To beg you for back pain advice

[tinnitusqueen]

Since Christmas I've been in agony. Lower back. It's exacerbated by sitting for more than 10 minutes - any kind of chair. An hour in the car and I can't walk a step.

I've been doing Pilates but since the gym shut I'm trying to do it at home. Also saw an osteopath but that wasn't much help. So daily stretches on the carpet. Child's pose, cat cow, stuff like that.

I'm 36. Feeling old. But not THAT old. I have a 2 year old and gained weight in pregnancy and am fighting hard to lose it. Half a stone off since Christmas. But the pain continues.

Doc sent me to a physio who did nothing.

I'm super careful about bending from the knee.

I found out my one leg is 1-2cm longer than the other, if that adds anything.

Pain pain pain. The professionals just tell me that everyone gets back pain.

Wail! Cry! Help!

I live in Cheshire and I've tried over the counter stuff and cocodamol was about the strongest.

7 weeks pregnant so not wanting to medicate with drugs at the moment but keen for recommendations for after.

When you say the physio did nothing did they give you exercises to do at home?
It takes time for them to help and they must be done consistently.
My physio for my ankle took about a 6/8 months so significantly improve and I still need to do them but less frequently to keep it stronger or I get pain again.
How long have you been doing the physio exercises?

No he didn't do anything just told me to carry on doing Pilates. He didn't give me any exercises just said 80% of people get back pain and I have a leg length difference.

Understandable about the medication given your pregnancy, OP, though if it persists, you will realise there are many anti-inflammatpry/opoid/neural painkillers and combinations thereof. I would go back to your GP to see what can be done or at least get a firm diagnosis. Hope I'm wrong but your back probably won't improve over the course of your pregnancy and then carrying your hopefully happy and healthy newborn/car seat/pram...

I haven't read the whole thread but I wanted to share my experience with lower back and hip pain. When I was pregnant with my second child, I developed horrible pain in my lower back and hips. I thought it was just pregnancy related (also my second pregnancy was fairly close to my first). After I gave birth, the pain continued and I worried that it was permanent. Around 6months to a year later, we changed our mattress... And within days my 'pregnancy' back and hip pain had gone. And a couple of years later I went through a twin pregnancy with minimal hip/back pain.

So, long story short, if you are able to, maybe you should try changing out your mattress. Our old one was a fancy 'moulds to your shape one' but my fat ass just sunk in and I probably got stuck in weird positions all night. My new mattress is firm but with some cushioning and it works well for me!

Good luck!

Yoga is great

I had a Chinese massage which pretty much cured my back pain from a car accident (that doesn't help much at the mo, but once you have freedom again)

Also, if you have a partner who can massage the area using a fist, v firm

As many hot baths as you can take. Kitchen worktops are usually the right height to lean on to stretch your vertebrae. Always sit with a pillow under your knees. Sleep on your side with a thin pillow between your legs. Frozen veg on your back. Frozen cocktails better as you can drink them after. Alternate paracetamol and ibuprofen.....

There was an interesting article in economist about back pain in January and how it’s often treated the wrong way. You should look it up. My DH has chronic back pain and only pilates and training his stomach muscles helped in the end.

Did the physio actually measure each part of your leg and compare it to the other one? I remember going in for my orthotics and the specialist thought I was completely even UNTIL she measured my lower legs. I'd spent so many years adjusting for the length difference that my pelvis was badly dropped on one side.

I'm sorry but "80% of people have back pain" just isn't good enough! THere's back pain and then there's chronic severe back pain, and someone who has the odd twinge from overdoing the gardening in the spring isn't in the same category as someone who has a pelvis out of alignment and is in severe pain 365 days a year.

Reminds me of the physio who said to me "well what do you expect at your age?". I was 53 at the time, and 5 years earlier had been able to do 10 mile hill walks, school horses for 30 mins at a time (VERY had work for the lower back), do near enough everything I wanted. By the time I saw him I could walk maybe 1/2 mile then need to rest, couldn't even think of getting on a small horse, had given up going to any concerts or the cinema because I couldn't sit still etc. MRI showed 2 bulging discs and moderate facet joint arthritis, plus 1 vertebra 25% forwards out of alignment.

My consultant neurologist told me to go to an osteopath and I’m so glad he did.

Anyway, you know,OP that the worst thing is sitting. And not moving. So rest reclined? And walk a lot?

I have one leg that appears to be shorter than the other. It isn't, my hips are rotated. It causes me no end of back problems. I have hypermobility syndrome and it is worsened by hormones, amongst other things (standing still, walking too far, slouching). I would suggest seeing a private physio rather than an NHS. They tend to be far more specialised and they have the time to look properly.

Walking really helps mine. I’m really struggling with my back at the moment.

Being pregnant is likely to be an exacerbating factor and there’s not a great deal you can do medically at the moment. Is there an obstetric physio dept near you? They manage SPD very well usually and could maybe advise? I used a thing called Supportiback I got on Amazon when suffering horrendous sciatica last year, it helps to align you in the seated position and might be worth a go.

A massive thank you for the antihistamine tip. I've got an emergency stash for when my Ménière's flares up. Took two before with Solpadine and the relief has been so good.

I've had long term back trouble, really seized up for the first time in my early twenties when I reduced my exercise (used to cycle a few miles each day to work and back and stopped when I moved house and got the bus). So movement is key for me but be careful in pregnancy. I was swimming up until the lockdown but in the past have cycled, done exercise classes, general gym work, cardio machines etc. I find if I don't have a movement even if it's just regular walking, it gets worse.

I sleep with a pillow between my knees. Sometimes I like to lie flat on my back with my knees bent 90 degrees and lower leg resting on the sofa. Yoga wise, child pose and reclined spinal twist are great. Painkillers don't do much for me. Hot baths are good and ice packs work wonders.

Sounds like sciatica. I have it too since pregnancy. Pilates was also recommended to me by physio but I also get painkillers on prescription which are a godsend.

The fact it hurts after being sat down for a long period of time is very telling.

There are some sciatica exercises available online under NHS guidance, I would have a look for them, they do help.

Also, if you can't ease it, contact your GP for some drugs.

Get yourself a sissel sitfit. Best thing I ever bought for my back. It means you are active sitting. Look it up. I've recommended them often and about 20 people have bought them as a result. They all find them good.

Sit on a gym ball, if you have to sit on something... my last pregnancy I lost feeling down 1 leg and gym ball sitting helped.. also remember extra hormones in pregnancy make you more prone to muscle injury so whatever you do take it slowly..

That sounds to me like sciatica which was the first sign of a disc rupture.
I had to take a lot medicine (tramadol, co-codamol and naproxen and probably other things) to get through.
But it wasn’t long term.
My DC is disabled so I have to carry her all the time (she’s the size of a 4 year old and dead weight) and I get flare ups of different sites across my back.
This might sound odd - can you sleep on the floor for a while. It really helped me.
And I sleep in the recovery position as some have mentioned (can’t do it atm as I have severe carpal tunnel syndrome and my arm goes entirely numb).
Also physio from the NHS helped immensely.
Walking too. Slowly and build up.
I really feel for you

I've had life long back issues but the only time the pain eases is when I completely cut out sugar. It's so inflammatory and makes a huge difference.

Lying on the floor with a yoga block under my hips reliably eases my back pain...but might not work for everyone...

I'm still in bloody agony. I'm walking like a 90 year old. Pain is in the back pelvic area, round like a girdle to my groin and down the front of both thighs. Pins and needles in both feet. OTC painkillers just not touching it.

I'm keeping a close eye on pelvic floor (mindful of cauda equina), trying to keep moving so I don't seize up but the pain is awful.

Have you slipped a disc?
It sounds like what my DP has if he sits down too long it makes it worse

You could try a TENs machine, I have one for lower and neck pain and it's a god send.

Back and hamstring stretches plus an anti-inflammatory diet helps my back pain. My favourite is to lie on my back, hug my knees to my chest and roll around, massaging the lower back against the ground. Naproxen did help but I didn't want to take it long term. Lots of movement too, like you if I sit for too long it's inevitable.

I don't know @BiBiBirdie, possibly. I might phone the doc tomorrow. TENS machine sounds like it might be a good idea. I'll look one up, thanks.