bad pain

Hey eddie.I take medication.But I also get down in the floor and stretch or just lay on my back and try to get the kinks out.

Heat helps me and feels so much better than ice.

Also I have some "Voltaran(sp)" gel(anti-inflamitory) that I can apply directly where my back hurts.

The most important thing with my back is to know my physical limitations and stick to them.

Good luck with your situation,
Rick

Hello. I see it's been a while since you joined, but you don't have many posts, so Welcome! Forgive me if you've already answered these questions somewhere else...lol

What type of back pain are you having?

How long have you had back issues? When did the pain start? Was there some sort of accident? An injury?

Is this MRI the first time you're getting any sort of testing done?

When you say "no pain pills" does that mean you aren't currently being prescribed any but you'd be willing to try them? Or does it mean you don't want any, and wouldn't take them if they were offered?

The more background info we have, the more we can tailor our advice and suggestions to your specific needs, and hopefully give you some useful advice.

On a daily basis I use a muscle relaxer, anti-inflammatories, and pain meds to try and keep my overall pain levels manageable.

For my back specifically though...

Moist heat in the form of a heating pad, or a bath can help, along with my TENS unit, physical therapy and massage ( although if the pain is too bad I can't tolerate being touched).

I also watch movies, play games, do anything I can to distract myself.

The dr may wait until they get he results of the MRI to rx anything besides something like ibuprofen, so they will know exactly what's going on. Drs are becoming more and more hesitant to rx pain meds, especially at first. Have you talked to your mental health professional about the pain ? The reason I ask is because sometimes a regular dr or even a pain dr will want a report from the mental health professional if the patient is seeing one. It is for the patients safety as well as to protect the dr. Also, if you ask for a specific pain meds, you may not get it, so it is best to let the dr prescribe what they want to.

Try getting a professional massage too. That helps out a little. I think your doctor will help you out once he knows what your feeling right now.