[Kate!]

So I've been suffering from strong back pain for some time, and I was prescribed cocodamol by the doctor after some tests to rule things out. In the end they decreed it was chronic pain, no underlying serious causes but now they won't prescribe it any more which I do.understand, as you can get addicted to them. They gave a gel but it does nothing. I barely slept last night.it was so.bad.

It's getting me down, anyone know any herbal stuff that helps? Or other suggestions? I was exhausted.today, went to bed really early and got back up again, as bad as ever. I honestly can't put up with this much longer.

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Kate!

So I've been suffering from strong back pain for some time, and I was prescribed cocodamol by the doctor after some tests to rule things out. In the end they decreed it was chronic pain, no underlying serious causes but now they won't prescribe it any more which I do.understand, as you can get addicted to them. They gave a gel but it does nothing. I barely slept last night.it was so.bad.

It's getting me down, anyone know any herbal stuff that helps? Or other suggestions? I was exhausted.today, went to bed really early and got back up again, as bad as ever. I honestly can't put up with this much longer.

I use a shakti mat and do yoga, and use tiger balm. Depending on how severe your back pain is, there is certain yoga which you can do (there’s loads of help online about it).

[Glenn.]

Here’s what google says.



AI Overview

Back Pain: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment | Integrity Physio

Chronic back pain treatment involves a multi-faceted approach, focusing on physical therapies (physiotherapy, exercise, posture), medications (OTC, prescription anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, nerve pain meds), mind-body techniques (CBT, mindfulness), lifestyle changes (weight management, healthy sleep), and sometimes injections or alternative therapies like acupuncture, with surgery reserved for severe structural issues.

A doctor's thorough evaluation is key to tailor a plan, often combining these strategies for best results.

Non-Medical & Lifestyle Approaches

Physical Therapy: Tailored exercises to strengthen core/back, improve posture, and learn proper body mechanics.

Gentle Exercise: Walking, swimming, yoga, pilates, or Tai Chi help reduce stiffness and block pain signals.

Weight Management: Reducing excess weight lessens spinal load.
Mind-Body: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps manage negative thoughts and emotions linked to pain.

Sleep Hygiene: A supportive mattress and consistent sleep schedule improve recovery.

Acupuncture & Massage: Can offer complementary relief.
TENS Units: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation provides electrical impulses to block pain.

Medications
Over-the-Counter (OTC): NSAIDs like ibuprofen or naproxen (longer-acting for chronic pain).

Prescription: Stronger NSAIDs, muscle relaxants for short-term use, or neuropathic drugs (e.g., duloxetine) for nerve pain.

Opioids: Generally avoided due to dependency risk; focus is on exercise as an alternative.

Medical Procedures & Injections

Injections: Corticosteroid or epidural injections reduce inflammation, especially for sciatica.

Nerve Blocks/Ablations: Block pain signals from specific nerves.
Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS): For severe cases unresponsive to other treatments.

When to See a Doctor

A specialist evaluation is crucial if pain persists beyond a few weeks, is severe, or accompanied by nerve issues (numbness, weakness) to determine the underlying cause and create a personalized plan

[Kate!]

Thanks both. Muscle relaxants sound potentially helpful.

And if I move around it eases which is good during the day but not when I try n sleep.

Ben where do you get this Tiger balm?

[Mystic Mock]

What about Deep Heat?

[Redway]

Have you tried CBD?

[thesheriff443]

Get your partner to give a light back massage
Nutofen do a targeted back pain tablets they are not cheap but are very good

[Kate!]

Originally Posted by Redway

Have you tried CBD?

I don't know if they'd affect my other medication negatively

[Cherie]

You probably need to strengthen your core, get to a Pilates class, it does wonders for your back muscles, its not a quick fix but in the long run you can't rely on medication

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Kate!

Thanks both. Muscle relaxants sound potentially helpful.

And if I move around it eases which is good during the day but not when I try n sleep.

Ben where do you get this Tiger balm?

and therein lies the problem, most back pain is caused by poor muscles so when you are moving it is fine but you stiffen up when you are not moving, join a Pilates class

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Kate!

Thanks both. Muscle relaxants sound potentially helpful.

And if I move around it eases which is good during the day but not when I try n sleep.

Ben where do you get this Tiger balm?

A shop by me sells it, but you can get it on Amazon.

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Cherie

and therein lies the problem, most back pain is caused by poor muscles so when you are moving it is fine but you stiffen up when you are not moving, join a Pilates class

Pilates is great. I really need to pick that back up.

[Benjamin]

It could also be your mattress adding to it (too firm/soft/old and needs replacing).

[Parmy]

Sometimes it's trapped wind.

[Niamh.]

Definitely back up.the Pilates/yoga suggestions, also deep heat and a hot water bottle for immediate relief

[Kate!]

Originally Posted by Cherie

and therein lies the problem, most back pain is caused by poor muscles so when you are moving it is fine but you stiffen up when you are not moving, join a Pilates class

I'd try this but would prefer to do at home to a video by myself if available.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Kate!

I'd try this but would prefer to do at home to a video by myself if available.

I think there will be lots of Youtube vids let me have a look

[Cherie]

Youtube video

if you dont have a mat, just use a bath towel

[Kate!]

Thanks Cherie x

I'd feel self conscious at a class, but this is something I could happily do.

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Youtube video

if you dont have a mat, just use a bath towel

I’d recommend a mat though, a towel kills the knees lol.

[AnnieK]

100% recommend pilates or yoga....and agree with Ben it could definitely be your mattress making it worse.

I suffer with a bad back too....i dont take painkillers but do use a gel if its really bad. Try to not slouch, but keep moving, my siezes up if i sit too long when its bad

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by Parmy

Sometimes it's trapped wind.

I've had this in the past.

Tbh Cherie's advice doesn't sound too bad imo.

[Vanessa]

I suffer from back pain as well, especially in winter when I move less.
I find that in summer I'm more active and it's usually fine.
I hate exercise, but j love walking so that's what I do. And swimming, I like that.
But your mattress could be making things worse.

[Maru]

Daily Magnesium malate+malic acid for energy production/metabolism, which is very important for the health of muscle, and it has the benefit of working as a natural muscle relaxant and helping it repair. It can help with any diet/toxicity problems and increases movement/mobility. Magnesium helps a lot with sleep also and poor sleep quality can make it harder to heal. It helps balance calcium in the diet, especially if your diet is mainly processed foods.

General advice on pain medication/pain management: Start pain medication right away when you start to feel you might be heading for a flareup. Don't wait until the pain is so bad you can barely tolerate it. The pain medication won't be not nearly as effective, or worse, not work at all. Imagine pouring a cup of water into molten lava, it just creates steam. Maybe consider to take the medication 30 minutes earlier than the normal time during bad flares so that it isn't coming out of your system, so that can help to get through a flare. Obviously only if you really need it. If you're overly dependent on the medication and still miserable, then you might need to change it. It's normal to need to cycle through medications because we build a dependency. Imo, pain medication is really best done temporarily and it's a band aid. It's not at all addressing the issue and the pain cycles will only get worse, especially if already immobile.

Being sedentary will definitely make the pain worse. Physical activity is really important here, even if it's just walking or moving around. 1-2 mile walks a day is often all you need. Sitting for long periods isn't advisable, especially for the back? Muscle imbalances tend to occur in the back from example, if you have one or two spots in your back that likes to tighten up, there's another muscle that connects in the front of the ribcage that supports that muscle. It could be compensating for weaker/shortened muscles in the front of your torso because of poor/long periods of sitting. It took me a year to heal from neck spasms because of my height, I wasn't able to sit correctly to work and this caused issues. Narcotic pain medication actually wasn't needed and would've been a band aid. Instead I was put on Meloxicam/NSAID and a muscle relaxer while I went through physical therapy. I took these on and off, especially taking breaks from NSAIDS like Meloxicam, as constant use of it has a tendency to cause stomach ulcers. That's possible also with pain meds, so just be mindful. Pain medicine won't address the cause, it'll just mask the pain, but a good combination anti-inflammatory and a muscle relaxer will allow the muscles to heal and the knotted areas to release. They're still injured and that tender area will still have a lot of trigger points, so you have to do some kind of daily exercise/daily maintenance to make sure they don't knot up again. This can include diet.

Stay away from a high sugar diet, it is a mood depressant (which causes more pain) and can also cause inflammation to get out of control. Do a food elimination diet, if possible, to discover which foods may be a trigger. We all get inflammation from foods we eat, but it just depends. You can find list of common foods that cause inflammation online.

Cherie is 100% right, that strengthening the core is a possible cause. If you have no underlying issue, it's likely muscular and that may mean you have weaker muscles and then the pain could be the muscle that is overcompensating. You need strong enough muscles to sit up and hold up the neck for example (or sit straight) and if they're weakened, then eventually it will develop pain as other muscles overcompensate. So even if you get pain in one spot, it's more like referral pain, because the cause is elsewhere (weakened core/muscles in general).

If you struggle with chronic anxiety/stress also, look also into pelvic floor therapy. It's something that can be researched and done at home, but strengthening that can help with moods and also your back as a lot of the exercises (yoga-ish/yoga-based) are really very similar. Pelvic floor health is connected to nerve health and so supporting that can help release tight muscles in other areas as it impacts everything, including breathing. This is all stuff yoga addresses.

If you find sleeping on a bed makes your pain much worse, you might try sleeping in a recliner. Some people swear by it, especially if they also have problems with breathing.

[Ammi]

….ahhhhhh, so sorry that your pain is very bothersome atm, Kate…and that it’s causing you such lack of sleep, that sucks…I agree with others, Yoga/Pilates is a good way forward and daily walking is excellent also and I think Niamh said, a hot water bottle might help with the pain and to be comfortable ….your mattress is something to look at as well, as Ben said…you also mentioned about other medication that you’re taking…long term prescribed medication is something else to look at as it can cause side effects, which many people are often finding…so to be sure that no medication that you’re taking is the root cause of any of the chronic pain…I have an osteopath lady who I see and have acupuncture/laser therapy and some massage manipulation but I think that there would possibly be a waiting list for any referrals, maybe speak to your GP, though…hoping that it eases soon for you…