Jesus - has anyone overcome a bad back?

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I used to blame my bad back on active job, but I haven't done much active for months now and have excrutiating shooting pains like cold needles through my pelvis and up my spine and it seems to be affecting my bowel a bit too maybe? Its taking a lot of hot water bottles and pilates moves to achieve anything - currently laid out flat just to get some relief - but it's looking like I have to return to manual labour and I'm really worried about things.

Doctors, osteopaths etc seem utterly unconcerned, just say do yoga and yes it helps but i need more! I dont think its healthy to live in PKs and i dont want to have to be That Person giving up work due to a 'bad back'. I've tried for a year to get into an office job with minimal success but i have to pay the bills NOW.

Has anyone got anywhere close to curing this kind of thing?

My back pain sounds a bit different but what has taken it from agony to ok-if-I-keep-on-top-of-it was seeing a private physio. I had physio and acupuncture. It was a world away from the NHS. I couldn’t get the help I needed on the NHs as my pain was cyclical not constant and they won’t pain (rightly or wrongly I don’t know) for the hands on help I needed.

No miracle cure here but if you find out let me know!

I have found that yoga has helped also when it’s sore lying on my back
with my legs up the wall as late as I can. Sometime I can’t straighten them right up the wall but after a while I do manage. I also find cold rather than hot is better at easing it off

I had terrible back problems culminating in a slipped disc. After according to the specialist I had recovered from the slipped disc I’d still be in regular discomfort and unable to do a lot of physical activities. I thought I’d be like that for the rest of my life! That went on for well over a year after I was suppose to be back to normal. Then I got pg which mucked it up more! After dd was 1-2 it was back to normal though so I did get over it eventually. I think it can just take a long time and certain activities will aggravate it and make it take longer to recover.

Ice, acupuncture, sports massage, physio, foam rollers depending on where your pain is or if it's linked to your hips / knees. and once better enough, getting back active to weight training. Whenever I stop doing weights for a while I end up damaging myself doing something really basic like sleeping wrong or getting up too fast.

Have you seen a chiropractor? I've been through horrendous back pain previously, doctors and physio useless but chiropractor sorted it very quickly.

Boringly, the Pilates is the key to most back pain as your stomach muscles need to do more - back pain is awful as it goes again like that and you need to do the dull exercises to keep it ticking over.

What do you mean when you say it’s affecting your bowel?

Also though, if you feel unable to work have you said that to the drs etc?

Have you seen a physio? I'd be concerned about the interaction with the bowel. There are serious conditions such as cauda equina which can cause nerve damage.

My physio has given me exercises to do to heal my back in the long term, which is much more positive than just going for massage or adjustment or whatever every week.

Pilates has been an absolute miracle for me but yoga always causes me more problems. My osteopath suggested that I'm hypermobile and what I need is a stronger core, not more stretching, and that has proven to be exactly right. Last time I did yoga it was just a one-off gentle yoga session with my 77yo mum and sure enough I hurt my back.

I'm still not 100% but I feel like I'm going forward with sensible management rather than just waiting for the next painful thing to happen.

Bentneck - cant push! Not that its painful to push, i just cant, dont seem to have control? The pain is all round the back of my pelvis.

Interesting the weights help you peeblet, lifting is what i did lots of and havent recently.

I've had low back problems since my teens - now in my late 60s, with 2 cysts on my spine and two partially herniated discs, along with fairly severe osteoarthritis in my neck and shoulders. I can honestly say that the best treatment is exercise - gentle stretches, a little work with weights (I only use 1.5kg, but that seems to be enough) walking and above all swimming (but not breast stroke because of the strain on the neck and shoulders). If I don't exercise, within days I get so that I can barely move because of the pain. Once I get moving, it eases. I have found using an Actipatch helpful - it doesn't eliminate the pain, but it stops my back going into spasm. tryactipatch.co.uk/

Have a read through this and see if it rings any alarm bells.

www.webmd.com/back-pain/guide/cauda-equina-syndrome-overview

I’m not a dr but I’ve seen several threads on here about this issue

I had awful back pain, went to a sports physio after lots of rest / activity / asking Gp / agro from my husband and my PT.

Life changing. Diagnosed mechanical back pain, used some manipulation and massage and I walked out 2 inches taller (in my imagination).

Would recommend looking into that if you are able to.

I do have a lot of the symptoms of CES but not all and doctors do not seem alarmed by me! Admittedly the bowel thing is new so i may limp down but it seems losing that daily hard work might be an issue, i assumed that was the problem!

Whatever the cause, I hope you can get some help and relief soon - back pain is miserable.

Thanks yes i've had it since 16 and its really getting on my wick now!?