To want some actual treatment from GP

[Backpain2026]

A few days ago I woke up in agonising pain all over my back, could barely move. Felt like childbirth pain but in my back from neck to top of thigh. Crying with pain.

Saw GP who prescribed painkillers, diazepam, naproxen and codeine.

Been a couple of days and the combination of painkillers is controlling the pain so I'm not crying but I can't do anything.

Nor do I have any idea what caused the back pain in the first place. No obvious trigger, I didn't lift anything or do anything odd.

The GP just said to take painkillers until it stops hurting but no indication of how long that will be.

I obviously haven't been able to work as I can't move, and I really need to get back to work.

And I.want to know what triggered it, so it doesn't happen again.

So does anyone know how long muscle spasms take to calm down.

And is there anything more I can ask the GP for? Who should I ask for a referral to?

I'm in pain and confused, so would appreciate advice from anyone who had similar

Oh and the naproxen is an anti-inflammatory

Another vote for osteopath. I have had similar issues, and the first time I waited till the acute pain had passed before going to the osteo... who asked why I didn't come sooner. Definitely a very good first point of call.
My other advice is to try and move gently through it, and avoid the temptation to stay still/lying or sitting in one position. That almost always makes it feel worse, as everything stiffens up. Gentle movement, changing position, even just a slow hobble around the room, does make a difference I find. Sometimes it takes a while just to approach vertical, of course...

I'm someone with a rubbish back. I've had trouble with it all of my adult life, really, when I think about it. I've also ended up having four surgeries (but that's for much more serious issues...)

I also get semi-regular back spasms, which from what you say, sound a lot like what you're having. A week to ten days of strong painkillers usually sees it off, but the first few days are pretty disabling. I find heat, and small gentle movements, help. Staying stock still in bed actually just prolongs it for me. I try to see my (amazing) private physio if I can, as she can usually do some hands on treatment to help things settle down.

I'd say that a scan/x-ray isn't usually required at this stage, in my experience. The GP will know what the 'red flag' symptoms are for you having to be seen urgently at the hospital. You should also have been warned about if you lose the ability to urinate/defecate, either you can't start, or can't stop. In the long term, I'd suggest regular Pilates as a strengthener for your core and back, which would help stop it reoccurring as badly/regularly.

Thanks all, and I'm sorry to hear that others have suffered the same.

I guess I was surprised that there was no attempt by the GP to work out why this had happened and to only give painkillers. But from what I've now read and your advice it seems that this is normal and best practice treatment .

Having never been in this level of pain before ( other than childbirth and broken bones as a child) I sort of assumed that there would be something wrong that can be fixed but I'm now learning more about backs.

I'm also even more scared now, as I really need to get back to work and to looking after the children etc but the only thing that I'm able to do is sleep

I will try and find a physio or osteopath but I need to be able to get out of bed to get there first

Does your GP surgery not have a musculoskeletal therapist? Mine does and they’re fantastic with this sort of thing!

Hopefully the spasms will ease enough soon to get you upright. My poor sister had hers seize up suddenly a few years ago and spent three days stuck in her living room with a bucket because she couldn't begin to climb the stairs to the bathroom. But it did ease up, she saw a really good physio and with Pilates too she's never been so badly affected since.

And wait for 18 hours n a hard chair, in agony….

Id ride it out for 5 days. If no better ask GP for a house visit
Bad backs are horrendous. I remember crawling on my hands and knees to the bathroom one bad time

Agree not ideal but it beats waiting indefinitely for a successful 8am phone call to this crappy GP who will likely only prescribe the same painkillers they have already been prescribing…

In all fairness that is most likely the best treatment at first….

Haven't thankfully needed GP for years (knock on wood). My partner has had some mall things in the past 2 years (limited range of motion and pain in shoulder, lump below the chest, toe pain affecting his walking etc.) Thus far none of it has been treated other than pain killers and wait and see. We haven't been too impressed. I really hope you get some help and find the potential cause.

You need to see a chiropractor / osteopath.
They’ll be able to help reduce symptoms & speed up recovery. If you haven’t ‘done’ anything then you’ve probably just pulled something. And the problem with the GP’s approach is sitting there on painkillers isn’t going to help, because you’ll seize up and start experiencing aches and pains in other areas as you overcompensate. In my experience, after it’s been manipulated 1 or 2 times you’ll be right as rain within a week, with notable improvement the following day.
They will also be able to advise if they think a scan is required.

I wouldn’t advise that at all. I hadn’t done anything but had such a badly herniated disc I got cauda equina
if I had seen a chiropractor it would have been catastrophic. Went to a physio who sent me for an MRI as she said something was very wrong

Another vote for osteopath. I had a similar thing happen about 10 years ago. I couldn’t move. Back was in spasm. I went to the osteopath crying, I was using crutches as the pain of just being upright was so bad and I walked out of the surgery after. It wasn’t “fixed” in one session but it was the start and a huge improvement. I had 6 sessions in total and now I visit once every 6 months for a tune up and I’ve never had a reoccurrence

Your title is misleading. You are getting actual treatment from your GP.
Once emergency issues are ruled out, then treating the pain and using time to see what happens aid diagnosis.
Physio is only really helpful once the acute phase is over. They can’t do much if you are unable to do much.
Pain like this is horrible , I hope it goes away soon.

I had similar happen about 2 weeks ago. I went to A&E 3 times as the pain was like childbirth (I was also on chemo hence every time sent to A&E and kept overnight. The 3rd time I was blue lighted because I kept passing out from the pain. Turned out to be 2 pulmonary embolisms (clots in the lung)

My Chiro is really good. If he thought for a second any of the back issues I’d had were what you described he’d have re-routed for a scan before manipulation. They don’t just jump straight in without an assessment. The point is, OP really needs to see someone more specialist than a GP.

Pain is frightening.
You are in acute pain rest for 48hours. Then try small gentle movements and build up (there’s exercises for back pain on nhs site) see a physio as soon as possible.
Heat may help, take the meds in the short term.
put a pillow under your legs at night, get a lumber support cushion for driving/sitting. Evaluate your sitting, move every 15 min when you do sit for prolonged periods.
start doing Pilates (when pain is reduced/gone/ )
you need to strengthen your core. Swimming and weightlifting are also good
an MRI would tell you what’s happened

Same with me minus the crutches. I couldn't believe I'd walk out normally.

Being in bed almost certainly won't be helping, as the softness can prevent proper relaxation of spasming muscles and can exacerbate pressure points. Try and gently mobilise as much as you can - standing up, gentle waist twisting movements, gentle forward folds using something for support. Stop if you experience a change in pain, but generally this mobilisation will help.

Unfortunately there isn't a "magic bullet" for backs, they can be extremely painful without an identifiable cause. Back pain can also be related to the entire postural chain, and a physio can help narrow down the particular muscle group.

An update in case helpful for anyone else who has something similar.

Cocktail of painkillers, physio, some very gentle stretching and an osteopath have all helped.

Still in pain and not able to work, as can't move much Still and lots of painkillers but making progress.

I am still astonished that something as simple as a pulled muscle can be so painful and debilitating ( give me childbirth as less painful any day). And that six weeks is normal and expected to be feeling better again.

I genuinely thought that there must be something incredibly wrong, serious disease etc, because it was so painful. Which is why it felt like the GP was being dismissive with painkillers.

But I now fully appreciate that the extraordinary level of pain is considered, normal

I’m sorry you’re going through this, GPs are notoriously rubbish with this sort of thing imo, especially if you’re a woman. I got fobbed off with painkillers for my back pain for years from the GP. It was only after I paid to see a private osteopath that it was found I had a slipped disc. I had an operation and was fine. The GP could’ve saved me years of pain if they’d referred me to a specialist then and there but honestly I wouldn’t even bother with the NHS, it’s such a shit show. If you can afford it I’d go to a private osteopath. But it also may be a temporary painful twinge that may get better on its own in a few months. Try some gentle stretching when the pain eases up, Pilates can be especially beneficial. If it doesn’t get better I’d pay to go private or demand that your GP refer you but the waiting lists are crazy

@Backpain2026 I'm happy you're not in as much pain now. Thanks for updating.

That's good that things are improving for you.
I'd add to my previous post, get going on maintenance of your core/back, once you can move more. Pilates has been life-changing for me. I trust my instructor implicitly on the correct things I should be doing for this. Just as a final note - I have had 4 spinal surgeries, including a fusion after developing cauda equina. This is rare, but you do need to be aware of the symptoms, as it's a clinical emergency, and you need surgery within the first 48 hours really.
Keep going with strengthening and mobility, and you lessen the chances of further spasms.

My DH used to get this agonising back pain, periodically. The advice from the GP was take plenty of painkillers, diazepam and try and keep active. The pain usually resolved in about a week. My DH had no idea what brought it on. He had X-rays which showed he had three slipped discs. He tried going to see a chiropractor, who was completely useless.