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.

Thanks Rafa. Thats at least nice. Which they weren't, to me.

I am so sorry to read this. I can't remember if you have seen anyone privately, but I wonder if an osteopath could suggest anything to support your back? Have you had any advice from the Osteoporosis Society about managing fractures?
I have had a number of osteopathic fractures myself and the pain is awful.

Sorry Oblamov, just scrolled back and see that you are seeing osteopath.

Thanks. I have seen everything privately initially because nhs failed me. I've seen physio,chiropractor, 3 osteopaths. NHS finally gave me mri. Then discharged me telling me to take paracetamol.

I'm now under osteoporosis clinic. And a new nhs physio, 4 sessions.

Now you have a diagnosis I would contact the osteoporosis society. I'd be educating myself about it via Google. What meds you need, what painkillers, what exercise. You'll have to educate yourself and your GP

Back Brace was the word I was searching for. I agree that getting advice from the osteoporosis society would be a good idea. Osteoporotic fractures are tricky to manage given that they take a long time to heal and need to be treated gently.

I will phone osteoporosis. Tomorrow. But I kind of disagree with you all.

Osteoporosis clinic is not supposed to deal with pain. They clearly say that they don't on their website. And videos. and my GP says whilst it's good that MSK referred you to osteoporosis they (MSK) haven't actually done their part of the job properly because they haven't dealt with why you are in so much pain,

he feels that whilst the referral to osteoporosis was a good idea MSK SK haven't fulfilled their fundamental duty of sorting out why why I am still in so much pain nine months after a fracture, after I fell in February 23.

and the fact is I've got 4 fractures and I'm in considerable pain nine months later, since I fell. I can't walk for more than 20 metres. I can't hang out a load of washing. I don't think it's ok to leave me like this suggesting I just take paracetamol. I'm already on paracetamol and gabapentin and it's not doing anything for me. How am I supposed to live like this ?

Osteoporosis website video, which I think I have watched all their videos, clearly says they do NOT deal with pain. To go back to your GP. My Gp refers to MSK again. To pain management clinic. But MSK refused the referral. Saying we've finished with that patient. We've suggested a referral to osteoporosis clinic. They are refusing to see me. I go round and round in circles. Getting nowhere.

Plus my GP got me seen by a surgeon from a different hospital. He was the one who said actually you've broken your back in 4 places. I can see four fractures he said in his letter : I recommend an MRI in the spring of 2024, just to check how things are progressing.

So my GP starred that referral. To MSK for a mri. Remember it took me six months to get an MRI in the first place from MSK. and yet MSK have now refused this referral this week.

They have refused a pain management referral and they have refused an MRI request. even though a surgeon from another hospital has actually written to say that this is what he suggests.

This is what I'm fighting against, I'm fighting on every angle and not winning .

My concern is really the management of the fractures. If they are not healing they will be very painful. So what is the best way to encourage healing? Should there be a degree of immobilisation? What sort of movement should you not be doing? Are you getting the right combination of calcium, vitamin d3, bisphosphonates? What exercises are safe to be doing?
For example, I have been warned that changing the bed linen is the worst thing I could do to cause spinal fractures. But I can do some other core strengthening exercises.

I am now on adcal-d3 and alendronic acid. Osteoporosis doctor said take that and have blood tests and dexa scan (which I've now had both) till I see you again in Dec.

MSK discharged me with an osteoporosis referral, but no exercises, no treatment, no suggestions. Nothing at all. they gave me an osteoporosis referral and then washed their hands of me. Take paracetamol they said? What? For ever?

Don't they even want to get to the root cause of why I'm in so much pain and try and suggest a solution for it?

Since then I asked my GP for a physio appointment which I've now had four sessions. She said she could only give me generic general exercises that she would give to everybody else because she had no other information from MSK re-specific exercises to do with me. so now I'm doing 1 more session of water therapy which is great but they're just generic exercises that would've been given to anybody.

How is that any good?

The root cause of your pain is osteoporosis which are causing fractures. I'm wondering if there's a forum, ask the society.

"Bone Health & Osteoporosis Online Support Community - Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation" https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/osteoporosis-online-support-community/

Start here

Ok. Thanks. I'll ring them tomorrow.

I would think that water based exercise to strengthen core muscles (which then stabilise your spine), would be beneficial and won't put pressure on your vertebrae. Weight bearing exercises or twisting on fractured vertebrae doesn't sound like a good plan.
My fractures were ribs, collar bone, shoulder. All immobilised for weeks then very gentle physio. Spines must be much more difficult. (My osteoporosis is worst in my spine, hence my refusal to change the beds).

Thanks for all suggestions. I rang the nurses at the osteoporosis charity. On the phone for an hour and a quarter. She says I'm doing all the right things. To ask consultant, when I see him next in December, if bones are healing. A new mri. To increase me to Romosozumab, which he'll have to apply for funding for.

Weirdly I'm on eye drops that only the consultant can prescribe swerving the GP NHS. So you have to stand your ground sometimes. It's not a dangerous drug but is more expensive

I'm in A&E waiting anxiously for an MRI. I spoke to my surgeon today because I'd written to him asking who is leading on my care now. He asked about my current symptoms and told me to get to A&E without delay. I thought my left leg giving way occasionally and the sciatica pain I'm getting in my right leg was just something to put up with after my surgery last year. Now I'm terrified as I sit reading about Cauda Equina syndrome and wondering why this was missed when I told the dr weeks ago that I was getting these symptoms. Hand hold needed.

Try not to worry friend had cauda, she couldn't get out of bed, couldn't urinate etc. so you're a ways from that. My leg used to give out because it had weakened so much.

Sorry to hear that Flaming Nora. Take care. ❤️

I don't have Cauda thank goodness. A&E were baffled by why my back surgeon said to go there. I think he imagined I would go to the other big hospital in my city but I didn't know the one I went to doesn't have a spinal unit. I do now!

Hi, hope you all had a pain free Christmas. I am looking for a. Handhold as have been experiencing excruciating back pain, which left me in screaming in pain on Thursday night. I've never felt anything like it. I went to the physio on Friday and was unable to lay down without calling out in pain and crying. She couldn't do any exercises with me as I was in too much pain.

I now have an MRI organised and am on painkillers but I'm so scared of what it could be.

This sounds like a supportive thread so just wanted to jump on and be part of the bad back community xx @SmileyClare as you're the OP, I wondered how you are getting on and what has helped you?

Thanks

And @Oblomov23 how are you doing? And anyone else on this thread! I have downloaded the Curable app and have ordered John Sarno's Healing Back Pain book, which I have seen recommended.

What painkillers are you taking mine took a while to work. Did GP explain to you the symptoms of cauda equine and what to do if they appear

No, I've not heard of cauda equine, I'll
Look that up.

I'm on cocodamol (30/500) and natrox- something

Naproxen?