June is a bad month for me

[Ginger Harp Seal Pup]

This is just great. I am recovering from a really bad flu-like cold, and keep coughing all the time. The virus itself has left my system but it has left me all conjested. Anyway, last night I felt a searing pain in my back and found myself unable to move. I left it five minutes and managed to move but it was really really painful. I went to the doctors this morning: I have sprained the muscles around my lower spine and they are also very inflamed. You know your lower back, there is a dip in your back and it goes in? Well that's where the pain is. I have to take anti-inflamatory tablets. I was expecting them to be massive but they're not so that's not too bad at least.

Anyway, I've been ill since 3rd June and have had time off from my work placement and my training centre. The training centre want to kick me off the course because I'm having so much time off. Is it my fault I'm so ill? I couldn't even get dressed this morning, my mom had to dress me. How can I work when I can't even dress myself? It's pathetic. A woman from the centre came to see me at work today. I went in there to tell them I wouldn't be there all week, doctors orders. The place where I work is fine about it, got no problem with them, but the woman wants me to book annual leave, which is holiday, for my absence. I'm ill! I shouldn't have to book holiday for illness!

And now I've just discovered that my boyfriend is in a hump with me. Man, this stinks...

[Igg]

Back problems, hey.

I have chronic back pain- that is, if you have the problem for more than 3 months it becomes chronic. It'll have been a year next month.
If it's inflamed and sore, your tablets should sort it soon. Back sprains can take a while to heal, but once the inflammation goes down, you should be alright to be up and about properly again. I assume you're taking an anti-inflammatory painkiller such as ibuprofen.

Absolute nightmare, and when you're a teenager it's very difficult for people to take a back problem seriously, i.e. at work or school. 'I have a bad back' sounds pathetic, particularly coming from a young and fit one.

Good luck.

[Ginger Harp Seal Pup]

Back problems, hey.

I have chronic back pain- that is, if you have the problem for more than 3 months it becomes chronic. It'll have been a year next month.
If it's inflamed and sore, your tablets should sort it soon. Back sprains can take a while to heal, but once the inflammation goes down, you should be alright to be up and about properly again. I assume you're taking an anti-inflammatory painkiller such as ibuprofen.

Absolute nightmare, and when you're a teenager it's very difficult for people to take a back problem seriously, i.e. at work or school. 'I have a bad back' sounds pathetic, particularly coming from a young and fit one.

Good luck.

Ooh, poor you. Do you take anything for it? It sounds awful. If your pain is as bad as mine then I really feel for you. I've already got chronic neck pain. When I turn my neck to the right it sort of locks up and really hurts. It's like a crick in my neck everytime I turn it and it goes stiff. I've had that for over a year now. Maybe even two years. My mom says I've got the body of an old woman, in a jokey way of course. We both have a laugh about that. In my opinion, you've gotta laugh at things like this otherwise your life will just be a misery.

Nah, its a prescribed tablet that you can only get from behind the counter at a chemist. They're really small light brown tablets. They remind me of iron tablets.

Yeah, it definitely is. I really felt and looked like an old woman, especially when I got in and out of the car. My mom had to help me get out of the car, it was really embarrassing but then again, I really couldn't help it.

[Igg]

Oh yeah, I feel like a complete old woman when i walk around with a stoop and complain of a bad back. hahaha.

I have some very strong painkillers- mixture of codeine and paracetamol- that I take as a last resort, but I don't like the side effects so I have to grit my teeth with it really.

Is it diclofenac sodium, by any chance? They're teeny and light brown, the 50mg ones, the 75 mg ones are more pinkish in colour.

*feels like some sort of drugs baroness*

[Ginger Harp Seal Pup]

Oh yeah, I feel like a complete old woman when i walk around with a stoop and complain of a bad back. hahaha.

I have some very strong painkillers- mixture of codeine and paracetamol- that I take as a last resort, but I don't like the side effects so I have to grit my teeth with it really.

Is it diclofenac sodium, by any chance? They're teeny and light brown, the 50mg ones, the 75 mg ones are more pinkish in colour.

*feels like some sort of drugs baroness*

Yeah, but it's not our fault that our back's hurt! XD

You know your drugs Yep, you're exactly right. I can't believe you got the name right. I couldn't even remember what they were called let alone spell them correctly

[Igg]

Diclofenac sodium were the second thing I was prescribed. I always ended up taking 2 at once, sometimes 3 because they weren't strong enough. I sincerely don't advise this, though, but I was pretty desparate at the time and my doctors are numpties.

I was up all night with a hurty back. Blargh.

See, I need an MRI scan, because unlike you, I don't actually know what the problem is, and that'll be another 9 month's wait. Such a pain. Stupid NHS.

[Christopher]

Back pain never goes away =/

There are plenty of things to try:

Blood test for rheumatic tendancies
Chiropractor
Physiotherapy
Osteopathy

Nothing worked for me.

[Igg]

I knew you'd be here sooner or later

You're my empathiser. Booya.

I take it your blood tests didn't show anything?

[Ginger Harp Seal Pup]

Back pain never goes away =/

There are plenty of things to try:

Blood test for rheumatic tendancies
Chiropractor
Physiotherapy
Osteopathy

Nothing worked for me.

I don't need any of those. My back pain is simply a muscle sprain by my lower spine due to coughing. It's starting to ease a little now. The anti-inflammatries helped too.

[Christopher]

I knew you'd be here sooner or later

You're my empathiser. Booya.

I take it your blood tests didn't show anything?

I actually haven't gotten to check but i'm betting on a nothing abnormal.

I don't need any of those. My back pain is simply a muscle sprain by my lower spine due to coughing. It's starting to ease a little now. The anti-inflammatries helped too.

But all that cracking is great fun?

[Igg]

It's a sad state of affairs when you actually WANT an abnormality.

[Christopher]

Abnormality is good. Except back pain.

[Morningstar]

I can sympathize. When I was in law school, way back when, I slipped on some ice and bruised my tailbone quite severely. I couldn't take much in the way of pain meds because they messed up my stomach too much. So, it was tylenol with codeine. Which made me sleep, sleep, sleep. The school administrators had a hissy fit about the whole thing--even though I had doctors' statements and such. Some people are just totally clueless--because they have never experienced it and have absolutely no empathy for others who are less fortunate.

My suggestion, once you get back into the swing of things, is to do exercises that focus on stretching and flexibility. Those type of exercises help the back muscles.

Hope everyone feels better soon.