Agonising back pain

[SmileyClare]

Any advice?
Ive had niggling lower back pain for several weeks- carried on with life/ work as recommended on the NHS website. I have a very physical job (self employed cleaner).

However at the weekend I tried to get up, felt like my back gave way (?) and couldn’t- the worst pain ever- lower back all down my leg- just horrific.

Im now on Naproxen, pregablin and coccodamol but can barely stand or walk without feeling sick with pain.

please can anyone advise? Is there an ongoing back pain thread on here?
I really need to return to work soon as I’m self employed. And get on with everything at home- two teenagers here.

Just feeling so desperate.

Ah so sorry @Oblomov23 its awful you’re not much further forward than 5 weeks ago 😩
Did the osteopath you saw have an idea what injury you have?

Ive been suffering with my back for three weeks now so feel your frustration. It’s so difficult when you don’t know what’s actually wrong- an added layer of worry on top of the pain.

Can you wait 2 weeks for your ultrasound? Have they said what they might be looking for?
If you can spare the money for an MRI then it might at least give you some answers?

Id love to know whether I have a herniated disc or something else. The price of an MRI is preventing me going privately.
Perhaps we could squeeze in the scanner together ? 😂

Chin up and rest if you need to

I didn't myself find there was anything particularly helpful in it, having listened, but in case anyone gets anything helpful from it, Inside Health on BBC radio 4 had a recent episode on back pain, you can find it on Sounds.

@SmileyClare how are you doing?

Ah thanks for asking!

Im much more mobile now although still on painkillers. The nerve “blocking” pills (pregabalin) have kicked in and are very effective at numbing the awful sciatica.

The numb foot is still numb, I think nerve damage which may take some time to get better.

Im going to do small 1 hour clean for a customer on Monday wearing my back support belt- possibly foolish but really need to start earning and keeping my business going.

Enough of me @justasking111 how are you getting on? I hope you’re seeing some improvement and keeping positive?

Id be interested in how everyone who kindly contributed here is doing, it helped me so much 🙂

Is the back support helping?

I have managed today without painkillers or tens machine. It’s not pain free, but I have been pain free while walking at various points today.

Range of movement is still shite as is ability to pick things up off the floor and get back up or sitting down for a bit. But it is getting better.

Glad to hear it @RafaistheKingofClay , it’s frustrating how slow these things take to mend.
I’ve been using my faithful TENS machine loads, thanks for that tip- and still best friends with a hot water in the evening!

Id recommended a good back support. It definitely keeps me in a good position and stops me bending or twisting awkwardly. And keeps my back warm which helps.
Maybe part psychological too because I’m terrified of this happening again once I start back to work !

We're all creaking forward. Osteopath again today. Worked his magic. He hasn't changed my exercises but says he wants me to go back to GP and ask for a scan. Says he and the GP need a clearer picture of the extent of my hip problem. The exercises will help. He didn't say it outright but it's looking possible I will need hip replacement surgery. Darn it

Oh I hope you’re not waiting too long for a scan @justasking111 perhaps your osteopath recommendation will speed things along? There are some cutting edge techniques these days for hip replacement surgery. I appreciate that option must feel daunting with recovery time x

We’re all creaking forward quite 😂

I've had X-ray 2 weeks ago, and scan today. He saw nothing. Said I have to be referred to MSK? Where I will see doctor, physio and others on a team. I got to work and had a cry because I'm so fed up. Because 7 weeks after my fall no one knows what's wrong and I have no direction, no objective, no plan that this is ever going to get better.

Really sorry @Oblomov23 I have every sympathy, back issues are just awful, the NHS is so limited in what they’ll offer too.
MSK will be beneficial for you in terms of more targeted treatment. Do you know how long the waiting list is for that? In my area the wait times are ridiculous.

Ive more or less returned to cleaning now. My backs far from better just struggling on wearing a back support and taking tablets! Really fed up with the sciatica- I have terrible weakness in my left leg and numb foot, can’t really walk properly.

My cleaning is much slower but my customers are being very understanding
Utterly exhausted with it all.

Trying to remember I will get better eventually and you will too @Oblomov23 x

Three visits to osteopath now. So much better mostly. Today wasn't great after yesterday's appointment so took two painkillers still in pain so went to bed lay on stomach and fell asleep . Woke up pain gone. I asked for more exercises yesterday so I'm to use DS kettle bell when doing squats.

At least your clients are being understanding. I’m beginning to wish I hadn’t bothered to go back to work.

Turns out that if you go back so you can do the things you can do people just take the piss. It’s all very well making me do the mOst physical job in the department but offering to lift the heavy stuff if I ask but it’s not just the lifting that’s the issue is it. I don’t think they’ve quite appreciated how much of a problem just moving is.

Back pain has a rep as the sort of thing people complain about as an excuse unfortunately. It means it can be hard to get people to take it seriously.

I had a slightly humourous experience when I went back to work - I spoke to my manager and suggested it would be helpful for me to have a sit -stand desk so I could change position. He thought that was a good idea but couldn't sign off on it so suggested I talked to Occupational Health. Occupational Health person thought it was a good idea but couldn't sign off on it and suggested I talked to a more senior member of their team. I did that. Senior Occupational Health person thought it was a good idea but couldn't sign off on it and suggested I talk to Facilities. Thankfully Facilities not only thought it was a good idea but could actually arrange for me to get one! This process took about three months. By the time I got the desk, my back was well on the mend.

Awaiting GP phone call. Apparently MSK haven't received my referral and there's a 12 week wait anyway. I haven't even been seen by anyone. I can't wait 3 more months, it's been 2 months already.

That's awful @Oblomov23 hope GP can help

I'm in a bit of a quandary. Osteo has been helpful. But now I've got cold feet not constant but when I get it only sitting down it's like I'm standing on a block of ice. Thinking back this started last summer, then went away. I've also had for a few years the odd bruises on calf in exactly the same place.

The cramps in my feet also are annoying. I've no idea what is happening. But after 22 chiropractor sessions and 5 osteopath sessions. I suspect that I need a scan

I'm no further forward. MSK have now received my referral. May still be 12 week wait to be seen, before they then decide if I need an mri.
I fell over 8 weeks ago. So waiting 3 months more has made me frustrated.

I burst into tears yesterday. I'm so fed up. I'm in a bad way, and 2 months after it happened I'm not getting any better, no one even knows what's wrong with me.

I'm being failed here. I know not what to do next. I just keep crying.

I've never had anything like this I've never had anything so ..... crushing. years ago I fell from the top of the stairs and bruised my coccyx but within 4 to 5 weeks I was fine fully recovered.

I've had 2 x C-sections but the pain was minor and I was up and about looking after my babies. I've never had anything like this where I have no prognosis, no diagnosis, no one knows what's wrong, no projection, no idea if and when it's ever going to get any better and this is so destroying me. and I'm finding this very disheartening and I'm actually in quite a state.

Don’t rush things. My major episode of sciatica was 3 yrs ago this week. Right in the middle of the first lock down. No chance of any investigations unless I was showing signs of CE.
I would like to say I’m pain free, I am with regard to sciatica but due to meds for breast cancer I have a new set of problems. I’m confident that without the meds my back would be great.
The neuropathy has taken a long time to recover. I have episodes of parasthesia in my feet which can be very painful but they last about a week or so and are followed by the return of more feeling. The last episode was incredibly painful at night and I was exhausted from sleep deprivation.
As for cleaning, I have to kneel down to clean the bath, it’s the one thing that triggers the sciatica. If you have been given exercises to do make sure you do them every morning. Walking helps, it’s agony but longterm it helps.

I'm doing my exercises faithfully every morning. They're helping. Yesterday was a good day. This morning I was hobbling again with a gammy leg. Had eight for lunch so painkillers and struggled on. There's no rhyme nor reason to it at all. I'm pain free just now. But could be in pain again tomorrow morning. I do sleep on my stomach which I read isn't great if you have back problems

Owwwwww. Putting together flat pack furniture was a mistake. Thought I would be ok because it was getting better. Now off work again and mostly lying down because standing up hurts too much.

@RafaistheKingofClay that's depressing for you 😒

I've been improving but turned in bed this morning and back went into a spasm. Crab walked to bathroom grabbed painkillers and laid out flat on the bed. It eased off by lunchtime so the exercises must be helping. Osteopath again tomorrow. There's one exercise that still really hurts because my right leg is so weak. Will ask about that.

Keep safe all

Hi all , nice to read everyone’s updates although they’re good and bad. @Oblomov23 so sorry you’re no further forward with a diagnosis. Can you afford a private MRI?
The NHS is so limited in what it offers for “back pain”- namely pain meds, and sticking you on a waiting list for some very basic physio.

@RafaistheKingofClayoh no awful news! I hope you’ve just gone into a muscle spasm rather than a disc issue? Huge sympathies

My back appears to be holding up although have a very weak left leg, numb foot etc.

I’ve Had a horrible allergic reaction to the drugs I’ve been taking for the last week- terrible aversion to light and intensely itchy skin. It’s been miserable 😩 have stopped all pain relief and now on antihistamines and steroid cream !

MY right leg is weak, pins and needles, cramps, cold foot. Osteopath has given me some exercises which have helped but the leg is stil pretty useless. It's very frustrating. BUT I try to think that it's been weakening for ages, other leg picking up the slack. I've also been using my arms a lot to stand, lean on.

E-mailed surgery again this morning emphasising that osteo is concerned about this believing an impinged L5 . Let's see what happens. I've asked for a scan

Had an email response from the surgery.