HELP...Low back pain!!

angilee

Hi Everyone,

I would just like to ask advice on low back pain.....it has been nothing short of awful this week,it actually sidelined me in Feb,to the point where I could not even get dressed.
I am loathe to go back to the Dr...last time he said "oh you just pulled a muscle" absolute rubbish....I feel grinding and pain right in the bottom of my back,one side worse than the other....on top of all this I have impingement and arthritis in both hips,arthritis in my knee and fingers.

I know I cannot carry on in pain like this,Ibroprofen doeas not even touch it and nsaids make me sick as a pig.

Can anyone offer any advice on what I may do to help myself...should I go and ask Dr to refer me to see someone.

Please help,I am at my wits end with all this pain,and trying to carry on working full time.
Thank you

Angilee

barbara12

Hi Angilee
I have Arthur of the spine, and tmy lower back can be horrendous, you go and see your GP, it took me 3 years to get an MRI scan, so you fight your corner.
There is all soughts you can have from injections to antiinflams...I was also offered acupuncture, and I am seriously thinking of having it, there are quite a few people on here had lots of help from it.
So you go back to your GP, ask for an MRI, then any physio knows what they are treating
Good Luck and please let us know how you get on.

80squeen

Hi Angilee,
So sorry you are suffering - I too have lower back pain but mine is because of my hip so I'm hoping it will improve after the op. Would it be worth going back to the doc and really laying it on? There are other meds that may be more effective. Does heat or cold help? I love my wheatbag! Sorry I can't suggest anything else!
Kind regards,
Josie

elnafinn

Hi Angilee

I am sorry to hear about your ailments. Lower back pain is horrid. Do you think it may be sciatica? I had a quick look at some of your past postings and you mentioned about your back pain in April. Well, as you say, that is not a pulled muscle is it? I would go back to your gp and not let him show you the door as you mentioned in another posting. Sit tight until he listens! If you have a pain clinic fairly locally that may be the best referral he could give you. I had sciatica for a year and then had injections in my lower back by xray direction at a pain clinic after having had an mri and so far so good. That was in December 2009. I do hope you can get your lower back pain sorted soon.

Elna x

julie47

Hi Angilee

All I can advise is that if I were you I would go back to your gp.

It sounds so very painful, I hope he can help you.

Take care
Juliepf x

skezier

Hi Angilee

It doesn't sound much like a pulled muscle... there might be some muscular involvement but that would be secondary.....

I think maybe see a different gp in the practice would be an idea.

Its sometimes hard to get them to take us seriously but they need to and find out hats going on there for you. I also wonder about sciatica? Fingers crossed you can see someone and it will get easier for you. Cris x

hileena111

Hi Angilee,
I have lower back pain. Whether its from OA in hips....{but I've had one replaced} or my kypho scoliosis I dont know....and at the beginning the diagnosis was OA of hips and lower spine.
Go back to your GP and be firm and say you want a referral to the hospital.
The best thing I ever did was changing GP's
Is there another one close by? or is there another one in the practice that you could try that would be more sympathetic.
As for NSAID's They may not all make you ill.???
People on here {I havent } use patches which dont affect their stomach as much. You can also get an anti emitic to counteract the sickness.
Are you on a stomach liner {Omneprozol} when you take the NSAID's????
Heat helps me.......my wheat bag, especially the lavendar one is great.
I'm on naproxen slow release.....morning and night and that seems to help.
If the NSAID's make you ill....what about gel??? I know they aren't as good and easier to use if its a small joint rather than your back but it might be worth trying.
Sorry thats a bit of a ramble
Love
Hileena

Pherstun

I have a lot of problems with my lower back and it's been finally diagnosed as ankylosing spondylitis. It often feels 'crunchy' when I walk, whether in the middle of my back or more my hip area.

Ankylosing spondylitis is degradation of and fusing of the spine, I'm sure mine is also muscular because if I massage it a little it eases for a short time.

600mg of ibuprofen helps mine, as well as tramadol. Co-codamol doesn't touch it for me. Getting someone to massage you can also help but if it's AS you shouldn't see a chiropractor (don't know why).

You definitely need to get it checked out. If the GP won't listen insist on going to a rheumatologist, they will do all the tests that are needed.

Debbie

frogmorton

Hi Angilee

first of all your Doc with is muscle pain...he was right to say it as most people DO recover from pulled backs on tehir own, but with your history l would think you ought to have been investigated further.

Hip OA can cause back probelsm, but you might like me have back problems on their own (I got the other stuff later on!!)

An XRAY is cheap and a good starting point. Nsaids like ibuprofen do help even though they seem as feeble as sucking a lollipop at times, but you must take them with food and regularly. there are lots of others he could try you on.

Are you saying the painkillers make you sick? (from paracetamol to co-codamol...tramadol etc) They do me too, but again there are lots to try some better for individuals than others. l am now on pain patches because l can't cope with the BURST of the drug (makes me sicky) gives a dose at a consistent level for 7 days. You can get some other meds slow release over 12 or 24 hours too they can give you less woozying affects. Trial and error there.

On this site there is a leaflet which tells you more about medications...migt be worth a read???

Ended up having surgery, but not before over 20 years of 'pulled muscles' :roll:

Love and hugs

Toni xx

angilee

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to thank you all for your help and replies to my query.you have all given me some very positive advice.
I shall be returning to my GP and asking him to refer me to see someone at the hospital...would this be an arthritis specialist? not sure what you call them!!
As you all probably know,doctors can be very unaware of the pain we all suffer...and tend to fob us off all the time...I am determined this will not happen again.

Thank you all again for your help

Angilee

woodbine

Hi,
Just wanted to say that the best place to go with OA - or so I've been told by a pain specialist who also happens to be a friend of ours - is the Pain Clinic, if you have one locally. They'll give you a very thorough examination and any treatment they feel necessary. (Our local one includes a Consultant Anaethatist (think I spelled that wrong!), physios, Occ Therapists and specialist nurses). Apparently you only need to see an orthpaedic consultant if surgery is likely to be necessary.
Hope that helps,
Naomi

Airwave!

Mine is a fairly recent addition, doing too much of anything is painful. The position of your upper body needs to be thought about, let the bones take the weight not relying on your back muscles to support your upper body.

This is especially true when when sitting in the car, at home or walking along or doing any of the long term tasks during the day. Heat will reduce pain but don't overdo it when you have heat there otherwise you may make things worse.

It has also been suggested that I have a liver complaint, hence the pain, eeeekkkkk!