Lower back pain

[Seal49]

Basically started with back pain after yard work. Tried pulling out some old plants and knew I was pulling to hard but kept going. I raised my pred from 8.5 to 10.5 for 2 days and been wearing a heat wrap but back still feels real sensitive. Do I need to up the prednisone higher or will it resolve itself. Was due to drop to 8 .0 mg 10/1.

[123-go]

Why do we do it, Seal49? Some years ago I wanted to split a shrub that had grown too big. Garden fork forced as far down as possible: great pressure applied to the handle: nothing budged: kept going in spite of my brain telling me to stop: hand swelled up like a balloon: pain was extreme. Doc sent me for an X-ray which showed that several of the tiny bones in the wrist had overlapped. Brilliant physio gave me exercises to perform and problem resolved.

I don’t think extra pred will help in your situation but definitely don’t reduce for the time being. An X-ray will be the way to go.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I think that sounds more like injury, pulled muscles, or DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) rather than a flare of PMR. Increasing pred isn't really the best way to manage that and it might be worth trying some Tylenol instead. And don't reduce the dose on Oct 1st!!!

[Purplecrow in reply to PMRpro]

What? Oct 1st.?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Purplecrow]

"Was due to drop to 8 .0 mg 10/1" - which I understand to be the cockeyed US dating format????

Not if they are struggling at 8,5mg and up to 10,5 after the yard work.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

👍on both counts….

[Purplecrow in reply to PMRpro]

🙏🏽💜

[sidra1968]

Sounds familiar. I actually ice the area, seems to work better for me. I would take Tylenol, ice it (again, that works better than heat -for me), and rest it some. Give it a few more days, too and do not reduce on Oct 1st.

[Purplecrow]

hi, I just (as 20 minutes ago) used a topical rub containing menthol. It works wonders with muscle hurts. Also, doesn’t add to the pharmaceutical slurry of drugs that are my daily bane.

[AtopicGuy]

PMRPro and DL are right: not all inflammation is bad. Inflammation is usually a normal response to injury or infection. It's the immune system's way of accessing the injury, preventing an infection developing in the damaged tissues, and repairing the damage. The pain we feel is the brain's way of telling us to stop what we are doing, so we don't make matters worse.

Autoimmune diseases are different.