Back pain

[Mel]

Latest post of the previous page:

(I believe you also had to have a drink of whiskey to pull teeth ) thankfully those days have gone ...

Many years ago in Lowestoft there was a dentist who didn't give his patients whiskey but always made sure he had a drink of whiskey before pulling teeth or doing any other dental treatment

[Aussie K]

Mell, you must be talking about Gaffer ( if thats how you spell it, his practice was just south of St Johns church in London rd. south.
I went there once and I think I should have had the Whiskey or maybe rum.

[frankiesays]

I used to go to Mr Auckland who was immediately opposite St Johns church. I used to watch the pigeons going in and out of the tower to take my mind off what was going on in my mouth.

[Aussie K]

FC. Most people who take sick leave from work with back pain have sciatica or use that as an excuse to have time off. if it is sciatica it is a most painful condition caused mainly by lifting awkwardly a bad posture when sitting or twisting you lower back.and I know the condition well and it hurts just as much if you are working or sitting at home on the settee, but by working it gets better because you are moving much the same as a the massaging of a physic. if it is so bad that you cannot work then whatever the pain keep active and your condition will improve daily.

[boatbuilder]

Maybe some reading matter on the issue will be helpful.
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sciatica/P ... ction.aspx

[Mel]

Back pain comes in many forms and there is no cure-all, so it is horses for courses.

If you have someone manipulate your body or if you take some sort of homeopathic medicine and it cures or lessens the pain in your back that's good. Having had back pain for a few years now I am still keeping confidence with my consultant and the good old NHS. At the moment my treatment is exercise and drugs, which I am happy enough to go along with as the only other option after having had a CT Scan is the surgeon's knife.

So in my opinion there is no right or wrong treatment. The best treatment is the one that suits you.

[funkychick]

I m sorry Aussie to disagree but your experience is not always the same for everyone your pain may have subsided with exercise and that's good but the wrong exercise can damage your back massively ...

I would definitely use the NHS Mel if that was a possibility however it's very rare to get hands on physio these days Your assessment is done over the phone and then you are given a set of exercises to do yourself I m sure if you have a more serious long term problem you would go through the hospital but for the everyday things like frozen shoulder, sciatic, pulled muscles etc that's what now happens

[frankiesays]

I've had a protruding disc for over 30 years which used to give me a lot of gip in bed. Back in those days the recommendation was to put a board under your mattress which I did to no avail. I was listening to a doctor on the radio the other day who was saying that it definitely not recommended nowadays and can make things worse. It's been much better in bed over the last year ago since I started using two pillows instead of one against general advice. So like Mel says, I think it is horses for courses.

[Lillyland]

I went to Sara at Country Chiropractic and she got my back right again in only a few sessions...

[SheilaO]

I've had spinal stenosis for 25 years, it was undiagnosed, despite presenting with classic symptoms, until about three years ago, in the meantime, I tried everything to try and sort the pain, but a visit to a chyropractitioner was a disaster, and just made my symptoms worse. I know this isn't always the case, but do proceed with caution.

[Dpeanut]

Ive been doing so much gardening lately my back is telling me off, so I had a nice bath and now sitting here treating my back to a session on my tens machine . The one I use is a TPN 200 plus ....helps the nerves go back into place .

[seagull]

Sciatica one worse things I ever had worse than child birth.I ended up in wheelchair 3months I think I would have taken overdose if it not calmed down.the only way for me also at addembrook is operation I am told third chance get better third make no difference third make worse.
I went to a lady in Norwich unthank rd.Done the pain clinics epidural pain back before got to hospital doors.In my case I wait until got nothing to lose then go for it at the moment strong painkillers.I know people tut tut when I say tramadol but don't give a toss you have to take or do what gets you through.I like my life to been lived not constant endurance test

[Abu Nuwas]

V helpful comments!

Chiropractors! Ah, yes. I went, the bloke x-rayed me, showed me my back bent forward and back, like everyone, but also, sideways. Then I lay down, and he did what they do, and asked for his fee. I was paying for some random bloke to knock the living bejasus out of me! Too dazed to know whether it did me good --I told myself it had.

For anyone still with their nose to the grindstone, a doctor I met socially once told me that if a patient turned up complaining of back-pain, there was no way they could contradict this. And I had a layabout neighbour who was able only to sprint down to the Robin Hood, and wait on a bench outside. He had not worked for years: ''it's me back'', while his wife and four daughters worked like Trojans. Where was I? Where am I? Ah yes.... times and medicine may have changed....