To wonder if it’s age or my back?

[Halfwaytothesky]

I’m 44.

Several years ago I slipped a disc in my lower back , and it’s never really healed. General advice I had at the time was that there wasn’t much that could be done.

Two pregnancies and it’s exacerbated my problems. I’ve realised recently how bad it is.

I can’t run. I don’t mean as in going for a run - I can’t run at all. Even walking is difficult, if I slip slightly or walk on an uneven surface it jars my back horribly. If I cough or sneeze I have to hold onto something. I feel old and tired.

I don’t know how normal it is. I know it can’t be completely normal. I’m getting worried about how it’s going to effect my life going forwards, and if there is anything at all I can do.

You need to seek medical advice!

They don’t tend to be very helpful or concerned! I remember being quite surprised the absolute agony I was in when I first hurt myself and no real concern was shown. I think unfortunately for back pain there just isn’t much they can do.

So what can we do for you here? We can't diagnose or treat you, we cannot prescribe you medication.
Clearly, it is not normal as then everyone over 40 would be struggling to move around, which isn't the case. Beyond telling you that, what else can we do?
The medical professional is not there to show concern. They are there to diagnose and treat/manage. So don't take their perceived lack of concern personally.
They may not be able to fix your back but you do have access to pain clinic, pain management service, physio and pain medication. So, please go and see your GP

@Catza I am partly just wondering out loud. I think I am facing a future where I can’t really live ‘normally’ but also don’t really fit the ‘disabled’ box. It’s hard. I’m worried and sharing some of those worries here. It also helps of course to hear from others who have had back issues and pain. But I realise that’s possibly a small minority.

What makes you say you don't fit the disabled box? You sound like you have issues with mobility and chronic pain. You have a condition which lasted for over 12 months and which significantly impacts on your function. This here is a definition of disability. Not that it would make your life much easier, to be honest.
Have you explored all the other options? Have you been assessed by the pain clinic?

You need to see a really good physio/osteo who can help you through the worst of this.

My back is also pretty knackered at 43 and it can grind me down sometimes but doing nothing makes it a lot worse.

I've identified specific stretches and strengthening exercises that help me.

Sitting down is the worst thing I can do. The more I move the better my back feels.

Speak to a couple of physios and get some next steps.

You situation can improve massively with the right plan.

It really doesn’t make any difference (physio etc.)

I remember when it first happened a GP said that there was nothing they could do. Of course I didn’t expect it still to be a problem nearly ten years later.

I think the problem is I’ve become sort of used to it over time and it’s been a sort of gradual decline. Yesterday I went for an evening walk round a lake and was struggling because the ground was uneven. I realised I was hobbling and that’s not good!

And yes re sitting down. And I don’t much. But I do have to sit down sometimes and with small children I do a lot of bending stretching picking up and so on.

You need to strengthen your core first. Start with very gentle Pilates and work your way up.

they can also do a steroid injection.

Ok, so it sound as though you haven't been seen by anyone in 10 years. What they told you at a time is a bit irrelevant and "nothing we can do" can mean many things ranging from "there is no medical means to fix what you have" to "we have now exhausted every service that could help you to manage your ongoing pain".
So, I gather, you haven't been seen by a pain clinic?

I’ve got the exact same problem. You have my sympathy OP. I relate to all that you say.

If I see the doctor, they tell me that I just need to do exercises and it will go away. It drives me mad 🤬

I think posters are being a bit mean.

I have similar issues.

Medics/physios useless.

I take supermarket painkillers and just dont do things I can't do.

And yes, in my case I’m also 44 and have had my back problems for about 9 years. I have really good core strength and I used to be a gym bunny.

I also have hypermobility though so that affects it too.

@Emmanuelll join me on the padded bench 😫 awful isn’t it?

@Catza i have seen the doctor and have also had two pregnancies in this time - the second one in particular almost had me wheelchair bound and no one seemed particularly concerned 😂 it’s a slightly ironic, despairing sort of laugh - I don’t know if you’re posting because you have back problems or you’re a medic or perhaps neither. If neither, it’s possible you just don’t understand and I don’t mean that patronisingly, I probably wouldn’t have either.

@Carebearsonmybed same, but the things I can’t do seem to be increasing day by day which obviously is a concern.

Have you had an MRI? Do you know if you have surgical options? My friend was struggling to walk and had a microdiscectomy which gave him total relief.

I found naproxen very helpful when I had acute pain. Physio itself didn't change a lot but it identified what the weaknesses were. I think Pilates was the real game changer.

I also think hrt helped a bit with general stiffness to get me to a place where I was able to move more freely and get the exercise that helped. To clarify, it didn't fix my disc, it helped with general joint pain and stiffness which allowed me to help myself.

Keep going back to the GP to let them know you still have pain and ask what your options are. A lot of back pain comes and goes and they won't know you're still suffering unless you tell them.

Thanks @trainedopossum

I haven’t had an MRI since the initial injury - that confirmed slipped disc. I’ve never really found any pain relief that makes a huge difference. At the moment I’m sort of OK until I jar it in some way and it’s a tiny little thing that does.

Just hate the thought of my children being restricted because of me. And I worry that there may come a point where I can’t do my job.

it sounds like it's herniated, and you do need to get medical attention. go to your GP, explain your symptoms. they will probably initally send you for physio, when the physio doesn't work, they will send to you the pain clinic, and then eventually you will get to see a specialist.. get an mri and then finally they will know whats what.

i've suffered with my back 'going' for years. it would 'go' once a year, this increased to maybe twice, three times a year until one day my back 'went' and simply didn't get better.

it took 6 months to get to see a consultant.. but then they did surgery (twice) and i no longer have a bad back, but its left me with other issues.

That does sound similar to me @thursdaymurderclub . I’ll have to keep trying with GP. Not easy though.

You've got to try and change your mindset here. You sound utterly defeated.

Just because physio didnt work previously doesnt mean it wont work now.

Physio/rehab isnt a one time thing. Its a daily regimen for the rest of your life.

It can be painful and incredibly boring but giving 15 minutes every morning over to some stretching and exercise will be worth it I promise.

I'd do everything in my power to avoid the surgical route before its a last resort.

Hi,

I'm a physio student and I have a history of lumbar disc herniation

You need to go and see a very good private physio. One that specialises in spinal issues and has decades of experience. It may take a few months of intense therapy to sort, but this is probably fixable. Non-surgical treatment is much better than surgery (microdiscectomy) in the long run. I urge you to try this first. But the physio has to be good.

Please don't do yoga or pilates, most of the exercises won't help.

Swimming and walking is probably the best exercise for you at the moment.

In the mean time, lots of gentle cobra and bridges.

I could have written your post. I spent from age 38-48 with chronic back pain. I tried everything - and I also know how annoying it can be to have things suggested to you constantly as though you'd never thought of it yourself!

But at risk of being that person, can I suggest you look into Foundation Training and Eric Goodman. He did a Ted Talk which is here:

I think the comments on that speak for themselves.

Then do this 60 second exercise once a day for month:

And then if you ever get to a point where you can manage it, this 12-minute routine will keep things at bay. It's bloody hard! I still can't do it all. But it truly works.

Good luck. Back pain is so miserable and makes life feel like it's not worth living sometimes.

I'm sorry, back pain is totally miserable and feels all encompassing.
I had about 2 years of ongoing lower back pain on and off, absolutely agony in the morning and at rest and easing on movement. Eventually a physio flagged up that I had psoriasis and I had blood tests and MRI that diagnosed axial spondyloarthritis (a form of inflammatory arthritis).
I agree with whoever said that it's an ongoing regime of daily exercises for your particular issues.

But in the meantime go back and see the GP and list all the day to day things you are struggling with. I also had extreme pain with coughing or sneezing during a flare up which in my case was just muscle spasms but it can also be disc related which I'd say you need to rule out given your history.

Thank you for this post. It's the most enlightening thing I've read about back pain ever.

My back is f&ckecd too
daily pain
slipped disc and microdiscectomy
Scoliosis now

Pain is exhausting
I get Buprenorphine and that does nothing.
Lying FLAT helps. But I too can’t walk well any more.

No problem. From experience severe herniation exercises need good manual therapy as well as at home exercises. My physio uses something called a theraflex machine, which resolved my scoliosis linked to sciatica. I went from having different leg lengths to legs the same length in one session. It was an eye opener.

Have a look at the machine on YouTube. There's so much that can be done to treat disc herniation, but the NHS in my experience at least, hasn't had the expertise.