Muscle spasm in back...what do I do?

[lolaflores]

In the last 4 weeks, Ive had what I think is a muscle spasm in my lower back and Im on here for advice, assurance and personal experience of it.
ITs made walking painful, getting up akward, up and downstairs really really painful. I can't walk far and Im begining to adopt this knees bent waddle. Pain is keeping me awake. I can't get comfortable.
Each time its sorted itself out, with ice packs etc. but comes back and I don't know whats setting it off.
This time the pain is making me cry.
The thought of sitting at a&e is too much to bear but is it the right place for this? Is it something the GP can deal with.
I don't know waht to do and I

www.boots.com/boots-direct-to-skin-heat-patch-4-patches-10115684-

They do large ones of these for the lower back and I found them really helpful. Dr might be able to give you some strong painkillers. Get better soon.

Get diazepam from the dr.

Take ibuprofen, lie on the floor on your back with ice packs and avoid the sofa. Try and keep your back gently moving, google gentle back stretches. If you can afford an osteopath go and see one.

When it eases this time take advantage of the lessening of the pain to start regular morning back exercises to stop it happening again. Pilates is great for strengthening your core to protect your back. You get find loads of back exercise ideas online. You can also get a referral to a physio through your GP.

If you start to get numbness in your groin or incontinence then go to a&E for a scan. Otherwise A&E can do very little other than give you stronger pain killers.

I hope you feel better soon.

I had terrible lower back spasms in pregnancy so I really sympathise! Might be worth getting checked out in case you have a trapped nerve.

Try an osteopath

Are you wearing sensible shoes?

Call 111 and see if you can get seen by an OOH doctor? Sounds like you need better pain relief - what are you taking at the moment? Anti-inflammatories are ideal for this but you could take co-codamol as well. A doctor might prescribe diazepam (good stuff!). You might benefit from some physio as well but a GP could refer you for that.

If it’s been going on this long it’s not really and A&E job.

You poor thing. It sounds chronic rather than an urgent A&E type issue.

Take ibuprofen and keep taking it, the anti inflammatory effect builds up. Go to the GP for naproxen/diazepam if you need something stronger.

Exercise/physio therapy is recommended as the long term solution.

I had a diazepam last night and I think thats made some difference.
Have done a few gentle stretches this morning but was a bit tentative in case it annoyed it any further.
I will try the ice packs and lying on the floor.
As for sensible shoes...I wear high heels once in a blue moon. IJ am the poster girl for sensible shoes.
Thank you all so much for replying, I feel like i am going a bit mad with it.
Your answers t confirms my suspicion that A&E will just give me stronger stuff rather than relieve the source of the pain and an x ray won't show soft tissue problems and Ill have spent 4 hours there without a clear answer
I had discs fused 8 years ago and I am so disappointed that this carry on has started again. We are having a break at Easter and I wonder what is the point if this keeps happening.
My core strength is not what it should be but I jsut need a clear stretch between events to get the exercise established.

IS naproxen a stronger ibuprofen?

Keep up with the diazepam. Worry about the rest when the spasm has released.

I’ve had exactly the same recently. A muscle spasm that has squashed a nerve. The pain was awful.
I went to the doctor, who prescribed naproxen (and cocodamol.)
I also went to an osteopath who has been working wonders.
There are exercises/stretches you can do. My problem was the Piriformis muscle.
I can send you the exercises if you pm me your address. Someone on here kindly did the same for me.

Physio really helps me, as did an osteopath

Swimming is usually good for a bad back.

I found naproxen made me feel sick and didn't touch the pain its prescribed for its anti inflammatory properties more than anything

I've had plenty of muscle spasms and always use heat, not ice. That's the advice I've had from physios.

My experice is the chemist sells 12.5 mg and 25 mg of volterol - the doctor gives 50mg

Worth a GP visit as the effects are quite quick

Not sure why you’ve been suffering for 4 weeks! Get yourself seen even in OOH Doctors’s has to be worth the wait

Get on lovehoney and by a wand 'personal massager' they are brilliant for muscle spasms. They really help to get a particular knot of muscle out of spasm.

And when your back is better you might use it for something else

Windowsareforcheaters oh the very idea! This is the least sexy I thik i have every felt but as you say, that might change...
I have a hot water bottle on following 10 mins on the floor with an icepack.
I have diazepam for anxiety so had 2mg last night. take another tonight.
Got voltarol too.
I sound like a walrus when I get up. Even I am getting irritated by the moaning. God help the rest of them in the house.
Oh. The hot water bottle is lovely...its like lovely hot fingers rummaging around very gently...ooooohhhhh...
Bless you all. I am so grateful. This is just going round in my head and I am at a loss

Naproxen is very similar to ibuprofen - naproxen is a stronger anti inflammatory so better at helping pain caused by swelling eg gout. For back pain you are better off with 400mg ibuprofen 3 times a day - do make sure you've eaten first.
Are you taking paracetamol every 6 hours AS WELL as the ibuprofen?

GrandmaSharksDentures Ill step up the paracetamol too. I have 400mg ibuprofen. So, Ive had an ibuprofen with a yogurt. 4 hours take a paracetamol?
Ill try and see the GP this week but it is an act of a benevolemt universe if you get an appointment the same week. it can be a 2 week wait.
So frustrating.

My GP stuck a needle in the spasming back muscle, which helped - it was acupuncture I think - worth a shot?

You don't need to wait for two weeks.

Lovehoney will deliver in a couple of days. No drugs, no doctors just a non invasive massage. Put away your embarrassment and go for the simple solution.

Honestly it changed my life.

I have had a few episodes of this. At its worst, the pain was akin to the late stages of labour. I'd agree with previous posters that you would need very urgent help if you suffer incontinence and/ or you get pain in the area which would be in contact with a saddle if you were riding a bike.

A physio sorted mine out with manipulation and exercises. I'm fairly sure mine is caused by a postural misalignment, but a physio should be able to tell you if you need to see a doctor. Unless you have an underlying cause that needs medical intervention, your gp will probably give you painkillers and possibly a referral for a physio assessment, but this may be delayed. The £120 or so that I spent on 3 physio sessions was well worth it.

Info on naproxen here:-

www.nhs.uk/medicines/naproxen/

You can get a 3 day supply over the counter as Feminax Ultra (sold over the counter for period pain only). I’ve found it more effective for a back spasm than ibuprofen but others’ experience may be different.

As you’ve had discs fused previously/a complicated history with your back then the advice here may not be relevant to you. Get that gp appt booked in asap!

Can you feel around to find one particular knot/ tight & tender point?

If you can, press this spot as hard as you possibly can -better still get another adult to do it. BUT don’t press and release -press, hold maximum pressure for a minute or so then slowly release over a few minutes so that the gradually reducing pressure is so gradual the change is almost beyond perception. Focus on breathing and relaxing every muscle you have control over while this happens.

I have degenerative disc disease and this trick (shown to me by a physio) has nipped a lot of episodes in the bud.