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newbie with bad back pain

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Posted 3/24/2014 8:31 PM (GMT 0)
I usually post on the PC forum, but this issue might be better posted here as I see many of you have back issues:

I'm in agony and need to vent, I guess. A month ago, I hurt my toe. So, I was limping around on that, but it got better in about 2 weeks (pretty much resolved now).

Unfortunately, my back has gotten quite bad. It started when I just bent down to pick something up. It suddenly hurt, but in a small pin-point area. It was bothersome but I pretty much put up with it. All of a sudden on Friday the pain got more diffuse and at this point I can barely stand and my right leg does feel quite tired. I cannot straighten up. I took it easy over the weekend, but it didn't help and teaching has gotten VERY difficult.

I suspect I might have a disc problem.

I do have a history of back issues, but this is terrible. Doctor gave me a script for ultram (tramadol). I am concerned about constipation issues and I hate taking drugs. Maybe I'll just do ibuprofin?

We are going to try P/T -- the earliest they can see me is Friday (Wednesday is open, but wife has a colonoscopy that day)

I've been reading about others with back issues. . Any suggestions on what to try? I've done some heat (bed buddy) and ice, but it seems to have no impact.

Mel

Posted 3/24/2014 10:48 PM (GMT 0)
To get the standard caveat out there: Everyone is different, and we're not doctors who can offer medical advice,...

I'll share my experience. While I can no longer take Ultram, when I did take it, it worked quite well and I had no problems with constipation. It's not in the same category as some meds generally associated as contributing to constipation.

And, if you do get constipated, there's fiber (from food as well natural senna or Miralax). Ultram works quite differently than ibuprofen, so you're sort of comparing apples to oranges.

With the weakness in your leg, I would absolutely make sure I stay on top of any and all diagnostics, PT, and report ANY changes to your doctor immediately, (such as changes in bowels and bladder, leg buckling and giving out, loss of feeling or sensation, etc.) This is an edge where your body's trying to tell you that you don't have the same leeway you may have had before these particular symptoms.

Personally, I didn't have any problems with the Ultram, but how you proceed is a personal choice. Heat often works when muscles are tight, and ice often works when joints are inflamed. A combination of both is not uncommon, and alternating between heat and ice (always ending with ice), has been effective for many.

I'd encourage you to stay on top of this, however.






M.
Posted 3/24/2014 11:59 PM (GMT 0)
Hello Mel, and welcome!

I have suffered with back problems for over well over 10yrs now, and have had a double lumbar fusion. I also have cervical problems as well. So I do, and can sympathize with you here.

What to do? Well, Ibuprofen can't hurt and it may help with inflammation. PT may help as well, and it's important to keep the back muscles in shape, as they help hold the spine in place. I'm not a real fan of Tramadol, for decent pain relief, but it's better than nothing.

If the PT does not work, then a CT scan or an MRI may be needed to see exactly what is going on. Also it's possible that an Epidural, if suggested may provide relief as well.

Fiber is your best bet to avoid constipation, and Prunes are my choice of treatment. Of course, drinking lots of water will help as well.

Sleeping position is important, and you might consider sleeping with a pillow under your legs if laying on your back, or….between your legs if laying on your side. I use two of them, and it helps keep your hips aligned to the spine.

There are some very simple stretches you can do while laying on your back in bed, and I would suggest looking some of them up here on the internet. PT should teach you these, and again, it's important to follow through with their recommendations.

Hopefully your symptoms will go away over time and you can resume your normal activities.

Good luck!

SE
Posted 3/25/2014 9:32 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Mel and welcome to CP,always feel bad welcoming someone to that right?

Anytime there is weakness,numbness,tingling,etc with an extremity its generally indicative of nerve involvement and most times from a disc collapse pinching it off. Mri is the best way to accurately diagnose that.

Most pain meds,opiates,dont have much effect on nerve issues as the reason most spineys are on Neurontin,lyrica,one of these class meds. We also are the award winners of everything strange that helps that pain.

I use hydrotherapy and thats been my salvation. Many use creams and some of the OTC ones may help. A few actually come in a heated patch and I have used those if I had to be up and out and heat and ice alternatings not possible.

As Merrida says tramadol isnt usually one of the constipating meds and is a pain med whereas motrin can be taken in conjunction with tramadol to work on inflammation which many times is the culprit in sudden onset of back pain applying pressure on that nerve. Using the motrin may be a step in the right direction.

A small cylinder like pillow,bed,bath,beyond has them for $10 used in the small or lumbar back area while sitting and lying is great too.

Heat message lightly over the area is another good trick. All in all I would be looking into seeing a Neuro to follow up if this gets worse or continues to cause problems.

Good luck and hope you get relief soon and thanks for stopping in.
Posted 3/26/2014 9:53 PM (GMT 0)
Iposted the following update in the PC Forum:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Well, things have gotten worse. In the past, I could do a lot of walking and that helped. But the problem has shifted: at first sitting was uncomfortable. Now, I cannot stand! Within seconds the pain starts and it gets worse the longer I stand (in short, I can't stand it). Yesterday, I taught but had to sit down about 15 times in a 80-minutes class. I get along great with my students, so no problem there. Today was my of-campus day but my wife had her routine colonoscopy today so I didn't get that much rest. I now have no problems sitting or lying down. Just don't ask me to stand!

Incidentally, as an aside, she went because her brother is a colon cancer survivor and she did have polyps removed last time. This time, 4 more polyps were found, We hope they turn out to be benign. They said one week for the results! We suspect they will be benign. But next colonoscopy in 3 years for her.

Back to my back issue, I suspect it is a disk issue as I am getting some leg pain (sometimes one leg and other times the other and sometimes symmetrical and other times no leg pain. The pain feels like a little inflammation but mostly like a pulled muscle. No numbness or electrical feeling or tingling. It may all be muscular. I have my first P/T appointment on Friday.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Question for this group: am I deluding myself that it could be muscular? My pain is like muscle spasms but mostly fatigue. It still feels muscular (maybe muscles protecting something?). Hopefully, P/T will be helpful.

I seem to have an aversion to taking any medications and so far I've only used heat (mostly) and ice, with only very short-lived relief. I will probably try and take some ibuprofin before trying the tramadol.

Another question: from my reading, I have a good chance of beating this thing --even if it is a disc issue -- short of surgery. Is this true? (This might be a biased group in the sense that for many here it seems not much has worked)

FINALLY, THANK YOU FOR THE WELCOME AND THE NICE RESPONSES.

Mel

Posted 3/26/2014 10:48 PM (GMT 0)
Hello again Mel!

If you think it's a muscular issue, than ask your Dr about Manganese. You can buy this over the counter, and may be worth giving a try. It's possible that it will help relieve nerve pain as well.

As far as beating this issue?….well it is a good thing to stay positive, but until some test are run, you won't really know what your up against. Again keeping those back muscles in shape is one the best thing you can do.

Also, take a peek at Valerian Root

SE
Posted 3/27/2014 1:37 AM (GMT 0)
I can share some personal history...

I've got a very long history of back problems of all sorts. It's easy to look back now and see all of it in the making, but,....here we are today, right?

I've had slipped disks, herniated disks, DDD, stenosis, OA,...before my surgery back in 12/12, for many years prior, I experienced symptoms like weakness in the leg, muscular irregularities in development, sporadic sciatica, and what I had thought was just a weak ankle.

I did keep all this stuff at bay for years with exercise. Keeping your ab & core muscles strong is important, as well as working very hard at maintaining leg strength. When the legs go, well,....that's not good.

So I would keep alert especially with weakness, and be aware of loss of function of bowels or bladder. I've experienced pinched nerves that don't necessarily correlate to neuropathy, but the symptoms were weakness and buckling. Those were the ones that eventually gave way when everything started to collapse.

Those were the final ones I couldn't manage anymore,...and then they escalated.

So basically,.....yeah, I dunno. It has the potential to go either way, and I've experienced both. If I could have given myself any words of wisdom in hindsight, I would have not waited quite so long in taking aggressive measures. I'm happy I had the borrowed time that I did...but I believe I was about 1-3 years later than what would have been ideal.

Food for thought and reflection at least?





M.
Posted 3/27/2014 2:58 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Mel and Welcome to the Forum, you mentioned that is feels like muscular, are you having any spasms in your legs or "Charley horses" do you have any pain in your buttocks and going down the back of your upper leg? Pain behind your knee? or pain or spasms in your calf muscle? or feet? It could be just muscular, but again it might be a disc problem, sometimes PT will want to try traction, to relieve the pressure from your discs on the nerve roots, also stretching exercises. Surgery is always a last resort, so try not to think about that right now. Just be careful on what you do, let PT know about everything you are experiencing, as they will not want to have you do anything that could make your condition worse.

If you continue to have problems, you might need to have an MRI done, this is the gold standard on finding what is really going on with your back! It can show nerve impingement, and problems with the discs. Just make sure that if you develop any problems with bladder or bowel function, that you see your doctor immediately, also any problems moving your legs and or falling, again call your doctor ASAP! Problems like this can sometimes escalate and it is important that you just don't "suck it up" and think that it will be alright! Not worth taking that chance!

I do wish you well and again Welcome to the Forum!

White Beard
Posted 3/27/2014 9:04 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Mel :)

I hate to see you over here, dealing w/ pain issues on top of your already "full" plate of stuff on top of everything else. I'm really sorry.

I'm stumbling to bed (super long day!) but promise to write more soon.

Hang in there, my friend. --Tina
Posted 3/27/2014 3:46 PM (GMT 0)
White Beard:

I suspect there is pressure on a nerve causing the muscle spasms/fatigue feeling. If I lie down, the pain disappears.

No pain in the BACK of my leg or buttock. The "muscle" pain (or whatever it is) is more in the front of my thighs. Last night, the leg pain disappeared, but it is back today.

I have been to chiropractors from time-to-time (not in the last 20 years) for back flareups and they never helped. I just think that for some people they obviously help. I'm hesitant about trusting anyone to do that kind of adjustment, although I do get the feeling that if only something right got popped I'd be fine!

Mel

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