To be at my wits end and hope there's a doctor on mumsnet on a Sunday?

[Whenisright]

I know I am but here goes.... For at least the last couple of months I wake up with horrible aching mid back pain. Every single morning. It means I simply can't lie in or catch up on sleep, despite being exhausted (twins). The discomfort is so bad I have to get up. Nothing I do in bed helps (position change / stretching / moving beds or surface), I have to get up. Within 10 mins of being up I'm absolutely fine. I have a new excellent mattress, have tried a different mattress and memory foam. Tried different sleeping positions. I'm at my wits end as its getting earlier and earlier. By 3am I was gulping painkillers as I desperately needed to sleep and then was up at 5.45 with the twins. Dr said they could refer me for physio and advised to take ibuprofen. Not helpful. Any ideas at all?? It is my whole middle back and comes round to my ribs at the front. Any Drs here? Thanks!

---

MNHQ Update
Fed up of waking with back pain? Our guide to the best mattress for back pain is up to date with a wide range of tried and tested options. We hope it’s helpful!

Ok, will pursue physio like lots have suggested. Any ideas on how to strengthen core muscles, what kinds of exercises? I will google as well! Thanks again.

No muscles relaxants. Very interesting about the spasms, I will ask the gp when I book an appointment. What makes you think hormonal? Interested as I have severe pcos. Also, could it simply be that I'm overweight and lying still with my size and weight is causing problems? I'm 5 foot 6.5 and just over 15 stone.

Possibly a bit random, but if I lose or gain weight and my bra doesn't fit quite right I get pain in my back and round to my ribs. Does your bra fit properly?

Also if you are fine when you go to bed, but in pain when you get up what about your pillows? Did you change pillows when you changed mattress? On my new mattress I need less pillows than on the old one.

If you're in London, I can recommend the British School of Osteopathy in Borough.

Mrsfilth thnaks, London is not too far for me.

Lalala - not changed pillows but comfier with just one on new mattress.

I have so many T-Shirts like yours OP. My recommendation is anything that gives just a few percent of improvement will add up over time. Your mind set is huge as is looking at pacing in conjunction with using painkillers at first. I would really shout about seeing a Chiropractor and doing Pilates along with looking at Alignment Matters / Katy Bowman's ideas.

Good luck it is hard work and very tiring but improvements can come quite quickly when you start to help yourself beyond GP/Painkillers.

Strange as it sounds it could also be gallstones. As far as I know they only cause pain when they obstruct something which could happen when you lie down. I hear they can be excruciating! The pain radiates throughout the back around under the ribs. An ultrasound scan would show one way or another.

Ah, will look into gallstones as well. Thanks.

There are sleep-specific hormones, but also I read now that some sex hormones can be linked to strength of seizures. I don't know how all that relates to PCOS.

I've had back ache before but it never came regularly out of nowhere every morning and only then. So it doesn't make sense to me that a structural problem would only present in bed and briefly and be gone the rest of the day. A chemical trigger though, sounds very possible.

If there is something structural going on, losing weight could be a big help (sorry to point out the obvious).

I would consider it very likely that obesity and poor muscle tone are going to be a huge contributory factors. I really don't think this warrants an MRI - especially on the NHS - when you haven't adequatelt tried physiotherapy, weight loss and exercise yet.

As others have said, swimming would be great exercise as strengthening and cardio in one, cut down the carbs, and pilates or yoga. Obesity and lack of fitness aren't barriers to swimming, yoga etc like they can be to other exercise, because you just do as much as you can. Take up the physio referral, or if you can afford private tx then see a physio privately, or osteopath.

It's not always necessary to pinpoint the exact cause of a problem to treat it - especially if it would involve very expensive or invasive testing to rule out unlikely causes.

I have recently started visiting an Oesteopath for shoulder pain, after learning there is a long wait for physio. He explained that Physio treats the affected joint/muscle but oesteopath treats the source. I have had 3 sessions and even after the first one, I felt so much better.

Although I went for shoulder and neck, I was also waking with crippling headaches almost every night. These too have stopped.

I have been in a similar situation to you recently and my dr referred me to muscular skeletal clinic at my local hospital. I had the same mindset as you that I just wanted them to find the cause and thought sending me there was going to be pointless. I was adamant that l had something seriously wrong that would need surgery to put right.
I was given exercises and stretches to do to strengthen my core (also non existent ) and told to try to do some form of exercise for 30mins a day (I started out just walking more instead of using the car ect) 6 weeks on my back hip and knee has improved massively. For me the referral was extremely helpful, you may be surprised.
I hope you can get it sorted soon it sounds awful for you at the moment.

You would be surprised how much a lack of core strength can affect the back.

I'd take the physio referral. I'd say it's highly likely you have diastasis recti (separated stomach muscles) since you had twins. The physio can assess this and give you Pilates type exercises to try to get them back together.

Personally, my muscles are still two finger widths apart and they ain't going back any more (and DC2 is 18m). It can be repaired with surgery but the NHS won't find the operation... unless you have back pain. But try the physio first!

He gave me some simple excersises and recommended an upright chair.i have also been rubbing in Voltarol which I have found much better than any other gel

Stay away from Osteos and Chiropractors
At best, they are poorly-trained physics. At worst, they can do serious and lasting damage

Find a good physio and ask to see the person in the practice with the most post-natal training/experience

It will be much more beneficial for you to do core work under the supervision of a physio or Pilates teacher
Being an inch out with your position is the difference between it working or not, so doing YouTube videos when you're starting out isn't going to be massively beneficial.

A post-natal Pilates class could work wonders in a short space of time as well...

Good luck with your recovery

Lljkk - thank you, that is really interesting and makes sense how you explained it.

Little purple - where have I said I don't exercise? I'm actually very active.

You were asking for advice on what exercise might help?

Exercises, as in specific physio exercises for core muscles.

I have twins and my back is knackered although I have a brilliant chiropter that works wonders. Is this an option?

It wouldn't be appropriate for people online to give you specific exercises, but as several of us have recommended, swimming, pilates etc. are good starting points whilst you wait to see a physio, who can.

I thought gallstones too.

sparechange could you explain more about your post.

You can't get specific exercises from written descriptions
You need someone to supervise you and correct you and show you how to do them properly. And even to check you are ok to start them in the first place...

Bungleboggs - yes I could try chiropractor. Think I'm going to book some Pilates as lots have suggested this and it makes sense that it could help. Going to go back to a (hopefully) better gp and ask for some (any!) investigations to be done to try to find out why I'm getting this pain as well - will ask about mri and urine test. Great advice everyone, thank you!

Hi I haven't read the full thread but want to give my advice now because I can never find threads later.

I was waking up with mid back pain in the night for a few months and it got increasingly painful round the front. I thought it was the mattress/bra/posture etc but it was costochondritis. This is an excruciatingly painful condition which is fleeting for some but chronic for others.