Well I now have a bad back due to walking up some stairs. Can't belive it, I was about 3 stairs up and something just went, with lots of pain. 3 days later, I'm only slightly better!!

I've never suffered from a bad back before, well certainly not like this anyway. I don't have time for a bad back either!!!

Any advice from any of you guys to ease the pain and to get mobile again??

I did mine about a fortnight ago moving a ladder round while I was painting and it's just getting better now. Lots of heat and cocodamol at first but just taking it a bit easier now as it's going into my left leg but I'm walking normally. You have my sympathy.

Can of worms but ibuprofen works well especially when taken with co-codamol (the prescription co-codamol are best 30/500mg) to help with the pain. If it is a muscle spasm, Valium (called something else now) is brilliant.

I had trouble for years after something went drying my hair would you believe?! Many many £'s on chiropractors, physio etc and still used to give me grief until I met this one physio after several years of pain every so often. She showed me a couple of stretches and problem solved. If its NHS it's luck of the draw whether you get a good one or not but the right exercises are usually the key, unless you have a collapsed disc or something like that. Best to get it checked out, backs are a pain in the, er, backside!

Yes and don't sit still for too long or it sets, that was one of my problems. I was prescribed Vallium for a back injury many years ago and had to take it back to the chemist as it was giving me nightmares and I nearly walked under a bus. I was so out of it I daren't go out of the house after I took it, hallucinations and all sorts of weird things.

I have just had the same thing. Never seen a doctor in 20 years, never broken a bone etc so always thought I was indestructible but then something happened and had immense pain in my lower back that also shot down the backs of my legs to my knees. Was agony for a day or two, ibuprofen helped and managed to keep going. However, after 10 days I still had pain going down left hamstring and cramp type pain at back of left knee especially when bending. Had a session with a recommended ex NHS physio last night and she put back and neck back into place. Basically trapped a nerve and she had to fight to get everything back in line as I am pretty strong and my back muscles were tensed up to compensate for my problem. Half an hour of extreme manipulation and lots of cracking and I was done. Feel a lot better today. Definitely recommend finding professional help, you don't realise what damage you can do until someone who knows what they're doing checks you out.

In my experience, it's not the immediate action (e.g. walking up stairs) that causes the problems - it's usually something done earlier on that does the damage. The immediate action is just the thing that tips you over the edge.

With me, it was lifting something into the boot of the car that did it - heavy lift, twist round, put down. It wasn't until I bent over much later in the day that I got the pain.

And - as said above - don't be a hero and struggle on - get it sorted professionally ASAP, even if it's only going to your GP for a check-over and painkiller advice.

Yeah, that's pretty much what did it for me. Carrying a load of 8x4 plasterboards into a job on my own on a windy day was hard work, then crouched down and twisted round assembling my pasterboard lifter and it was agony. As soon as the physio put here hands on my back she knew exactly what was wrong. Then she just had to wrestle with it for a while until it all went back.

Find a physio - pronto. Acute back pain is relatively easy to fix, chronic back pain is a different matter.

I'm quite prejudiced against chiropractors and osteopaths, seen too many cock ups, so I'd go for a physio.

Chris
(Medical Doctor!)

How long have you got???
David J ^^ is prob correct and it was some previous activity which caused it to go.
My punctured disc only started giving me grief years after laying a trial's bike down at an awkward angle - should have stepped off sooner (but even the Haydens of this world don't get that right do they?).

So based on my experience:-

Chiro does it for me most times but you need a good one.
BCA ones train for 5 or 6 years so I have faith in that apprenticeship.

Try hot packing on the worst place.
You can buy a heat pad at the chemist - like a hot water bottle but filled with wheat and microwave heatable.
Use that whilst sitting around in the evenings.

Hot baths are good.

Walks are good for keeping the back mobile, even just round the block at night - long drives aren't.

There's a product called Bio-freeze from the USA available in larger Boots - not cheap but again does it for me.

Ibuprofen as prev. mentioned.

If the job involves lifting or you're bending over a lot try a sports type back support/body belt available from Argos.
They offer a good deal of support without being restrictive and your back won't become dependant on its support.

If offered the NHS fix of fusing vertibrae, assuming you've done a disc, consider it carefully.
Reports I've received from those who've had it done aren't particularly encouraging.

Final advice - don't soldier on - the sooner it's sorted the better.

Well you did ask!

HTH.
Cheers, Pewe10

Fiery Jack of course!



[Edited on 3/10/12 by coozer]

Go and get this book - it is brilliant. It is split into 2 - half of it is emergency type information, for getting you up and on your feet ASAP. Tje other half is preventative type exercises so you avoid it in the future.

I was completely immobile when I slipped a disc - but doing the exercises had me up on my feet within 24 hours. I now have a set of 5 exercises I do from the book, and irrespective of how bad my back gets, they get me up and moving within 24-36 hiurs. It will be the best £13 you ever spent!

Thanks for your replies. Seeking help just now is a problem as I'm in the middle of the north sea with only a medic to give me some anti inflammatories and pain killers.
I'm due home next wednesday when I plan on going to a chiro or physio.
I'm just pleased I'm not on the tools anymore, otherwise I'd have to go off which = no money!!! no money = no kit car!!

As others have stated and on my own experiences. Raced schoolboy mx and had an off resulting in a bash to my back and internal bleeding, quick recovery (mend easy at 14) all ok. Some time later was pushing a race bike into a transit (up ramp), back went and pain was as you describe. Painkillers and rest sorted it. Move on to my early 20,s and racing 250 National Karts on Long Circuits to a fairly high level. This aggravated old injury and simple things like sweeping the garage could put me on knees and out of action for a week. During the close season as weather turned damp I would suffer at least a week laid up. Bear with me I will get to the point in a mo...
I tried various ''experts'' ''quacks'' etc to put everything back in place with varying degrees of success, all of these on recommendation of others. Eventually found a guy who was great (for me). Without any history, by just looking at my back as I stood in my shreddies, he accurately described and pointed to the areas where the issues were. So as not to bore you anymore, he treated me and gave me the best advice which i still use to this day.

1. When your dog/cat wakes up what does it do first? Stretch yes. Do it, takes a minute and is so logical.
2. Never stand on one leg to get dressed, socks trousers shoes etc. We are designed to work on two legs. Sit down doesnt take any longer.
3. Buy a waterbed ! Not a bag of water, a proper limited motion mattress. This has a heat pad to keep the water at a constant temperature and keeps your back warm overnight. (in the height of summer you turn it down and a cool bed is great). It supports you more evenly and keeps everything in better alignment.

He told me the original problem came from the accident at 14yrs, one side of my back was weakened, and you cannot exersize just one side of your back without an imbalance.

Did it work??
Well at 47yrs old I am playing in goal for our Hockey Club (4th team only), training on a Tues and match on a Saturday, throwing myself about like a 20yr old (yes ache a bit Sunday but usually from the beers after).

Also try Pernaton Gel, not cheapest but it works for me.

Sorry for long post but hope it helps, you have my sympathy for sure !

I suffer with a bad back after an accident at 16 (was told would never walk again) I proved them wrong.GO AND SEE A CRANIAL OSTEOPATH will cost you about 40 quid.I slipped a disk last year,took me 6 hours to get out of bed,but that afternoon had a consultation and walk out pain free,and no problems since....they are brilliant.

hope this helps

Ross

I sciatic issues, and have found chiropractors can help or hinder, you really got to find a good one, and one that's style works for you.
had some good ones and some bad one over the years, luckily my current chiropractor who I've been using for the last 10 years is fantastic, but my wife won't see him, cause she comes out beaten up. But he has to be rough with me to get the job done.

that being said, the chiropractor is a band aid solution. helps with the immediate pain and frees up movement just enough. a tennis ball in a sock working the muscle knots free is the olnly way to have any sort of permanent relief, and even that takes several days with 2 hours a day dedicated to working the muscles in my lower back hips and legs.

In my experience, you need to keep it moving for a few days til its recovered enough to take some serious excercises. Im fine all day at work as i keep moving, as soon as i sit down on an evening its siezes up. Then when it gets better you forget to excercise...