My back😢

[cocoapple]

In so much agony with it and nothing is helping. Sat here in tears. The bottom of my back is hurting so much to the point I can barely walk. The only way I can is if I kind of bend down. I can’t get up off the sofa without crying out in pain and it taking a couple of minutes. I can’t stand up straight without it being agony and when I do I get all hot and dizzy. There’s no position I can get in that helps. Also my bum cheeks (sorry) and thighs are aching. Just feel like shit. What can I do😔

The exercise I find most helpful for my (very) bad back is lying flat on a hard surface and slowly bringing my bent leg up towards my chin, alternating legs.

It really seems to loosen things up a bit although it only works very temporarily.

Sending sympathy - back pain can be awful! Have you got sciatica? Just bum pain/tingling/numbness is definitely something to watch for with back pain.

I would strongly recommend a good osteopath. So sorry you’re in pain.

Physiotherapist, a sports one.
Get a recommendation if poss.
Cutting down sugar can help too.

Ditto- with those symptoms op I'd get an urgent doctors appointment x

A heat pack was the best thing when i hurt my lower back. And stretches (google stretches for a sore back)

@Giltedged I’ll give that a try thank you!

@vinoandbrie A family member recommended that too, definitely going to look into finding one

@Beaaa I’m not sure what it is, I’ve never really suffered with back pain before but what ever it is it’s bloody awful😫

Do you have kids op? I had very similar 2 years ago when my DDs were 6 months/18 months ish both from c sections. Pain was horrific and came out of nowhere. Saw my GP who referred me for physio, but also had a few sessions with a private physio and it was incredible! An MRI eventually found I had two protruding disks in the lower part of my spine. Regular physio and exercises from the physio for a few months and it stopped hurting. Now and again it does get very stiff, especially if I've been heavy lifting or sitting on the floor though

OP you mentioned your bum and thighs being affected. Would you say it was roughly the area that would be in contact with a saddle? Inner thighs? Genitals? Do your legs feel weak?

If so then please call urgent out of hours as it could be cauda equina which can be serious and need urgent treatment.

I've got an electric plug in heated cushion and it helps my back. Obviously take paracetamol painkillers and use Ibulieve gel.

You’ve twinged it, a bad lean and twist or something. Ice it, for the inflammation, and take anti inflammatories. Get to an osteopath.

I had similar from bending slightly to get pyjamas from a drawer in my bedroom (rock and roll!). It was awful and you have my sympathy. I did the exercises too but in the end the only thing that helped was taking co codamol so I could at least move without being in pain

@cocoapple when did this start?

I would recommend that you request an urgent x-ray or a CT scan.

See an osteopath and see if you test positive for bulging discs and get a private mri

Physio/osteo for speed, then mri if needed.
if you have sciatica /nerve pain from any protruding discs then amitriptyline from the doctors can help a lot (but it takes a few days to a week to start working)
High dose ibruprofen, tense machine might help a little in the short term

Ice will probably help. I have disc problems and ice always eases the pain. Definitely don't do any kind of lifting, including washing!

Oh, you poor thing. Back pain is miserable. You need to get it checked out - it's hopefully 'just' that you've pulled something but as someone mentioned above, it could be something more serious like cauda equina. I've had a few episodes of sacroiliitis, which is another possibility, and the bum-cheek pain might be sciatica, but ultimately only a doctor can tell you what it is. I hope it eases soon.

This is me right now. Second time in the matter of 3 months. My pain this time though was HORRENDOUS. (And I've birthed 4 kids). Kicked off NYE, still very sore can only just stand up today unaided. Supposed to be back to work today too but obviously I can't. I'm already a cause for concern at work due to my absence as this happened only 3 months ago and had to take 9 days off work. They weren't happy. Put me on 6 month attendance probation, but I've blown that already. 😢. I've been taking 500mg naproxen 2x day with paracetamol too. (Allergic to codine). Hope you get well soon x

I've had the same thing. It's awful and I was given a physio appointment within days. He gave me a handful of exercises to do that didn't involve me getting down onto the floor (which is where I would have stayed had I even been able to get down there!)

Stand side on to a wall about 1foot away, feet together. Place your arm at just above waist height along the wall pointing forward, (with elbow to wrist against the wall). Keeping your head and upper body where it is, lean towards the wall and bump it with your hip gently. Repeat 8 times. Then switch sides and bump your other hip against the wall. This movement frees up the trapped painful part of your back. Dont do too much. 3 or 4 times a day. If you can do the floor exercises those are great.

Thanks for the advice everyone

@justasking111 It started on Tuesday but wasn’t too bad to begin with but now it’s just getting worse as the days go on

Time to see the GP then. Give it the weekend and phone on Monday.

I had a bad back out of the blue last Feb and it flared again this Xmas, I think due to a long journey/yoga class. It feels like a steel rod is across my lower back so I can't bend, especially in the mornings. I started osteopathy which has made it ten times worse and now I have nerve pain also so have had to stop that. Had an X-ray - no disc damage or osteoarthritis. Now on Naproxen (makes me feel sick), paracetamol and heat patches which are all helping. It's been a month but is easing off.

I'll be going to a physio for gentle exercises when it's better to see if I can prevent it happening again and I'm also trying to lose weight as that's not helping either. Luckily I can work from home some of the time and I make out of home appts in the afternoon when it has eased a bit.

It's so difficult though to dress, stand, use the loo when it's that painful. Dh had to help me to dress.

Found that physiotherapist and the exercises were the best aid for me. Combination with Gabapentin. It's taken three months. Taking the tortoise approach to recovery. I've had a scan, MRI so know exactly what and where the problem is.