My back is a nightmare. The MRI scan says a disc pressing on the nerve. I was informed they cannot operate as its risky.
Do injections in the back work?
I'm asking because as it was lockdown it was not possible to go to the pain clinic.
Has anyone used B cure lazer or please any advice on what helps you. I have put on weight and cannot use a gym just swimming and one has to book a time slot.
Swimming will definitely help you . Yes I had an injection in my back some years ago , you’ve got nothing to lose , I did get some benefit , also join a yoga class or Pilates class . Good to do some stretching , keep moving so you doubt get stiff
Rather than gym or public swimming pools, it sounds like you need physio and hydrotherapy. It might be that you need to gently get your muscles stronger rather than doing 'exercise' that keeps being pushed on us.
Have you been referred for physio yet?
Also, have to explored the website The Pain Toolkit?
I too struggle with back pain in the past and a few hours a day and night. (I’ll explain)
I was on morphine and had a great life well normal. Worked socialised everything was open to me.
The Oxford reducing program bc cut my dose so I have pain for 2to3 hours a day and wake early in the morning.
I’d get the weight off you as soon as you can. Try walking up and down stairs building up to walking up and down without using the handrail. Slow at first but you’ll notice the difference early on.
Try the injections. They didn’t work for me but everyone’s different
I have to arrange my life around my medication now which I find awful. One 30 mg pill would help me but it’s as if there is a line GPS can’t or won’t cross with morphine (zomorph).
Good luck it’s a long and winding road. I bet GPs we’d ho have a real bad back don’t suffer like us.
Hello Billy I knew a guy who was prescribed morphine and the only reason he had to swop to OXYCODONE was that the tests he had showed a problem on the kidney.
I have been offered OXYCODONE for sale and I don't want to go down that road.
Anyway, I feel its up to the pain specialists to say what is best for your pain, NOT the GP.
GPS have their favourites. I knew one who was not interested in children or elderly people.
Humans have favourites.
Billy, if you get a good doctor at the pain clinic please ask whatever you wish regarding your treatment.
I keep seeing an advert for
B Cure Lazer?
Hi Chase888, The emergency G.P I first saw jabbed me with Voltrol and gave me some OXYCODINE, this was the first night it happened. This OXYCODINE made me pass out, never ever again.
I have to have a blood test next Wednesday so am now going to pray that my kidneys are o.k as been on OraMorph for 20 years and my G.P is a little forgetful when it comes to blood tests and x-rays, my last blood test was 2 years ago. Pleased I have read your reply to Billy. xx
Sorry to hear that and morphine does effect the kidneys.Doctors don't know everything.
Do you have a regular doctor?
I am asking because the doctors at my surgery change all the time and I have had some lovely GPS. But no idea who they are or what they are like except for one who I threatened with legal action. She phoned me twice to apologise.
I'm telling you this because we need to look after our bodies and thank Heaven for doctor Google.
Love and hugs
Dear Billyboy2u, injections didn't work for me either. Have replied to the post so you can see if you identify with what happened to me too. xx
You can always get a second opinion on how risky it is. Mine was risky but because it was CE and leaving it was more risky I had an operation, well 4 actually. I have had quite a few injections, some work longer than others and some did not work. I was convinced extra weight was an issue. So I set on loosing weight, it’s hard going but just think every kilo is like a big bag of sugar, you would groan picking up a 20 kilo bag of cement. Of course if you are that much overweight you carry it around all day. This is what I said to myself so I drastically reduced what I ate and am now 10kg lighter and still want to loose more. It’s definitely worth it as your spine has to carry all the extra weight around. Careful exercising is another thing to do and of course walking. I am walking now small distances several time a day. It’s hard and often I really don’t want to but it’s the only way. I found physio too hard and am currently doing Alexander technique which has helped me a lot.
Ive been looking into online pain clinics. could be an option for u?
Hi Chase 888 I'm new on here too and in the UK. I have just had MRI scan which confirmed I have a herniated disc causingthe sciatic pain....also a degenerative disc causing back pain. At the moment I'm suffering with the sciatic pain, prior to diagnosis I was on amitriptyline, naproxen & lansoprosole. When diagnosed consultant suggested surgery, which I don't want or injection... not too fussed on that either so asked if I could try some other pain relief...in the hope that the disc will right itself without the need for surgery. I'm now on pregablin and cocodomol.... started to struggle with the naproxen.
I had to pay private to see a consultant and get MRI as Dr referred me on a basic referral to muscular skeletal dept.. who when I rang them for time scales they told me 8 months to see consultant and after hearing how much pain I was in, told me to get Dr to escalate my referral.. contacted surgery could not get to speak to Dr but receptionist told me she would pass on msg. I then self referred to physio and booked appt with private consultant. Physio called me within a couple of days and who told me Dr had not escalated my referral... haven't actually been seen by a GP... or Physio... all done on phone. I see a chiropractor privately who is now basically doing what a physio would do.
I just wondered why they said surgery would be too risky for you? The consultant seemed to be keen on it but I'm not sure if he thought that's because I would pay for it.... I wouldn't as can't afford to so he'd have to refer me back to NHS....
Sorry for the long post!
Money talks in any language. I knew an elderly lady who had paid into BUPA and I noticed the difference in the health care.
But one time it was one too many and I was there when the doctor said she could go home and ask her friends for help.
He said "it's all very well saying you're not ready to go home but will health insurance pay for it?"
Similar issues in my camp although they all have their own way of inflicting despair into your day. I can only sympathise and relate that my greatest improvement came from reducing the pain meds and saving the fast actors for the bad days. Somehow knowing my pain helps me perceive it better. I've got a great private physio who works wonders with a modern version of acupuncture, and that's (just) kept me working while the NHS had a nap.I'm awaiting spinal injections to help with peripheral complications and am happy to go ahead. My consultant talks of the 'traditional' slice and dice surgeries and the more modern 'epoxy squirted up a bit of tube' less invasive types. But the only one for my.neck means a front entry, voicebox and throat out and knock in some nails. Apparently that's safer than working around the brain stem.
I'm holding off on that one if at all possible!
Don't rely too heavily on pain management from the supposed experts. They don't understand your pain as well as you and the pills work differently for each person yet are thrown out as coverall solutions.
Hope you get some relief somehow. Good luck
Dear Chase888, know this is a late reply but thought I would tell you that I understand what you are going through.
The surgeon told me too that it was far too risky for an op so straight to the pain doc at Stoke Mandeville Hospital where I first had lumber injections which did not work at all so I was sent to the same surgeon for a start on medication, first lot did not touch the pain, after several visits was prescribed Liquid Morphine (OraMorph), so now on 30 tabs daily including MST which is in tab form and they are slowly released into the body.
Before all of this I had hot and cold treatment at a special place close by the hospital but did not work, have also been to pain clinic where you first speak to a trained physcologist and there is also a doctor who specialises in pain, it was a 6 week session. You get to meet others in a group and discuss your pain when asked questions by the doctor. Finally at the end they watched you walk best you could and done certain exercise with your arms, like how far you could reach round your back and how high that type of thing. Then they gave you a copy of your 6 weeks sessions, did not do a thing for me really just listened to others. The therapy was o.k as it was all about your life, lying down on a couch thing which was absolute agony.
I am also on anti depressants because of what has become of me. Been like this and on this medication for 20 years now.
Just hope that some of the other replies will keep you off of what I am on and been through.
Wish you all the luck and pain free life you can get without all I have had to go through. xxxxx
Thank you for your reply.My boyfriend of 8years died on the 1st April 2020. I took care of him and he died the best way in his sleep. I had the keys so there was no smell of death plus he didn't have to go through lockdown.
But my health has declined and his best friend shouted at me saying I cooked and cleaned for Charlie so why was I like this.
I clean my flat and eat little bits but maybe if I was rich the doctors would recommend the operation.
I don't trust anyone new that I meet. Lawyers, dentists doctors and etc.
Many thanks to all who replied to this post. It just goes to show we’re all different when it comes down to pain.
The best advice I can give anyone who suffers with back pain is first lose weight. You’ll be amazed at this one little thing that helps.
Morphine suits my condition the best and with over 30 years of trying everything I know when my body tells me “ah that’s better”. As said on my case Oxford set a limit to how much is enough for anyone and follows this with a stupid statement “if you can’t get relief on that amount. It doesn’t work for you”
I was furious with my doctor quoting that to me. “So your saying someone whose 6 stone soaking wet and someone like me who is 17 stone a dose will work the same. “We’ll no but”. I was told. One tablet was taken away from me and now I have 3 hours of pain during the day and at night. Surly that tells you it works on me.
Oh I’m 17 stone but no fat. Have had regular blood tests and always show I’m ok with ZoMorph. So what’s the problem with one extra tablet then I ask.
“It’s just over the Oxford advice on it I’m told”. Have you not listened at all to what I’ve just said.
That’s where we left it. I found the pain clinic made me worse with silly exercises I told them hurt me. But. They didn’t care.
Hope you all find that sweet spot when you feel you’ve got your life back.
After standing for about seven minutes lower back pain developed about 4 years ago. Also my left leg starts to fail. As soon as i sit down the pain switches off . My GP referred me for an MRI which revealed nothing untoward. Then adopted the fallback when they have no clue, Physio, which I not so respectfully declined. Cocodamol, codein, paracetamol about as effective as smarties...I now take no medication.I have resigned myself to never walking more than a few yards ever again.
However i can still drive.
The symptoms are exactly the same as 4 years ago.
I record this as I would be very wary of physio and the like.
I’m glad I had the surgery(ACDF Cage Plate Fusion, Anterior Cervical Discectomy) I tried to avoid surgery and had the nerve block in the spine, but it only lasted 6 months. I was involved in a nasty car accident 6 months after surgery and I was told that I would have been paralysed from the neck down if I hadn’t of had the surgery. I’ve been left with serious physical limitations and manage with 1800mg Gabapentin, CBD Oil and a bottle of Beaujolais every other night, whilst trying to work within my limitations and accepting them more each day. Good luck
Oh no. What rotten luck for you.I am so sorry.
My late boyfriend's son had an accident and he had an amputation below the knee. He's in a bad space and unfortunately I cannot see him as he lives so far.
Anyway how are your days?
Keep in touch or send me a message.
Thanks Chase, but I’ve accepted my limitations which is the hardest part and I feel much better for realising them too, I was trying to do things that my body couldn’t take and taking more and more medication to try and ease the additional pain, the truth is that all of the medications I have tried only take the edge off it and I’m just so glad that I had the surgery before hand and I count my blessings for that.
What can you advise??
Tramadol Availability in UK
what to do?
I don't know what else to do
Do I or don’t I 
