slipped disk - severe pain - how to deal with it tonight

[IDidntChoseThePondLife]

Hi there, hope you can help! DH is in excruciating pain. He has twinged his lower back and is getting awful pains in his leg. He has spoken to health person online (private health person - like 111 I think) and they have recommended physio. I have found a physio with an appt tomorrow but I don't know what to do to help him tonight.
He has had maximum dose of paracetamol and ibuprofen and a hot water bottle, but nothing seems to be helping. Can you suggest anything?

Ice pack (or bag of frozen peas In a tea towel) rather than a hot water bottle. I briefly worked as a temporary receptionist for a chiropractor and that is the one thing I learnt! Hope he feels better soon.

He needs to keep moving. I’ve slipped a disk in my lower back 3 times now. Twice I ended up in A&E because I couldn’t get off the floor and once an out of hours gp came to me. He needs stronger pain killers, i was given codeine I think but there literally not much more they can do.
It’s excruciating but honestly lying in bed is the worst thing he could do. Look on line for simple exercises and stretches, don’t let him push himself to far and if he can manage it get him walking a bit. He won’t be able to do any of that on paracetamol though, if you have an all night pharmacy I would go out and get the strongest pain killers you can get your hands on over the counter and maybe some sleeping pills he can take with them. Like pp said hot and cold works well.
I hope he gets seen soon, the pain is awful.

It needs ice-ing rather than heating.
Try to get hold of some Co-codamol.

A chiropractor could probably knock it back in quite easily.

I have degenerative disc disease and have had a spinal fusion.

I'd pay the Chiropractor rather than physio.

I'd second the advice for seeing an osteopath or chiropractor rather than physio. GP will also be able to prescribe naproxen (pain relief and anti inflammatory) and something to help relax the muscles and aid sleep. You can also get analgesic gel which provides relief at the site of the pain.

When I did this I didn't see the gp for about a week thinking that the osteo treatment would work in time. Big mistake, the drugs helped enormously!

Ice was the only thing that ever worked for mine untill I finally ended up getting nerve blocking injections anyway . Disc And accompanying nerve pain Is awful it really is , i would recommend trying to move about when he can though

I recommend a couple of pillows under the knees to bring them up, then it is easier to move & change position. It's less strain on the back too. Lots of gentle exercises will help keep him mobile - have a look on google.

I send him my every bloody last sympathy - I've done god knows what to my back lately and it's just hell on earth. My tips, for what they're worth.

A TENS machine. A half decent one. Life saver

Get two large bags of frozen peas and rotate them. So have one in the freezer whilst one is on his back and just chop and change them. You'll end up binning them probably so buy the value ones!

Alternate with heat

Heat pads / sprays / tiger balm

Pillow under knees, pillow between knees when on side

Try and get some strong painkillers

Move. You have to walk. I've done 13k steps today. You have to move

Again - I send some solidarity here

Thanks everyone, I can hear him snoring upstairs so at least he's not in pain now. The way that his insurance works it that you have to go to physio first, and they can refer to a consultant if necessary. Insurance will also pay for osteopath/chiropractor and that would be my preference. DH is seeing a physio I have seen before and she is very hands on and physical, so I hope she will do something constructive tomorrow.
The way he is reminds me of when I was in labour - pacing, crouching, leaning on a chair, just trying anything to get comfortable. It's horrible for him.

And it's definitely ice on this acute phase - then go onto heat

THANKS EVERYONE!

I'll go and knock the bags of peas about a bit in preparation for when he wakes up.

Hope you feel better Kipper.
I'll pass on your good thoughts and solidarity.

Do. Keep us posted on how he gets on. It's potentially muscular even though it'll feel like a disc - unless you know for sure it's that of course and he's having a flare up

Good physio is in my opinion better than chiro or osteo. I have had two prolapsed disc and severe sciatica (pain down leg). I have had all the strong painkillers prescribed etc...

What works best for me is a TENS machine. You can get reasonable one at Boots. Agree about ice but be careful. I managed to give myself second degree burns with an ice pack.

Pilates and some stretching are good. Check out pigeon pose and Alexander technique.

Sciatica is THE most dreadful intense pain and I have given birth twice without pain relief.

The orthopedic surgeon I saw also said physio was better for slipped disc. He thought osteo/chiro was good for more minor ailments

I think he got some sleep, but is in a bad way today. As soon as pharmacy opens I'll go in and stock up.
Frozen peas didn't seem to do anything sadly.
He usually so stoic, it's horrible to see him in so much pain.

I'd suggest speaking with his GP ASAP as he will need some strong pain meds. This will Enable him to be able to move about and that's crucial.

This acute phase is the worst.

I'm die to see a physio tomorrow for mine , I've done the chiropractor thing a few times and I'm not at all convinced it does anything for me - people do say for this thar it's physio therapy that's better

Look into the Tens machine too. Mine was 59.99 in Boots and definitely helps

Great suggestion Kipper have arranged a phone appointment for him this morning so should get the drugs in time for physio.

The only thing that helps DH is Diazepam for 3-4 days until it eases.

Thanks to kippers genius suggestion DH has a phone consultation with the doc at 11.30. The physio during the triage call, echoed your suggestion IncludeWomenInTheSequel for Diazepam, so he can pass that on to the doctor.
Physio seems to think that it might be nerve problem as it goes from the small of his back, through his buttock on down the outside of his thigh, so my thought it was a slipped disk was probably incorrect.
Thanks to all of you for your help on this, I feel like we have all our duck in a row to get it sorted.
THANK YOU!

Great update! Keep us posted. I'm so bored of mine right now - did 'something' after sitting on a plane a couple of weeks ago and it's still not right so I have physio tomorrow and I'm just trying to keep mobile

I have had diazepam before for a couple of days when it went a couple of years ago but would the dr prescribe it this time? Err no. Made me feel like a drug addict I totally understand though. It does initially really help as gets you able to move pain free

I have similar to your DH. Pain radiates down my thigh a bit and my back is tight but worst is the tentative stupid protective moving you do.

DO you think that yoga or pilates might be good KipperSlippers? I feel that DH needs to get everything working properly when this is sorted out, if not it's only a matter of time until it happens again.

Before lockdown DH used to go swimming a few times a week which really helped his back, but of course can't go now. I'm really hoping the physio can give him exercises/stretches that he'll be able to do going forward.

I've done Pilates - even 1 to 1 at quite a considerable cost. And because I felt bored doing it and didn't feel like it did an awful lot, I stopped going ages ago. Of course I now regret that - but I think it's human nature to be ' can't be arsed' when something is all dandy and then think ' WHY DID I STOP!!' when it flares up!

I would like to be given some exercises too tomorrow: and this time - I'll do them

KipperSlippers that's just human nature isn't it.
Wouldn't it be great if we could all have yearly physical exams so stuff like this could be picked up before it all went wrong.
I have terrible posture and feel that it will all come back to bite me one day!

A tight piriformis can also trigger sciatica. The pigeon pose stretch is very good at loosing the piriformis.

TENs for me is way better than pain meds but everyone is different and responds differently to different therapeutic approaches. Good luck

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He's had gone to bed with his new drugs - Diazepam and Tramadol - coursing through his veins and feeling much better. The physio thinks it might be a slipped disk, but he has another sesh on Thursday, and then 10 weeks of treatment. The doctor also said she would recommend him to a consultant if necessary, so thanks to all of your suggestions we are in the system!
I can't thank you enough for all of your support.
Thanks!