Lower back pain

[Happymumoftwo21]

Hi all, so long story short I work in a pre school and hurt my back 5 weeks ago today!
I woke up the day after and couldn’t really stand straight it was so painful.
I booked in with a physio who believes it to be muscular. I’ve seen her twice and have an appointment next week for a follow up.
what I want to know is will it ever get better?? It’s getting me down as I feel like I have a really good week and feels like it’s almost gone then bam it’s aching again, my physio did say it can be up and down with recovery is this normal? If I google all I can find is that it should improve within 2 weeks and if not see your GP! I spoke to my GP the week after it happened and just said painkillers that’s all.
I mean I’m not lifting anything at all trying to let it heal, yesterday I lifted the washing basket with the help of my DD that’s all I can think of that could have set me back!

Yes it will get better, picking up the basket may have done it, or may not. Just try to be very careful, you may always have a weakness there from now on. I'm afraid 2 weeks is optimistic.
Core strengthening exercises, once you are well enough, will protect your back. Pilates is brilliant for this.

Hi thank you for your reply. I thought 2 weeks wasn’t enough. I just feel like it’s lasting forever now and want to feel me again. I will take it easy.

Have they given you exercises? You need to be stretching it everyday. When it's feeling better I would try to do Pilates once or twice a week

Hi yes i have exercises to do each day from the physio

I’ve got similar and my physio said 3 -12 weeks with 3 being optimistic. The one thing that really helps me is a hot water bottle on the sore area plus trying to keep up with the exercises and just being very gentle on it.

IME GP's just seem to manage the pain with drugs, Osteopaths are more helpful and insightful with that ha gone wrong, but have never managed to 'cure me' and I m sorry to say that when mine first went into spasm (it is horrifically painful and I can't stand upright-I have to crawl), it took about a year to settle, if not longer, and 11 years later I still have a weak back but I can manage the pain and it no longer frightens me. Pilates and stretching is the best relief away from medication. I need diazepam for the initial spasm, along with codeine or Tramadol and Naproxen for the pain. I'm now down to needing it now and again throughout the year. At its worst, I can't life a pan. Sorry you are dealing with this. It's miserable.

It will calm down if you do your Physio, if it doesn't you might need muscle relaxants from doctor.
Once it's better you must start Pilates and or yoga x

Don't take it easy walk every day

Thank you all for your replies, I seem to be having good days and bad. Better at the weekends when I’m not at work, then more aches during the week. I’m doing the stretches and exercise I’ve been given so hopefully it will heal soon

Hi all thought I would pop back on. So it’s been 7 and a half weeks now since I first injured my back and last week I thought ‘this is it, it’s gone, I feel back to being me’ I was lifting some things (not heavy albeit) not having to sit at work, not having to wear the back support at all. Then boom! This morning it’s aching again!!! The only thing I did yesterday was to help my husband lift a wooden pallet into his car! Really is that all it’s going to take to set me right back! I’m finding this such a struggle now and feel like this is me now and it’s not going to go away 😞

I think you'll need to be really careful for quite a while (maybe a year) because the weaknesses are all still there. With me it's gardening that has been my downfall because I'll stretch or turn or bend without thinking. From now on always think of how to support your back through any lifting or twisting movement.
Don't go back to lifting pallets (that's bending AND lifting in the same movement, so a real no-no) until you've got months of Pilates or similar under your belt. You have to build up the strength in your core before you can do that stuff. Have you seen a physio yet?
Please don't panic you can do something about this but it will need patience and commitment.

@Happymumoftwo21 how is it now? Any improvement?

I'm experiencing something similar and am stuck in the 'this will never get better' mindset, which is a tough place to be.