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Original poster

Would you go to a&e for this or not?

89 replies

Hospitalornot · 15/04/2023 06:53

So yesterday I pulled my back badly. No injury or accident though, back just went. So I really doubt I’ve fractured anything. However the pain is indescribable. I’ve broken my back before and this is honestly 10x worse. I can’t sit, I can’t stand, I can lie down flat but can’t move.

It took dh ten mins to get me to the bathroom for a wee and I was screaming the whole time. I’ve never known pain like it. I’ve taken morphine and it hasn’t touched the pain. I can’t pull my trousers up or down.

but the hospital won’t be able to help will they? Could it be a disc?

OP posts:
Maple2023 · 15/04/2023 15:02

So mine "went" and I ended up in a&e as I couldn't control the pain
I ended up having spinal surgery but things that kept me sane

Don't sit. Just stand or lie, use a pillow between knees or under knees
Google log roll out of bed for getting up/into bed
Painkillers - I had paracetomol, naproxen, codeine, morphine and diazepam. Set an alarm to take some before you need to get out of bed
Thermacare lower hip and back wraps (these genuinely saved my sanity)
Hot shower on the sore area helped a bit
Move gently and often, but don't bend over or twist or lift anything heavy

Maple2023 · 15/04/2023 15:03

Also personally I would go to a really good physio

Madamecastafiore · 15/04/2023 15:05

I'd imagine you've slipped a disc. It's fucking excruciating. Diazepam to relax everything and then painkillers would probably be the best course of action.

I spent 4 hours on crutches standing against a wall sobbing when I did mine. They didn't fucking care. The other patients were trying to help, offering their seats or drinks, one offered to give me her v strong painkillers I was in such an awful state but nothing did until the diazepam kicked in and then the painkillers could work.

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Madamecastafiore · 15/04/2023 15:07

Osteopaths are shit. Mine told me I'd tweaked something and tried to massage it, thought I was going to die and threatened to do her some serious damage (I did apologise afterwards).

Walked into physio on crutches crying and she said ooohhh you look like you've slipped a disc, off to A&E for you.

She laughed when I later told her what the osteopath said, said she sees it a lot.

Madamecastafiore · 15/04/2023 15:08

You can take codeine on top of what they've given you, that should help.

ChocHotolate · 15/04/2023 15:09

I'm currently on day 7 of not being able to sit, stand and barely walk. My last major flare up I. The summer took 3 months to resolve.
The amount of tablets I'm taking a day is enough to make me rattle if I could jump up & down!
I do have a slipped disc, confirmed on MRI. Sorry to say, you could be looking a my weeks/months for recovery

Original poster
Hospitalornot · 15/04/2023 15:11

Madamecastafiore · 15/04/2023 15:05

I'd imagine you've slipped a disc. It's fucking excruciating. Diazepam to relax everything and then painkillers would probably be the best course of action.

I spent 4 hours on crutches standing against a wall sobbing when I did mine. They didn't fucking care. The other patients were trying to help, offering their seats or drinks, one offered to give me her v strong painkillers I was in such an awful state but nothing did until the diazepam kicked in and then the painkillers could work.

God I was so tempted to lie on the floor in the middle of the waiting room but it looked very dirty! But I was sobbing a lot. People don’t half stare!

I’ve ordered heat/ice gel packs, they should be arriving tomorrow.

would a physio be better than an osteopath? In my experience physios do a little bit of massage and then advise exercises so are less “instant”. If an osteopath could do something a bit more instant that would be awesome.

OP posts:
Original poster
Hospitalornot · 15/04/2023 15:12

Madamecastafiore · 15/04/2023 15:07

Osteopaths are shit. Mine told me I'd tweaked something and tried to massage it, thought I was going to die and threatened to do her some serious damage (I did apologise afterwards).

Walked into physio on crutches crying and she said ooohhh you look like you've slipped a disc, off to A&E for you.

She laughed when I later told her what the osteopath said, said she sees it a lot.

Oh maybe neither then. 😆

OP posts:
dogmandu · 15/04/2023 15:12

I had this terrible pain as well. I had to get my ex to come round and remove my underwear before doing a wee. It was terrible. It took me ages to get up from the toilet as knew the pain would be excruciating. An emergency doctor came to the house and gave me an injection of what she called a cocktail.

Original poster
Hospitalornot · 15/04/2023 15:12

ChocHotolate · 15/04/2023 15:09

I'm currently on day 7 of not being able to sit, stand and barely walk. My last major flare up I. The summer took 3 months to resolve.
The amount of tablets I'm taking a day is enough to make me rattle if I could jump up & down!
I do have a slipped disc, confirmed on MRI. Sorry to say, you could be looking a my weeks/months for recovery

That sounds awful, will you need surgery?

OP posts:
grapehyacinthisactuallyblue · 15/04/2023 15:14

I had back issue and yes, it was an agony. But when I complained, the doctor said he can give me a shot that I can go back to normal life straight away if I wanted to. I declined, and stuck with normal pain killer. And lots of rest.

BiliousOhGod · 15/04/2023 15:15

When I had a prolapsed disc, I was also put on diazepam and naproxen. The muscle spasm was my back going into shock and trying to protect itself. I was already having physio treatment for something else, but they switched to treating my back... I had acupuncture / needling (not sure of the difference!) to release the spasm, then therapeutic pilates to strengthen my core and support my back until the disc relocated itself. It was much more helpful in resolving the issues than just drugs.

Maple2023 · 15/04/2023 15:21

any numbness in your saddle area, difficulty with bladder or bowel then go straight back to a&e immediately (I had cauda equina)

callingeveryone · 15/04/2023 15:23

Good luck.
I went to my GP with a back like this about 30 years ago. He just told me to take paracetamol.
Hope you get more help.

Original poster
Hospitalornot · 15/04/2023 15:29

I do see a physio for ankle problems and she does acupuncture so might ring her up on Monday

OP posts:
PickledLillee · 15/04/2023 15:31

Have you got, or can you get hold of a TENS machine? I found that helped hugely when I had sciatica (I know that's not what you have). It took a couple of hours to get used to the sensation but it really did help.

ChatterMonkey · 15/04/2023 15:35

The naproxen works on a build up effect, so stick to the regular doses and it should start to ease it.

BlackFriday · 15/04/2023 15:40

When I did something to my back last year, the chiro couldn't/wouldn't do much/anything as it was too inflamed. I had to wait a few days until it had eased.

M0m2be · 15/04/2023 15:50

I once really hurt my back and had an mri, which found an old hairline fracture. When I went to the physio she said that because I had the previous fracture my body had instinctively seized up to protect my back, I don’t know how true it is but seemed to make sense with the level of pain. I ended up having a week in bed with a cocktail of painkillers and then 6 sessions of physio and I was much better.

HerbertChops · 15/04/2023 15:53

My dh has had 6 slipped discs, 4 at the same time 3 years ago including L3 which was at risk of causing cauda equina. He was in absolute agony, seen in A&E and got a referral to neurosurgery who said to have urgent surgery (although the appointment was 3m later). Surgery sounded awful though with not a great outcome and risk of paralysis.

He found a sports physio instead (a really good one who mostly sees professional sports people) who thought he could help. It took a year or two but the discs all improved, was a big improvement with movement and pain at the beginning which made him realise he had found the right treatment. He had a follow up with NHS 6m after he refused the surgery and the CT scan showed improvement so they told him to continue doing whatever he was doing. Another follow up after 12m and his CT showed he could be discharged from the spinal clinic.

Prior to it getting really bad he’d been seeing a chiropractor for 4 years who gradually just made it worse and worse until he got out the car one day and couldn’t move. Don’t ever go to a chiropractor, see a physio instead is my advice.

ElmTree22 · 15/04/2023 15:58

Bearpawk · 15/04/2023 08:49

Yeah definitely a prolapsed disk.

Why on earth are posters with no medical training or access to medical imagery/scans diagnosing a complete stranger online with such confidence ? Absolutely baffling.
It could be one of a hundred things.
Op I hope you get some effective pain relief and a proper diagnosis.

Didn't realise you knew my occupation! For your information I am medically trained. And I think you'll find I told her to go and get checked out.
MN drives me insane.
Op the only way to diagnose a prolapsed disk is by mri, so unless they did this at a&e I would see your gp when they open on Monday and request one.

Dontcutthedaisies · 15/04/2023 16:08

Definitely physio OP. I've put my back out a few times and I go to a sports physio. She's very hands on, session lasts around an hour, completely back to normal within 36 hours.

LynetteScavo · 15/04/2023 16:10

I've seen excellent and useless (because I didn't want to wait for the good one) osteopaths for the same lower back problem. Maybe ask around for a good one?

JeannieAlogy · 15/04/2023 16:28

Madamecastafiore · 15/04/2023 15:07

Osteopaths are shit. Mine told me I'd tweaked something and tried to massage it, thought I was going to die and threatened to do her some serious damage (I did apologise afterwards).

Walked into physio on crutches crying and she said ooohhh you look like you've slipped a disc, off to A&E for you.

She laughed when I later told her what the osteopath said, said she sees it a lot.

That osteo sounds terrible. Mine is great. He's had people turn up for an appointment a couple of times when they've injured themselves, taken one look at them and diagnosed fractures, etc. (once had someone with a broken neck and had to call an ambulance). He doesn't do "tweaks" or massages without a proper check and will always ask what I've been doing to assess any likely causes of injury before-hand.
A friend of mine on the other hand has seen a chiro- and ended up worse than when she started.

mum11970 · 15/04/2023 16:31

Yes go to A&E and ignore all the idiots who tell you not to go unless your half dead or half a limb hanging off.