Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: Greyhoundgal on March 05, 2013, 03:54:17 PM
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Had a bit of a blip with my back a month ago - was stupidly helping out in the garden and must have twisted awkwardly. The result was a severe muscle spasm which had me writhing on the floor in agony. Got a Dr's appointment and saw a locum who was amazed that I hadn't had a scan yet (just an x-ray over a year ago). He said he was going to refer me but in the meantime gave me a course of Tramadol. As soon as I got back to work I had a call from the surgery to say that he couldn't refer me for a scan but could refer to a specialist - thought I'd wait for ages. Had to go back two days later as the pain was completely untouched by the Tramadol and was then given a course of Diazapam - lovely spacy feeling but didn't do anything for the pain. Two emergency (private) physio sessions later and I went and bought a TENS maching - marvellous thing. As we were leaving for our break in Norfolk last week a letter came through and I have an appointment to see an ESP physio next Monday who can hopefully try to get me some proper help. All this has come from two seperate Dr's, one a locum, another was a junior - my own GP seems to think I should grin and bear it and take paracetamol if anything hurts - I could willingly strangle him if he was in the same room at the time I'm almost screaming with pain >:(
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HOpefully the physio will show you lifting and bending techniques to practice and use ......... pain spasms should not be endured and if Valium didn't help perhaps a hospital stay on morphine would have been in order!
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Hope the physio helps you. Back pain can be horrendous. Tramadol was pretty useless for me for ovarian pain. Paracetamol well nigh useless for severe pain, so I have every sympathy.
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Any chance you could change GP? You cant rely on locums if this happens again :(
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This is the Extended Scope Physio who is the guy (apparently) that can talk to you about MRI scans (and order them if he thinks it's necessary), the pain-killing injections into the spine and a host of other stuff. Not a physio session at all and I already have all the exercises to do from the one I saw last time. Those, coupled with starting the gym and Pilates have kept me out of trouble since November last year. The chronic pain just starts to get you down a bit - I can honestly say that every second of every minute of every hour of every day it's painful to a greater or lesser degree. So far the only thing I've found that helps at all is Paramol which you can buy over the counter, nothing else has touched the pain and I've tried most things now - morphine patches was the next step but I really wasn't sure about those - can you still cope with day to day life on them, i.e. driving, working etc?
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If you require Morphine or derivatives you really ought to be taking gentle exercise and not driving, working or ....... your body is telling you something ::). Exercise can help a lot, once the body gets moving. It can be scarey trying to stand upright enough to be steady enough to walk though. Dare I move, should I move .......... I find extra doses of Nurofen can ease the pain enough to get me going again, i.e. 2 tablets then 1 hour later an extra tablet followed 2.5 hours later by another tablet.
Have you tried swimming?
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That's what I thought - the Diazapem was bad enough, couldn't do anything while I was taking that. I do swim each week along with gym and pilates so along with all the dog-walking I think I'm getting enough exercise. What I really want is someone to come along and wave a magic wand and for it not to hurt anymore ::)
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:foryou: when I get chronic pain I get scared because I don't know how long it will last; and scared in case I take too much medication ..... toothache, period pains, sciatica ......... which ever pain it is at the time, it's the worst I have ever suffered ..........
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Thanks CLKD - I know exactly what you mean about being scared. My biggest fear is having an MRI scan and discovering something is really wrong, on the other hand I do want to know what's going on - doesn't make much sense does it? Oh well, appointment is Monday morning so hopefully I will be able to give a better update then.
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Well, I saw the ESP this morning and after a good consultation he has agreed that I need to get an MRI scan. He is referring me for one and I should get a letter with an appointment within 4 weeks - thought it would be longer than that. He thought I would be a good candidate for the steroid injection into the spine but needs to see first what the MRI scan shows up. He said that I was doing everything right - good chair at work, going to the gym and Pilates etc so fingers crossed they can do something about the pain after the scan.
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Pleased your appt went well. Hope this is the start of sorting it out.
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Relief? I expect if the Consultant thought there is anything more serious he woul d have arranged either an admission for the scan or brought a scan appt. forwards ;) .......
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Yeah I know that deep down, you still can't help worrying though. Still, won't have to for much longer - I got a call last night from the MRI dept, they have a cancellation so I'm booked in at 5.30 this afternoon :)
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Let us know how you get on!
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Maybe you could Google Sacro iliac joint dysfunction. I have it and many, many people are misdiagnosed with herniated disks, that many of us have with no symptoms, when it is the SI joint that is the culprit. This is why so many back surgeries fail. Google Richard DonTigny, who is the leading authority and you may recognize yourself. I worry because MRIs are not usually done in the SI area and often the diagnosis is missed?
When pain come on suddenly it can be from bending and twisting and the SI joint gets misaligned which can be extraordinarily disabling.
Also one will often find trigger points in the Quadratus Lumborum muscle, which attaches below ribs and to top of pelvis. If this muscle spasms, no pain killer works. If you press hard in the area you might find exquisitely sore spots and you can release these points. Pm me if you do and I'll tell you how, it is easy. Also people often get relief by pressing both hands into the waist area, on both sides.
If the SI gets misaligned, like two puzzle pieces jammed together wrong, the pain is horrible and it takes some skill to realign and the relief is immediate, although one remains a bit sore.
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I agree with everything Trey has said as I have SI joint problems too. I have found a sacro belt really helps too along with the exercises Trey suggests.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/319XCdSJWAL.jpg)
This is the one I have
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The belt is great, BUT only after the joint has been correctly re-aligned. I know Rowan knows this, but others might not. If the joint is out, the belt would make it worse. If the joint is in place it will help keep in place until ligaments get strong again. But not to be used all the time as don't want to weaken muscles, etc. by depending on belt. I use mine when joint is newly fixed and sometimes when driving or at night when I might shift wrong.
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That's exactly what the therapist said to me Trey and I did not wear when I went out today and I feel fine. I am glad I have got it now for when I need it, I can usually tell when the twinges come, but at the moment everything feels solid in the area, I do hope it lasts.
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Greyhoundgal, you might try this and it might help. Lean over from the waist with your hands supporting you on say a dresser or something about waist high. Then gently put one leg behind you and lift leg up with the knee bent somewhat. Raise bent leg two or three feet. I call it my donkey kick. But it is a gentle move, very gentle. Do this move four or five times each side. If it increases pain stop. MY SI joint snaps back in place with this move. Sometimes it is a very loud click and then the release of pain is wonderful. Then you would be careful never to bend and twist. It's the twist that gets you.
Just guessing but over eighty percent of backs that don't respond to treatment are SI problems.
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Maybe you could Google Sacro iliac joint dysfunction. I have it and many, many people are misdiagnosed with herniated disks, that many of us have with no symptoms, when it is the SI joint that is the culprit. This is why so many back surgeries fail. Google Richard DonTigny, who is the leading authority and you may recognize yourself. I worry because MRIs are not usually done in the SI area and often the diagnosis is missed?
When pain come on suddenly it can be from bending and twisting and the SI joint gets misaligned which can be extraordinarily disabling.
Also one will often find trigger points in the Quadratus Lumborum muscle, which attaches below ribs and to top of pelvis. If this muscle spasms, no pain killer works. If you press hard in the area you might find exquisitely sore spots and you can release these points. Pm me if you do and I'll tell you how, it is easy. Also people often get relief by pressing both hands into the waist area, on both sides.
If the SI gets misaligned, like two puzzle pieces jammed together wrong, the pain is horrible and it takes some skill to realign and the relief is immediate, although one remains a bit sore.
Trey, thank you so much for this information. What I had the other week definitely sounds like the Quadratus Lumborum thing - the pain was so immense it was unbelievable. Even reaching out for my coffee on the table was hurting. When I saw the private physio she said the muscle was in deep spasm but didn't say any more other than that I had a very high pain threshold as she'd had big rugby players almost crying when she was massaging and manipulating them. I had three sessions with her and each time it gave some relief although as you say, the painkillers didn't touch it. I also bought a TENS machine as we were going away the next week so I took it with me - it's brilliant. I'm now off to Google the other bits so I have plenty of info on hand for when I get my call back to the consultant - had the MRI scan last night so it should be only a few more days now.
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Trey thank you for the above exercise, I have printed it out.
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Richard DonTigny has fantastic info on the SI. Also, Dr. Janet Travell, Trigger Points and Myofascial Release is the bible for PT. She's deceased, but is the leading authority and there are some utube clips on how to release some trigger points. But if you find an exquisitely sore spot, press hard for seven seconds, release slowly and apply heat, it can make a wonderful difference.
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I did have a read about the sacro iliac joint dysfunction but I don't think that's what I have - no pain on standing or walking (they're the things when the pain is at it's lowest) and absolutely no pain anywhere other than in my lower back (muscle spasm of a month ago has now cleared up). I will ask the consulant though when I see him. But the exercise is brilliant and good to know about the pressure point as well just in case I ever get it again - thanks Trey :thankyou:
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Also possible to have twisted a facet, those little wings on the side of each vertebra. Ask PT to check. My OH used to put his thumbs just on either edge of my spine and press gently up and down the painful area and sometimes they would pop back in.
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Thanks - I'll ask him about that as well when I see him :) The physio I saw when I was in agony did a lot of that on my spine - hurt like hell to begin with but it gradually eased off as she was applying the pressure.
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Got home at lunchtime to find a letter with an appointment on the 8th April to meet again with the ESP to discuss the results of the MRI scan.....I just hope that they'll offer some sort of treatment for whatever it is they have found - finding the ongoing pain tough going some days ::)
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Saw my man yesterday and the news is good :) My disks aren't showing more than usual aging wear and tear and everything else was as it should be. The bad news is that there isn't really anything they can do about the pain - some people suffer more from it than others and I'm one of those! He advised to carry on with the exercise and take pain medication when necessary which is what I'm doing already. At least I know there is nothing really wrong which is a relief - just need to get the pain to some sort of manageable level now.
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We evolved upright! if you look at the other apes they tend to bend forwards, only running upright for very short strides then leaning over again. Also, as they swing with longer arms than ours their vertebrae are naturally stretched ;).
So remember to use pain relief 1 hour before doing any gardening or lifting, cycling or climbing. Walking should be OK unless over rough ground. Make sure that your mattress is comfortable for you. Swimming can help low back pain in that it is non-weight bearing exercise.
Make sure too that you are using 'pain relief' rather than medication for 'flu like symptoms ::)
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Thanks CLKD, so I should have been an ape then? ;) Taking the meds "before" doing anything is a good tip though - I usually just do something then have to take it afterwards - makes more sense to do it the other way round :) Walking is about the only thing I do that doesn't cause pain, either during or afterwards and I get plenty of that with the houndies. I must say that since I've been doing Pilates my posture is better and I'm more aware of my body and what it can and can't do - just to listen to it a bit more I guess.....
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When watching the apes it is obvious where 'we' went wrong ;D
You are aware of your symptoms and if you remember what makes the condition worse and take medication accordingly?