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?

Surprised no one has mentioned osteopath. I’ve been today, life changing and gave great advice and exercises. Worth every penny, they really know about backs. My spasm made me crooked which ended up making everything hurt. He put me straight, I had one leg longer than the other.

Sounds more like a muscle spasm across your sacro iliac joint than a disc issue. I found (have gad this many times) shuffling/pottering interspersed with lying down on my side with a pillow between my knees the best way to handle it. Try to log roll at night in bed if you need to turn over. Don’t attempt exercises when the pain is this bad and def call GP and see if they’ll prescribe you some co-codamol.

I feel for you OP. I have done this twice - first time was horrific and I couldn't move. I had the most excruciating muscle spasms and could barely crawl. I couldn't even get out of bed to the loo for a day so got some pads shifted under my bum so I could wee on them - I didn't care! I rang the GP and got some diazepam which stopped the terrible muscle spasms by the next day and meant I was then able to get out of bed and move albeit very minimally!

My GP said that the diazepam would stop the spasms and enable me to move which was really important she said - the less you move the longer it will take to recover. It was very painful for a good few days and took probably 3 weeks for me to feel properly normal again. I honestly felt exactly like you're describing - will I ever walk properly again?! Second time it wasn't quite as bad but I had saved some diazepam and took them very quickly. You might want to to the same. I still have some left and take them everywhere with me just in case!

Long term exercise involving strengthening is key to reduce the risk again. I've been much better since I've been doing resistance exercises with bands and weights.

I have had lower back pain for a few years now and have seen a physio and chiropractor on and off. I put my back out over Christmas and it hurt to sit down. I was completely redundant. Couldn’t do anything (but whinge) for a good few days. From experience, having had hip issues since a child and being a martial artist, your GP won’t do anything but tell you to rest and maybe give you a prescription for ibuprofen gel or strong painkillers. Once the worst is over, go and see a chiropractor. I’ve paid privately for physio and chiro for many years only because there is an 18 month waiting list in my area so absolutely pointless and I don’t think NHS physios are that good.

Paramedic at the doctors told me to take ibrupofen to keep the co codamol I was on topped up, so co-codamol then 2hrs ibruprofen & rinse & repeat.

best to rest it initially but then yes gentle exercise such as walking will help. Stretching exercises will help too.

heat & ice therapy will help a lot right now. 20mins ice then twenty mins heat

I think we’ve all worried we’ll never walk again in the first couple of days! The pain and the grovelling feeling of being terrified of setting it off again at every second is very very degrading and exhausting. And the lack of deep sleep. But hang in there and it will start to ease. I’d really recommend a video consultation with a private physio or similar as they see it all day every day, are very reassuring and will give you some steps to take which feels empowering xxx

thank you everyone. I’m lying here in bed reading all your posts and making enquiries and purchases as I go along! I’ve got literally nothing else to do except moving a very slow pace, so lots of phone time 🤣

You have my sympathies as back pain is miserable. It’s happened to me twice, both by simply bending over to pick something up. I’m in Europe and here they quickly prescribe physio. I hobbled to the Dr and when she called me in, I couldn’t actually stand up from the chair in the waiting room and I started to cry (mortified). She prescribed co-cordamol and that helped. But what really worked was physio. I had 9 sessions over 3 weeks. If you can get an appointment, I highly recommend it. She told me not to use ice, only heat. At all times to have a hot water bottle on. Plus to walk as much as possible.
Since then I’ve done a year of reformer pilates (3 times a week) and now I now feel super strong. Hope you feel better soon OP.

You're not in the North are you? I have horrific sciatic pain and would love an acupuncture recommendation

Sending lots of hugs. Back pain is horrible... I recommend seeing a physio or osteopath who will do some gentle movements and suggest what to do or not to do regarding movements for you. Plus get whatever pain relief you can whilst you get through the acute phase x

@growgrowinggrownIm in West Yorkshire

If you have BUPA, you should be able to see a private GP as part of your cover. Then should be able to get a quick referral to physio and also a prescription for pain relief

My dh did something similar on a hiking holiday in France. A doctor came out to the hotel and gave him an injection which helped him move slowly between bathroom and bed. And after three days we were sent to a physio to get him walking gently again.

Are there any private physiotherapists near you?

Don’t worry. It will get better. Just don’t rush it. Easier said than done when you are self-employed I know!

For the future recovery and protection of your back:
-ask physio how to bend and pick up things in future
-ask for back strengthening exercises which will probably involve whole body exercises for thighs and core

Both very much worth doing so you protect your back in future. Hope you recover soon!

I did something similar a few weeks back. Painkillers & hot baths and it eased after a few days.

I got exactly that bending to shave a leg in the shower ! Unbearable pain like nothing else ( different but as bad as childbirth ) ..DH dropped me at A&E and was told it was a spasm and one of the most common things people came in for . I was given diazepam! It helped massively and then alternating with ibuprofen and paracetamol it was better by the end of the next day . In all likelihood this will pass quickly and meanwhile l can just recommend STRONG painkillers .

Thermacare lower back wraps (heated) kept me sane. I was on morphine and diazepam for some time but mine turned into cauda equina

Co-codamol is renowned for causing constipation, so advice from a very recent personal experience, eat the prunes and oranges, drink plenty of water and maybe get some over the counter laxatives in, just in case.

Painkillers on a schedule rather than only when the pain is very bad.

Consider prunes / apricots/ proper laxatives if you're taking cocodamol - you don't need constipation as well as back pain.

You may be able to self refer to a physio on the NHS / your practice might have a physio you can book appointments with - they may be able to suggest good exercises to try.

Swimming (maybe - if you can get there and changed and into the water - I imagine the support of the water feels good)

Hot shower directed at the sore bits - makes a change from hot water bottles.

See an osteopath if at all possible. If a good one, you will be 99.9% better when you leave - but beware, it can return if you bend again in the wrong way.

this absolutely terrifies me. I don’t have any of the symptoms of this: So scary. Did yours come on very quickly?

Not really, I had sciatica on and off for years. Woke up with back pain in the January and it felt different. By March I was hobbling into the GP and she had a prescription before I even sat down.
Went to private physio who did a couple of sessions and said “something is badly wrong here, I’m not touching you until you have a scan” and she sent me for an MRI
surgery was planned for May and I developed CE helpfully 24hrs before my planned op! I was in bed and it felt like warm water running down my legs

5hr op, back on a horse 7 weeks later

You can get diclofenac in tablet form, which might be more helpful. In Australia 25mg is available over the counter, but it's cheaper to get a script and I have 25mg and 50mg to take as needed. I find it does a good job at managing pain.

Back pain is one of those things most people don't understand until they get it-and most of us do, eventually. Seeing a physio can make a big difference-could you afford a private appointment?
I was always reluctant to pay for health treatment (not much spare money AND the principle), but for some people it's literally saved their job, as they were struggling to do anything.

I am in exactly this position at the moment. My GP is refusing to see me and so far has referred me to the pharmacy who referred me straight back, then to 111 who referred me straight back.

The GP finally gave me an appointment which was over a week away so I went to a walk-in centre - this was the Wednesday after it happened on the Saturday , (getting into the Uber was not easy!) who prescribed nepofam hydrochloride for the pain and Baclofen as a muscle relaxant.

It's still getting worse -and the painkillers are doing nothing - so I went back yesterday and they said that was as much as they could prescribe. My only options were an emergency appointment at the GP, or A&E.

I called the GP again, explained everything again and was promised a call back. Two hours later I got texted a form to fill in so I said yes, on a scale of 1 to 10 the pain was a 10, and no, I am not currently capable of basic household tasks. Six hours later, after the surgery had closed, I got another text referring me to physio. No reference to the pain or my inability to take care of myself. WTF? Cried a bit. (A lot).

Anyway, sat here now trying to decide whether to turn up at the GP and cry till someone medically qualified bothers to talk to me, or go straight to A&E.

Commiserations.

Put my back out lifting my child. GP decided “muscular strain” and offered naproxen and omeprazole oh and scan Phio app at reception.
I’ve seen sports therapy guy and a couple of osteopaths. Hot baths,icepacks,full works

Had sciatica and tingling in my legs

Bupa’s physio video consultant told me his back pain was bigger than mine. Their osteopath just massaged my back.

Here I am nearly 6 months later. Still sore back,made redundant from work and fuck knows where to turn😭😭😭