Back pain/sciatica

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Blue Maverick

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 Aug 2010
Messages
25,346
For the past 6/8 months my back has been getting steadily worse, I’ve had X-rays and been to see the “experts” diagnosed with degenerative arthritis of the spine and this is leading to really bad sciatica sometimes right leg sometimes left. I do lots of stretching now, lots of waking with my dog, however it’s the pain management I’m struggling with today I’ve had to take 800mg of ibuprofen, not ideal but needs must. Does anyone have any tips, im looking at going down the massage route but people are going on about CBD oil etc.
 
Been there and still am brother.
My experience is that physio does help.
Many health authorities let you self prescribe four sessions free so you could see if it works for you at no cost.
See here
www.nhs.uk

Physiotherapy

Find out about physiotherapy, including how it can help, how to get it and what it involves.
www.nhs.uk www.nhs.uk

I am on a stronger anti inflammatory - Naproxen. I also take paracetamol with it. It helps.
I tried CBD oil and found it utterly useless.
I do find a gentle stretching exercise routine first thing in the morning helps. You can find suggestions on the NHS website.
www.nhs.uk

Exercise

General health and fitness guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64, including tips on how to achieve 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week.
www.nhs.uk www.nhs.uk

Please Avoid opioid painkillers like the plague.
I got addicted and coming off was a two year nightmare. It made giving up cigs feel like a cakewalk.

Do you find the pain bad at all times or particular times like in bed, sitting, standing?
 
denislawsbackheel said:
Been there and still am brother.
My experience is that physio does help.
Many health authorities let you self prescribe four sessions free so you could see if it works for you at no cost.
I am on a stronger anti inflammatory - Naproxen. It helps.
I tried CBD oil and found it utterly useless.
I do find a gentle stretching exercise routine first thing in the morning helps. You can find suggestions on the NHS website.
Please Avoid opioid painkillers like the plague.
I got addicted and coming off was a two year nightmare. It made giving up cigs feel like a cakewalk.
Click to expand...
Ye im averse to painkillers mainly because they make me feel sick cocodamol etc, ibuprofen seems to be my limit. Like I said the stretching helps but I’ve just done a stressful 600 mile round trip drive which has properly fucked me up last night at 3 am I was lay on the floor stretching but it didn’t help.
 
I know what you mean.
There are certain things I cannot do anymore, like decorating.
If I have to do any work with my arms above my head I end up on my back for a day. Gardening sees me off too. Yet driving causes me no pain. I am about to play golf in an hour. I go every week. I use a drive on buggy but tomorrow I won’t be able stand up straight and will be in a great deal of pain I persevere though and also try to do an hours gentle walk a day otherwise the temptation to end up a couch potato is too great. My old man ended up like that and went to his grave far too early as a consequence.
Sorry to hear about your predicament mate. If you want to pm for a rant now and again feel free. Sometimes it helps just to know you are not alone.
 
denislawsbackheel said:
Been there and still am brother.
My experience is that physio does help.
Many health authorities let you self prescribe four sessions free so you could see if it works for you at no cost.
See here
www.nhs.uk

Physiotherapy

Find out about physiotherapy, including how it can help, how to get it and what it involves.
www.nhs.uk www.nhs.uk

I am on a stronger anti inflammatory - Naproxen. I also take paracetamol with it. It helps.
I tried CBD oil and found it utterly useless.
I do find a gentle stretching exercise routine first thing in the morning helps. You can find suggestions on the NHS website.
www.nhs.uk

Exercise

General health and fitness guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64, including tips on how to achieve 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week.
www.nhs.uk www.nhs.uk

Please Avoid opioid painkillers like the plague.
I got addicted and coming off was a two year nightmare. It made giving up cigs feel like a cakewalk.
Click to expand...
I recognise this, I had a rugby injury on my lower back 50 years ago which has caused me pain every day since. An added accident a few years ago where I ruptured tendons in my leg has made it worse, as all the surgeons could do was sew them together. This has led to arthritis in my hip as I can't use my leg very well at all. I fully agree with the advice, especially on opoids, mucky drugs as a nurse said to me. I have been going to an alternative practitioner, Free Your Body therapy, I think there are places around the country. The guy I see is an ex Marine who was invalided out, he said I can't cure arthritis but I can give some relief. It has worked for me, I go every 6 weeks, have done for over a year now. As I thought at the time it was worth a try, it has proved to be good for me. I really hope you get some comfort soon.
 
Can I ask how the pain started for you guys? I've been waking up with back pain but strangely I don't feel any pain during the day. It's only through the night, when I'm sleeping. I figured it was just maybe bad sleep posture but then Ive noticed I get tingles if I hold my hands in a certain position above my head...

Just to clarify, what I have is very mild and I'm only in my 30s so I'm not overly worried.
 
I hurt my back 20 years ago playing football, gave up immediately however been a firefighter for the last 20 years, big weight on my back, crawling round in shit etc hasn’t been conducive to a good back, lots of downtime sat around ;) always tried to maintain fitness but youth seems to drag you through and not taking little niggles too seriously leads to longer term problems.
 
I injured my back before Christmas, just twisted a bit funny picking up a relatively light box and then was left hobbling around for a few weeks. It seemed to go away and then 3 weeks ago I started with sharp pains in my back, through my hip and down to my knee.
Doctors say it's damage/irritation of the femoral nerve, caused by the back injury and have prescribed physio which seems to be helping, they said it could take up to 3 months to sort itself out.
It's always worst when I've been sat down for long periods or laid in bed so have bought a standing desk and try to get out for a walk first thing each morning before work. Ibuprofen seems to numb the pain pretty well.
 
Blue Maverick said:
For the past 6/8 months my back has been getting steadily worse, I’ve had X-rays and been to see the “experts” diagnosed with degenerative arthritis of the spine and this is leading to really bad sciatica sometimes right leg sometimes left. I do lots of stretching now, lots of waking with my dog, however it’s the pain management I’m struggling with today I’ve had to take 800mg of ibuprofen, not ideal but needs must. Does anyone have any tips, im looking at going down the massage route but people are going on about CBD oil etc.
Click to expand...
Is this meant to be 'walking' or 'wanking'? Can't help yer back much if it's the latter!
 
At the moment I'm waiting for both hips to be replaced due to arthritis. I'm taking Tramadol for pain but it hardly makes a difference.In the past I've been on stronger opioids but stopped as they mess with the mind. The withdrawl symptoms were shocking. Deffo stay away.
 
A year ago, spent a day emptying a flat on the first floor into a skip on the ground, obviously. Next day i was immobilised with lower back pain. A doctor did a few checks and ruled out a slipped disc and prescribed naproxen and ibuprofen. Moving even slightly was very painful, and this caused bed-sores, which entailed a daily visit from the district nurse dept. A well-known (but not by me) side-effect of ibuprofen is severe constipation which aggravates haemorrhoids, and consequent anaemia. At the height of the pandemic getting a scan was not possible for "routine ailments", fair enough.
A month of rest and recuperation following brain surgery, did not help with the back pain, an appointment with a private chiropractor and a follow-up has helped (£60 per visit) revealing the lower segments of the spine were beginning to fuse together, his manipulation helped to separate them (ouch). Walking is still painful, needing frequent stops, but compared to lots of people my age, i live the life of Reilly (who he ?). Play the cards you are dealt, and ffs have your bus pass ready when you get on my bus :)
 
Vincent van Rough said:
At the moment I'm waiting for both hips to be replaced due to arthritis. I'm taking Tramadol for pain but it hardly makes a difference.In the past I've been on stronger opioids but stopped as they mess with the mind. The withdrawl symptoms were shocking. Deffo stay away.
Click to expand...
Take paracetamol with your tramadol and ask about naproxen
 
bellbuzzer said:
A year ago, spent a day emptying a flat on the first floor into a skip on the ground, obviously. Next day i was immobilised with lower back pain. A doctor did a few checks and ruled out a slipped disc and prescribed naproxen and ibuprofen. Moving even slightly was very painful, and this caused bed-sores, which entailed a daily visit from the district nurse dept. A well-known (but not by me) side-effect of ibuprofen is severe constipation which aggravates haemorrhoids, and consequent anaemia. At the height of the pandemic getting a scan was not possible for "routine ailments", fair enough.
A month of rest and recuperation following brain surgery, did not help with the back pain, an appointment with a private chiropractor and a follow-up has helped (£60 per visit) revealing the lower segments of the spine were beginning to fuse together, his manipulation helped to separate them (ouch). Walking is still painful, needing frequent stops, but compared to lots of people my age, i live the life of Reilly (who he ?). Play the cards you are dealt, and ffs have your bus pass ready when you get on my bus :)
Click to expand...
I got a bed sore when i smashed my shoulder and had to be upright day and night for eight months , you went through enough without one of them as well, all the best lovely
 
denislawsbackheel said:
Been there and still am brother.
My experience is that physio does help.
Many health authorities let you self prescribe four sessions free so you could see if it works for you at no cost.
See here
www.nhs.uk

Physiotherapy

Find out about physiotherapy, including how it can help, how to get it and what it involves.
www.nhs.uk www.nhs.uk

I am on a stronger anti inflammatory - Naproxen. I also take paracetamol with it. It helps.
I tried CBD oil and found it utterly useless.
I do find a gentle stretching exercise routine first thing in the morning helps. You can find suggestions on the NHS website.
www.nhs.uk

Exercise

General health and fitness guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64, including tips on how to achieve 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week.
www.nhs.uk www.nhs.uk

Please Avoid opioid painkillers like the plague.
I got addicted and coming off was a two year nightmare. It made giving up cigs feel like a cakewalk.

Do you find the pain bad at all times or particular times like in bed, sitting, standing?
Click to expand...
Naproxen plus paras are the only thing that works for me. A friend who is a GP says the same for his arthritic spine. Stop if you experience palpitations with naproxen.
 
Del_Bosque said:
Get a decent matress is always my no1 recommendation for back problems
Click to expand...
I had back stiffness and sciatica through most of my 20s. I was sleeping on crappy old mattresses in rented housing. Then I moved to the US and rented an unfurnished apartment. I bought the cheapest futon I could find. Two nights on the futon cured a decade of back problems. It matters what you sleep on.
 
Man_City_Loyal said:
I'm using a lot of heat related products to help ease the pain.

Lost aload of weight that helped but now the pain has returned after being away a few years.

Lower spine and middle are the two worst area. and a numb/sore right side of leg
Click to expand...
Same here re the heat relief, I use a heat belt and that helps more than any meds for me.
Long walks help too.
 
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