Lower Back Spasms - what are your tips? what things have worked for you?
Home management and first aid tips for short and long term relief?
Lower Back Spasms - What Are Your Tips? What Things Have Worked for You?
[Deactivated] on 11/03/2022 - 14:48
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Chronic pain can get GP referral which means medicare will pick up cost of a few sessions a year.
Sit properly.
Stand up desk.
Walk at least 30 minutes.
Apparently even just stretching by hanging on a bar (as if you were going to do a pullup but dont pull up), does help via spinal decompression.
I'm a bit of a skeptic though so i'll keep abusing painkillers instead.
Go to a doctor
As with most help seeking posts, I think OP is look for DIY (cheap) ways. But I think you are right, there're things one should not solve with DIY hacks.
You can visit a doctor for nothing if you have medicare.
Get a referral for an MRI.
Don't let the quacks touch your back until a specialist finds out what's causing the issues.
It may be nothing but until you are examined properly any treatment you receive may cause more harm than good.
The voice of experience.
Hear, hear, hear!
Short term
physio remedial massage
foam roller (maybe consult with physio about which one and how to use)
heat pack
Long term
physio "homework" (they will give you exercises/stretches to do if you ask)
try to increase your level of physical activity e.g. go for walks, take up a social sport
reduce sitting time (if your work involves sitting at a desk try to get up regularly and when you get home try to avoid sitting or at least sit in a different way e.g. couch or bean bag or armchair rather than more time at a desk)
I started trying to do something about neck and shoulder pain about 5 months ago and I would say that the short term stuff worked right away but I had to keep doing it while the long term stuff has only paid off recently, but it was worth it. I took up lap swimming classes for 1 hour each week which I think has done the most to help.
As mentioned by Hithere above, highly recommend getting scans before letting physios or anyone start working on your body.
Without scans, they have to make assumptions.
Best to leave guesswork out of the equation as much as possible, when it comes to your musculoskeletal system.
source: as with many other people, I went to a physio based on a GP's best guess. Physio started some excruciatingly painful massages on the area. Subsequent MRI scan showed that the massaging would, if anything, have caused more damage than there was to begin with.
Which is not to say physios are bad, the message here is to make sure they have all possible information before they start.Would definitely not recommend getting scans unless clinically indicated. A good physio/chiro/osteo will take a thorough history, ask you right questions and do the relevant orthopaedic tests to determine IF scans are needed.
Scans unnecessary create fear (nocebo) in people that have otherwise benign symptoms. Besides many chiros always x-ray because they use it as a selling tool to pitch their care.
In the study linked below, 50 percent of people have an asymptomatic disc bulge. This is one of the many studies that show normal anatomic differences in the population.
In your specific case scans might have been necessary but again that should have been determined in the initial history. As someone who is a chiro I don't x-ray or performs scans unless there is something in the history to warrant them. Most good GPs are up-to-date with this info but a lot of physios/chiros/osteos are not necessarily. YMMV depending on who you get.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4464797/#__ffn_…
In my experience, with a good physio, the first consult they would ask a bunch of questions, check your range of motion and assess the risk before actually doing anything, possibly suggesting an MRI is necessary (not sure if they are refer). They would also continually ask you how you're feeling, e.g. I'm pretty sure "excruciating pain" would translate to "stop immediately and reassess".
Couldn't hurt to get an MRI but it's not exactly a straightforward process, your GP has to be willing to give you a referral. It can be like getting blood from a stone. Some GP's really don't want to hear what the patient wants to do, even though its your time and money.
In my experience, with a good physio, the first consult they would ask a bunch of questions, check your range of motion and assess the risk before actually doing anything
This was all done. The physio went to work based on xray and ultrasound. It wasn't until a specialist got me to get an MRI that the underlying problem became obvious.
They would also continually ask you how you're feeling, e.g. I'm pretty sure "excruciating pain" would translate to "stop immediately and reassess".
Not necessarily. He said it would hurt before he'd even started. During physio (different practitioner) for a previous knee injury, because my hamstrings were so tight from disuse, the deep massage into the hammies was the worst pain I've ever experienced, before or since.
Both physios were experienced and highly recommended, I didn't pluck them out of the phone book.
-Avoid sitting.
-Magnesium Oil
-Aldi Tens machine did wonders for my back, even has a 'back' setting. https://www.aldi.com.au/en/special-buys/special-buys-wed-16-…
-Ice pack/Heat pack some people respond better to one than the other.
-See an osteopath/physio, ask around your area for recommendations.I use Voltaren for short term relief. Longer term I do stretches each day that seem to reduce the occurrence quite well. Best to consult doctor to understand underlying issue
Backs are complex and not completely understood so definitely tell your GP as suggested.
For me ergonomic seating, such as Steelcase Leap, which allows lumbar spine adjustment, helped.
Taking breaks from whatever exacerbates pain if possible.
Exercise raises the bodies ability to block pain automatically. You can also do exercises to specifically strengthen muscles involved in back pain.
Processed grain and sugar causes body wide muscle inflammation. This can exacerbate existing problems such as muscle pain.
less sitting. more exercise. Walking and swimming are great. Core strength, DIY or something like pilates.
GP will do probably give anti-inflammatories, and pain killers if needed. If they think serious, they will suggest CT scan. Specialist will do MRI.
try some stretches for the low back. focus on hammies and the arse, check google. I have bad low back and stretching help (best for me is lie on back, get one leg and cross it on the othwr then push it towards u)
also the weight and core strength !
don't forget to lift br0 and the legs mate, don't skip legs days
Don't have kids and/or bend over to do anything.
Swim backstroke. The movements naturally stretch and extend your back, as well as strengthening your back muscles. These two things will help more than anything. For immediate relief, hold onto a door lintel and let your body hang.
Question: when is it spasming? Can you narrow down situation/position? That goes to cause which will help with solution, temporary/therapeutic/amputation… Yr on ozbargain amongst friends so we'll work out a deal.
Very short term - heat packs. Avoid ice packs as they can cause further spasms or clenching which can cause further problems. Ice packs are great if you have definite inflammation but if it's spasming you don't know that. Heat pack will assist relaxation.
Anything else requires consultation as per advice above.
See a physio for special back massages.
https://www.healthline.com/health/back-pain/lower-back-spasm…