22 weeks and slipped disc

[YoniOneKenobi]

Am in quite a lot of pain - general high level pain in lower back and sharp stabbing pain in ankle. Have been prescribed codeine but not taken any as yet. Would acupuncture/massage be of any use?? Or, any other suggestions to ease pain? Also, how long will it last??

Hi kenobi, I've had a few slipped disks and to be honest the best thing is the strogest painkillers you can take, not much help just now sadly. But a hot water bottle and an ice pack can also help. Alternate or stick with one or the other, whatever feels best. Good luck!

Iv had mine 4 years now, and have arthritis of the spine. Take the codeine if you need it, it's not going to harm baby. It's the anti inflammatries that you can't have (I miss mine do much!)

What does your MW say? Mines been great and will refer me to physio if I need it and I have to see the anesthetist to see if I'm allowed an epidural (if I need it)

I had a back injury at 20 weeks and I hate to tell you but it has got increasingly painful and complicated as my bump has grown. I couldn't hve an X-ray or MRI at the time obviously but several Drs have told me that it was more likely to be a bad back sprain even though it has given me sciatica symptoms in one leg which does suggest slipped disc.

Can I ask how you did it/ how you got it properly diagnosed? My advice would be to get a referral to a specialist obstetric physio ASAP. I had a few really useful sessions with an osteopath while I was waiting for my NHS physio to start and I think that really helped with damage limitation. Unfortunately as my bump has grown my back is being pulled further out of line and now I also get pelvic pain symptoms kind similar to having SPD. Really horrible! I've been pretty much housebound since 30 weeks and dependent on crutches whenever attempting stairs or walking more than a few steps now.

I wish someone had warned me straight after the injury happened that it could progress to this as I would have taken things so much easier.

The frustrating thing, which you've probably already found out, is that no one can really tell what the real damage or long term consequences will be until after the birth. Pretty scary stuff! But on the other hand, once the body's hormones return to normal there will be less relaxin and things should slip back into place supposedly.

Pain wise I was told codydramol was fine in 2nd trimester. Long warm baths also helped me - as long as my partner was around to help me in and out/ avoid standing on one leg IYSWIM.
Stay very gently mobile within your limits
Try a serola belt if your physio reckons it would help. Using one earlier might have minimised my pelvic involvement as my pain was mostly lower back/ sacro-iliac.

Hope your recovery is straightforward x

Gosh - didn't mean to rant on for ages. It's just so important to be extra careful with injuries when you are pregnant because of all the extra bendy/stretchy hormones in the body

I echo sammi, also had mine 4 years (thanks work) and have been told by mw to carry on codeine as neccessary. Hope you feel better soon.

I slipped a disc in the summer (before my BFP). To be honest - initially I could do very little, but slowly worked up to some stretching exercises. I've since been to a chiropractor. Started three times a week and am currently down to every ten days.

Find yourself a good one, who knows how to deal properly with pregnant women. My back is significantly healthier than it ever was before I slipped my disc. He is actually now working on the source of the pain (which is in a completely different place to where the disc slipped). I cannot stress how much of a difference the chiropractor has made.

If you do try it - try and get a recommendation as so many of them are cowboys who don't know what they are really doing.

Good luck!