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
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2049637-Back-Again-Back-Pain-Support-Thread?msgid=47419209#47419209
And some other useful links and info:
www.patient.co.uk/health/cauda-equina-syndrome-leaflet
We have done the hard work for you and learned about effective drug combining. Using NSAIDs, a stomach protector, paracetamol with or without codeine (it enhances the codeine), nerve pain meds such as gabapentin and/or amytriptiline can all be more effective than simply taking huge doses of opiates. Of course most people won't need all of this but for severe prolonged back injuries this is helpful to know.
Heat, gentle exercise, TENs, medication patches, diazepam and accupuncture, we've tried them all.
So if you are suffering come and join us, were a social lot.
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General health
Back to Back Trouble. The Back Pain Support Thread.
Matildathecat · 02/06/2014 18:08
Pavlov 
one hour at a time it's all you can do. massive hugs. Try not to over think. Your comment earlier about "just a statistic"really made me
. It's unfortunately accurate.
denial for the last week, I have not even been able to get up and get the kids dressed, DH is doing most of it and he is snappy as DS is a pain getting dressed and is trying to do most of it. I have barely been able to get myself dressed. This morning I could not shower as I could not get into it (over bath shower), while DH took DS to school. I couldn't wash my hair really either bent over the sink, but had to as it looked awful, and got into ok position, but then couldn't get up for a few minutes as muscles spasmed.
You are right about doing no more than an hour. But we are descending into chaos. not chaos a cleaner could sort out either, but organisational chaos, we are just drowning in things and I am getting cross with the children not helping. But they are just little uns and I am expecting too much of them.
You are civil servant aren't you? Apparently we are 'sort of' civil servants, i.e. all the crap but no perks. Although, are there even perks these days? I have just been sent the civil service code of conduct or whatever it's called, to read through. Our HR is in Liverpool, our finance is in Newport. We have no petty cash facility, and we cannot book taxis on account to visit clients any more as there is no facility to do this via the finance 'self service' booking system for hire cars and hotels 
I think were a little bit spoilt before, being treated like actual proper people. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife and it has brought out the truly ugly side of some people, although no surprises for who those ones are in my eyes, but still, really unpleasant to witness. How on earth do you manage your work? And the children? Without just wanting to give up and cry in bed and not get up? I don't always feel like this, but I do right now.
I want them to get the best of me too, my babies. They have not had that for a week, they have had grumpy, ranty, harpie mummy. I don't want that to be their memory of me
What if the only way they get the best of me is for me to not work? Work get the best of me. They take all of the best of me.
sleep and links to degenerative health conditions. Interesting, talks a little about potential links with inflammation etc, which fits with us all who struggle to manage inflammation and who also struggle to maintain regular well rested sleep over substantial periods of time.
I certainly think I need to sort my sleep patterns out a bit better. But, probably need to start with sorting my DSs sleep patterns out better 
he is much much better than he was, but still wakes me at 4am or so 3 or more out of 7 nights, sometimes so I can tuck him back in, sometimes he gets in with us.
'only' 30 hours!!! that's almost full time! I work 25 hours. DD is usually fab sleeping through. Just mondays when daddy is out 
and you know I said my target is not being grumpy mum,I didn't say I was achieving it
I think perhaps she is playing you but hey enjoy the company
denial I will go and read the sickness policy as ours will be civil service type, are they different for each department/type of workplace or is there a catchall one? Our last one was a Trust policy and those policies are no longer applicable. We were told that if we are off sick our line manager gets sent a sickness 'pack' with forms etc to fill in and info on what to do, and they get allocated a 'case worker' but, not sure if that 'case worker' is for long term sick. I guess, my worry is that the line managers may be so scared of getting it wrong they will tow the line to the exact letter and not be prepared to be flexible within it, my manager before the one who has just gone, as well as my HR manager was like that too, telling me to stop being so negative about losing my job, that it was a natural to worry but it was not even being entertained, but that was then. Good to hear that the 'now' might not be so problematic. But probably worth checking out the union rep situation as I always used them to make my potential fight to the bitter end clear
I am also lucky, like you, I work flexi hours. I work 5 hours a day generally, but actually it's 25 hours and week and so I can jiggle those about a bit, work less one day, more another, come in later or earlier and leave later or earlier, as I manage my own caseload/appointments. No working from home though what do you do? or would it give you away if you said?
Oh she definitely is playing me as only ever mondays 'i can't sleeeeep !' but, one day she won't do this, so I will go with it. She got in, but all humpy as I was a little cross and I said 'you better give me a big cuddle if you are staying' and she quickly squidged across into me she is now fast asleep. She doesn't normally sleep well with us, so it's actually quite nice.
Reading and feeling sad for all of us struggling. How are you denial? I know you've had a bad patch. pavlov, I wish there was some solution to it all. It sounds as if you are actually not fit for work and need time off but what to do? If push came to shove would you actually be retired or fired? Even though it was devastating to lose my job there was a sense of relief that I wasn't worrying about it any more. Though I have managed to replace it with a boatload of other worries .
Can you think of some fun stuff with the kids that don't require you to move? They usually don't care that much what it is as long as you are all happy together. Or was that just in Enid Blyton 
.
Anyway, get some sleep. Shame it's a bit hot for a hottie, I need one though not the hot flush that overheating produces!xx
We were never really local government or central government, we were sort of something else, 'contracted by the government to do work that was government work', separate but still bound by the requirements of government workers in terms of accountability etc. Employed by the treasury, of all people, until they created the Ministry of Justice, (you would think the home office but no!) and paid by the local government, who did not employ us just were given payrol responsibilities. It was quite complicated really
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denial yes, I am sorry, I have not asked you how you are 
I am so rude, caught up in my own shit
matilda I have my very own hottie right next to me, she is snoring gently and is proper toasty! I will be ok tomorrow, just needed to get it all out. I will go get some hot box sleep (in the loft, can't open the window properly as think we are due some rain or hopefully a storm).
Sleep well all, hope tomorrow brings some more positivity for us all. To all those in increased pain, and those with any pain in fact, positive vibes and gentle careful (go away MNHQ you wouldn't dare evict me for 'hun' type behaviour would you?! ) and all those who are having some positive low pain days, fingers crossed it's long lasting.
I'm fine, a bit flary, relatively good week last week and I seem to be paying for it now. I've totally given in just take pain killers as needed and don't drive anywhere unless absolutely necessary then necking drugs the minute I get in the door. sort of in limbo until rheumatologist at end of month. but the horrid pulled ligament sprain or whatever at beginning of month seems complete resolved which is pretty good
tough plan? I don't plan so well. I wing it. My friend is going to struggle getting us to agree if we want a camping pitch or a room in the hotel for her wedding in 18 months time, to decide and pay for it up front not a chance! We don't plan our own holidays that far in advance!
I have wednesday off as annual leave to have child free lunch with DH on his birthday, followed by strawberry picking with the children (birthday tradition for DH, that's when we can start buying strawberries as the official start of the strawberry season) then to some friends' house, they are cooking dinner for us, then DH is out for drinks with the men, so I shall get myself through tomorrow, and see how that goes, then maybe I will feel ok enough to do two days to the end of the week.
I can do short days if I struggle, if the sickness policy has similar disability elements - I know the last policy stated (with some careful reading by my manager) that if I worked over half my normal working hours it's not classed as sick leave for sickness record purposes (something to do with not being able to claim SSP for it) and so I could officially leave an hour or two early as sick. My manager did this to me once when I could not have extended phased return as 3 weeks was not enough following a long period, so she said, ok, if the big boss won't approve it, lets have you back 'full hours', but any day you can't cope with the whole number of hours, you can go early, and I expect that will be most days for a few weeks . She was gooood! I will see if that can apply for the rest of this week so I don't have to make the hours up.
Then it's the weekend, camping. HAHAHA! that's going to be interesting. But, I Am Going.
Are you ok tough? As you can see, I am a proper complainer so you must talk to us through your shit days, as otherwise it's just me
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this link might not work as it seems toooooo looooong! but, what do you all think of this haircut, including colour? (colour is same as mine now anyway so not a big change).
If I can sit for long enough, I am getting my hair done tomorrow, badly in need as my roots are so long as I can't hide them with my trusty batiste dark hair dry shampoo any more , already put it off, so got to get it done as I look terrible atm. that will make me feel better.
tough don't feel inadequate because some of us me posts a lot! just post what you feel like at the time, you really don't need to remember everything or respond to particular posts, just show us your internet shopping wish list or share some virtual cake! and tell us how you are too so when it's all shit we can hand hold, as you have done for me many times over the last couple of years.
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