Had this since the 22nd of April. Doctor thinks it's just muscle and can take up to 6 weeks to get better. Never had anything like this before, it's pretty debilitating. Anyone else had this?

Doctor thinks it's just muscle

Cool……has he prescribed you some rather pleasant muscle relaxants ? 8)

No she just said stay active and take ibruprufen. I bought some ibuleve, it's not doing anything

I have a similar mid back problem. Was very stiff, only comfy in foetal type curl up, spasms that caused me to stop walking/talking, middle of back was like a rock, docs opinion was muscle spasm I'm on Naproxen (2 a day), (I was given a choice of strong – can't drive, normal – can drive – I'm self employed so driving) I'm certainly getting bettter -0 not sure if tablets or time but nearly normal after about 7 days, 3 of which were bad (ie 10 min walk to work up to 20 on a bad day)

I'd suggest a Physiotherapist – had pain intense enough that I fainted getting out of bed one morning a couple of years ago; felt like someone had stuck a cro-bar in between my vertebrae & was levering the bones apart. After the doc referring me to NHS physio, with 3 month wait, saw a private one who did some, as it seemed at the time, brutal manipulation & gave me some daily exercises to do. So far, the pain hasn't been 'back'.

Hot baths, gentle stretching, and a decent mattress then. And if she won't let you have valium, then at least insist on decent strength voltarol. But be careful with voltarol, they can really do your guts in – they're better in the their suppository form for that reason. Actually popping a voltarol suppository isn't at all unpleasant………in fact my GP reckons that I've never had a backache and just like the suppositories 😯 ….cheeky git.

Syndol (pain killer and muscle relaxant, ibuprofen has little effect on mine, and ibuleve is worse than useless) and gentle stretching, sorts me out.

I've had this, though not to the point of immobilisation. Ask your doctor for diclofenac, which is a muscle relaxant. You can buy it over the counter as voltarol, but that's 4 times as weak as the prescribed version I got from a mate. Would also agree with the physio recommendation if it doesn't improve. There are physios on here who can advise better than I…

Yep. Me too suffering.
Had many many falls off bike and been lucky enough to have never had a niggle in the back … lifting my bike out of the back of wifes car Sunday before last, and I had a sudden lower back pain … carried on riding, but it just got worse and worse. So much so I had to end the ride.

The next morning it took me 15-20mins to get out of bed. Really severe pain if I tensed the lower back muscles. Standing up too long and I get pains in back of leg and mild pins and needles in my foot – and when I sit down or go to bed its a complete nightmare. Just cant sleep on my front or back .. only helps to lay on side.

Been taking naproxen last couple days .. not helping yet..

I'm working as a courier and sometimes the bag can get heavy. It doesn't seem to increase the pain though. I did first feel pain while at work though, just bending down to pick up my bag. I just don't feel like it's getting better which is the worrying thing. She gave me a prescription for naproxen but only if the pain gets too bad.

6 replies while I was writing before. I'm just gonna have to try and get on with it. My friend recommended the ibuleve, said it worked for him. Internet research backs up what the doc said.

Beware of " a little knowledge is a dangerous thing"

Diclofenac is not a muscle relaxant – its a non steroidal inflammatory – same group of drugs as Ibuprofen

Ibuleve is useless – so the trials show IIRC

Syndol is not a muscle relaxant – it contains an antihistamine to make you drowsey.

Get real advice from professionals.

The sort of pain you have may well be an overuse or poor posture injury – its not the specific incident that has caused it but repeated incidents.

I would be looking for massage from a sports therapist / physio to reduce the muscle spasm. I would be taking painkillers then to prevent reoccurance I would be looking to do some "efficient movement / kenesiology" type work to teach you to move and lift well without damage. You should be offered this by your work as you are manual handling.

Alexander technique is sometimes recoomended but I have no first hand knowledge

Syndol is not a muscle relaxant – it contains an antihistamine to make you drowsey

Tell that to my GP who said exactly that and "prescribed" them.

It simply is not a muscle relaxant in any way – it contains no muscle relaxant drugs.

Your GP was telling you porkies/ you misunderstood your GP/ your GP misunderstood the drug

Syndol caplets contain four active ingredients, paracetamol, codeine phosphate, doxylamine succinate and caffeine.

Doxylamine is a type of medicine called a sedating antihistamine. It is included in this medicine not so much for its antihistamine effect, as for its sedative effect. Doxylamine is known as a sedating antihistamine because it enters the brain, where it causes drowsiness. This feature is useful for aiding restful sleep

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100002516.html

I'm aware of the netdoctor contents on it TJ, and the fact that it's not specifically noted as a muscle relaxant, but it certainly has that effect when taken, much moreso than just normal painkillers and/or anti-inflams, within 30 mins or so I'm barely able to move properly and any cramping vanishes overnight after taking them. So while they may not specifically be muscle relaxants, that is the effect they have.

Coffeeking Syndol does not contain a muscle relaxant nor does it act as one. simple fact.

You are confusing sedative, analgesia and muscle relaxant effects

I never said it contained it, I said it acted in a way that relaxes your muscles. Which it does (either by hook or by crook). It's the only thing that reduces the spasming in my lower back when it goes and it was prescribed for that by my GP. Sorry, but it works and it was prescribed by a GP, regardless of how technically correct you wish to be!

coffeeking – Member

Syndol (pain killer and muscle relaxant,

This is simply wrong as it is not a muscle relaxant.

coffeeking – Member

I never said it contained it, I said it acted in a way that relaxes your muscles.

Only by removing the pain – not by any relaxant effect as it has none.

It is a sedative and a analgesic. It will work well with back pain especially soft tissue and it obviously works for you – however it simply is not a muscle relaxant and cannot relax spasm in the way a muscle relaxant does.

Been using zheng gu shui. Got it when I had a plate removed from my shoulder. Said it's good for back pain as well as bone healing.

This is simply wrong as it is not a muscle relaxant.

Correct, in the same way that an escort van is not a car, but it'll still get you from A to B using an engine, 5 wheels, brakes, tyres and comfy(ish) seats.

Only by removing the pain – not by any relaxant effect as it has none.

Strange how the same painkiller in the same dose but taken individually, accompanied by an anti-inflammatory didn't do the job for 3 days, but the syndol did overnight though. Regardless of how it did it, it worked as the doctor said it would and it worked against the same pain and muscle spasm problems the OP asked about.

Funny this, i have had a bad lower back since friday after doing the mrs rear suspension on her car, really bloody sore and could hardly move or even lie down. Its a lot better now though, i generally just use Nurofen Express and warm baths and rest. Seems to have done the trick.

I have for years suffered with odd bouts of lower back pain that comes on suddenly doing the most mundane of things. Once did it whilst picking my shoes up before work one morning, ended up off work for over a week with that one and had to sleep downstairs for 2 nights because i simply could not get up the stairs. All muscular by the way not spinal (fingers crossed).

Just had a bath. It's strange how muscles can hurt so much. I like the ache in my legs after a hard ride. If I had pain in them like this I'd be a fat couch potato.

I had a really bad muscle spasm the other week. My doctor said it was essential to stop the pain, so prescribed me some diclofenac and co-codamol. Also told me that I should keep up gentle exercise. He reasoned that pain causes the muscle to spasm again and undoes all the healing. It seems to have worked, and didn't get in the way of the hours riding a day.

That co-codamol's nasty stuff. And I lost 2kilos the day after I stopped taking it.

"Degenerative L5 Disc" here. Back gets really stiff when riding, when it's bad i get sciatica down both legs and can hardly move. Can't walk too far/stand round for long as that causes it to go stiff and ache too

All you need is 5mg of diazepam and a bottle Nightnurse.

You'll feel like new when you wake up on Friday 😛

Sweet dreams.

Hot baths offer instant comfort, but if you have muscle damage will not help the healing process. Its a quick 'now' fix . Ice packs for 15 mins on and 30mins off will help long term. Try gentle stretching by bringing the knee up to the opposite shoulder.
I resort to accupuncture . It really helps and gives almost instant relief to muscles in spasm. The muscles tighten and lock down the joints to stop you doing more damage, but they need a little help in letting go so you can regain mobility.
Long term lower back sufferer, with incidents of paralysis .

I had this a few months ago (it's a recurring prob with me). Doc gave me valium and said to take ibuprofen too. Took a while (2 weeks?) for the pain to die down and it still feels like it's about to go again. Am doing Pilates and some physio exercises to try and build my core stability a bit.

As stated above find a good physio as well as working on your back he/she will give you exersises to do which will help a lot. Once your on the road to recovery and the physio says it's ok try doing some core exercises. Back pain is caused by cumulative damage and having strong core muscles, good posture and lifting in the correct way can help stop further problems.

Thanks guys, might go see a physio. I used to do sit ups but kind of got lazy. Cumulative damage, it sound worrying. Think I've got some work to do.

I hurt my back playing squash, didn't get it seen to quick enough and suffered as a result. A decent physio has helped me keep on top of things but if I had gone sooner it would probably be much, much better.

And the best tip is to make sure you actually do the exercises that the physio gives you!

Gp's are not good with back pain IMO, being in the building trade it seems as tho it is expected as part of the job! I've suffered for over a year now. Initially went to the physio after waiting 4 weeks to get in. Did that for 3 months then decided to go back to the docs. A year later I've had a full pelvis and hip xray. Finaly got really bad a month ago and got a bit shirty with the doc! Now waiting another 6 weeks to see orthapedics and ive been pescribed bloody amitryptiline, which is an anti depressant. Apparently it will work given time! Who knows!!

amitryptiline has a good effect on chronic pain. Its a common usage for it

So I hear tj, did plenty of research before I started taking and was happy with what I found out.

I had simular pain about 6 years ago. I was adamant that I needed to see a specialist or somthing, but….

I was playing 5 aside football ( I was very fit at the time MTbike, played squash, and football 3/4 times a week) and suddenly bang.

I could not walk, without looking like I needed a poo.
Two days later I was bed ridden I could not move.

My lower back disks had gone into spasm, resulting in no movement. I was given 3 types of pain killers unfortunately not to a narcotic strengh.

Eventually after 1 week I could walk again, but it took 3 months before I was on a bike and I have not played football since…(paranoid)

Lower back pain is a bitch I have suffered a lot. A good exercise is to lay on your front, put your hands on the back of your head elbows out horizontal to the floor, face down. Then lift the head and upper back up from the waste. Like a reverse sit up. This will strenthen the whole back.

If you can walk rest and wait, time is the key with a back injury.
If you cant walk, request suffient pain killers, rest and wait….in my experience..

p.s your best bet is yoga….to strengthen the body ……rather than chemicals

The nhs physio i saw told me my job as a plumber, my injury which is a smashed heel and broken talus was not helping. No s h i t!!!
She told me to take up swimming and find a pilates class, gave me some stretching exercises which i already do and packed me off on my merry way.
I just live with it.
In the process of looking for another full suss to try and take the pressure off my back, but i do not want to get rid of my soda.
I might try the private physio route when i can afford it.

I've had an upper back pain issue since early December. GP prescribed high strength co-codamol and ibrobrufen. I had about 4 sessions with a physio, 1 with an acupunturist, 6 with a chiropractor (who has been the most effective)and I've an appointment with a physio this month at the local hospital. I am sick of it but if the physio is any good I shall flag up any useful comments/advice on here.

No chiro on the nhs if I'm right in thinking. Does pain (pardon the pun) me somewhat having to shell out 30quid for 20 mins treatment.

Hello.

I just spent 5 years with a protruding disc on my upper back or middle thoracic and 2 years with another one at the bottom, 10 month on my living room floor and all the doctors said was give it time. I found the physio's to be OK but not all that evvective. I also just spent 6 months getting better from both injuries including the upper injury which was badly inflammed.

Not only do I understand what id needed to fix the problems I also know of simple bits of kit that are easy to get a hold of that will greatly increase the healing process.

That said I need to go have a hot bath and then do said exercises and won't be finished until about 9.30 = 10pm when I get back I will tell you all I've found out, I will also tell you about chiropractors physio's and the people I use osteopaths.

I have gone from hardly being able to walk and not being able to feel my left foot at all from my lower injury and being in constant pain from the upper injury to being well about 80% healed in just 6 months.

If your injuries can be healed I'm sure the technique I've developed will help.

Kael.

isnilloc – Member

p.s your best bet is yoga….to strengthen the body ……rather than chemicals

Pish – you obviously have never had acute serious back pain. Yoga can help with prevention

wrightyson – Member

No chiro on the nhs if I'm right in thinking. Does pain (pardon the pun) me somewhat having to shell out 30quid for 20 mins treatment.

Try another practitioner then – the two I have used recently have been 45 mins treatment for £30