I have been experiencing either sharp back pain or muscle spasms for three years now. I had an MRI done and it came back saying I have perforated discs and degenerated disks at L-4 and L-5. My D.O. referred me to get steroid injections and they helped some. My Rheumatologist is not a big fan of steroids since I'm only 23. Is there anything else I can do? I have trouble folding clothes, loading the dishwasher, vaccuming...I'm a housewife's nightmare!
If you can get physical therapy using water therapy, that might really be helpful.
My daughter is 25 and she has a bulging disc and so I know how really bad that can get. Use heating pads, back braces, etc. But really building up your muscles under the careful supervision of a therapist can help you manage those day-to-day activities without so much agony.
Physical Therapy is a good idea becaus they will teach you techniques to manage pain. Try ice packs and muscle relaxers, that is what works best for me. I have a TENS unit that works great too.I will have to look into that. Should my rheumatologist refer me? I do have to say I've done physical therapy twice and it didn't do much, but that was before diagnosis. I'm willing to try again.You can get a referal from your GP or RD, but it should be from whoever has your results. I did PT before dx, and it didnt help at all. I did PT after dx and I had better results...it was a much better experience.