sudden excruciating backache... advice please

[pollywollydoodle]

Dh has developed excruciating backache over the last 24 hours...hurts if he moves at all.
Have spoken to OOH GP who says paracetomol and brufen which we are doing.
anything else we can do? a hot water bottle doesn't seem to be helping, will putting something cold on help?

Have you got a tens machine or anything?

The only reason why i suggest it, is that my back will go into spasm for no reason and I find them fantastic. You have to keep up with the treatment for a few days tho and every 2-3 hours, but it should help a little.

I got mine from Lloyds chemist, i think they are around £15 or something.

Other than that lots of rest, but make sure he tries to move a little, if his back siezes it will be 10 times worse when the muscles get tight. And keep the back warm. It wont help the pain, but will help the muscles relax slightly.

Also if he can stand it, and you have one, run warm water through a shower head, directed on the bit that hurts the most.

I assume its a spasm and nothing more serious?

hope he feels better soon

thanks dillie...gp says no symptoms indicating anything more serious...when i went up this time he was able to move a bit with fewer spasms so presumably it's improving.Hadn't thought about a TENS machine,everywhere shut but i will ask around the mums i know....good idea!

are you sure it is back ache and not possible kidney stones/ infection or possibly constipation...for it to be sudden without any injury it could be something like that.

I got sudden spasms in my lower back to the point of not being able to move or stnad up striaght and it was kidney stones....

If the pain relief doesnt help i would get a second opinion

thanks stoppinattwo, it's in the sacral area where he's had pain on and off for about 20 years, just never this severe. luckily it does seem to be slowly improving. thanks for posting.

It sounds just like my crappy back. My L1/S5 disc prolapses regularly. I use a TENS machine.

managed to borrow one. the whole package of heat, rest, excercise when you can, paracetomol and brufen seem to be gradually working.....or maybe it was the chocolate and lebkuchen...anyway he managed to come down for lunch, dinner and a bit of tv...thanks for taking time to post

im a first timer in a chat room so i dont kno all the jargon yet..Howeva, my g.p diagnosed me wiv siatica. 6 months later they realised my pain was worth checkin and found my hip completely knackerred wiv infection it had to be removed i was 38 then. o my advice is ,if it hurts BAD then demand tests.. Good luck.

I pulled a muscle in my back and my back then went into spasm. I couldn't move. I had diazepam from the OOH doc and ibuprofen. Over the space of 36 hours, it gradually eased. Have to be cautious now ;-)

Hope your DH is feeling better. Would be worth a trip to GP next week.

IMO, just watch out for pneumonia here OP...if pain is in the thoracic area or above, keep an eye on it and if it gets continually worse go to GP immediately.

(Not just a problem for elderly/vulnerable)

thank you all. dh spoke to his own gp today and has been given diclofenac, cocodymol and a short burst of diazepam. general trend is still improving (enough to be looking around and finding me jobs to do )