Back in spasm

[frankie001]

Picked up a vacuum cleaner and felt something go in back. Immediate pain and took me 40 mins to fully lie on bed. Just been to loo, again major effort, resulting in mega dizzy spell due to pain.

Have called gp and someone is picking me up prescription for codiene and diazepam. What else can I do? Trying to keep everything moving, and know to look for bladder and bowel symptoms. Just feeling a bit miserable!

[MegGriffin]

Poor you back pain is awful. Hopefully the diazepam with relax the muscles so you can begin to move.

[sazzle27]

You've got it all covered really!

Medications you need are the diazepam and codeine, and to keep moving (gently), no twisting. Take it easy, and keep an eye out for bowel/bladder issues

[VaguelySensible]

Alternate heat pack and ice pack on your back. If there's someone to hand them to you.

Try not to hold yourself stiffly in one position. Keep as mobile as you can. Even passive movement is better than complete stillness.

Poor you. Diazepam is brilliant for spasms. Hope it eases soon.

[winterisstillcoming]

A heat pack helps immensely. It gets me from being unable to move to be able to hobble around. Either a hot water bottle or a cuts heat type patch.

[Mightygerbil]

Oh Lordy you have my total sympathy as am on day 5 after a similar sounding episode. I have an unstable sacro-iliac joint which pops out of place. I find laying on a heated blanket or some other heated thing really good for easing the spasm pain a bit. Trying to get up every half an hour and walk (well, hobble) around is important too so you don’t stiffen up further. I sleep either on my back or on my side with a pillow between my knees which sort of raises the legs in line with the pelvis and eases the pain a bit. Is this the first time you’ve had this or is it an ongoing problem?

[WollyCobbles]

Been there. You have my sympathies

Alternate a hot water bottle with an ice pack. Can you manage a hot bath? It does help loosen stuff up for a while. Pillow under knees or between knees to sleep. Take the drugs.

Try and potter about when things are feeling a little better. So rest and potter - rinse and repeat

[Pollaidh]

Heat and ice, alternating. Hot bath. Biofreeze roll on give some topical pain relief. Once you get the pain medication, make sure you stagger doses so that you're always covered by something (always checking instructions etc), if you've got NSAIDs, don't miss a dose.

[NotExactlyHappyToHelp]

Oh gosh you have my sympathy it’s bloody awful.

No advice apart from don’t do what I did! Which is merrily take the diazepam and then get in a hot bath. I was so relaxed I nearly sunk under the water . Had to sit in the tub while it emptied then kinda flump out of it.

[frankie001]

Bath is a no go as can barely get off bed without issues! Someone is bringing me a heat pad and McDonalds and the meds are on the way. Yes to moving as much as I can in my own current unique way! Never known anything like it!