Back Problems

[Halicarnassus]

I don't want to tempt fate, even if I believed in it, but I've suffered from bad backs for the last 30 years. I mean regular moderate to sever pain episodes lasting around 6 weeks at a time. Several times a year.

Last 3 years I have been pain free. No sciatica. Nothing.

No idea why

[midnightcatprowl]

My guesses:

somewhere along the line you got a much more suitable bed

and/or

somewhere along the line you got a much more suitable chair e.g. higher seat, more supportive back

and/or

somewhere along the line you changed vehicles and the seat in the new vehicle isn't doing your back in

and/or

somewhere along the line you started some sort of regular exercise.

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[Halicarnassus]

Well actually we did change the mattress around 4 years ago to a really good one from Ikea. After a lifetime of issues, could it have been just that? Surely not!!!!

[UncleEbenezer]

For what it's worth, I used to suffer quite a lot of back pain, and learned to manage it. It does mean watching what I do, and in some ways limits the lifestyle. The Big Limitation is that I gave up working in an office, and now work from home, where I can switch posture regularly and work in many different places:
- In the office (aka Bedroom 2) at the desk.
- In the office at the treadmill desk.
- In bed with the laptop
- In the living room with the laptop
- and very occasionally, in the garden with the laptop.
What matters is that I'm not sitting for a whole working day in a single posture, but getting a good variety.

I also have to be careful where I sit, including when on public transport, or at the theatre or other such venue.

One particular bugbear of mine is decisions made in ignorance by non-sufferers. The last office I worked in full-time had an inflexible top-down policy that insisted on standardised desks that restricted my legs in a way that brought on pain (because having different desks would 'look bad'). Closer to home, when my only local supermarket was Morrisons, I tried complaining to them about trolleys with locks placed so as to prevent placing my hands in the right places to push them without pain.

[Halicarnassus]

Yes I guess like other ailments, unless you suffer from it yourself, you are unlikely to be too tuned into the significance of everyday things on the sufferer. I think though that back pain is probably more in the consciousness of employers than other conditions. I know that manufacturers have been marketing posture designed furniture for many years. It's a wonder then that the condition plagues so many still.

[Clitheroekid]

I don't want to tempt fate, even if I believed in it, but I've suffered from bad backs for the last 30 years. I mean regular moderate to sever pain episodes lasting around 6 weeks at a time. Several times a year.

Last 3 years I have been pain free. No sciatica. Nothing.

No idea why

Somewhat surprisingly it may be one of the somewhat sparse benefits of getting older.

I also used to suffer from disc-type problems, which caused severe pain. Sometimes it would take me 20 minutes of agony just to get out of bed. Linked to this I suffered from severe sciatica.

I tried various treatments but they made little difference, and eventually I just used to dose myself up with painkillers and put up with it. I knew that after two or three days it would usually sort itself out without treatment.

However, I was talking about it to an orthopod that I knew, and he said that the basic problem was that the part of the disc was popping out of the spinal column - I think he used the word `prolapse'. He told me that as one got older so the spine tended to stiffen, and this meant it was increasingly difficult for the disc to `escape'.

I never bothered to check whether this was generally accepted or just his theory but touch wood I've had no back problems for well over 10 years now, so I'm more than happy to believe what he told me.

[midnightcatprowl]

the basic problem was that the part of the disc was popping out of the spinal column - I think he used the word `prolapse'. He told me that as one got older so the spine tended to stiffen, and this meant it was increasingly difficult for the disc to `escape'.

If you want to know more about the issue of discs which 'pop', it is worth watching a programme called 'Supervet'. The vet Professor Neil Fitzpatrick treats many dogs in particular for this condition and has had major surgery himself for the same issue. He's very eloquent when describing to dog owners the disc issue and the pain and disability it causes.

[ten0rman]

I've had Ankylosing Spondylitis (spelling might be a bit awry) for 56 years now. Initially this caused spells of backache starting in the lower back (around the coccyx) and then gradually moving up the back before going away until the next time. Associated with that was bouts of sciatica, ie pain radiating down the legs. Gradually over the years, the back has stiffened up permanently, and the bouts of pain started higher and higher until eventually the disease has essentially died out. In my case this took about 40 years.

Associated with AS, I also have occasional bouts of iritis (inflamation of the iris), not much of a problem today as it can be reasonably quickly cured using dexamethasone drops (Maxidex or equivalent). In bad cases, either atropine sulphate or Mydrilate (spelling?) may be required as well, but usually I can get it under treatment pdq before it gets really bad.

On initial diagnosis, I was put on Ponstan (mefenamic acid) which proved to be quite good at pain relief, but has an unfortunate tendency to attack the stomach - as I found out to my cost resulting in permanent usage of Lansoprazole to control stomach acid. Ponstan is a Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) which means that I have to be careful now not to accidently use, eg, Ibruprofen which is another NSAID.

I have found that sleeping on my own, in a narrow bed, with bedclothes tucked in all round, ie like a sleeping bag, and thus preventing cold draughts seems to work best for me. On the now rare occasion that I do get back ache, I have a tried and tested formula: start with a hot water bottle, then if necessary, add in paracetamol, and finally if necessary, 30mg of codeine sulphate (along with senna tabs to counteract constipation). As soon as the pain shows signs of going, I then stop all treatment as usually I'm in the clear within 24 hours.

Regards,

ten0rman

[Halicarnassus]

I've tried the 500/30 paracetamol codeine tablets and to be honest they don't do enough to take away the pain and the side effects are a woozy feeling.

Celebrex seems to help although it requires a few days on it to settle down a severe episode.

But as I say, things are much better these days.