I can't cope with my bad back!

[bumblebee1987]

Is there anyone who suffers from a bad back who can give me advice?

I have a back injury from falling off a horse when I was 20 (first and last time I ever got on a horse!), and I can't cope with the pain any more. I am 33 now, and it gets worse all the time. It is affecting every aspect of my life, I have a physical job and struggle at work (I am self employed so can't even take sick leave or anything, although had to shut the business for 13 weeks anyway because of covid and it's still horrendous!) It impacts on my ability to care for my children, I have a 1 year old who I genuinely struggle to pick up, and I cannot get on the floor to play with her. I can't walk my dogs. I really struggle with housework. It messes with everything. It even affects my sleep as lying down isn't comfortable.

I have tried everything I can to help it. I've been to numerous chiropractors, physios, osteopaths, Pilates classes. I've lost weight, I've tried to take up exercise. I've tried heat pads and regularly taking pain killers. Nothing works. But no one takes it seriously.

At the time, it was terrifying. I fell from the horse, landed flat on my back and couldn't move my legs at all. I went to hospital in an ambulance, where A and E was absolutely manic (please don't think I am blaming the NHS or anything, they were and are under huge pressure!), I spent 6 hours on a spine board in the corridor of the hospital before I was seen, and was then taken for an x-ray, told that my spine was okay, it was just damaged muscles, and was then taken to a bay and told that the feeling in my legs would come back and once it had, I was free to go. They were right, a few hours later I was able to walk out of hospital, armed with some strong painkillers (I can't remember what they were called, but they made me sick so I couldn't take them anyway!), and that was that.

I just don't know where to go from here? Everything I have done so far has been self funded, but it's all so expensive and I just haven't got the means to pay for physio every week for the rest of my life, not that it helps anyway. It also concerns me because where does it go from here? I'm 33, and it gets progressively worse, I dread to think how bad it will be by the time I'm 35, 40, 50! My GP isn't really interested, and I feel like I'm wasting their time every time I go.

Any ideas?! Sorry, I know there are much bigger things going on in the world right now, I am just lost as to where to go from here!

That sounds really hard, I’m sorry. I guess all you can do is keep going back to the GP. Don’t minimise when you’re there. Tell them it is impacting your daily life and getting worse. Really push for a referral. I guess if you go back enough times they have to listen.

The only other option is go private. obviously crazy expensive. But I think you can go private for a diagnosis and then back to NHS for treatment if you felt you could afford it.

When I had back trouble I was told that I had to do the exercises consistently and it could take 6 weeks or more to see results. Do you stick with things and do them religiously? I’m sure you do. But I know how frustrating it can be to not feel improvement straight away and how hard it can be to motivate yourself when you’re tried from parenting.

Good luck. I hope you get some relief soon.

I got a personal trainer and it has made a massive difference to my back pain. Physics and osteos can ease it but you have to rebuild your back muscles, do stretches etc regularly. Couldn't see my PT during lockdown and stupidly thought I was cured so I stopped doing the sessions by myself and was back to square one very quickly.

I saw great results very quickly when I started- so try it for 3 months and you'll know quickly of its going to help.
Just another warning - I took pain killers for years and ended up with horrendous stomach problems too because they trashed the lining of my stomach.

I ruptured a disc that wasn't picked up after a fall and I incrementally got worse as time wore on. Have you ever had an MRI on your back? That is a quick way of ruling out if you have impingement on your sciatic nerve. Describe the pain - is it localised? Mid upper or lower back? What makes it less, worse? Are you stiff in the morning or get stiffer during the day? All these would help you and your GP work out how to help / what treatment options to take.

Also (as you describe this being muscular in origion) it might be worth going to see a good sports massage therapist to look at your back. I had an injury that I picked up aged 18 in the TA - sorted out at 34 by an excellent sports massage therapist when NHS treatment was less than helpful (It was a whiplash injury, not related to my subsiquent back problem)

It is possible, that this is not caused any longer by sth physical in your back, but by your brain? I think it comes under the heading of 'central sensitazation'?

Could it be that your accident triggered a problem like autoimmune arthritis? I don’t know if that is even possible but chronic back pain for many years could be a sign of that.

If your back pain is worse in the morning and improves over the day, keeps you awake at night and causes extreme stiffness it could be ankylosising spondylitis.

It’s a long shot but i thought it may be worth a suggestion

I've just got a TENS machine. It's an absolute life saver. I've even cut down the amount of painkillers I take when I'm using it.

Go back to your GP (or if that one is unsympathetic, a different one) and tell them again about how hugely restricted and in pain you are. I really think they should be referring you for a scan to see what might be going on in the area.

I was fobbed off repeatedly with back pain for years until I had an mri scan and it then became very obvious that there was an actual reason for it. So go back to your Gp and stand firm.

I sympathise hugely, my DH suffers from chronic back pain and it impacts life hugely. His is from nerve damage after a slipped disc and nothing can really be done (that he's prepared to do). You really need an MRI and a referral to a pain clinic as a first step. Keep pestering the GP, a lot of back pain does resolve with time so I think they tend to be very conservative until it's gone on for a while or until you are very pushy.

Definitely push for an MRI. My GP was actually really good and referred me as soon as the hospital was accepting non-urgent requests.

Another sympathising. I suffered from sciatica due to herniated discs for years. They tried every type of painkiller and procedure going, but couldn't operate as the discs had herniated in opposite directions. I was referred to the pain clinic at my local hospital and they did a pain management course with me, alongside the pain nurse giving me acupuncture. It transformed my life. I still get niggles, but the techniques I learned help me to cope with the pain. It might be worth asking for a referral to the pain clinic. They are experts and amazing at what they do. Even the feeling of being understood and listened to helps. I hope you get relief soon

Dr John Sarno "Healing Back pain' - the reviews speak for themselves.

Sympathies OP. I'm struggling with horrendous sciatica at the moment... Have you been prescribed something that acts on the nerves eg smitriptyline or gabapentin some people get help from these. Acupuncture can also be v good. Regular stretches/exercises are v important. After an episode of severe back pain years ago I was prescribed 6 weeks pilates for lower back pain which was miraculous.

Its such a horrible pain and must be so hard wirh small kids. I would insist on an MRI after all this time. Best wishes.

Can you see a different GP?

I have had back pain for 6 years and it has only improved during lockdown, which I think is due to the amount of exercise I am doing (5-6 times a week, and really focusing on my core).

The Dr Sarno book is also good.

A mri is what you need. Its shows up a lot more than x Ray's. Keep pressing your gp until it happens. I'd stay clear of chiropractic types, they can do a lot of harm as well as good

I've had back pain for just over two years. Starting in my upper back, shoulders/neck, but I now have pain in my lower back, glutes, stiff hips. The pain fluctuates but I'm always in pain. I find painkillers vary in effectiveness and I'm often in tears with how much pain I'm in. I struggle to deal with feeling like I'll be like this for the rest of my life. You are not alone!

Like you I've been to several physios, an osteopath, rhemotologist at the hospital. In short there has been no easy solution, and I've been trying my best to manage my pain through a combination of exercises and physical exercise. Everyone tells me I have nothing majorly wrong with me, it's a muscular issue and it can be very debilitating.

I'm continuing to educate myself about back pain. As above, I would highly recommend reading Dr Sarno's 'Healing Back Pain', I've also just started reading 'The Meaning of Pain' by Nick Potter. In short, I don't have the solution, but I can relate a lot to the pain being Bio-Phycho-Social (ie caused by stress in my life and other environmental factors). This may not be the case for you if you've had riding accident, but I would explore reading up in this area in case it resonates for you.

I would suggest going back to the GP to discuss how you are feeling and that the problem isn't resolved. I must say I think the NHS are much better solving simpler issues like broken legs rather than back pain which can be extremely complex.

Sorry for the couple of written errors, cooking dinner here but wanted to reply!

I've had back pain for ten years. Surgeons had to remove part of three upper ribs to access my lung.

My physio gave me some very good exercises, better done in a swimming pool. He also told me that my muscles contracted around the pain, that resulted in more pain.

Over the years I've learned what makes the pain worse. Standing still in my case. And what helps, sitting in my v expensive stressless chair.

I don't take pain killers anymore, though I was taking dihydrocodein for the first six months. I don't take them because they don't work. I do take low dose amitriptyline at night to ensure a decent nights sleep.

Good luck with your search for relief. I've had to accept that I cannot bend over to get things off bottom shelves anymore and a few other restrictions. But the operation saved my life, so I cannot wish I'd never had it

My back issues also started after falling off a horse twenty years ago. I had a steroid injection for a herniated disc about 12 years ago which helped lots. However, the disc then deteriorated further last year leading to excruciating sciatica. I ended up having a lumbar microdiscectomy just before Christmas which was wonderful.

I'd definitely insist on an MRI. Go private if you can - I found that the NHS was much more willing to sort the issue after I initially went private and got an MRI and more steroids for it last year. As soon as I did that, the NHS referred me to the right place, and I got the surgery shortly after that. I think you need to be pushy and sharp-elbowed. GPs and physios were always trying to fob me off - once I finally saw the consultant he immediately scheduled the surgery.

My apologies for the delay in replying, it has been a bit of a manic day today!

Thank you SO much for all of your lovely messages. I genuinely cried because I feel like I have got more support from this one conversation with strangers on Mumsnet than I have ever got in real life from anyone. For the first time, I actually feel understood and like I'm not alone with this!

You have all made some great suggestions, and I will definitely be pushing for an MRI, it sounds like that is what I need. I don't really know why I wasn't given one at the time of the accident?! I will research having one privately, depending on the cost this may be an option, when you weigh up what I've spent on physio etc over the last 13 years, I can't imagine it would end up being more than that! Would I need a referral for a private MRI, or is that something you can just have if you're willing to pay?

Someone asked about what the pain is like. The main pain is my lower back, but because of the severity, it also affects the tops of my legs, my hips and my knees suffer too (I think that may be because I manoeuvre myself so awkwardly a lot of the time?) The last time I saw a physio, she was really shocked by my range of movement, but said she couldn't find anything that would be causing it. The pain is much worse in the morning (you'd be forgiven for thinking I was 100 if you watched me get out of bed in the morning!) , and then again in the evening, but it is present all day, and something that i've just learned to live with and push through, but it's getting worse and I've just had enough now. I can't live like this.

A tens machine is about the only thing I haven't tried, so I will invest in one of those. I am reluctant to take over the counter pain medication because firstly it doesn't do anything, and secondly, I worry about taking anything for a prolonged period of time. However, this is pretty much the only course of action that has ever been recommended to me by the GP! With the tens, does that only work at the time? So if you turn it off does the pain immediately return, or does it have longer term effects?

I will have a look at the books that have been recommended too, thank you

Thank you so much for all of your help. Honestly, I woke up this morning in tears again because I am really struggling with this at the moment, and your replies have made me feel so much better!

Definitely go back to GP and insist on MRI scans. I am 2.5 years down the line from a double microdiscectomy and I am now for the most part pain free and more importantly not relying on a cocktail of drugs and painkillers to keep me going.

oP deffo MRI - it looks at everything in thats and it’s the only way you will find out what is in the wrong place or touching something it shouldn’t - could be anything from misalignment & posture related to something requiring surgery. You can pay privately - it’s all guess work until your insides are imaged and there it is for all to see and treat accordingly- don’t take no for an answer. If you can get in a bath Epsom Salts work wonders 500g in a bath - but in bulk on line - let us know how you get on

Hello, I had a bad fall when I was 30 which resulted in Severe pelvic pain On waking this got worse over the yrs I Have been 10 Yrs with this pain and really feel for anyone with it, I have had severe back spasm which resulted in me having to use crutches for a month, I even got my right ovary removed due to this ! The only thing that helped was having the steroid injection in the spine I had to wait on the nhs list a couple of yrs before I actually got it, you will still have pain but maybe not severe on bending etc, good luck

Have a look at Emmett and Bowen therapies, they are really good at lining you up and it’s very light movements but brilliant results and help flexibility.
I had terrible sciatica following a bad back years ago and has steroid injections which did the trick. I have to watch my back all the time and find the more I walk ( at times I’ve felt bent over) the better it is. It’s great at the moment and I’m walking 10k+ steps a day.