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Joining the Back Pain Club-- pretty bad

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Posted 3/24/2014 3:26 PM (GMT 0)
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 (Grampa, Purg., others). 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 3:33 PM (GMT 0)
Well, My back pain is a result of mets in hip and that mingling with nerves. I am on Slow acting Morphine as I think you might already know. It does work though. One 15 MG in the morning and one at night.
Posted 3/24/2014 3:34 PM (GMT 0)
My mother had a back pain issue several months ago. She was awake through the night, the pain seemed to be worse at night. It slowly resolved on its own (2-3 weeks). She went for walks, and claimed she felt better after the walks. It was usual wear-and-tear of the discs, but it gave her pain that made one think it was something serious. Best to you.
Posted 3/24/2014 3:54 PM (GMT 0)
I hurt my lower back a few years ago and now it occasionally acts up if I strain it. I use ThermaCare heat wraps and they eliminate most of the pain quickly.

ed
Posted 3/24/2014 4:04 PM (GMT 0)
life's a beech, and then you age. My lower back acts up on occasion. I have one of those body inverters, but wouldn't suggest it till seeing a orthopedic doc. It could make it worse. Where in the back@. Mine is the lower and I do daily fetal position, feet on the ground, strechouts and then arc the lower back down tween the shouderls and butt. Picture fetal position on the feet and do the streching from that poin. Again chef with doc first. When you get it resolved, incorporate a streching program into your regime. Ps. plz not another club, hopefully we are inching toward a paradigm of unity in the world, not the other.
Posted 3/24/2014 4:05 PM (GMT 0)
800mg ibuprofin and regular cadence with chiropractor.
Posted 3/24/2014 4:08 PM (GMT 0)
No more than 3 a every 24 hours though. That will do it. I did it with radiculapathy, it worked
Posted 3/24/2014 4:21 PM (GMT 0)
My husband had pretty bad back pain that started in December. It was due to a disc problem. He went to a physician and the treatment that he was given included a strong NSAID, lidocaine patch to be worn daily, and Lyrica. It took about 2 months but my husband is fine now. In my opinion, the Lyrica was unnecessary and he no longer takes it. He still uses the patches. I'n not sure if he still takes the anti-inflammatory.
Posted 3/24/2014 4:21 PM (GMT 0)
Dude - that sucks.

I am thinking P/T is your best shot. Advil can provide some relief but you night need the stronger stuff for a little while.

Hope it clears up for you.
Andrew
Posted 3/24/2014 8:08 PM (GMT 0)
Mel, so sorry to hear about your back...I empathize with you and hope things get better soon. Have you seen a doctor yet to figure out the cause? Doctors today usually prescribe steroids for back issues as these work faster at reducing the inflammation. Be careful with the PT though (or even a chiropractor if that's something you're interested in). Depending on the nature of the injury, these can do more harm than good (just ask the folks on the CP forum!). I love my PT and hope that you get some relief if this is the route you go with.

As to pain meds, my doctor recommends naproxen over the other pain meds. Personally, I'm an Advil girl but when my facet joints go out of whack, it's naproxen and muscle relaxers for me. Can't stand those horrible muscle spasms!

Feel better, my friend.
Posted 3/24/2014 9:01 PM (GMT 0)
Things are not good with this problem.

I did just post on the CP Forum

Mel

Posted 3/24/2014 9:10 PM (GMT 0)
I had L4 and L5 issues. A slipped disc. Went to the Rusk Institute in NYC. When the discs slips it hurts like hell. I also have degenerative spine disease.

Prendisone helped a lot. But availability of that was limited. Next best thing was Aleve. Absolute best thing was losing a lot of weight. When I was at the peak of my fitness with great body weight I went 7 years without a single pain. Not sure what your weight situation is, but that's the first thing to work on.

There are many specific exercises for such problems. Hard to describe them but plenty of illustrated manuals on line. What worked best for me always was 1 putting a tennis ball on spot that hurt, laying down and then massaging it in with my own movements and 2 getting a rope, putting it around my foot and raising my legs.

SF has the best back cent er in th enation, Rusk, the one I went to is #3. They're worth a visit but they'll start you out with a C-Scan. Whatever you do, stay miles away from chiropractors. That's the first thing the head of Rusk told me.
Posted 3/24/2014 10:00 PM (GMT 0)
I've hurt my back seriously twice in my life (so far) due to lifting heavy weights improperly which herniated the discs in my back. Both times required surgeries which were very successful.

Sitting aggravates disc problems--standing is better. Driving a car for extended periods of time is one of the worse things you can do to aggravate your back pain. (If you need to sit, keep your spine extended by rolling up a small towel and placing it at the bottom of your back.)

Stretching and walking is good for the back. If your back feels inflamed, it's best to ice it--heating the back/discs will make it worse, HOWEVER, before stretching and doing back exercises make sure your back is warm and limber. Swimming is an excellent way to exercise and loosen up back problems.

Sleeping at night--sleep on your side with a pillow between your legs to lessen the pain. Take pain relievers as needed.

Avoid lifting weights and heavy objects--it will make your situation worse. "Lift with your legs" if you need to lift things.

Back pain takes a while to heal so don't be discouraged. (And, unfortunately, the older we get the longer it takes to heal.) When you've healed properly work towards strengthening your stomach and back muscles to avoid future problems.

(Agree that most chiropractors can't really get to the root of your problem and fix it.)

Post Edited (Franchot) : 3/24/2014 4:04:33 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/24/2014 10:07 PM (GMT 0)
davidg,

Who did you see at Rusk? My 24 year old son is having back pain. No one knows why. He has a benign cyst in the area where the pain is, but it is a type of cyst that should not cause pain, and cannot be removed. A doctor thought it was a bulged disc, but now they say no. The head of orthopedics at the HSS just had sent him for a ct scan and looked at his MRI and said that surgery is not called for. He has been seeing a chiropractor, so your comment about chiropractors was interesting to me. Now the recommendation is for him to see a pain management doctor, but I don't want him to be medicated without anyone knowing what is wrong with him.

He is skinny and lifts weights to look broader. I think that he hurt himself lifting over a year ago (it has been going on for a year and a half), and just never healed. He says it hurts when he sits for a long time and he sits for long hours at his job.

I am looking for the names of good doctors for him to see in Manhattan, where he is living. Thanks.
Posted 3/24/2014 10:22 PM (GMT 0)
Bluebird -

the guy is saw passed away. My issue was mid 90s.

Here is a link to the site. They're really good... rusk.med.nyu.edu/rusk-physicians

lifting weights badly, either poor form or going to heavy can do it. And sitting is certainly terrible for it. Truck drivers are the one with most back issues in fact. I found that walking loosened me up and gave me relief. I also needed and continue to need to sleep on rock solid surfaces. When my back originally went out I slept on the wood floor in our apt for 6 weeks. My back went out at 25, so only a year older than your son. With me it runs int he family too.

my guy at the time told me that I could have surgery, but that studies showed that recovery at the 5 year point after surgery was the same for those who had surgery and those who hadn't. I was 25 and opted for no surgery. He was a great doc and very conservative about treatment.
Posted 3/24/2014 11:02 PM (GMT 0)
thanks david,

When you say prednisone helped, do you mean oral steroids or steroid injections? My son sleeps on a pillowtop mattress, which he insisted I buy for him against my better judgement when he first got his apartment.

My son continues to lift weights, even though his back hurts. He says it hurts if he lifts weights, and it hurts if he doesn't, so he wants to work out. It's all because he wants to look good, and not so skinny. It hurts when he runs. He was a soccer player but cannot play now because of pain on running.

I hope we can get to the bottom of what is wrong with him. Reading your posts - davidg and Francot - was very helpful.
Posted 3/24/2014 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
Skinny is good! He really shouldn't be lifting as he won't heal. At the very least he should avoid doing back exercises. Not sure what a pillowtop mattress is, shall google it.

Maybe if you set him up with a consult at Rusk they'll get to the bottom of it. It's on 34th and 1st so quite convenient from anywhere downtown.

To be 24 and in the City again, lucky him. I moved to the city after college. Hope he enjoys the treat.
Posted 3/24/2014 11:12 PM (GMT 0)
david,

Did you have steroid injections into your back? His dad and I told him not to lift weights but he does not listen to us. He stopped for about 6 months but has recently started again.

He has gone to a number of doctors but no one knows what is wrong or what to do.
Posted 3/24/2014 11:54 PM (GMT 0)
sorry, I did.

I had pills and I also had direct injections to the nerve. They felt "GREAT" but could only have a limited number of them. they're not a long term solution. I think overall I was on them 3 months and had maybe 3-4 shots.

If there is an answer, and you're looking for one, I think RUSK is the best place to go look. They also do rehab work and teach pain management exercise and lifestyle changes which your son might need.

Best of luck.
Posted 3/24/2014 11:58 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for sharing your experience. I will look into Rusk.
Posted 3/26/2014 9:45 PM (GMT 0)
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.

Mel

Posted 3/26/2014 10:56 PM (GMT 0)
Mel, interesting that you have leg pain in both legs. Generally, it's one or the other leg but, again, that's in general. If you have a disk problem (and that very well could be the problem), the muscles in the back and down into the buttocks will react. Do you have any muscle spasms at all, especially when changing positions (for me, it's getting out of bed in the morning when my facet joints act up).

I assume that you have a script from your MD for the physical therapy...what does the doctor think is the issue and what type of PT is he/she recommending? If it's a disk problem, just be very, very careful in how you proceed so that you don't make a bad situation worse.

Take care.

PS: Hope your wife's pathology comes back benign. I too have had benign polyps removed from my colon, and have to go every 5 years for a redo (my next is December 2014). Not fun but it's important and the test itself is nothing.
Posted 3/26/2014 11:03 PM (GMT 0)
Sephie:

It just keeps moving. Sometimes front of both legs, simultaneously. Sometimes only one and sometimes only the other, Sometimes just the lower back. It is like the muscles are getting tighter and more fatigued. Hopefully this will just resolve.

Doctor's script just said back pain.

Good point about not wanting to make things worse, but it seems exercise in this setting is somewhat of a crap shoot. Hopefully, I'll get a good therapist.

Hopefully those polyps are benign. Doctor did say they were small.

Mel

Posted 3/26/2014 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
I have back problems and have been at the lying on the floor unable to stand point. Once, I couldn't get off my hands and knees and crawled to the phone and called a chiropractor neigbour who gave me an adjustment which relieved the muscle spasm. The pain can get pretty bad, and I have tried everything. The chiropractor helped for years, but I think eventually made the problem worse and then stopped helping at all. Physiotherapy was pretty much useless. I think they are fine with rehabilitation and short term problems, but have little to offer for chronic back pain. Pain medications do nothing but mask the problem and cause side effects which can be worse than what you were originally dealing with but might get your through the day.
I have degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis with osteophytes and pinched nerves resulting from the narrowing spinal openings, so what helps me might not be of use to you. It all depends on what is wrong and which nerves are involved.
I eventually found aquabics classes-water exercising in chest deep water in a fitness pool. They are probably available at your university. At first, I could only walk back and forth behind the rest of the class, but it felt so good to be in the water, I kept going-three times a week. Eventually, it relieved all the back pain. I still have to be careful with lifting and sitting long periods but it's so much better than when I was lying on the floor wondering what I was going to do with myself.
I also do this when I get a spasm:

[url]http://www.usatriathlon.org/about-multisport/multisport-zone/multisport-lab/articles/foam-rolling-102511.aspx [url]

I use a pool noodle, and the exercise with it parallel to the spine. Just laying on it opens up the back and the tight muscles.
Somebody else already recommended the Thermawraps. They are wonderful and really work.
If you have cancer mets, please ignore all this. My first husband and sister went to chiropractors before their bone mets were found to be the cause of the pain and neither of those chiropractors could tell the difference.
Best to you.
Posted 3/26/2014 11:13 PM (GMT 0)
Beejane:

Thanks for your reply. I was once told that with back pain, everybody is an expert and therefore nobody is an expert. That's the problems and the reason why there are so many things to try.

I am certainly at the age where spinal stenosis and DDD can be an issue. From my reading, it sounds like many of these situations do resolve. I personally dislike water stuff (swimming, etc.). It's just not my thing, but it's still worth considering.

Mel

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