OMG. I planted three plants - nothing really - and I have spent the entire evening with MAJOR lower back pain. Is that RA? I have taken my maximum dose of painkillers and it has hardly touched it.
Lower back - anyone - advice, feedback ????????
Ice pack!!!!!! Roxy, I have the lower back pain every day. Mine is from OA. If I spend time bending over to pick things up or stand in place for awhile, then my back will hurt. I try not to let it get to the point where I can't stand up straight. When it's like that, I have to lay on the heating pad for some time. I'm flat on my back with the bottle of pain killers near by. I only get up to go to the bathroom and feed the cats. It's terrible to be that way. It takes me about a week to start feeling better and then I can only lift light things.I do have RA in my back but it took years to develope. It also took quite sometime for my doctors to also recognize it as that. It took tons of test....and a spine specialist before they would call it that.
More than likely you've just strained it and that's easy to do especially with the type of work you were describing.
I also have a disk problem that will totally knock me off my feet for days about twice a year. This is a sudden sharp pain that can't be denied that leaves you motionless and in GREAT pain for days if not longer.
Rest is best. It often takes a few days to get back on your feet....and muscle relaxers help me a lot.
Feel better.
I agree with all of the above. I have OA in my back and most of the time it doesn't bother me at all. Other times, without doing anything in particular it feels like I have a spike going down the center of my spine.
I think the key to this is prevention in the first place. Our joints and muscles just don't react the way they used to. But our brains haven't quite figured that out yet. Hey, I could lift that yesterday, last week, last year and no pain.
In physical therapy, they emphasized building up all the supporting muscles with targeted exercises. This help keeps the load off the joints and releases natural endorphins that help with pain.
Am I good at doing all of them. No.
But they do make a difference. Only doesn't help when you are already in pain and inflamed.
I use a lot of tools to help me with everything. I have this wonderful basket, a laundry basket with wheels. Everything goes in it--laundry, groceries, stuff from shopping.
I never lift anything too heavy any way. I've had three hernia repairs. All my furniture is light and easy to move.
But back pain, that's the worse!
Oh you guys. I hurt so bad last night, I got all worked up and was throwing up. It still really hurts this morning but now my stomach hurts. Geeeeeeeez loueeeeeeeeeeez, It was just three holes I dug. I will tell you what - this really makes me think disability. I was going to try water aerobics today- NO WAY.
I think I am turning on the air conditioner and getting out my heating pad. I can't stand ice on anything but extremities. I get cold so fast it is painful.
I am really feeling like I am falling apart. This sucks. I have so much to plant before it gets too hot
You have to accept this illness because it isn't going to go away -- at least not with what they can offer these days. If I had the option I would go on disability myself first, then follow my dreams afterwards. I have no support though outside of myself and feel like there is no choice.
But even so, I am not giving up on trying to find a solution. I moved into a place that will cost me half of what my previous one did. Then, I hope to work out of my home and be in control of my own hours.
It is horrible trying to balance work, taking care of myself and my daughter.
You are fighting your limitations. Embrace them and then work up from there. I got to a point where I couldn't use my hands hardly at all. I'm an artist and writer and I just couldn't live with it. But step by step and one small solution after another and I can work again. It was incredibly hard.
But if you keep pushing against this, you can really cause yourself irreparable harm. Back off and take it easier.
I am so sorry you are in so much pain. It hurts worse because the pain robs us of the things that brings us pleasure. Hang in there. We are thinking about you.
I know your pain girlfriend....but Deanna is right. Even my RD told me the best thing I can do at this point in my life is learn to avoid doing things that are going to put strain on what is already a screwed up situation!! The slightest things can set it off....it doesn't even have to be heavy.
GET THE GARDENER TO PLANT THE PLANTS!!! That's what you hired him for, remember?
Take it easy. It takes a few days; but you'll be back to normal (Or as close to normal as we can be now-a-days) in no time.
I have always been one that I waited for no one to do anything for me. Lift, push, shove, whatever it took to get done. WELL that has all changed for me, most of the time. Sometimes I get a little crazy & lift something that I know I shouldn't. I bought a 40lb. bag of cat litter in at Costco. Instead of asking anyone to pick it up & put it in my basket, I did. When I got outside I could just about stand up straight, so I asked a man that worked there if he could put it in my car, and it stayed in there till my son came over. Well I've been suffering from this for about a week now. I've used heat & cold. After I do something like this I get so #*^*# mad at myself. I'll learn someday...
Trisha You are making this too hard. Break it down into pieces. What do you want? To be well? What does that take in your life? Is it work or no work? If you are working only because of the financial pressures, are there other types of work that wouldn't have the stress attached to them? Can you make it on one income while you wait for disability to come through? I've struggled with trying to decide whether to work or not. My doctor does not want me to work more than 20 hours a week. He out and out tells me that I will feel a lot better if I'd cut my hours. Unfortunately, to keep my health benefits, I must work at least 30 hours a week. When I start going over that, I usually get in trouble. Financially, it has been a terrible struggle. I don't want to keep working my current job. It's a long drive and sometimes just getting dressed exhausts me. I have my goal though and that is to work from home, writing and designing. It's a hard transition to make. But I am confident that I will get there. So, my answer is that I want to work because I want to be creative. This is what gives me joy. The other thing that gives me great joy is helping my children and others that I care about. This feeds my soul. I would like to have more energy for this. I would also like to have more time to cook better meals and do more physical therapy. Eventually, I will leave the job I am in and work from home. Working towards this gives me a lot of hope. But this is my answer and not yours. I am finding that as I work towards my goal, my true path as they say, that my finances are getting better and things are starting to fall in place for me. I have found that when I am going in the wrong direction nothing works out. When I start heading in the right one, things can move incredibly swift and miracles can happen. Look for the miracle in this. It's just beneath the surface, but I know you can feel it. Reach out and hold it to your big heart. Embrace your joy. It will make you well. The ONLY thing I have found that helps my back are Lidoderm (lidocaine) patches. OMG, they are like magic! They are about 8x8 and they just take the pain away. I wish they made a body suit in them. lol Hey, y'all, I am new here and don't have much experience with messageboards/forums. I have been sitting at my computer for what seems like hours looking for someone to talk to about my pain. Roxie's posts could have come from my fingers. I have had RA for about 6 years, but just recently started having severe back pain. I get up every morning in pain, have to hold to furniture and walls to get to the bathroom. Does this sound like the rest of you? I've moved to a new area and don't have a Doctor at present, am taking meds I had left over from my old situation. I was on Remicade for 16 months and was enjoying remission until the last 2 months. Looking forward to getting to know you all. Artielle Hi everyone, I'm up but not due to pain.......a skunk just passed by our place and I think he must have sprayed his aromatic little self under my bedroom window!!Whew!!!
Since I've tapered from 35mg of Prednisone to 10 mg then back up to 15mg I've noticed pains that I never had before and one of those pains is my back. I had back surgery in 1999 and the dr. removed bone spurs on the disk spaces and they were caused by RA. Back pain can be caused by numerous things. Could be degenerating disk, narrowing of disk space, arthritic spurs, or muscle. If your pain is bad enough that you can't walk without support in the morning you need to get yourself to a dr. What meds are you on? From your profile I see that you're an RN. Are you working? You may have access to some healthcare there. I think that predn, dmards, biologics, mask all the pains and aches and once we've either tapered or gone off the cocktail because we're in remission then the pain we're left with is pain from RA damage. You might still be in remission but the pain you're having is from damaged joints and that could include your back. We can all second guess your back pain but to be sure that there isn't anything serious going on you need to be seen by a physician. I put off my back pain for over a year. Welcome to the forum.
Oh can I identify with that pain. After a car accident and MRI it most diffinately is RA. I just started with a pain mangement Dr. It's going to taking 3 visits. What they do is give you a cortisone or something like it shot in the area that hurts. After the 3rd shot they tell me that I will be good for a year. I just had my first one and they did put me out with anesthesia so you don't feel anything. I'm still in pain, however, but like they said it will take 3 shots. My pain is in the lower back and feels like someone hit me with a fist real hard. No traveling pain. Sara:) Hi Lindy, Thanks so much for the quick response. And you are right, of course. I do need to see a rheumatologist soon. I hope you are right about the remission as well (that I am still there). No, I am not working at present, but hope to go back as soon as possible. My elderly parents have been ill, thus the move from my home in Kentucky. Don't know how long before we can go back home, but I expect it will be a while. I am taking methotrexate, prednisone, folic acid, hydrocodone for the RA. I think I will ask about Enbrel. My son is taking it and he is doing well with it. Artielle Susan I do think that alot of the back pain that we suffer from is caused by all of the weird movements that we make due to leg and foot pain. I get alot of relief from the chiropractor. I didnt know how out of alignment the spine could get untill I saw the x-rays! Anyways, I have back pain on a regular basis, but I do get some relief from the chiropractor, some light stretchs and trying not to get stuck in one position for a long time, and those heat patches all really help. I love the smell of Chanel! Rapture doesnt exactly mix well with deep heat either.
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