put my back out. Worst pain ever.

[niop]

I leaned over to pick up dirty washing this morning and the worst pain ever in my lower back. Agony. I couldn’t move and ended up on the floor in my bedroom for 2 hours. Luckily people were in house with me and helped me. I finally with the help of a youtube video showing how to get to standing position after this sort of incident, managed to walk to my bedroom. I’ve taken ibuprofen, two doses since it happened at 11.30, but it’s having minimal impact. I’m reading conflicting things online saying I should try to move and some saying I should rest whilst pain severe. I walked to the loo half
an hour ago and it took ages to shuffle myself out of bed and on to loo, with help. Is this normal? How long will
it take to feel
better?

@niopi had naproxen with omeprazole and then they also prescribed me Amitriptyline which did help. My pain had gone down my sciatic nerve as well. Then about week 3, I visited an acupuncturist a the relief was immense, visited again last week and I’m off all painkillers and can’t believe how much better I’m moving about. I’m now trying to remember not to do too much too soon!

Don’t take paracetamol with cocodomol as cocodomol already has paracetamol in it. Ibuprofen is safe to take with cocodomol.

Go see an osteopath - best person for the job and will sort you out completely

the concodamol hasn’t done anything really. Mind you I only took one (500 mg) as I was a bit scared to take two. I’m taking two next time! Husband has just gone to get the naproxen prescription: hopefully that does the job?

It won't be instant- you need to take it regularly for a few days.

You need to set alarms and take it consistently for it to help, same with the naproxen
don’t take ibuprofen with the naproxen

I’d recommend writing down when you are taking painkillers. It’s very easy to forget precisely what you took and when if you are in a lot of pain.

Find yourself a good osteopath - preferably via a recommendation

Sympathies. I’ve had this happen a few times. Last time I did go to a&e, dh drove me and i somehow managed to hobble in. Was in so much pain I was literally screaming and sobbing actual tears. I was making more fuss than I ever did in labour, pain was infinitely worse than childbirth. They prescribed me naproxen and did say if I’d lived by myself they’d have admitted me as i couldn’t walk without someone to lean on. Think they gave me diazapam as well.

I’ve had this and went to A&E on a spinal board. I’d never even had back pain before. DH (doctor) scared the shit out of me talking about cauda equina so I insisted on a MRI which was clear (other than age-related disc degeneration) and ended up on diazepam and Naproxen, which did nothing. After about 6 days it wore off, but after that I spent weeks walking as though I was in the middle of a particularly challenging shit.

Huge sympathies OP. This too shall pass.

Ive done this, bending down to put on my tights, I really feel your pain.

Naproxen will work - they left me feeling a bit sick, but it was worth it for the effect they had. It will take a day or two to build up so persevere with them.

Different countries do things different ways, but here in Germany the standard treatment for back hell, and indeed muscle pain generally, is diclofenac. After a tough hike you would rub a bit of Voltarol gel on your calves, for example, it has a fairly low dose of diclofenac. The one time I knackered my back as badly as OP (ie couldn’t move, constant agony way worse than childbirth) an emergency doctor came round and gave me a higher-dose injection of the stuff which was enough to get me moving for 24 hours, and then I just had to keep moving periodically / do physio exercises to stop it happening again, fortified by oral diclofenac for a few days. I suspect the original cause was sleeping in a draught without warm enough bedclothes on my back. So when I got out of bed the following morning everything was stiff and it all seized up.

Straight to a physio, it will be transforming but expect to do exercises to strengthen muscles for a while before you fully recover. Then do Pilates as a regular.

If muscle spasm, my doctor recommended moving around on hands and knees if standing was too excruciating in the first few days.

I found lying on my side with a knee pillow and trying to draw my knees up as high as possible relieved the pain a bit.

Hope it's feeling a bit better in a few days.

Ouch! My sympathy to you OP. I've got osteoporosis in my lower back and have put it out many times over the years. Coughing, sitting on the loo etc, and I've ended up pretty much bedridden for weeks.

Naproxen and Co-codamol is what my GP gives me usually.

Hope you get some relief asap.

Sounds like muscle spasm. I have years of experience with back pain unfortunately. Get yourself to a chiropractor and ice packs are the answer! Don’t be tempted to use heat as whilst it may feel nice it won’t calm the muscle spasms. You may well feel a lot better tomorrow but could be a few days.

I haven’t read the whole thread, but when this happened to me (bending over to change DGS nappy) it turned out to be a muscle spasm. Worst pain I’ve ever had, and I ended up in A&E. After trying several different pain killers I was eventually prescribed Tramadol for the pain and Diazepam to relax the muscles - it was the only thing that touched it. The second time it happened, over two years later, I knew exactly what to ask for.

Diazepam is the only thing that worked for me (I’ve done that three times and my God it’s horrendous)

Ice for 20 minutes then heat for 20 minutes, you will need diazepam and strong painkillers (cocodamol or codeine) to relax the muscles off. Then go slow, keep moving, don’t sit for too long, lay on your back with a pillow under your knees.

Diclofenac is no longer prescribed in the UK routinely.

I’ve got the max strength diclofenac gel over the counter from the pharmacy.’ I’m about to put my second application on.

I honestly feel like crying right now, like I won’t walk properly again. It’s reassuring to hear this is a fairly common thing. Thanks everyone. I feel bad taking time off work and I’m self employed too which adds pressure to get healed fast!

Please try ice packs! My chiropractor is great and says it’s the best think to ease it! Honestly it does help x

It’s a nightmare trying to get decent pain killers prescribed these days. They used to happily prescribe stronger codine which I’d get a sporadic box of, like one box every few years. Then they stopped prescribing it because guidelines had changed and I might get addicted even though in 30 years I’d managed to not get addicted. Then I got a diagnosis which explained my pain and now they’ll happily prescribe it. My pain hasn’t changed, I now just have a label which means I get painkillers.

Sounds like you may have pulled your piriformis, which is exceptionally painful for a small muscle. Lying on your back with your knees bent may help, and liberal applications of Voltarol Max.