UKC

Ok in a nutshell been having a lot of back trouble for 6 months, been going to the chiro etc etc. Can barely walk this morning can I take ibuprufen and paracetamol together as these are the only tablets of relief that I can get till I can get to the Doc's on Monday morn??

Or is there anything else I could get over the counter that would relax all the muscle and relieve the pain - had 400mg of ibu early this morn but not done much.

In reply to La Shamster:

Yes you can take them both.

In reply to La Shamster: You can buy paracetamol with codeine in them without a presciption though only at a certain strength. There is one called Paramol with dihydrocodeine in with the paracetamol. Any codeine paracetamol tablet would be slightly better combined with your ibuprufen. Ask your chemist to make sure you are getting ther strongest ones. Good luck.

In reply to La Shamster:Co-codamol and paramol both have high codeinecontent 10-12.8mg I think and they are the strongest over the counter pain relief you can get, both are very good and better than paracetamol. Also try Nurofen plus or max as they are stronger than plain Ibruprofen

In reply to La Shamster:

Cheers guys - will try a stagger to the pharmacist in a bit and see what drug of choice I can get!

In reply to La Shamster:

Use an ice pack and then a hot water bottle on your back - it might help ease the muscle spasm.

If the pain is really, really bad a quick trip to A&E might be an idea to get a morphine shot (you'll need someone to bring you home). I did that a few times prior to my back surgery as the pain was unbearable (usually at night) and the pills weren't touching it.

In reply to La Shamster:

Try Syndol for tension headaches... has codiene, paracetamol and Doxylamine Succinate NF which acts as a muscle relaxant. Available over the counter, and you can still take ibuprofen with it.

In reply to La Shamster: Try a back belt, with removeable gel pack, like this
http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/health-products/homedics-mw-bhc2-magnetichot-cold-t...
Local pharmacy might have one or similar.
Jerry

In reply to La Shamster:

Neurofen Plus always used to be ibuprofen and codeine and was the only thing I could find as an effective pain killer when I dislocated my thumb. There are so many Neurofens on the market now that I'm not sure if that would still be the right one but have a word with a chemist.

In reply to La Shamster:

Well got to the chemist had a chat ended up with Paramol - took 2 about 2 hours ago and pain has eased greatly but now I'm a complete space cadet! Off for a snooze!

Thanks again for the suggestions - La Sham

In reply to La Shamster:

'been going to the chiro etc.' so they don't seem to be helping. Consider splashing a few quid on a book 'Treat your own back' by an NZ phsio, Robin McKenzie. It might not help but it's worth a try.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Treat-Your-Back-Robin-McKenzie/dp/0959804927

In reply to La Shamster:

Not a doc but would recommend a Physio not a chiro. Had back problems, it takes a long time to sort but well worth the expert help

In reply to Cats:


YES, YES, YES. For those with the commonest forms of back problem, this book is the absolute pinnacle of spinal self-help. However, the book lists a set of criteria to help you decide whether this is the right treatment for you. Take care to go through this.

I recommend that you see a Chartered Physiotherapist either through your local NHS where there may be substantial resources, or directly to a private practicioner.
http://www.csp.org.uk/director/public.cfm

Regarding drugs, intramuscular Voltarol works wonders to calm things down after an injury. However, I suspect that you are past that if you have had trouble for 6 months.

It might be different in englandshire, but here, a pharmacist can give you Paracetamol and Dihydrocodeine. Boots do one. This is the absolute dogs-bollocks of over-the-counter painkillers. It can also be taken along with NSAID like ibuprofen or voltarol/dichlofenac.

Heat-treatment may help you. At hospital physio depts they use infra-red. You can do a home-spun version by placing a hot water bottle (if you can find one these days) over the injury site. Note that the injury site and the pain site may be diferent locations.

Probably there are a number of strands of treatment you require and these should be mutually supportive and not considered in isolation. This is likely to include the following.
- Pain relief
- Anti-inflammatory drugs
- Medical investigation
- Physiotherapy

In reply to La Shamster:

All the above suggestions helped me in the past. I find the Deep Heat stick on pads great as they sick to you clothes & keep the area warm for a few hours & do help a lot. My physio recommended lying on a hard floor on my back for half an hour as well which does seem to help. Bend your knees & press lower back into the floor. Hope it's not too bad still!

In reply to Ireddek:

Not TOO hard a floor. A layer of carpet and a karrimat should be enough to protect your spine while preserving the benefit of the support.

In reply to La Shamster:

If you are taking any form of codiene drink lots and lots of water otherwise you will suddenly realise that you have a drastic constipation problem. It is an excellent pain killer but has this bad side effect.

In reply to Knitting Norah: You can get stronger codeine on prescription which works well at first, but then you build up a tolerance. Also not sure if it's addictive or not, and as another poster said, can cause constipation.

To relieve spasm I use an electrical muscle stimulation machine, similar to a TENS machine (but lower frequency) a good drug free method of pain relief.

In reply to La Shamster:

Yep I've got Paramol - although they are really spacing me out!
Dr's tomorrow and hopefully going to push for an MRI - quality of life dropping rapidly at the mo even sleep brings no relief.

Rather stunned and very grateful for everyone's response.

In reply to La Shamster: What about a bad back and front, I seem to have both front and back ribs hurting at the moment

In reply to Jim Fraser:

And he also makes it clear how to tell if his approach is working. Both are signs of a competent practitioner rather than a quack, who can always treat anyone if only they keep getting treated for long enough. His companion book 'Treat your Own Neck' is just as good IMHO.

Without knowing you age and if it's muscular or trapped nerve it's hard to give advice other than what has worked for me.

Over the winter I started playing football on a Fri eve and used to wake up on Sat morning with back pain.

I found that if I had a gentle indoor climbibg session, it got rid of any pain/discomfort altogether. I'm 26yrs old & it works for me.

Builders find hanging on scaffholding (similar to climbing) works for them.

Hope this helps.

In reply to La Shamster: MRI will be best, hope your PCT doesn't have a restriction on access to it. Stay away from any form of back support, you will weaken the muscle core.
If your suffering from inflammation then cold is going to be better for the symptoms than hot. 5-10 minutes on the affected area every hour. Wrap the frozen object in cloth to prevent freeze burn or frostbite.
Try accupuncture as it's very good at relaxing muscles, it won't cure the underlying problem but will allow a day plus of exercise of the affected muscle group. Never used a chiropractor when I was suffering (10 plus years) just physio and osteopath.
Hope it gets sorted soon.

In reply to Cats:

Another vote for this book - recommended to me by Mick Ryan of this site - it has enabled me to manage my back pain for the last 5 years or so.....please do yourself a favour and buy it tomorrow.

In reply to La Shamster:

To all - many thanks for all the advice! Saw the chiro y'day and she sorted out my twisted pelvis which has occurred as a result of me trying to protect myself from the pain. But basically she said my discs are fine I'm suffering from chronic sciatica which is being brought on by my hamstrings, which, after years of abuse and minimal stretching, are so short and in a bit of a mess. I also saw the Doc and she concurred completely with the chiro. Chiro's orders are to go swimming today and do lots of stretching and basically keep moving. Off work for rest of week to avoid having to drive 1 hour 50 each day to and from work and also avoid being sat at desk.
I have also found some very useful info on the NHS www about chronic siatica together with 3 exercises which I have just done and they've offered some much needed relief.

The cold compress treatment is definitely working much better than the hot.

And yes Dave I will order the book online - I can't face another 5 months of this!

Cheers UKC - La Sham

In reply to Al Evans:
Stop boasting about your love life, Al!!

Sxx

In reply to La Shamster:
Have a good fossick around this website too;

http://www.backcare.org.uk/

They are a charity that has all sorts of good advice and info for those suffering with log term back injuies/pain.

Sxx

I love that word, "fossick", don't you?

In reply to La Shamster:

Have a read of this: http://www.arc.org.uk/arthinfo/medpubs/6533/6533.asp It's aimed at GPs but might be of some help.

It has some exercise suggestions, along the lines of the 'Treat Your Own Back' book recommended above, illustrated with videos.

In reply to La Shamster:
Something to help with your sciatica would be to sit on a small ball (tennis ball is best). Your sciatic nerves runs under a very small muscle called the pirifomis which is deep under your glutes. When the piriformis is overly tight is tightens across the sciatic nerve causing a person pain. If you sit on a small ball it's the equivalent of getting a deep tissue massage - just roll till you find the painful bit and then roll about some more.

You might want to see a Remedial and Sports therapist to help lengthen your hamstrings.

Zyg