Back in spasm - help please

[SeriousFaffing]

Stood a bit of a funny position for a few moments earlier and now it feels like my back, mostly the mid to lower part, has totally locked up. I’m in so much pain and it seems to be getting worse. Cannot move from the armchair I’m in. I’ve attempted to stand but I can’t manage it.

I have a three year old and a 9 month old (luckily the 3 year old is in nursery currently). The baby is up all day and all night and just will. not. stay. asleep. so it’s pretty clear to me why my back has given up.

I can’t afford to be like this for the rest of the day, never mind days/weeks.

Please could someone who has experience of this tell me how to ease this? What is best to do (baring in mind I can barely move!). Please help.

Diazepam from the dr (not great with children)

Massage from an osteopath who know what she was doing.

Sorry - they're the worst and I wish I had a quick fix.

Heat! Hot water bottle, microwave heat bag or electric blanket (nice modern soft type, it's what I'm on now!) use warmth to soothe but also make sure you don't stay in one position for too long (probably not a big ask if you have such small children).

Take paracetamol to a regimented programme as proscribed on the packet not in reaction to pain, you need to stay ahead of the wave. Ibuprofen can be useful BUT look after your stomach and take it with food and/or omeprazole or similar.

Big thank you @AutumnComfort and @lostinwales

How long ought it to last?

Also, how can I stop this from happening again? It’s never happened before.

Learn how to lift safely, I'm sure there's lots of tips out there on the internet but for example don't twist and lift, adjust your feet before you move. Keep your head above your torso don't let it weigh you down over your front. Take 60s when you are in the kitchen to find some strengthening exercises you can do whilst things come to the boil, after 30 years of back pain/spasm I am much improved by some serious gym work on my abs and back - you'll have time for this in the future promise!

I have no crystal ball as to how long it will last, we don't know what you've hurt, if you've just irritated a nerve giving it a little time to calm down could do the trick. Backs are a literal pain. Give yourself a break this week, take shortcuts with meals, don't worry about dust and laundry and give it a chance to calm down. You will be a little bit better all the time.

for me I was in bed for 24 hours and in pain for a week. Strong pain killers will allow you to do the gentle stretching to help soothe your back.

Drugs from GP asap.
Can your partner take a couple of days off? You can't manage a baby and a toddler without help until this eases a bit.
Once you have the pain under control keep active - walking on uneven surfaces helps.

Buscopan.

Alternate ice and heat on it, take anti inflammatories and painkillers, keep gently moving and ring an osteopath or physio asap for an appointment.

If you can get someone to
Give you massage in the surrounding tissue that will help, I had similar, I used to
Get it semi regularly. The only thing that prevented it was getting stronger in my
Core and now I have more strength in supporting muscles touch wood I get injured a lot less

Rampantivy Just out of interest can I ask where you’ve heard buscopan from or if there’s any evidence for this?
genuinely never heard of buscopan for back pain and thought it only worked on the smooth muscle of intestines?
thanks!

So sorry to read this.

Back pain needs rest. I really hope it isn’t a herniated disc - any leg or buttock pain?

Don’t hesitate to call 111 and ask them what to do.

If you’re still stuck in the chair, keep an eye on your phone battery as if your battery is low you might need to save what you have for getting help.

Oh no. You have my sympathies. I had this and the only thing that sorted it was a strong co codamol. Before that it was heat patches and topical ibuprofen

Big thank you for all the replies. I’m taking all of your advice onboard.

Managed to move from the chair as the pain thankfully eased up enough for me to crawl to the toilet, ha.

Had a call with GP who has prescribed stronger ibuprofen and painkillers (breastfeeding, so have to be mindful of what I can take).

Husband is kindly picking up the meds and the little one from nursery too while I enjoy heat and ice packs 👍

I used to keep getting this. Massage and osteopaths helped a bit. The last time I went to a GP about it I just wanted a referral to a specialist. He asked me if I would consider having some "western" acupuncture (relaxing and releasing the muscles). He put a couple of needles in my back at the relevant place and 15 minutes later it was a lot better, after a couple of days it was gone and it's never come back (20 years or so).

@Fulmar this is interesting! Will keep in mind. Glad it got it sorted for you.

There are plenty of bf safe drugs you can take so make sure you get what you need in terms of pain relief. The drugs Breastfeeding factsheet is excellent to have to hand for things like this.

Alternative heat and ice.

I went into spasm in October and had to get diazepam. First time I had it it made me hyper. Then the next time knocked me out, but this time actually relieved the spasms.

My osteopath then saw me two days later with me taking naproxen, diazepam and paracetamol. It was a very positive appointment. But I couldn't sit or lie down for long.

Osteopath (not chiropractor) to massage out the muscles.

If you know anyone with a tens machine, that will really help!!!
Methocarbamol, naproxen and 30/500 cocodemol plus the tens machine were the only things that sorted mine out, it's a hideous thing, I remember screaming in pain with it!!!

Find a good osteopath and go as quickly as you can!! I have a history of back problems and when I've slipped a disc or put my back in spasms it's taken months to heal.

I did it a few weeks ago and I went to see an osteopath a few days later and I swear the pain was gone in a week! Please try it if you can.

Otherwise its cycling through ice packs and hot water bottles as frequently as you can, lying down while it's super painful but getting up and walking as soon as you can! Or swimming!

I've found pain killers help with the pain, but they don't help you learn how to move properly, which is what you need to do to make it heal

Hi OP sending huge hugs
I've just had this, still going on, unfortunately it takes time, in my case it's been 5 weeks so far until it's felt better but still feels like it could do it again if I do the wrong thing

What helped me is
Tens machine
Feminax ( I know it's for period pain but it really helped take the pain off a bit for me, I have to be careful what I take I can't take things like co codomol)
Cold packs you can get on Amazon
If it carries on I'm looking into an osteopath

No bending to pick things up or put shoes on etc
Try to stay as active as you can, sitting down won't help, I know it's hard but try to walk up and down when you can