okay. MRI is needed for this. It is advisable to see an Alexander Teacher. Some of your problems may be posture and muscle control related.

The Astma may also be related to posture.

Worth taking up Yoga or T'ai Chi in order to study how your muscles work. As we get older the brain does not control movement as well as it once did. Movement skills that functioned without thinking in the 20s start not to work in the late 30s. So one needs to put in effort to fine tune movement.

Hope this helps.

[Coastwalker]

Suggestions only, (as you asked )

Check your vitamin D levels, being low in range or deficient in vitamin D can cause back pain and stiffness. Though I have no idea if taking vitamin D3 will cure your back pain and stiffness marcusanthony24.

Check out vitamindcouncil.com for safe up to date doses of vitamin D3.

Vitamin D3 is best taken with K2 as they compliment each other.

Taking a safe dose of 5000iu of vitamin D3 (+ K2 100mcg, an all in one tablet.) cured my lower back pain and stiffness of my hips and many more, also stiffness when getting up out of chairs and bed. All went almost over night. I jumped out of bed in the morning wondering why I wasn't stiff anymore, most odd at the time as It use to take me till I reached my bathroom to straighten myself up.

All pains and stiffness comes back again if I forget to take my vit D3 that same day. Vit D3 can also cure knees too, it has helped cure a friend and a family member's knees, though it might not cure everyone knees

I also cured my painful tailbone pain, my Doctor diagnosed and said I would never cure.

Doctors do not tell you about the goodness of vitamins, minerals and nutrition. It is said that 85% of us here in Uk are either low or deficient in vitamin D and do not know it. I was one of them

Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin.

[Coastwalker]

Forgot to add taking vitamin 5000iu of D3 and vitamin A, 5000 has helped my husband off his inhalers, yet he has had chronic asthma and nasty life threatening attacks since a boy. He has only used his rescue inhaler twice in 5 months. Also check your iron panel levels too.

It has now been acknowledged that vitamin D3 helps asthma, both D3 and k2 are anti inflammatory.

[Sarahk1000]

I know I'm late in my reply but I've had almost exactly the same thing as you but for 31 years of back pain and stiffness and more recently the shoulder pain. Mine causes chronic daily headaches/ tension headaches that last six months a year. I see a myotherapist who unlocks my back and shoulders in 3 visits. There aren't many around so you would need to google it in your area. Check your magnesium and vitamin d. I use dlux 3000 vitamin d mouth spray and magnesium joint, good night and original spray. Also see your gp and ask for tramadol at the very least for pain and once your on the opiates you can then move onto butrans patches or morphine. Insist your pain is unbearable and has been for years and you want help from them. They are there to help you live as well as you can and I feel you are clearly suffering. Please see your gp asap and if one doesn't help, see a different one. There's always one in the practice that you will find that is willing to help x

[marcusanthony24]

I try to avoid taking things like ibuprofen because they give me acid reflux not sure what the other tablets do. But I need to drive to get to work so can't be drugged up. I'm gonna give this new chiropractor a try and take those supplements you mentioned. Thank you for your advice, I will go and see a gp anyway. It'll probably take a while to get referred anyway.

[marcusanthony24]

It's been a while. The GP did blood test for CRP and Thyroid (TSH). The TSH level came back slightly raised first time and normal the second time. The CRP test was ok. Still getting stiffness from the top of my neck to the bottom of my back. I've suffered with Anxiety for years which I've kept under wraps apart from a Couple of occasions where I've needed diazepam from GP. More recently depression has crept in, I've taken St John's wort but found it difficult to come off it a few months ago so reluctant to go back on it although I did find it effective.

[marcusanthony24 in reply to marcusanthony24]

And I've tried physio and umpteen chiropractors, it has no lasting effect.