<p>I’m feeling like there have been several medical questions on this board lately; hope that one more isn’t a problem! :)</p>
<p>I have never really had to deal with any back issues. But on Wednesday, I must have done something to cause my lower back on the right side to feel a little “off”. I spent most of Thursday on my feet, baking Christmas cookies, but also climbing up and down off of chairs to get some things in upper cupboards, etc. I had trouble sleeping on Thursday night - couldn’t get in a comfortable place for my back. It was hurting quite a bit yesterday and by last night, I couldn’t sleep at all. Today I am in extreme pain, no matter what position I’m in (sitting, standing, walking or lying down all hurt!) Oh - with the back pain I also have some shooting pains down the outside of my leg, to the knee (not down the back of my leg.)</p>
<p>I had been putting heat on it, but just now decided to try some ice, which has made it feel slightly better. I also just took 800 mg advil. Last night I tried a Vicoden before I went to bed (I had some from an injury I had last year); it had no effect at all on the pain. I’m hoping that the anti-inflammatory will help.</p>
<p>This could not have happened at a worse time - tons to do today and over the weekend. And dr. doesn’t have weekend hours, either. DH suggested going to ER, but not something I really want to do.<br>
Any advice/help/ideas? Thank you!!!</p>
<p>I really hate to say this but since no one else has answered I will. This sounds very much like what happens when my bulging disk acts up. Unlike a muscle pull, it gets worse over time instead of better. The pain goes down the outside of my leg also. Go to the ER and get started on steroids if that is your diagnosis. Forget about all that stuff that must be done. Delegate. Trust me, if you keep on trying to do stuff that hurts you will only hurt more. I hope you feel better soon.</p>
<p>I’ve been seeing a physical therapist for this very thing for the past 3 weeks. I didn’t have an acute onset like you did - a sudden onset like that could mean that you do have a slipped or herniated disc caused by an injury. I would definitely seek medical advice as soon as possible.</p>
<p>For me, I have had chronic pain shooting down the outside of my leg, sometimes to the knee on and off for months. I really didn’t even relate it to my back until the PT isolated the source of the pain. It is either disc material that is budging out of the vertebrate and/or pain coming from the SI joint. The sciatic nerve is also located in this area. They are teaching me core stabilization exercises (because you are much more prone to back and disc issues if your core (stomach) muscles are not strong. There are also good stretching and back strengthening exercises. They recommended ice but said to play around with ice and heat and see which one makes it feel better. Good luck.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your input. I’ve been using an ice pack on and off all morning and between that and the ibuprofin, it’s feeling slightly better. I know I do need to see someone about this…am thinking about an urgent care vs. ER. I’ve never been to a chiropractor, so I don’t think going with something like this is the time to start, since I don’t have a diagnosis (I worry about making it worse). I would like to try and make it through the weekend though and get in to my own dr. on Monday morning. If it stays like this I can manage; if not I’ll head over to urgent care or ER.
As for core strength - mine is pitiful. This is a wake up call for me to work on that, once I’m better.
I’m trying very hard to delegate - playing the queen bee instead of the worker. Very hard to do, but I’m trying.<br>
Thanks again!</p>
<p>It’s something pressing on a spinal nerve. Could be a bulging disc. Could be just inflammation on a nerve where it passes through a small opening. A course of steroids to reduce inflammation would be the immediate treatment. You might be able to get some relief by figuring out some way to “stretch” yourself (like traction). If it’s a disc, that can temporarily relieve the pressure. When I had one in my neck, I could get relief by reaching for the sky with one arm.</p>
<p>Long-term, you should read some stuff from back expert Stuart McGill (google him) and begin on a series of exercises to strengthen your core and protect you lower back. NO CRUNCHES. NO SIT-UPS.</p>
<p>Thanks, interesteddad. I just googled Stuart McGill and bookmarked for future reference.<br>
I’m trying to hold out until Monday to see the dr. If it gets too bad, I’ll go somewhere over w/e.</p>
<p>boy it must be bad if vicodin didnt do anything- however you mention it was old & I don’t know how stable it would be.
FInding the trigger point for your pain may help- sometimes referred pain may make it difficult to find point of origin & diagnose accurately.</p>
<p>Just one or two of anything won’t do much for back pain. The key is to keep it up and take enough of it. I’d take Motrin or Aleve - maximum dosage and don’t miss a dose. Take it every 4-6 hrs to get enough in your system to help with inflammation. If you wait until it hurts to take another, you’ve defeated the purpose.</p>
<p>This is just my opinion but I would go to an urgent care center vs. ER if one is available. I work for a hospital - you will end up sitting in the ER for 4-6 hours, even if it’s not crowded. A urgent care physician (many of them moonlight in the ER) is amply qualified to treat something like this and at least get you started on meds and then you can follow-up with your family doctor on Monday. The problem with going to the ER is they are going to be obligated to run a ton of tests and it will cost you an arm and a leg. Your insurance company might not even cover it. If the urgent care doctor deems it a medical emergency, he or she will definitely send you to the ER. </p>
<p>If all of a sudden you can’t walk or you are experiencing total numbness in your leg, then you might want to go to an ER.</p>
<p>Even though your doctor doesn’t have office hours, someone is on call. You should call because there are prescription anti-inflammatory medications that are stronger than Advil and you might get more relief. Your doctor might phone a prescription for you so you don’t have to wait until Monday.</p>
<p>“shooting pains down the outside of my leg, to the knee”</p>
<p>Sounds like sciatica to me. If you are brave enough, take whatever brand of Ibuprofen that you have around the house in the prescription dosage of 800 mg every 4-6 hours.</p>
<p>Google for Robin McKenzie and back exercises, and you will hit on some video links, as well as links to his books. I like “Treat Your Own Back” which I got from my PT years ago - especially Chap. 9 titled “Panic Page” which offers semi-instant relief suggestions.</p>
<p>I agree with that. Unless you have kidney problems, that’s where I would start. The prescription strength ibuprofen would likely be what the doctor would prescribe and you can accomplish the same thing by just taking more Advil. It’s hell on you kidneys so best not to take massive doses for long periods of time, but that should help a lot for temporary relief.</p>
<p>That will make a huge difference in every day activities like climbing around on chairs to reach the flour from the top shelf and stuff. It also makes a huge difference on something like even standing at the kitchen counter cooking without getting back pain or sore legs.</p>
<p>This was my year for sciatic pain caused by a ruptured disc. Basically immobilized, unable to sleep or do much of anything and the pain was off the charts - I said I would rather go through labor again than have that pain again. I found a very good pain doctor who gave me three steroid injections over the span of a few weeks into the spine area and I feel wonderful. If these hold, then I won’t need back surgery. However, be VERY careful choosing the doctor. She puts you under into twilight and does this outpatient. I know some other doctors just numb the area and go in causing some terrible pain. I felt wonderful afterward. However, be aware that you must act quickly. There is only one nerve in the leg, the sciatic and if you lose it you could wind up in a wheelchair. I don’t mean to scare you, but it is an outside possibility. And the sciatic nerve sends impulses to the foot, and can mess up your walking considerably. I was tripping because my foot started to drop, and if it does, it can’t be reversed. Luckily mine was just starting, so it was reversible. Don’t be afraid of the back surgery, if you need it. It is done laproscopilly these days and you are up and about within a week, unlike the old days.</p>
<p>I messed up my sciatic nerve about 5 months ago. Increasing pain, outside the leg, severe ankle problems, etc. Several missed diagnosis. I am currently seeing an acupunturist, and am making positive progress. It’s slow and I wish I had been more proactive earlier. I’d make sure I wasn’t dealing with a disc issue before doing anything else.</p>
<p>For me, heat helps more than ice, a hot water bottle is better than a heating pad. Not driving my car is really helpful, but not doable on a daily basis. Advil is wonderful, but I do watch the dosage. A wrap around the back brace (wide ace bandage) has been very helpful, especially when I have to drive. (I thought the acupunturist was crazy when he suggested this, but it helps.) I have begun careful stretching, which seems to be helping as well. I hope you feel better soon, I know how difficult this can be.</p>
<p>Well, I thought I would try to self-medicate and get through the weekend and see my doctor tomorrow. But after another sleepless night, I realized that I couldn’t wait. I did go to the local urgent care center. The nurse practitioner who saw me asked a lot of questions, had me do various motions to see when it hurt. Then she actually brought me to tears (of pain) when she had me lie down on the exam table then started to lift my leg up - SO unbelievably painful. She wrote rx’s for steroids and also for muscle relaxers. She also wrote an order for me to have an xray of my lumbar spine (tomorrow). Any idea what an xray would show? If it’s a nerve issue (like sciatica), that wouldn’t show on an xray, would it? She said I could have a number of things, including sciatica or pirformis(???)<br>
Anyway, I’m hoping that the steroids and muscle relaxers will at least allow me to sleep tonight!<br>
Thanks again to everyone who gave me advice!</p>
<p>X-ray could show a stress fracture possibly or malalignment of the spine or pelvis. Depending on what state you’re in, I’d try to find a physical therapist. They may be able to diagnose it better than a general physician…</p>
<p>Good luck! I had sciatica when I was pregnant the first time. Almost 20 years ago, but I can still remember that shooting pain down my leg unlike anything I had ever felt before. I hope they can figure out something to make you comfortable soon.</p>