Lower back pain

Anyone else suffer? The last few years I've noticed back pain, mostly since switching to a desk job

It comes and goes. It was really bad a while back but we got a new sofa and a harder mattress and it wasn't so bad. While decorating our bedroom, I've had to switch back to the bed in the other bedroom, which has a softer mattress. My back has been getting progressively more uncomfortable over the last few days.

Tonight its really uncomfortable I've been laying on the floor because the sofa is too uncomfortable. I've even resorted to taking Nurofen plus (which contains codeine so I avoid taking unless I have too) but it hasn't worked. I've tried some back stretches which sometimes help, but doing nothing tonight. I'm so uncomfortable

I think I'm going to have to see an osteopath or something, or talk to my GP. But any ideas what I could do to be more comfortable tonight?

Have you tried ICE?

That might help if it is muscular, if spinal cord out of alignment this will not help.

I would strongly advise you to see a chiropacter or osteopath. the earlier the intervention, the better the prognosis.

You have my sympathies, I also suffer from lower back pain from a moped accident years ago. Sometimes the only relief at night is sitting up in bed to take the pressure off my lower back.

I use a back stretcher that is shaped like an arch and find this sometimes helps but I do agree that an osteopath is a must. I went to one after my accident and he worked wonders.

My back has also got a lot better since I've lost weight, I had a huge bum, I was nearly 18 stone last year, I'm not saying you've got a big bum btw, just saying mine was so big it played havoc with my hips and back

Have you tried those thermacare heat pads? I don't have back pain so don't know if they will help but they have helped me with muscle strains and period pain. Worth a shot?

Thanks guys. Am trying some ice right now, as it's the only thing I have to hand. Will pop to the chemist tomorrow and look for some heat pads or a heat gel/cream.

I spent four hours on Wednesday night loading rubble into skip. I was very stiff on Thurs/Fri but my back didn't hurt like this. Although I wonder if that was the trigger and it's just kicked in a few days later

I will speak to my GP or an oesteopath next week. I've had enough, I need to do something. I am constantly walking around the house tonight as I can't lay or sit down comfortably anywhere

Is it sciatica?

I have suffered from this for a few years on & off, usually just sharp shooting pains from my hip to my left knee, like someone's stabbing me repeatedly.

A few weeks ago it got worse and moved round more to the centre of the back. I was sitting eating with my dinner on my lap, and jerked in pain, dinner went flying, suddenly cried out "AAARGH EFFINGRUDDYHECK!!! " or words to that effect, my mother and sister looked at me in shock, it felt like someone had knifed me.

I've been sleeping in the spare room the last week or so after I found I couldn't get out of bed due to pain one day - the spare bed is lower, with a better firmer mattress, and it against a wall (which helps). Originally I had thought of sleeping on the floor! I'd been waking up several times in the night in spasm, feeling like a horse had suddenly kicked me.

I find Co-Codamol is the only thing that helps, perhaps because it is nerve pain. Luckily my doctor had given me some as it was getting expensive - he said to ignore the '3 days only' thing on the packet when you buy them OTC, and TBH I really only do take them when needed.

Would love to see an osteo or chiro but my benefit is being cut off in a couple of weeks thanks to ATOS and I have no idea if I will get any money for the next 4-6 months.

PS: Yes I also find it hard to sit or lay down for long, I would love to ease it by walking - which really does help, but can't leave the house because of mother.

Go to the doctors and find out what can be done, don't leave it to get worse. I ignored lower back pain for years, finally went to the doctors when I was in such agony I couldn't function, but by then the damage was done. I'm stuck with the result for life, please make sure you don't end up like I have.

Oh I feel your pain Amanda, but mine is through years of abuse along with old age, bones crushing, leaving little room for all the hundreds of nerves that radiate out of the lower back

Doctors are useless, they will give you muscle relaxants and pain killers, but you really need to see a good osteopath, who will have you stand in front of them, moving left and right and they will see exactly what's going on with you and give you some relief. They don't always do the bone crunching bit, mine just used to give me deep massage along with ultrasound and it worked well, very well!

You've been overdoing the lifting and twisting, you've annoyed some of those nerves, the muscles are complaining and compensating so you need to get it all sorted out. Don't bother with physio's either, they're far too mamby pamby and it'll take a lot longer via a physio, you need a good osteopath. Never tried the chiropractors but I suppose they do the same kind of thing?

I would get one of those deep heat belts that you can wear for a couple of hours they will give you a lot of relief, and take Ibuprofens not paracetamols if you're going to resort to drugs. Try the Ibuprofen gel, it's amazing stuff for an instant fix sometimes!

Walking is good, if you can get throught he pain, keep upright and imagine there's a piece of string fixed to the top of your head and somebody's pulling it as you walk. Before you walk, pick up each foot with a hand the same side, hold it behind your back for a few seconds, it will stretch all those muscles in your lower back, you should feel some relief (have you seen the joggers perhaps doing this?).

I've been where you are, can't sit, can't lie, can't walk, can't get in the car, and yet osteopaths have had me coming out of there running and jumping with joy! You must go and good luck.

I am sorry that I cannot give any advice regarding your immediate situation regarding a comfortable sleeping place [I have slept on the floor too many times in the hope of relief].

But as you possibly know I have major spinal problems due to fractured cervical and lumbar vertibrae, resulting in spinal cord damage which affects use of limbs but has not resulted in any loss of sensation. Hence chronic pain.

I had a full-spinal back brace made which supported both my spine and my neck, but since being a permanent wheelie [plus it was uncomfortable in the heat here] I gave up on it, and my chair does have a special back support.

However there are times when I need more than just the back support on my chair to keep me straight, so on advice from a physio friend in the UK I bought one of THESE for occasional extra support and found that it did, and does help.

Thanks so much guys. I don't know what the cause is, but something I did last night work. Either the painkillers finally kicked it or the ice worked, I also asked my OH to massage my back and maybe that helped. Either way, it did ease off enough to let me get a good nights sleep.

I have a friend who is an osteopath, I will make an appointment to see her as I don't want to risk long term damage. I've probably been ignoring it too long already