Lower Back pain

Sir Headless VII · January 2010

I recently started taking some medication that while working very well for what it was prescribed has been causing some dull lower back pain (on both sides from underneath my ribcage to my hips). Does anyone know anything i can do to alleviate this? Do any of those hot/cold back wrap or massage roller things work? I would prefer something that isn't medication because i am taking quite a bit already and don't really want to work about drug interactions (and quite frankly I don't trust anyone but my doctor to decide what pills I should take).

Scalfin · January 2010

Topical anesthetic?

dispatch.o · January 2010

What medication? If you press in on the area does it hurt more? Can you stretch it?

I'd be curious as to whether or not it has any kidney type interactions.

Raekreu · January 2010

Heat is probably the best non-chemical way to dull the pain. Massage works as well but usually not for very long.

#1 trick for any kind of dull back pain is over the counter pain medication. Just make sure there's no interactions with the prescription pills you're taking.

Darkewolfe · January 2010

Have you spoken with a doctor or physical therapist about exercises and stretches you should be doing to improve your core's support of your local back? I have no idea what the medication would be doing that would cause back pain, but the only solution I know to back pain generally is to build up the muscles around the trouble areas.

Sir Headless VII · January 2010

dispatch.o wrote: »

What medication? If you press in on the area does it hurt more? Can you stretch it?

I'd be curious as to whether or not it has any kidney type interactions.

The medication is prednisone, I take it because i am having a flare up of my Crohns disease (my doctor recommended this). Pressing on it doesn't make it hurt particularly more, I can stretch it but that has very limited results. It is a very dull pain but it is pretty constant.

Darkewolfe wrote:

Have you spoken with a doctor or physical therapist about exercises and stretches you should be doing to improve your core's support of your local back? I have no idea what the medication would be doing that would cause back pain, but the only solution I know to back pain generally is to build up the muscles around the trouble areas.

I have told one of my doctors about it but he was a gastroenterolegist, and didn't really have much to offer on the subject. Do you know any exercise that target the lower back (I should be getting more exercise anyways)?

Darkewolfe · January 2010

I rotated a few ribs early last year and spent some time with a physical therapist drawing out a list of daily exercises to do. I can't think of a good way to explain what I did over the internet, because most of them were things like, "Lean against the wall and do *this* with your arms and shoulders" or "lay down on the floor and do *this other thing*." I did pilates work after I'd gotten the injury and pain under control as the next stage to strengthening that area.

PirateJon · January 2010

Back extensions that are functionally equivalent the yoga "snake pose".
Google has videos and more details; but the TLDR is lie face down then raise your head and chest up. Hold for 30 seconds then lower. Repeat.

mts · January 2010

stretch your hamstrings

Hotlead Junkie · January 2010

This is what I do when I get dull lower back pain. They should be safe to do simply because they shoudln't hurt at all, just relieve the ache. My mum has a notoriously bad back and got these exersizes from her therapist and they really work for me. I'll try my best to explain.

- Lie back on a hard floor with a pillow under your head and your feet tucked in. Your spine should be as straught as possible, your knees should be high upand your feet on the floor, your heels a few inches from your backside.

- Trying to keep your back straight, slowly and gently start moving your knees to the side as far as comfortably possible with your feet in the same place, then bring your knees back into the first position and move them to the opposite side. Kind of like a rocking/upside down pendulm movement. Do this a few times (10 or so) until you become more comfortable.

- Go back to your origonal position with back to the floor and knees up/feet on floor and slowly bring your knee in to you, holding your lower leg with your hands. Just pull your knee/leg in until you feel the lower back start to stretch a little, then bring your leg back into the origona position. Do this a few more times then switch to the other leg.

- Alternate now and again between these two exersizes until you feel loosened up.

- After this, get on your hands and knees, back arched up (kind of like a table maybe), lower legs and feet on the ground and palms flat out on the floor. Slowly shift your hands forward util you feel your lower back stretch a little then slowly go back to a more relaxed position. Do this a few more times.

Hope that made some sense, and remember, it shouln't hurt at all, if you feel pain, stop doing them. These really help my lower back when I get a dull ache by exersizing and loosening up the muscles.

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Lower Back pain

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