Lower Back Pain

[nailit]

Ive been on Tramodol for years for lower back pain (started when I was a farm worker and had to do some heavy duty path laying in my 20's...think I put my back out of line then)
In the last year or so its spread to my upper/middle back, sick of taking painkillers that constipate me,
Any alternative?
Thanks

[jackthehat]

Have you had any treatment other than painkillers?

[nailit]

No JTH, not on the NHS anyway, saw an osteopath once but didn't do much for the constant pain.

[jourdain2]

Don't have enough detail, really, but I have a compressed nerve in my spine - which really needs surgery, but it's a scary op. - I would hope that yours is not as bad as that. I take painkillers only when forced to do so. The spread of pain is probably muscular stress.

|I have a back massage when it is really bad and a neuro-surgeon told me to swim, to build-up my back muscles and support the spine. I'm nearly up to half a mile!

You need to ask your GP for investigations to find out the source of the problem. But massage should help and swimming (I'm getting used to it) is good exercise. Good luck! :)

[jackthehat]

Re-visit your GP.
I had awful back troubles, had a MRI-scan which showed exactly what/where the problem was. I then had treatment specifically designed to help - physio, acupuncture, traction, cortisone injection. I was on pretty heavy meds, too (couldn't get on with Tramadol - it gave me auditory hallucinations).
All gave short-term relief but they helped with the symptoms rather than the root cause.
Eventually, I had surgery and the difference was amazing. I'm not 100% and never will be but I'm in a far, far better place than I was and get by ,in the main, on shop-bought painkillers.

[nailit]

Thanks marg and jourdain,
Learned to live with it but just a tadge worried that the pain is now spreading up the spine, and the tramadol don't seem to be touching it.

[nailit]

Thanks JTH, must admit ive never had hallucinations (auditory or otherwise) with Tramodol, never even heard that you could.
Just curious here, did acupuncture help?

[jackthehat]

Acupuncture was marvellous.

I limped (in the fashion of Quasimodo) onto the bus and went to the treatment centre.
I returned, alighted from the bus, popped into Mrs JtH place of work bent down and touched my toes. :o)

Unfortunately, the relief was short(-ish) lived and the NHS could only offer me a limited number of sessions. There is, or at least, was no private Acupuncturist close by that I could have gone to privately.

You really need to get the 'actual' cause of your problem diagnosed, though.

[nailit]

Thanks Jack, Ive had some experience of acupuncture and despite what the naysayers say, there was definitely something in it, although not long lasting (and it wasn't connected to my physical health).
My back pain is a long standing issue that at time cripples me, My doctors are at times less than than sympathetic...
Thanks again for reply

[tamborine]

Try a Belladonna plaster

https://tinyurl.com/y7loh8r7

[vernonk]

Get a kneeling chair. They are amazingly good for bad backs....and not expensive