Any tips for general lower back pain?

[HereWeGoAgain]

Good luck.
I've been through physical therapy,three rounds of injections and i'm now scheduled for surgery next month to have a fusion job.
Apparently I have three bulging discs a bone spur and arthritis,basicly the trifecta.

Wow, good luck. I had surgery in 1991, an, "operation to remove the back of one or more vertebrae, usually to give access to the spinal cord or to relieve pressure on nerves". My problem was located in the L4, L5 and S1 lower back.

I have had no problems with leg pain or debilitating spasms since the surgery, However, I still have off and on inflammation in the area and thus use a brace and Ice when the pain first occurs.

At this point I wake up after around four to five hours with extreme pain and have no choice but to get out of bed and sit upright for anywhere from a few hours to a dozen hours before the pain ebbs.
It's pretty much screwed my life for the last seven months.

Try not to sit, and use a pillow between your knees and sleep in the fetel position on your side, it takes the pressure off the nerves (at least for me). When you can, try to stretch your back muscles, bring your knees up to your chest slowly while lying on your back, but not soon after using ice. Then, return them slowly to feet flat on the bed or floor with the knees bent

I use all the sleeping tricks but they stop working after four or five hours.
The only way to stop it is to sit in a straight back chair until it stops hurting.
Walking is an exercise in agony.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

lose weight and exercise

The reason I no longer exercise is the back problems.

correct exercise works perhaps through a therapist

i have had life long back pain from a plane crash

i have to keep an eye on my weight and posture

and regular exercise or my back is really a hurting

I've already gone the PT route,no joy.

 

[Wry Catcher]

Good luck.
I've been through physical therapy,three rounds of injections and i'm now scheduled for surgery next month to have a fusion job.
Apparently I have three bulging discs a bone spur and arthritis,basicly the trifecta.

Wow, good luck. I had surgery in 1991, an, "operation to remove the back of one or more vertebrae, usually to give access to the spinal cord or to relieve pressure on nerves". My problem was located in the L4, L5 and S1 lower back.

I have had no problems with leg pain or debilitating spasms since the surgery, However, I still have off and on inflammation in the area and thus use a brace and Ice when the pain first occurs.

At this point I wake up after around four to five hours with extreme pain and have no choice but to get out of bed and sit upright for anywhere from a few hours to a dozen hours before the pain ebbs.
It's pretty much screwed my life for the last seven months.

Try not to sit, and use a pillow between your knees and sleep in the fetel position on your side, it takes the pressure off the nerves (at least for me). When you can, try to stretch your back muscles, bring your knees up to your chest slowly while lying on your back, but not soon after using ice. Then, return them slowly to feet flat on the bed or floor with the knees bent

I use all the sleeping tricks but they stop working after four or five hours.
The only way to stop it is to sit in a straight back chair until it stops hurting.
Walking is an exercise in agony.

My back problem was in the L4-L5 and S1 region of the spine. Do you know were your pain resides?

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Good luck.
I've been through physical therapy,three rounds of injections and i'm now scheduled for surgery next month to have a fusion job.
Apparently I have three bulging discs a bone spur and arthritis,basicly the trifecta.

Wow, good luck. I had surgery in 1991, an, "operation to remove the back of one or more vertebrae, usually to give access to the spinal cord or to relieve pressure on nerves". My problem was located in the L4, L5 and S1 lower back.

I have had no problems with leg pain or debilitating spasms since the surgery, However, I still have off and on inflammation in the area and thus use a brace and Ice when the pain first occurs.

At this point I wake up after around four to five hours with extreme pain and have no choice but to get out of bed and sit upright for anywhere from a few hours to a dozen hours before the pain ebbs.
It's pretty much screwed my life for the last seven months.

Try not to sit, and use a pillow between your knees and sleep in the fetel position on your side, it takes the pressure off the nerves (at least for me). When you can, try to stretch your back muscles, bring your knees up to your chest slowly while lying on your back, but not soon after using ice. Then, return them slowly to feet flat on the bed or floor with the knees bent

I use all the sleeping tricks but they stop working after four or five hours.
The only way to stop it is to sit in a straight back chair until it stops hurting.
Walking is an exercise in agony.

My back problem was in the L4-L5 and S1 region of the spine. Do you know were your pain resides?

Same region with the exception of the sacral section.
Cant remember off the top of my head the exact ones but they're all in the lower lumbar.

 

[danielpalos]

A happy ending is a natural alternative to morphine.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Another way to stretch/straighten the spine..........


Head up
Shoulders squared
Chest out
Tummy sucked in
Slowly carefully roll your hips/pelvis down & forward

Stand & hold as long as possible........will help strengthen corresponding muscles and straighten out and align the spine, going from a ? to l


Alternate heat & ice.....the muscles relax & contract and ice helps inflammation in the tissues. Just be careful about the amount of heat used or you can cook yourself.
This pic is from the internet. My back wasn't this bad, but you could still see blotches similar to this. That heat felt good & the hotter the better but once I noticed this happening I stopped it. Had to make due with the heat of the shower aimed to that area.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

It's weird having back problems with no actual pain in your back.
It's all in my upper right buttocks and down my leg

I agree. Mine starts about 1-2 inches to the LEFT of the spine, across the hip and down the left leg to about mid calf/shin and for the last year and a half. Sitting, standing, walking, laying down......pretty much constant agony. Been thru a laundry list of pain killers & muscle relaxers that all made me higher than a kite, but didn't touch the pain. Have had 2 cortisone injections (1 xray guided to L3/L4) that haven't really helped. And recently was authorized for another type of injection, similar to cortisone but different (can't remember the name of it), but probably won't get it.....just because nothing else prescribed has really helped and I'm not a pin cushion or a drug test subject.

Things that have helped relieve pain????

Alternating aspirin & Tylenol.....one is processed in the liver, other is processed in the kidney. But taking these several times a day over the last year & a half has caused other problems.....namely hives (from the aspirin) and bleeding.....not good. Also with such constant use, they've lost effectiveness.

Going to the Urgent Care Clinic for a Toradol injection......depends on who's giving it & where they hit, as to the effectiveness. Hurts like hail, but could last from
12-16 hours, if the right nurse hit the right spot.

Home remedies AKA making smarter choices.......and these have done more not only for the pain, but my overall health than anything offered by the medical field that's for damn sure

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

It's weird having back problems with no actual pain in your back.
It's all in my upper right buttocks and down my leg

I agree. Mine starts about 1-2 inches to the LEFT of the spine, across the hip and down the left leg to about mid calf/shin and for the last year and a half. Sitting, standing, walking, laying down......pretty much constant agony. Been thru a laundry list of pain killers & muscle relaxers that all made me higher than a kite, but didn't touch the pain. Have had 2 cortisone injections (1 xray guided to L3/L4) that haven't really helped. And recently was authorized for another type of injection, similar to cortisone but different (can't remember the name of it), but probably won't get it.....just because nothing else prescribed has really helped and I'm not a pin cushion or a drug test subject.

Things that have helped relieve pain????

Alternating aspirin & Tylenol.....one is processed in the liver, other is processed in the kidney. But taking these several times a day over the last year & a half has caused other problems.....namely hives (from the aspirin) and bleeding.....not good. Also with such constant use, they've lost effectiveness.

Going to the Urgent Care Clinic for a Toradol injection......depends on who's giving it & where they hit, as to the effectiveness. Hurts like hail, but could last from
12-16 hours, if the right nurse hit the right spot.

Home remedies AKA making smarter choices.......and these have done more not only for the pain, but my overall health than anything offered by the medical field that's for damn sure

I got three rounds of injections and at best got a couple weeks of relief.
I dont know why they even bother with them because the success rate is almost zero when it comes to back problems.