Bent down to put something in the dishwasher early this morning – felt a ‘twang’ in lower back.
I am now in agony, flat on my back having had pain get worse all day. I can hardly stand up.
Mrs_oab and kids away as well, so feeling the need for some sympathy on here – and advice how to calm my muscles down (taken brufen)

Once you can move, get down’t physio

I feel your pain btw, unable to offer immediate practical advice unfortunately

cider and a massage

when my back went like that, I just huffed down pain killers, slathered on the ibuprofen gel and tried to stay as still as possible until it got better. Better now and hasn’t come back but holy shit it hurt.

Can’t really help but hoping for a quick recovery.

You have my sympathy – I get lower back trouble every year or two (the unloading the dishwasher is a classic cause!). My doc gives me diazepam to relax the muscles and I suffer anything from three days to three weeks of excruciating pain and immobility. Some exercises may help (lying on your back and raising your knees) but if it’s bad get to a doctor.

Oh, and no joke, a walking stick will help you get around the house…

Ibuprofen won’t do it alone. You need someone to get to a chemist to find you some codeine. Last time my back went and I spent 24 hours awake in agony unable to move, some Codeine sorted me in about an hour. Great stuff.

I get a problem with my sacro-illeac sometimes which us similarly disabling. I have a an osteopath I see when this happens and he really helps.

Man up and do some sit ups that’ll sort it. Seriously back probs not nice. Can someone take you to the local walk in centre?

Can someone take you to the local walk in centre?

One of the downsides of where we live is being 50 miles from any such facility…

and OW OW OW!

Vicks Vapo rub – if it doesn’t numb it, the fumes will have you
Used it for a trapped nerve in my knee on the recommendation of an osteo’, felt very odd, but not painful.

ice, ibruprofen, diazapan, rest, physio, gentle exercise, think its sorted, then repeat every 9months for the rest of your life….

If you can get ice on it do, on 10mins/let it warm up back then back with the ice. (in a wet tea towel, don’t put ice direct on your skin it can ‘burn’).

You need to allow the inflamation to go down. Do not do anything which is painful as this can delay recovery.

#edit# oh and chiropracters are very good at seeing you on a saturday, but they do cost a bit, and I wouldn’t recomend a long term strategy as I found they were in it for the money, not necessarily to get you better (from a slightly bitter experience)

good luck, you should be better in no time (4-6weeks the physio keeps telling me!)

Sports or physioterrorist!

You know what your mistake was? Unloading the dishwasher when the wife is away. Who were you trying to impress? When you’re on your own it’s paper plates or no plates at all.

Why don’t you try nhs direct 0845 4647, although when I have rang them they just say go to a&e, or gp but that has always been for the kids so I guess they are just super cautious. They might give you some advice that will ease your pain.

Why don’t you try nhs direct

Fair point

Smack?

I feel your pain. I regularly have this kind of shit happen to me.

Diclofenac is what you need (a NSAID, basically a stronger ibup). You need a prescription for it though.

Pain killers don’t really do the trick. Nsaid’s reduce swelling as well.

Wrap a hot water bottle in a towel and stick that under the sore bit. That and pain killers of whatever sort you or the coop has will see you fine. Try and get some movement back too. If none of that works whisky will.

Amputation?

As a slipped disc sufferer you have my sympathy! For the spasm and inflammation try alternating hot water bottle and ice pack every 2 mins or so for 15-20 mins.

Pain permitting, when you lie down on the floor try to lie on your side with a pillow between your knees, rather than flat on your back. Stand up and walk about as much as you can. Sit down as little as possible.

Get to the doctors as soon as you can. Hope you feel better soon.

Ah yes, don’t forget the new saying ‘the worst thing you can do for a bad back is nothing’. Keep moving, but take it easy…

Pack of frozen peas in a tea towel for 10 mins every hour. Rest it up and a plus one for Shakers.

Keep moving, but take it easy…

Indeed.

Might I suggest you move regularly from sofa to drinks cabinet and back at regular intervals… one assumes you have some whisky to hand?

and no long hot bath .
tempory benefit , but no long term advantages at all.
volterol gel supposed to be good , never tried it myself though.

I thought all those Gel things were a con?

Hope you get better soon, I’ve tweaked my back this morning at the supermarket, nowhere near as bad as yours sounds, although I have in the past.

I still went for a ride this afternoon though (proof that its not that bad, but now thinking it was a mistake!)

i was never convinced that pain relief gels worked until i used volterol last week for a sore shoulder. found it really effective. i used to suffer from pulled back muscles a couple of times a year. the physio i used last time recommended regular stretching exercises which appear to be working.

I was actually paralysed from the waist down due to a lower back injury.
Now that was worrying.

(ducks for cover) acupuncture for the short term to get you moving without agony and then stretching long term and a cushion behind your lower back in the car. i used to suffer every year, my first session of acupuncture was nothing short of miraculous.

one assumes you have some whisky to hand?

Indeed. *gets up for a ‘walk’*
😉

Acupuncture is one of the few alternative medicines to actually show some signs of working for some things, lower back pain being one of them.

NHS Linky

However I doubt you will have someone close. Have you got access to youtube and some sewing needles, oh and some vodka to sterliise them 1st.

I found Diclofenac and Paracetamol and codiene and Diazepam worked (never knowingly under medicated) 😀

Got about a months supply from the doc and was fine after 3 days so have them floating around somewhere.

Hope you feel better soon.

Cocodamol is lovely, as was the doc who prescribed it 8)

Cocodamol is lovely

makes me really miserable after a day or two – can’t wait to be able to manage without it when I’ve been prescribed it. I tend to be very unware of how foggy it makes me too, I’d think twice about driving. I was sure I was complos mentis and yet struggling to put my own belt on. Until I realised I’d already put one belt on and was trying to put another one on top.

Gets you moving though

Did the same* thing a few months back. Flat on back for 3 days.

What worked for me: bed-rest, diclofenac, co-codamol and applying heat.

Physio helped once I was moving.

Get well soon.

*do check with the quack that it’s nothing more serious.

Are you going to change your username now?