My lower back was hurting pretty bad last Thursday and Friday but improved somewhat over the weekend. Then Sunday night it got a lot worse; even lying down brings no relief. Sitting in my chair at work for 8 hours is excruciating. I put on a Thermacare and it helped for a couple hours, but now the pain is back. There's no point going to my primary care doctor -- all they do is recommend drugs, and I can't tolerate any painkillers (no NSAIDs, no narcotics).
This is really distressing. I can barely move, and I can't concentrate on my work. Any suggestions as to what I can do to take the edge off the pain?
(P.S. I don't know exactly what's causing the pain, but from the location of it, I suspect that I might have torn my sacroiliac ligaments.)
SI joint pain in PsA can be excruciating, you have my condolences. A hot bath with epsom salt, a hot pad with moisture and topical NSAID such as Salonpas which are over the counter or Voltaren gel which requires a prescription. Only NSAID will make a differece. If you can't take them orally then you can try topical but it is less strong that way. I am able to take Celebrex if I also take Prilosec to protect my stomach. Tylenol is not a NSAID so it will not reduce the inflammation but may ease the pain a bit in the short time. I hope you find relief soon. I am sending hugs and prayers to you.
Hi, I bought myself a TENS machine just about a month ago because I was in bad SI pain and the only advice I received from the professionals was pain meds. I found it so good! There are lots of types out there but some are not worth using, the secret seems to be to find one that therapists use and go with that. I don’t think I would still be at work during this recent flare if I hadn’t got a TENS machine. It cost me about £30 and can honestly say its been my best buy
Can you get a torodol shot from your Rhumy? I suffer from chronic neck pain and that really helps me. No NSAIDs is a bummer! Those help me a lot as well and Zipsor, which is an anti inflammatory. Know how you feel! There are days I can’t get out of bed because I can’t hold up my head. It never let’s up, no matter what position you are in. Try alternating heat and ice.
Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. Last night I laid down on the bed to do my back exercises, which were prescribed to me by a physical therapist and I have done twice a day for six years. But this time, even the gentle stretches that normally help relieve my pain only made it worse. I was utterly in despair.
Then I remembered that during the summer I was on a brief course of steroids and I still have a few pills left. I thought, what have I got to lose? I know that if I start prednisone and stop again, my psoriasis will flare up. But I would rather deal with psoriasis than crippling back pain. So I took a pill before I went to bed. What a difference it made! I had very little pain when I woke up this morning, and even now, sitting in a chair, the pain is only a 4 or 5, which is manageable, compared to the 7 or 8 it was yesterday.
I know the prednisone is not a cure, but it has taken my mind off the pain so I can focus on my work. I have a rheumy appointment on Oct. 26, so if I can make it through the next 10 days, maybe she will have some advice on what I can do about this back problem.
Have you tried a anti inflammatory diet? I am a reformed junk food junkie.
It's not too terrible, a little complicated to learn, easy to prepare with a little homework.
I have found that when I cheat, I pay. Eating real foods ,at least, can make a difference for me.
I know that back pain it is terrible when you can't find relief. I do remember stretching down like toe touches, not that far, and holding it awhile seemed to ease it some.
Have you tried a Chiropractor? I had the same problem and with some adjustments and easy exercises I was able to get relief. I also go back to him once a month for a "tune-up" to keep everything in check.
I have used a topical gel called Biofreeze that I get from a medical supply company (OTC) and a heating pad. This gives me some real relief when my back is so painful. Good luck. Hope this helps.
If you are looking for anything natural, I have used castor oil packs with heat for 30 minutes or so before. It's not immediate, but I normally find in a few days there is a substantial improvement. :)
I have found an anti-inflammatory diet (specific to me as diagnosed from Naturopathic testing) very effective. Good luck.
patricia said:
Debi said:
Have you tried a anti inflammatory diet? I am a reformed junk food junkie.
It's not too terrible, a little complicated to learn, easy to prepare with a little homework.
I have found that when I cheat, I pay. Eating real foods ,at least, can make a difference for me.
I know that back pain it is terrible when you can't find relief. I do remember stretching down like toe touches, not that far, and holding it awhile seemed to ease it some.
Just for the sake of it, how many of us get those back pains? I know I have. A neurologist told me it was the L5 disk and tail bones, but I now wonder if it is related to PsA? I know my pain cannot be disk related, because it is quite intense today, and in two days it is gone if I follow some of the remedies you all described, which I do. Disk pain lasts longer.
I believe my pain may be PsA-related, because I think it's coming from the sacroiliac ligaments, and PsA can cause enthesitis (inflammation of ligaments and other soft tissues).
By the way, the relief I got yesterday was short-lived. Today the pain is much worse and I can barely move. I just now left a message with the rheumatologist asking for advice. Hopefully she will return my call. I contacted the doctor only as a last resort, because none of my self-care remedies are working, and I just can't function like this.
My main pain is my SI joints so I know how you feel. The only thing other than pain meds that helps me is that my pain management doctor puts injections of numbing medicine and steroids into my joint when my pain becomes unbearable and I will get a few months of relief from that. Good luck.
The rheumatologist put me on prednisone, and I am doing much better today. What a joy it is to be able to do simple things like bending over to tie your shoes!
