Lower back pain: Hi I have a degenerative issue... - Pain Concern

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Lower back pain

Maverick1 profile image
14 Replies

Hi I have a degenerative issue on 3 lower back discs, I am now in a lot of pain and have co codamol, gabapentin and now naproxen , but they are not very effective, any recommendations Woolf be appreciated

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Maverick1 profile image
Maverick1
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14 Replies
Kels1974 profile image
Kels1974

Ask for nefopam it is the only thing that has taken the edge off the pain for me

Amk31 profile image
Amk31

I would try:

_ hot/cold therapy

_massage

_ gentle exercise

A lot of people go to a pain management consultant. That could be another option.

dundeemanny profile image
dundeemanny

A decent masseuse, preferably one who is knowledgable in sports injuries can help as does excercise.

My L3,4 and 5 are all suffering from degeneration and i end up in pain after walking short distances but am able to cycle a decent distance bit, at least this way i still manage to keep a bit active.

Paracetamol initially and now on to ibuprofen to keep the edge of the pain but cant take anything else due to my job

ScottishMisty profile image
ScottishMisty

If you have had this for more than 3 months you should try OldPain2Go. I have same problem as yourself and had spinal injections etc. Next step was major surgery. I was offered a session with a local therapist who does this work and within half hr I was pain free. I have had no pain since tho the problem is at there and will never go away. I obviously can't go into detail but it's about forgetting your pain. There are therapists world wide as far as I am aware. Good luck with it. By the way I had 10 yrs on strong painkillers. Not taken one since February!!! Incredible. I got my life back.

RedfoxMorse profile image
RedfoxMorse in reply to ScottishMisty

Very interested in your post suggesting I might try a different therapy....are you suggesting hypnotherapy...when you say...forgetting your pain ?

ScottishMisty profile image
ScottishMisty in reply to RedfoxMorse

It's not hypnosis - I obviously can't tell you exactly what it is but it's your mind overcoming the pain. Therapist explains how pain works and how the body expects it every day if it is chronic. You make your mind forget about it. It doesn't work for everyone but it's certainly worth a try.

RedfoxMorse profile image
RedfoxMorse in reply to ScottishMisty

Thank you.

LeighBlyth profile image
LeighBlyth

My back pain was "chronic" by the time I was 14. No medications ever made much of a difference. I lived with it for 25 years before I hit my rock bottom. An MRI showed moderate/severe disc degenerative changes lumbar spine, one disc bulging, one protruding, one extruding with possible root compression....

I now feel better than I ever have before by learning to use my Base-Line muscles:

The pelvic floor muscles. The "Base" of our body . Where all movement should originate.

The rectus abdominis muscles (the abs) . Our central "Line" and "core pillar of strength" that should support the rest of the body.

The rectus abdominis muscles extend from the pubic symphysis of the pelvis, up the front of the abdomen, attaching to to the lower ribs, either side of the breastbone. (Put your hands over your lower ribs with your fingers meeting in the middle at the front - this is the top attachment of the rectus abdominis muscles.) They are like two parallel stacks of panels of muscles that should be activated in sequence extending from your pelvic floor Base.

The support that the body needs.

Think of your Base-Line muscles becoming stronger and longer with every inbreath.

Go-ogle "Base-Line muscles" and look at the images - a lot easier than me trying to explain the anatomy.

It takes time and focus to work with these muscles if you are not used to using them, but little by little progress is made. Building the connection between body and mind, strengthening these muscles then removes the strain from the back muscles.

Click on my icon and read my other posts going into more detail. I describe the "roll-down" action in a couple of posts which was the fundamental move during my recovery as I focused on activating my Base-Line.

Emma2017 profile image
Emma2017

I have had lower back pain for three years and had 3 ops. Have had a lot of injections and the last one actually helped somewhat. I know go to physio and myofascial therapy and receive oscillating massage as well as Alexander technique. The combination of all of this and tramadol helps for my back and leg (take also pregabalin for the leg nerve pain but this does nothing for the back really). It’s different I feel for everybody and what helps one might not help another. With trying different approaches you may find one of them or a combination might give you (some) relief.

nodmeister profile image
nodmeister

Tens machine helps me.

Deblfc profile image
Deblfc

Hi 👋,,I’ve gt fibromyalgia,,I’ve only just started the gabapentin ,with morphine patches ,,and I’m still tryin to find a dose that’s right for me ,,,have you the pregablin ??

Doghouse6463 profile image
Doghouse6463

Hi maverick1 sorry to hear that someone else (yourself) has the dreaded backache . You can all sorts there are many many treatments voodoo reiki magic beans oh and it appears you can just forget about your pain . Many years ago before I had a fusion and completely ruined my life I had treatment at a sports injury clinic . This particular clinic treated the local football teams the pro's. To cut a long story short seek one out and ask about a treatment that heats up the joints and bones without heating up the skin . It was explained to me that it worked like a microwave working at deep tissue level . The large treatment plate does not touch the skin the skin does not heat up but two / three inches down gets treated it's a very odd sensation but it works . Sadly I cannot have this since having a fusion with all the metalwork inside my spine now I would cook . It worked for me and really calmed the pain back then I was still in construction I can assure you if the pain is real you cannot stand up and pain is shooting down your legs fairy dust will not work .

hosbay profile image
hosbay

Sorry for late post.

I have been a fellow sufferer from a similar condition for about five years. I too was on the medication you are on for quite some time (also morphine sulphate, etc). I decided to stop all medication about 2 to 3 years ago as it did not seem to offer much pain relief and appeared to have bad side affects. I gradually introduced a regime of exercise, relaxation, mindfulness and occasional rest, etc and now find that I am fully mobile, performing most activities, albeit in a paced manner. My pain has not disappeared but I find it is generally very low first thing when I rise and tends to gradually increase as the day goes on. Most days I find that the pain and tiredness will peak around dinner time but if I lie down for up to an hour (usually dozing briefly) my pain levels drop significantly an hour or so after I rise. I am on the waiting list for spinal chord stimulation but I do not think I will accept it if my condition remains as it is. I tried OldPain2Go last week after hearing about ScottishMisty's success with it (see post) but I am unsure if the therapy will improve my pain as there has not been a significant change yet.

In trying to manage my condition I have found that anxiety, stress and negative thinking exacerbate pain and I consciously manage these along with pacing activities.

Human physiology and pain are very complex and I have found that effective condition and pain management needs to be multi-facetted as I have indicated above.

I hope your condition can be improved, I know how debilitating chronic pain can be.

CatAngel profile image
CatAngel

I have degenerative discs, scoliosis, SI joint dysfunction and a fracture in my upper back. I find when my back goes i have to take Diclofenac and Co dydramol these days (it was Naproxen and co codamol before). I have also been prescribed muscle relaxant in the past alongside. When my back hurts it really hurts. The drs are always shocked by the weakness and the tightness. I had acupuncture for a bulging disc and it was amazing. I hope you are in less pain than you were a few months ago.

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