Back Pain Advice

[Pinchaperfect]

I'll start off by saying I am actually seeing a physio tomorrow, it'd just be nice to hear some real life opinions on here.

Basically, I have, for the last ten days, had lower back pain, right hand side, just above my buttock. Gnawing type of pain in two areas, can't quite describe exactly where. Obviously, I have other areas that are aching a bit now wich is where i've started walking funny to compensate etc, and I can cope with that, what I'm not coping with, is, the pain is getting worse, and when I'm walking it's a struggle to lift my right leg up, even though I'm trying to make a effort to walk properly - I'm limping.

I don't recall doing anything to myself to call this, I've been taking paracetmol and Ibruprofen and gel, hot water bottle, warm baths, trying not to sit or stand for to long etc etc. Also I usually do yoga every day and have done for like 5 years, so I know what sort of stretches to do and have been doing them every other day very gently, just the last few I havent as cant get into the position.

I have stage four breast cancer with mets to liver/chest wall and skin, so I don't know what sort of help to get for this if any.

Thanks for any help.

@Pinchaperfect I'm sorry to hear you are going through this. I have no directly relevant experience and am not a medic, but didn't want to leave you unanswered. Backs can be temperamental things, and sometimes just sleeping 'wrong' can upset them.

I think the physio is a good plan, but as someone living with cancer, they may be reluctant to do too much until you've had clearance from your oncologist. For this reason, and to rule out any involvement of other mets, I would seek their advice. In the meantime, your GP may be able to help with better pain relief and/or muscle relaxants to help you cope with the pain and reduce the associated muscle spasms. You never know, that might be all that's needed.

I wish you all the very best and hope you are pain-free and back to yoga very soon.

@doingmyutmost Thank you for your reply. It would be nice if muscle relaxants were all that were needed lol, I have told the physio about my situation , so hopefully they'll be able to do something, or if not at least advise something suitable for me.

I've been toying with the idea of letting me oncology nurse know the last few days, incase its related, I'll get on to her later when I can talk.

@Pinchaperfect you might be pleasantly surprised - I put my back out once - woke up one morning unable to get upright without crying in pain. A few days of muscle relaxants from the GP worked like absolute magic, almost from day 1. I'll keep my fingers crossed it's the same for you!

I'm really sorry to hear you're stage 4 bc. I am too and found out I was Stage 4 when my lumbar spine collapsed because the cancer was in my vertebrae. I had very similar symptoms to you initially and dismissed it as just a muscle strain.

Please contact your oncologist asap and request an urgent CT scan. There are targeted medications that can help bone mets if that's what it is. It is common for bc to metastasise to the spine.

Feel free to DM me if you wish xx

@doingmyutmost hopefully thatll be the case for me.

@SewingBees I too am sorry you are going through this also, and, wow, that sounds horrendous for you. I hope any treatment you're on is, working successfully for you.

I phoned them today but they didnt ring back til 6, so nothing with be done until monday I reckon, maybe a call tomorrow, theyre usually quite good at communicating. I do have a scan 23rd anyway, so I don't know if they'd be able to move it much further forward...who knows.