To not understand why back pain is so dismissed?

[Saz432]

I posted a few days ago about a recurring issue with my back and worries about being fobbed off by a doctor - my fears were of course completely right. I had a strong suspicion it was going to happen so put it off until this morning hoping it would improve.

I damaged my back a few years ago when I was exclusively pumping. I have had constant upper back pain ever since. I also have a large patch on my back that has altered sensation. This is all in my notes. I’ve had two courses of physio. I’m now just accepting it’s always going to hurt because nothing makes much difference.

In December I seriously messed up my back lifting my son out of his cot. I spent five days in awful pain and barely able to move before seeing a doctor - they gave me a very low dose of diazepam for a few days. They said I could take up to four at a time - I built up to that I was worried about being drowsy but I wasn’t even slightly drowsy even on the maximum dose. It did help me get mobile again so I was very pleased. Haven’t seen a doctor about my back since as I was back to having just the normal level of daily pain.

On Sunday I did it again, putting my son in his cot. I’ve been in so much pain ever since and I am seized up. I can barely lift my children. I can’t sleep because of the pain.

I managed to get a phone consultation with a GP and explained what had happened and that what I was given last year really helped. She said she would prescribe me some naproxen - I didn’t realise until after I got off the phone that this is another anti-inflammatory. I’ve been using diclofenac suppositories that I have left over from a surgery I had and they’ve helped the pain a little but made no difference to my mobility so I know this isn’t going to help much, if at all. Is a few days worth of very low dose muscle relaxants really so bad that they won’t prescribe it 8 months after they were last needed? I’d understand if I were asking every month.

I’ve been a patient at this practice for over 3 years (and actually this doctor I spoke to was my GP throughout my childhood until I went to university) so they know I’m not some random drug seeker.

I am reasonably certain that if the doctor themselves were in this much pain, unable to sleep or work / look after their children, they’d take whatever worked.

It seems like back pain really isn’t taken seriously at all. I don’t bother seeing the doctor when it’s worse than normal because what’s the point? This is different though, I can’t bloody move!

What do I do now? Assuming the medication makes little difference (I’ll be delighted if it does), do I just have to tough it out and hope it improves on its own? I don’t want to be taking strong medications but I need to be able to lift my children and sleep!

When there’s something available that will actually work and they only need to give a few days worth, why won’t they do it?

I knacked my back twice

All the gp did was give me anti inflamatories and pain killers

I paid to have an mri, this showed the problem, the specialist then came up with a treatment plan and through 4 times a week physio over 4 months fixed with no surgery.

If it is affecting you so badly you need to try getting help yourself by seeing the right person- a gp is only good for temporary relief but that aint gonna fix it long term.

Back problems are horrible and not always easy to diagnose nor fix- price we pay for walking upright

Have you been to an osteopath at all?

YANBU, my back went picking my dd1 up from the floor, over a year of pain and i was repeatedly told to take paracetamol and keep mobile. It got worse and worse to the extent I couldn’t stand for more than a minute. After a year of pain I was told I ‘might’ have a slipped disc, but don’t worry it’s rare. It got progressively worse, I couldn’t walk, sleep, or stand and I insisted on an MRI and it turned out I had a huge herniated disc. I needed an operation.
They are too quick to rule things out and give out the standard advice of pain killers & keeping mobile. Keep going back if you’re not happy.

They are very reluctant to prescribe diazepam.
I ended up going private. MRI and spinal injections for pain.

I don't find Drs especially useful for that sort of issue, in general. Back problems can be utter agony, especially and the frustration of not being fully understood & the worry of further & future damage.

In my experience- try a chiropractor, if you haven't already. It will be a slow but thorough fix.

Based on recent family experience - it tends to be female back pain that’s dismissed. Male back pain usually prompts an immediate referral for an xray / mri.

Go to an osteopath. I've had back pain on and off for years and GP has prescribed all sorts, however a few sessions with an osteopath sorted the problem

I do understand why they’re reluctant and I’d understand it more if I were asking all the time or if I hadn’t tried anything else. But they can see that in three years of having this problem I’ve been prescribed it once, last year, what ended up being two days worth. If i’m an addict I’m a pretty crap one. And a couple of days on a low dose is surely not going to turn me into an addict, it didn’t before! Surely assessing the risk rather than just avoiding prescribing something effective for a very short course is what they should do? I do empathise, I know it’s a very hard job and they’re under a lot of pressure but I honestly have little confidence in doctors any more.

I know I probably need to go private but I don’t have the funds - my kids both have additional needs and I’m paying for therapy for them both which they really need, rather than waiting seven months for another block of three appointments on the NHS.

I have wondered if it’s a slipped disc but it’s upper back rather than lower. What worries me more is the giant patch of altered sensation across my back which has been there for nearly 3 years now. But right now I just need to get mobile again, I’ll worry about the underlying problem when I’m not in such a bad state.

I’ve been to private physios and chiropractors but not an osteopath yet. I guess that’s next when I can afford it.

Getting anything done about persistent back pain on the NHS is a non-starter in my experience. An MRI scan is needed to see what's going on, and it needs to be properly examined and interpreted. I had to go privately to get a scan and to get the correct physio and treatment. Sorry - I know this is not helpful.

No, I know you’re right. Thing is, I specifically haven’t expected them to investigate the issue or try to fix it - all I’m asking for is an occasional (average of less than once a year at this point!) prescription for a couple of days when the problem is more acute. Like I say, I totally understand they’re under a lot of pressure not to hand these prescriptions out randomly, but it’s just a lottery - I suspect if I’d had the GP I saw in December call me back, I’d have the medication that helped right now rather than something that won’t. It’s pretty shit. Good job DH is working from home at the moment as he can do the heavier lifting some of the time).

And I just know that if I grin and bear it and don’t go back to them in a day or two, in future they’ll say “well last time this happened you only needed anti inflammatories so it can’t be that bad”. Wish I’d never bloody called now!

I can totally understand where you are coming from.

I have been having very serious lower back pain pretty much since I had my DS who is now over 2. I have spoken to the doctor about it on a couple of occasions to be told to change my posture when sitting at work and get up regularly and just to take ibuprofen in necessary. It has got to the point when I was having real problems standing up after I have been sitting down for as little as half an hour so I contacted my GP again who told me to self refer to an NHS physiotherapist - I did this and all they did was send me a leaftlet about posture the same as the doctor did the 1st time! I'm now paying for a private physio (which seems to be working) as I felt there was no point in even speaking to the doctor about it again.

It’s very frustrating. I was at the doctors with intense back pain when my son was 12 months old. He didn’t even examine me and told me to try weight watchers and when I cried (because I was scared about how I could look after my son) he told me to make a PND referral (which was already in the pipeline).

Both myself and my DH went to the doctors in the same week with lower back pain, DH was given full exam, physio and diazepam, I was given nothing. Osteo and chiro have really helped in the past but it is expensive 😕

It’s so frustrating- I know that back pain is a very complex issue and I’ve had extremely low expectations of what the NHS can do about it. I was really grateful when they just gave me some physio sessions. I’m not expecting them to fix it, just help me out with an effective medication when it’s unbearable. It shouldn’t be a big ask. Like I say, I am certain a doctor wouldn’t put up with pain like this knowing a few days of muscle relaxants would help enormously in the short term.

Based on recent family experience - it tends to be female back pain that’s dismissed. Male back pain usually prompts an immediate referral for an xray / mri.

Not our experience. DP has had debilitating back pain for 7 years now. DD has never known him without it. It affects his ability to work, his home life and his mood.

Although I understand his low mood AND constant snappiness (which used to be so out of character) is as as result of being in pain so much, I am struggling to deal with the reality of it, and it's unfair on the DC, and our relationship is hanging by a thread.

No scan, no treatment plan. Physio hasn't helped. His doctor said he'd speed up his latest referral to physio and so he's been waiting but he called them last week and they said he's not even in the system. Not surprised it's not the first time.

No idea why my phone capitalised AND. Weird.

Yes, DH had some pain in his knee and got an immediate referral for an X-ray, strong pain relief and a physio referral on his first appointment too! Three years I’ve had this and one course physio has been the extent of the help.

I had years of being fobbed off about gynae pain before getting a referral, which is standard, but it seems women just aren’t taken as seriously when it comes to any pain. Infuriating.

Sorry to hear that wiggly

My general experience is that the NHS is essentially useless when you have chronic issues that aren’t immediately easy to diagnose or fix.

I would seriously find the money for a private mri (shop around for the cheapest) they will write it up and you can then go to the gp with it...if there is something measurably wrong it will give you more leverage to get referred. And it will stop the “just lose weight” discussion too!

I had awful pain like you op, went to the GP and he said it was old age! I'm in my 40's.

Luckily a work colleague recommended an osteopath and she sorted me right out. When I told her about the 'old age' comment, she laughed.

Its because we are considered hysterical about health?!!?!? Men are treated completely differently. I think if you go in with a determined no nonsense attitude and are very matter of fact plus don't cry, you tend to get what you want. It's shite!

I'm lucky in that I'm a nurse and have never been fobbed with any condition I have gone on with. Back pain is so difficult to treat, I don't bother going to GP because I could resolve or make my back better by doing more exercise, stretches and yoga. I'm too lazy though so just put up with it.

Yeah, I’m 37! This started at 34 and was directly linked to being hunched over pumping all the bloody time. Wish I’d just used formula now, seems lots of women get this from pumping but it’s never mentioned. I’m in the overweight category but nothing extreme.

What annoys me more is the way she didn’t make it clear that she was giving me something completely different so I couldn’t even protest (I’ve vaguely heard of naproxen but didn’t know what it was, I’ve always had diclofenac before). Clearly deliberate.

Googling private MRIs now. FFS.

Sicario how much did you have to pay for the private scan?

After years of chronic pain (entire right side) I saw an exercise physiologist. Best thing I ever did. After 12 months of weekly visits I can do stairs without difficulty, don't move like an 80 yo when I stand up and can even jog a little - previously not possible as in I couldn't jump. My dude is fantastic. The physical improvement and significant reduction to pain proves that. Chronic knee pain gone, chronic back pain gone, numbness down outside of right thigh gone. I can walk up and down stairs - again previously not possible.

Exercise physiologists look at how you move, how that impacts your muscles and give you exercise to fix that. They're a cross between a physio and personal trainer. Like all of these roles, finding a good one is key to getting results.

I would've gone to an osteopath first, not wasted time and money with gp (who will usually only recommend pain meds rather than fixing the issue) and physios who I have found useless compared to osteopath.