How can I find pain relief for an arthritic lower back?
I've been diagnosed with an arthritic lower back. I take Ibuprofen 3 times daily and still have pain that has me bending forward. I've tried physical therapy and accupunture that doesn't help for long. I've tried stretching but sometimes is very painful. What next?
Public Comments
1. I have cronic lower back pain radiating down both legs and my Nuro has me on avinza 60 mg once in the morning and avinza 30 mg once in the evening.I allso receive a pain block "4 shots in the back" every three months and between all these things i am getting pain releif,i'm not compleatly pain free but i have came along way in the past year.
I'll still sit with a heating pad behind my back at times or just pillow. May i suggust you makeing an apointment with a good Nuro Surgen because thats where you will get the most help from.
Good luck
2. Advil , Tylenol , and Alieve all have a formula that are saposed to help with the pain , you could also try getting a light massage once in awhile
3. You say physical therpay doesn't work for long. The thing with physical therapy is that you must continue to do the exercises you were shown by the physical therapist. When you go to therapy, all of that stuff they do with hot packs, massage, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation really makes your back feel better for a while, but it is more of a "make your back feel better right now" thing. The exercises they have you do is what is going to keep your pain to a minimum and you are not supposed to stop them when you no longer go to therapy appointments. If you have arthritis in your back, you should do the exercises daily or at the very least every other day for the rest of your life. I know its a pain in the rear to do them, but they really do work and will help with your back pain, especially if its arthritis. The best thing you can do for arthritis is to exercise, keep those joints moving to "lube" them, so to speak. Pain pills only mask the pain, its still there, its just blocking the pathway to the brain that feels pain, so you are doing nothing for the actual cause of the back pain. I know that you just don't want to have pain constantly and I completely understand that. But it really is proven that if you will continue with the back exercises that were shown to you, and do take ibuprofen to help with the pain, you will see improvements very quickly in your back. But once you stop doing the exercises, the pain will be back in full force. Good luck to you, I know its hard to make ourselves do exercises. I'm a physical therapist and had knee surgery back in January and I hated doing the exercises! But without them, I know that I wouldn't be doing well now. It's a necessary evil. Don't give up on them, if they did help you while you were going to PT appointments, they will continue to help you now.
