I have been off work for a fortnight with excruciating lower back pain and yesterday i wad diagnosed with a slipped disc.( Lumbar 5 )
Has any lifers had this before , if so how long did it last and what did you do to get rid of it ( and the pain).
Cheers
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OSTEOPATH !
My probs started back(?) in 1984 and have continued on & off ever since. GP told me that bed rest would do the trick but with 2 youngsters & a job to deal with, after 3 weeks I followed my MIL's advice and paid a visit to our local, well respected Osteopath.
A bit of massage, couple of "crunches" and the problem was solved...well, for the time being. On average, I tend to pay 2 visits pa these days when I'm experiencing problems( usually lower back but also shoulders/neck area due to pc over use /stress) and one visit each time usually sorts me out.
I'd take 2 Ibuprofen or similar as often as allowed whilst you're in pain, and apply heat ( hot water bottle) for around 10mins followed by ice ( pack of frozen veg) to affected part at least twice a day until you're back to normal. Oh, and no hoovering or gardening until you're completely better ! Another suggestion is learn to do things more slowly from now on - think about your back as a piece of equipment that needs constant TLC . I believe that once you've experienced such a problem, this region becomes your weak point ...Mine has even gone into spasm ( muscular) when I've started cleaning my teeth !
Hope you get sorted soon, mate as it's definitely nasty. I always feel down/depressed when I'm in pain "down there" so try to stay upbeat.
Take care & good luck.
I'd push for an MRI scan as soon as you can, once you get that you just have to push them. The day after an operation she could move better than she had done for the previous year.
We were advised not to do physio but that probably depends on the type, Tramadol was the best medication she tried but it does make you drowsy.
One positive for you is that the real pain she suffered at first didn't last too long.
Edit. you need to push it all the way with the nhs to get anything done
My pain i had the first three days has eased ( i couldn't even get out of bed) now is just a pain all down my left leg when i walk. Cheers DM
Before I was diagnosed with AS I just had loads of different pain killers chucked at me and unfortunately with pain relief it can be a case of finding what is right for you.
My mum has recently suffered with a bad shoulder and has been on morphine patches which she doesn’t think have been great but I work with a guy who has used them and swears by them.
I always find a handful of codeine and 6 Stella’s helps!
Stay at home and turn pro :-)
Get the pain sorted (it will go with time as the disc stops bulging and hitting the nerves etc) but very important to find the cause which will be something like posture, gait, symmetry etc.
I had it done as I couldn't stand the pain any longer, I was bent over like an old man, I had bupa and used it instead of waiting 18mths on the nhs I was done within 3 weeks of the referral,
I had every other treatment before that , steroid injections into the area, skimming of disks, all worked but for no longer than 2 years
I have now been pain free for over 3 yrs nearly 4 now, the odd stiff back and ache, but no pain to speak of
great operation but quite risky, you get to the end of your tether and if life is only offering you the limited movement and pain relief the risk is worth it
I was told a 40 % chance of not walking again but then I had compression damage to spine as well as disk issues
I try to work against it but not sure to what success.
Is he currently on any anti-TNF drugs?
I take adalimumab (humira) injections every other week and it makes a huge difference to my mobility and the pain.
As Fanny Fanackapan suggests, take time over movement and look after your back. It is so delibiltating when it does go.
An osteopath or chiropractor is a great suggestion, although in terms of which type, I think they're a bit like Pepsi and Coca-cola - they make out that they're different when they're not, so I think it depends on the skill and tenacity of the individual therapist at the end of the day. There might be one in your area that friends are happy to recommend - but IMO it's certainly worth trying two or three before you go down the operation route.
Without a doubt the underlying cause of a slipped disk will be environment/posture related, although altering these won't fix things short term, but it will reduce the chance of a recurrence, so be sure to ask your therapist about this.
Some therapists recommend the McKenzie Treatment (or elements of), so it might be worth looking into this, although I've heard good and bad about these exercises.
It does seem that when people approach the NHS for any musculo-skeletal issue, they are incredibly quick to suggest an operation. I trained a lady a few years back whose NHS physio had told her that she would need an operation to fix her back/hip problem (not a slipped disk). I persuaded her to let me try a twice weekly 10minute massage and targeted stretching instead. Had her running again in about a month and she's never needed an op.
For a slipped disk - in the short term - until you can find an osteo/chiro, you would probably benefit from doing some work on the stationary upright bike in the gym - albeit with a low resistance and in the most comfortable riding position that you can manage.
Last year it went again and the normal methods of rest and a course of low level pain killers didn't work, I was thinking about what to do, but kept putting it off, while just trying to manage the pain with a reduction in activity and normal over the counter painkillers. Early this year after the pain got so bad both in the back and left leg I sought the advice of my GP. When he lifted my left leg about a foot in the air, it felt like someone had stuck a red hot sword into my lower back. The pain was unbelievable and I couldn't move for about half an hour after!!! Immediately he siad, 'Slipped Disc'.
I felt like saying, well if it wasn't before it f***ing well is now!!!!
His recommendation after prescribing Codeine and Anti Inflammatories was total rest for two weeks, but then to do some light exercising, (slow walking) and to lose weight, not exactly what I wanted to hear!! When I asked about an osteopath, he explained that manipulation of the area especially in the early stages may cause more harm then good as the inflamed disc which was pressing on the nerve could get more aggravated. I know that osteopathy is still not always seen as a viable treatment in mainstream medicine, so although I took some of that advice with a pinch of salt. I did feel that it made some sense not to aggravate the disc and the thought of anyone touching my lower back at that point didn't seem like a sensible option.
I took the pills and some time off work, the anti inflammatories worked over time, (had to go back for a second course), but the codeine was something I stopped after a week and have no desire to take again. After taking one it took the edge off the pain but no more. After taking two, I lost an entire afternoon, then was drowsy and felt like crap. (Give me back pain any day instead).
It took about 6 weeks for the pain to subside to a manageable point and I am now taking the advice of the doctor regarding the weight loss thing. Four months into my own programme of cutting out sugars, eating less portions and walking 3 to 4 miles a day, I've lost two and a half stone and managed to swing a golf club in anger for the first time in two years.
I'm not completely pain free and still get the occasional twinge, but it's significantly better. I will continue to exercise and try to lose more weight and may also now look into seeing an osteopath or chiropractor. I may even try yoga as a means of stregthening the back and improving posture.
Good luck with it Beds, you have my complete sympathy.
Good luck ((:>)