Back Pain Sufferers

[keggerz]

Yesterday I fubared my back...went to see the Workers Comp doc and he diagnossed it as a

severely sprained Lubosacral(low back) sprain. FWIW, the pain was probably a 9-10 especially when I moved.

He examined me, got x-rays (were clear) and gave me two shots. Flexeril and Toradol

 

When I got the Flexeril shot as soon as the medicine felt like it was going in it felt like a FIRE BALL the size of a grapfruit.

The other shot was fine(the other side...the Flexeril was given on the side of the injury)...So once I got home my wife noticed

that my left side(injured side) is very swollen...So I guess my question is has anyone had something similar happen when either

A. taking Flexeril

or

B. from severely spraining you back

 

Doc put me on light duty for the next week and wants to see me again onfriday...right now I still have a HUGH amount of pain in my lower back.

Oh, and he put me on light duty at work but if I even just readjust myself in my chair the pain is pretty excrutiating...Yes I think I am going to go home for the day. As far as Meds go he prescribed Flexeril and Toradol in pill form. So far the shots and pills have only slightly masked the pain. Probably more along the lines of a 7 with the occasional 9-10 range depending on how I move...

 

So, is this normal? Should I see another Doc? Can you tell if a disc is herniated or ruptured in an xray?

 

Thanks

[Footballjoe]

Years ago I had some problems but nothing close to what you are having. Sorry tto hear this. I would be concerned with the swelling. At the least I would call the doc back. If you could get a second opinion I would do that. If its work related you probably can.

[Front Row]

Hurt mine like that in the past, Chiropractor was a big help. Just a few visits, when it stopped hurting I stop going. I believe the only way the docs can look at the disk(s) is with an MRI. A week long coughing fit sent me to the hospital with back spasms last yr, went through alot of pain. Never received any shots though. A scrip for muscle relaxers and oxycodone for pain. Took a good week to 10 days to feel better. The muscle relaxers did a lot more for me than the pain killers.

A new mattres(tempurpedic) followed this episode and has really made a difference .

How did your injury come about?

Hope your feeling better and have no permanent damage.

[cre8tiff]

Second on the chiropractor. They have this electrical doo-hickey that is pure heaven.

[i_am_the_swammi]

The electrcical doo-hickey is excellent for muscle-related injuries, but if your injury is disc-related, it will only provide temporary relaxation.

 

I had my L4 & L5 discs removed about 4 years ago after years of back pain. While surgery is never a good thing, I woke up the next day after surgery, was walking around by noon, and home by 5:00. Any surgery is scary, especially one near the spinal cord, but I kick myself today for not getting it done years ago.

 

If you do choose a chiropraactor, make sure you get a solid reference check/referral from friends...some of them are great, others can do more damage than good.

 

And definitely get the MRI from a licensed provider of the service.....it is indeed the only way to see if there is disc damage. An XRAY can see if there is damage to your vertebrae, not your discs.

[rocknrobn26]

Yesterday I fubared my back...went to see the Workers Comp doc and he diagnossed it as a

severely sprained Lubosacral(low back) sprain. FWIW, the pain was probably a 9-10 especially when I moved.

He examined me, got x-rays (were clear) and gave me two shots. Flexeril and Toradol

 

When I got the Flexeril shot as soon as the medicine felt like it was going in it felt like a FIRE BALL the size of a grapfruit.

The other shot was fine(the other side...the Flexeril was given on the side of the injury)...So once I got home my wife noticed

that my left side(injured side) is very swollen...So I guess my question is has anyone had something similar happen when either

A. taking Flexeril

or

B. from severely spraining you back

 

Doc put me on light duty for the next week and wants to see me again onfriday...right now I still have a HUGH amount of pain in my lower back.

Oh, and he put me on light duty at work but if I even just readjust myself in my chair the pain is pretty excrutiating...Yes I think I am going to go home for the day. As far as Meds go he prescribed Flexeril and Toradol in pill form. So far the shots and pills have only slightly masked the pain. Probably more along the lines of a 7 with the occasional 9-10 range depending on how I move...

 

So, is this normal? Should I see another Doc? Can you tell if a disc is herniated or ruptured in an xray?

 

Thanks

 

NO! I had a back pain last year that would send me to my knees when it hit (daily) and afterward would just be sore. The X-ray showed nothing, but the Doc followed up w/ an MRI. Turned out to be a slipped disc, complicated by a congenital problem in my tail bone. 1 month, 3 times a week of PT cleared it up.

[nuke'em ttg]

NO! I had a back pain last year that would send me to my knees when it hit (daily) and afterward would just be sore. The X-ray showed nothing, but the Doc followed up w/ an MRI. Turned out to be a slipped disc, complicated by a congenital problem in my tail bone. 1 month, 3 times a week of PT cleared it up.

 

+1

I was loaded in an ambulance cause i couldn't walk beacuse of the pain, X-ray didn't show chit and they couldn't under stand why i couldn't walk and so pissed off......finally a 2nd Dr ordered an MRI and I got Morphine right away and a Micro discectomy 2 days later ......The Chiropractor to this day still keeps me up and runnin though

[whoopazz]

The electrcical doo-hickey is excellent for muscle-related injuries, but if your injury is disc-related, it will only provide temporary relaxation.

 

I had my L4 & L5 discs removed about 4 years ago after years of back pain. While surgery is never a good thing, I woke up the next day after surgery, was walking around by noon, and home by 5:00. Any surgery is scary, especially one near the spinal cord, but I kick myself today for not getting it done years ago.

 

If you do choose a chiropraactor, make sure you get a solid reference check/referral from friends...some of them are great, others can do more damage than good.

 

And definitely get the MRI from a licensed provider of the service.....it is indeed the only way to see if there is disc damage. An XRAY can see if there is damage to your vertebrae, not your discs.

 

Good info here. Do your homework on the chiropractor. The one I was referenced to fixed me up (neck) really well.

[keggerz]

instead of watiing to go back to the Doc on firday i am going to see him tomm for him to refer me to someone else

 

and fwiw, i am icing it as i was told to

 

oh and that entire lower left side from the back thru my glute is still sowllen

Edited August 27, 2008 by keggerz

[Gopher]

X-Rays won't show disc ruptures... Need an MRI for that. As far as advice, I will tell you that there are many things that cause back pain, so take everyone's advice with caution. What works for one might be totally the wrong thing for another. Surgery fixed my problem immediately.... after YEARS of dealing with the pain and trying everything BUT surgery. My advice:

 

- Do what keeps the pain level at it's lowest. Nothing is worth having severe back pain, and that includes work. Don't be afraid to take time off to deal with it. My ortho surgeon told me that severe back pain has been compared to labor pains by some women who have had both, so you're not being a complete pansy if you can't work through it. When my pain was at it's worst, I could not work. I crawled home (literally) and laid inside my front door, afraid to move.

 

- If it doesn't change in a few days, get a second opinion. A lot of "experts" give you nothing more than that... their opinion on what is causing the problem. There is no guarantee that they're 100% accurate, so diversify on the opinion-gathering.

 

- Rest assured that, although the pain may be unbearable now, your problem will be fixed. It's either something temporary (muscle problem, etc.) or if it's more permanent (disc), it can be fixed through various treatments (sometimes surgery). This particular medical field has made MAJOR strides in the past few years, so the days of people having to live through back pain for the rest of their lives are becoming less and less common.

 

Hope that helps.

[Seattle LawDawg]

I used to be as anti-chiropractor as they come. Thought of them as drug dealers...just a different kind of crack you get addicted to. My brother became one which gave me plenty of fodder.

 

When I herniated disks, my M.D. immediately referred me to a Chiropractor with specialized knowledge in sports injuries. At the time, I put the pain level at 9/10....moving hurt, staying still hurt, I had leg numbness from the pinched sciatic, etc. The idea was to give the chiro a try and if nothing worked, I would have faced surgery. I went to this chiropractor for about a year, although by the last 3 months, I was only going about once a month. Now, I have no back pain or lasting effects from the injury. I'm doing the same exercises I did before the injury (minus straight-legged deadlifts which caused it) and it feels good as new. I've known a few people who have gone the surgery route and as a result, one in particular will never play golf again.

[Gopher]

I used to be as anti-chiropractor as they come. Thought of them as drug dealers...just a different kind of crack you get addicted to. My brother became one which gave me plenty of fodder.

 

When I herniated disks, my M.D. immediately referred me to a Chiropractor with specialized knowledge in sports injuries. At the time, I put the pain level at 9/10....moving hurt, staying still hurt, I had leg numbness from the pinched sciatic, etc. The idea was to give the chiro a try and if nothing worked, I would have faced surgery. I went to this chiropractor for about a year, although by the last 3 months, I was only going about once a month. Now, I have no back pain or lasting effects from the injury. I'm doing the same exercises I did before the injury (minus straight-legged deadlifts which caused it) and it feels good as new. I've known a few people who have gone the surgery route and as a result, one in particular will never play golf again.

That's exactly why I say that every back injury is unique. Surgery was the saving grace for me (and others), but I've also heard many speak of surgeries gone bad, so to speak. Obviously, before considering surgery, I would suggest trying other options and getting multiple expert opinions. A lot of people think it's a black and white issue... 100% pro-surgery and against chiro's or vice versa... it's not that simple. Both can be very effective, depending on the injury.

[Czarina]

I've been dealing with lumbo-sacral pain myself, although not from a specific injury. The chiropractor has been pretty helpful for this, and also a pinched nerve in my neck/shoulder. The electric thingy (it's like a muscle stimulator/massage thingy) IS quite good. I've had them do that while receiving light traction on my neck. I not only got pain relief but also about 1/2" in height.

 

Of all the things they've had me do though, ICE has by far been the best thing, day in and day out. When I started with the chiro, for the first two weeks they did nothing but ice it and give me 15 minutes of the electric massage 2x/week with orders to ice it up to 10 minutes each hour. It really takes a while for the swelling to subside -- especially if you're still up and walking around and irritating it. Get one of those gel ice packs, throw it into a pillow case and shove it right inside your shorts.

[Chargerz]

X-Rays won't show disc ruptures... Need an MRI for that. As far as advice, I will tell you that there are many things that cause back pain, so take everyone's advice with caution. What works for one might be totally the wrong thing for another. Surgery fixed my problem immediately.... after YEARS of dealing with the pain and trying everything BUT surgery. My advice:

 

- Do what keeps the pain level at it's lowest. Nothing is worth having severe back pain, and that includes work. Don't be afraid to take time off to deal with it. My ortho surgeon told me that severe back pain has been compared to labor pains by some women who have had both, so you're not being a complete pansy if you can't work through it. When my pain was at it's worst, I could not work. I crawled home (literally) and laid inside my front door, afraid to move.

 

- If it doesn't change in a few days, get a second opinion. A lot of "experts" give you nothing more than that... their opinion on what is causing the problem. There is no guarantee that they're 100% accurate, so diversify on the opinion-gathering.

 

- Rest assured that, although the pain may be unbearable now, your problem will be fixed. It's either something temporary (muscle problem, etc.) or if it's more permanent (disc), it can be fixed through various treatments (sometimes surgery). This particular medical field has made MAJOR strides in the past few years, so the days of people having to live through back pain for the rest of their lives are becoming less and less common.

Good info here.

[Ursa Majoris]

Good info here.

And we should know, Doc, shouldn't we?

[The Irish Doggy]

Bummer. Good luck.

[keggerz]

Follow up:

 

I went to see the Doc earlier today:

 

He is now calling it a possible herniated disc and also said something about radiculopathy.

He wrote me more/new prescriptions:

Prednisone (12 day taper)

Davocet N-100

Still wants me to continue taking the Flexeril but to stop taking the Toradol

 

He also wants me to see a back specialist and take PT

Before they can schedule the specialist or PT I have to talk to a Workers comp person

 

Getting in touch with the workers comp lady was not easy but she took my recorded statement

and then said she would pass it on to the person that would determine if they are gonna approve

my claim.

W..T..F...wait to see if they will approve my claim.....I want to see the specialist like now(tomm at latetest) especially with it being a

holiday weekend...oh and the Doc did write me out of work for the next week but still waiting to see if the claim is approved is horse poopy if

you ask me....the doc i am seeing is one of the approved workers comp docs yet his word isnt good enough...

 

oh well...time for me to go take my meds and get knocked out

[Chargerz]

Follow up:

 

I went to see the Doc earlier today:

 

He is now calling it a possible herniated disc and also said something about radiculopathy.

He wrote me more/new prescriptions:

Prednisone (12 day taper)

Davocet N-100

Still wants me to continue taking the Flexeril but to stop taking the Toradol

 

He also wants me to see a back specialist and take PT

This is a reasonable plan of action.

 

Before they can schedule the specialist or PT I have to talk to a Workers comp person

 

Getting in touch with the workers comp lady was not easy but she took my recorded statement

and then said she would pass it on to the person that would determine if they are gonna approve

my claim.

W..T..F...wait to see if they will approve my claim.....I want to see the specialist like now(tomm at latetest) especially with it being a

holiday weekend...oh and the Doc did write me out of work for the next week but still waiting to see if the claim is approved is horse poopy if

you ask me....the doc i am seeing is one of the approved workers comp docs yet his word isnt good enough...

 

oh well...time for me to go take my meds and get knocked out

Workers comp cases can be very frustrating. My advice is to be patient and do what you need to do to see the process through. It should end favorably for you.

[Randall]

X-Rays won't show disc ruptures... Need an MRI for that. As far as advice, I will tell you that there are many things that cause back pain, so take everyone's advice with caution. What works for one might be totally the wrong thing for another. Surgery fixed my problem immediately.... after YEARS of dealing with the pain and trying everything BUT surgery. My advice:

 

- Do what keeps the pain level at it's lowest. Nothing is worth having severe back pain, and that includes work. Don't be afraid to take time off to deal with it. My ortho surgeon told me that severe back pain has been compared to labor pains by some women who have had both, so you're not being a complete pansy if you can't work through it. When my pain was at it's worst, I could not work. I crawled home (literally) and laid inside my front door, afraid to move.

 

- If it doesn't change in a few days, get a second opinion. A lot of "experts" give you nothing more than that... their opinion on what is causing the problem. There is no guarantee that they're 100% accurate, so diversify on the opinion-gathering.

 

- Rest assured that, although the pain may be unbearable now, your problem will be fixed. It's either something temporary (muscle problem, etc.) or if it's more permanent (disc), it can be fixed through various treatments (sometimes surgery). This particular medical field has made MAJOR strides in the past few years, so the days of people having to live through back pain for the rest of their lives are becoming less and less common.

 

Hope that helps.

 

 

Kidney stones are worse in my opinion. The first time I had one of those I was driving on I 5 in Oregon and felt like someone stabbed me in the back. I was lucky to keep the car on the road.

[Gopher]

Kidney stones are worse in my opinion. The first time I had one of those I was driving on I 5 in Oregon and felt like someone stabbed me in the back. I was lucky to keep the car on the road.

I've been fortunate enough not to have that experience, although I have heard that it ranks right up there as far as pain levels go.