Back Again! Back Pain Support Thread

[PavlovtheCat]

Only right I start the new one seeing as I was responsible for the last one ending so abruptly !

This is a support thread for people with back pain (that does not even cover the description of hell that back pain causes). It's for all types of back pain, for long term posters with chronic pain (including those on the upwards journey to recover), short term advice through tough acute episodes and all the in betweens.

We moan, winge, share successes, guide each other and hand hold through the maize of a million medical routes and options, treatments, investigations. We internet shop as a form of pain relief, drink wine, take strong painkillers, eat cake and we go through lots of heat packs!

We don't always have the answers but we do have a lot to say about it all

Here are the links to our previous threads:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/1871592-The-Back-Story
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/1992406-The-Back-Story-Continues
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2023274-More-Terrible-Back-Stories

Collections of clutter clusters can flutter go flutter by. Very Mary Poppins.

Your day on London sounds fab fun. Bound to be sore today, it's called 'sod it' planning.

Injections maybe a little effect. My pain is so complex it's quite happy to switch location from left to right and so on. But, have possibly taken fewer drugs today. Tomorrow, who knows? He did, though only inject local anaesthetic no steroid so it will be short lasting whatever. It's a test dose trying to find the best areas to treat. All very well if the appointments were just a little closer together. It could be years trying one thing after the next...

Hope you've all had a wonderful sunny weekend.x

Hi all. What a weekend. Wore myself out, took too much tramadol today (well, only 100mg SR but still) following an appalling sleep last night/this morning (tramadol yesterday at 3pm or so still managed to mess my sleep up and DS slept with us and didn't sleep well, hit and kicked me all night. lovely). But I took the children swimming this afternoon/evening when I finally got up to doing something.

I am exhausted but pain is reasonable. I am just taking the tramadol back to back for now and keeping pain at bay, along with napraxen etc.

I have a symptom which I wonder if anyone else with nerve pain has. I usually get the stabbing/sharp/needle type pain down the legs, and some harder pain through buttocks and hips as well as the back pain. I also get some numbness in my calf and foot/toes that come and go from time to time and occasionally get a feeling of tightness/numbness around ankle (had the more so prior to discectomy). But the numbness is usually quite deep and/or pins and needles like with some full numbness, largely it's not there and when it does come and go I am not hugely bothered any more.

but, I have a new numbness. Well for a few weeks but now the pain is reduced it's really evident. it's on the back of the thigh, the buttocks and occasionally down the leg into the calf but it's skin numbness and it sort of hurts/numb at the same time when the skin is rubbed. It feels fine when not touched but as soon as the area is touched with anything, brushed against it there is no feeling/yet there is a numb feeling. It's not deep, feels it's no deeper than the skin, but it's starting to really grate on me as I wear skinny jeans a lot and so each step I take it's hurting/feeling numb. Anyone else get that? It permanent now. Is that nerve? is it s different nerve to sciatic nerve? All I can find on internet is femoral nerve stuff but that is at front of thigh and is L3/L4 I think and that's not a problem disc for me, and it's not at the front, it's the side/back (right leg).

Fucking hell I am no good at summaries am I?

Definitely sounds nervy, pavlov - no idea which one. Did you ever actually see your last MRI images, BTW, the one the consultant sent the mega-unhelpful letter about? Do you know, other than through him telling you, that no prolapse was showing at that time?

It just sounds so much as if you still have a prolapse, either the same disc or a different one. I know Mr Arrogant acknowledges that it could have re-prolapsed since the last MRI, & is sending you for another one, but just wondering how definite you are that it wasn't showing before.

Sounds like you need an early night tonight after all that, anyway!

Your day sounds lovely, TaDaah, hope the soreness wears off quickly.

loon he told me that the MRI definitely showed no prolapse and 'I have checked with radiographer' to recheck it or something. Which in itself makes me think he has not looked at it but just glanced at the report. I didn't really understand what he meant by that, but didn't get that I didn't understand until after when I was like 'what did he mean by checking with radiographer?' I think he spun me a line to get me out of there tbh.

So, no I didn't see the MRI results, not the scan or the report. He had the x-ray results on the screen only which showed the slightly movement of the vertebrae, but that x-ray was from June 2013 and I had no idea what was being shown. He wasn't actually showing me, it was just there and i looked at it. I mean, honestly, it might not even have been mine!

But, he was insistent that 'the prolapse that was there before is no longer there'. He didn't want to enter into any discussion about the state of the disc further than that statement about conversation with radiographer. Maybe losty can shed some light - my understanding losty from pain clinic guy was that neuro don't always rely on the radiographer report, but will look at the scan themselves and read the report in conjunction with the scan (he also said most neuro just the report in the bin and check the scan themselves). Would they then come back to a radiographer for a discussion of the MRI?

I am going to see my GP tomorrow. I know he has the report, but not the scan itself.

I am going to be asking for my notes from hospital tomorrow, formally. I will be specific about getting my scan pictures in that.

I know for certain that it's something with the spine/disc/vertebrae as the pain is deep within, with out without the nerve pain, the other pain is so deep inside and very local as the point all the pain emanates from. Although the symptoms feel different to the trapped nerve that I had surgery for - that was very much a feeling that my whole leg might fall off due to the pain and numbness within the entire leg at one point. I am still getting the other symptoms that bother me, but I think I agree with the GP that it is all linked somehow to my back.

Regardless of the surgeon's view, I know this is not 'non-specific' as I have spent 2.5 years closely analysing my pain and I know it (but not this new numbness, not yet, I will know it soon!) And it's not muscle pain.

So yes, I think it's the disc. A disc (maybe it's even a different one, who knows).

Yes, it really does sound as if he was fobbing you off. Good idea to read the report from the GP, just to be 100% sure it doesn't mention prolapse. And to see if it mentions scarring. No idea if scarring affecting a nerve root would cause that kind of numbness, but I guess anything can if it's pressing on the nerve.

Pavlova post at 20.25 sums my symptoms up pretty much. The deep pain in the legs emanating from the lower back and the strange numbness along with an almost restless leg syndrome. My left foot is so numb now that when DD accidentally stepped on it the other day I felt no pain just a strange heaviness.
I have been taking what the GP prescribed which is Naproxen and Co-dydramol. Neither are helping.
It helps to know that others are in the same boat ( sorry if that sounds mean).

Sorry Pavlov not Pavlova.

I have a similar shin thing. Can't sleep with leg under the duvet. Weird sensitivitity thing. Also other leg has a patch of scald like pain over the thigh. Dermatomes?

All part of the weird, fucked up nerve damage. Sorry.

pavlov, oh so definitely request your notes and scans. Your surgeon had written you off. Have the injections if you can then seek another opinion.

Bed for me. Nighty night.xx

dripty, have you had any investigations? You need an MRI. Now.

Have just benn palmed off with rubbish drugs.
TBH the stuff my mum gives me is better ( her prescription painkillers).
But this has been dragging on for months. Have had blood tests but not had any feedback from GP so assume they are fine.
Have sworn to take up yoga when this pain finally goes in order to strengthen back.

dripty can you lift your foot?

hiya, have been reading today but busy looking after the kids (dh filming) and then working on a home assignment from the course. I noticed you are also studying Psychology mamcar.
Really enjoyed conference, paying badly for it yesterday eve and today, went to today am lectures on it too. have done a number on myself by taking the 2 kids walking down to peckham and shopping but we needed both types of nappies and wipes- already there is a bit to carry there. but i went to get dd some shoes too which could have waited. went into macd's to avoid food shopping as well but it didnt turn out as well as i had expected, not so much sitting relaxed while eating as running after each one, picking dd up repeatedly to sit her on the chair etc- you get the jist.
now i am not too bad, bit achey, will probably sleep but earlier omn tonight it was quite severe and just had to keep going because when dh films it is all day and night too. He is currently watching the rushes i think- i don't know because he selectively avoided answering THAT part of my text. He will roll in at 5am and expect me to get up early with the kids because he hasnt slept at all. can you tell i'm slightly fed up about it? it will be like this for days because staying up all night will put his already quite shitbody clock out of whack.
I feel like he is not supporting me enough- says sympatheic things but then treats me like i am normal/how i used to be- he just doesnt seem to "get" it. He went shopping with them yesterday, i know you cannot carry much when with both but he could have done some thinking /planning towards when he was going to leave them with me for so long. what did he think I was going to do? I just cant cope with this when he goes for that long and i have to do everything with no set up- he would be miffed at me if i had left him like this and he obvs doesnt have the whole consideration of a chronic pain problem. grrrrrr, sorry for long vent.
have filled up my hottie and hope i can get to sleep, feel sore all over my very low back and sacrum- cricket bat time stylee.
matilda that is such a shiytty way they are treating you! very mad on your behalf. will they listen to the mp? you should NOT have to wait till June, unacceptable!! hope you are all sleeping very soundly and comfortably tonight, xx

yup, as expected, I am up since 6 ish with ds who woke up mid full cry, because dh only has slept "1.5 hrs" so far so he needs to sleep. on the sofa, i had to bully him off it into bed to I have anywhere to sit/lie now i am up. by the time he does get up i will be so awake for the day i cant sleep. really achey this morning, still paying for the weekend. Hiw is everyone feeling? hope you are feeling better today matilda, and *pavlov8 has the slight improvement continued? hpe it will be nice and sunny today, looks like it will be.

No I can't lift my foot. I just sort of drag it around behind me.
Why is it that there seems to be such little practical support from GPs and DHs when back problems are so common?

dripty, because in both cases it's going to cost them something! Money or effort. You so need an MRI I'm minded to come to your GP and stand there until the referral is made. Have you written down all your symptoms and actually requested the MRI? I cannot fathom they could refuse. Although I know some would. also request amytriptiline and or gabapentin for the nerve pain. Oh, and change GP. I'm not joking. Why see someone who literally cannot give a fuck about your welfare. Sometimes it's worth making a fuss other times move on. Depends where you live.

Hello all.
Sadly signing in here. 6 years ago I had a massive back trauma (self inflicted during physical work). Slipped disc at L5/S1 was finally diagnosed last year.

I've been through prolotherapy which didn't help in the long term (doc says because I am hyper mobile) and now I am getting Pilates on the NHS.

But my condition is still painful and sleep is disturbed. I've had to give up my gardening business.

I've got a cupboard full of painkillers but I'm resisting going down that way although I am experimenting with muscle relaxants before sleep.

That sounds like you need further investigation if you cannot lift your leg dripty- I'm afraid I think matilda is right you may be better off with someone else if he is being such an arse! Are thre other GP's at same practice you could see instead- i have to avoid one of the docs at my surgery coz he is an arse of such epic proportions- others on here will agree .
i keep forgetting to say- found out last week that it's spine clinic not pain team i have been referred to, hope that will be as helpful- well he thought maybe more so as they can look into back too.
What did he even give you for the pain?

Hi pear, 5 yrs plus is a long time to get proper diagnosis, poor you. glad they are trying to support you now. I am a big fan of pilates for all our back/hip troubles. Gardening can be very bad for backs. I empathise though- i broke my acl ligament at 14 and had to give up gymnastics immediately, it had been the love of my life. do you find heat as in a hot water bottle helps- several of us find it helps if we are trying to avoid meds

oh just reread your post- they are not really supporting you at all, it does seem to be a bit of a wekness in the system

Hi pav was thinking of you the other day

Oh fuck. Woken to Cricket Bat pain with hammer and nails jogging close behind (behind! Haha, not)

Fed up. Hoping you are all doing well in the glorious spring sunshine.

giraffes ooh, for a nice reason I hope! How are you? not talked to you for a while!

matilda oh no! So, it's gonna be a sunshine and tramadol day for you today? Hope the pain becomes manageable, but knowing that pain, it might not, so take it easy.

oh no matilda it's horrid to wake up to pain and feel like you are starting the day on the back foot, hope it eases a bit with meds and hottie. did you have anything planned today? another lovely sunny day, yesterday was sunny , so nice. I took the kids to a new (to us) playground, met up with a friend. Did push it to my utmost limit but then sat in a cafe straight afetr to recuperate and drink coffee. The friend had a another friend there too so we met up- we all have kids with asd - she has twins! so we were on the same page with managing the cafe visit and it went ok anyway, just needed alot of bribes in the form of food! had a gf almond and choc cale there that was delish, hope everyone get a bit of healing and happy-mood-making sunshine today xx

and how are you today pavlov?

Hi guys I haven't been posting much and this thread has fallen off my active threads, oh no. We have had a few nice days dh is off work. dd is doing some manga drawing.
Pavlov I don't get that numb pain in my thigh but I do find if I sit on a hard chair it hurts and starts my back hurting and pins and needles in my calf or foot. So the back of the thigh must be near the nerve. I guess it is a bad sign if you are getting new pains, but probably connected to same nerve damage.
Btw my mum heard that it is really bad for sciatica to drive a car with a clutch and an automatic is much better. Unfortunately we can't afford to switch cars at the moment(and dh is dead set against an automatic) but mum has changed to an automatic and she says it is better.