Low Back Pain - Anything worked for you?

[Lord Lardington]

I’ve got some pain in my lower left back which, according to my Googling, is terribly common.

The pain is horrendous first thing in the morning and makes driving to work almost (but not quite) impossible. As the day goes on the pain subsides to “bearable. I’m not sure if this is due to the area simply getting warmed up or to the painkillers I’m taking.

The trouble is, I’ve had it about 8 weeks now and it’s not getting any better. The only internet advice seems to be staying active and managing the pain. I can’t pop Ibuprofen and Paracetemol forever and I’d like to life with a little less pain, at least in the mornings.

Any suggestions? I’ve chosen not to see my GP yet, I’m guessing his advice will mimic the internet’s. Also, I’m a little sceptical about the ability of an Osteopath or a Chiropractor to help be but am willing to be talked round if anyone has a success story.

[mickykelly]

I have pretty dire episodes myself - just recovering from one now. The Mackenzie book (manage your back pain) is excellent, with pics to explain what you can do as soon as its OK to roll onto your front - stretching exercises to get the spine back into correct position.

Chiropractors and osteopaths are both good bets IMO - but they may try to get you to commit to long term treatment visits (expensive). A one off visit can do wonders - has for me - quick crunch, and you can feel almost pain free. Its a shock when they man handle you though!

If its like mine - muscular spasm pressuring the spine out of position - it'll fade eventually. Addressing the weakness is the thing. Mackenzie method, swimming, cycling all good for that lower back.

[HenryWeston]

could it be your bed giving you a bad back ?

[cannyscot]

I get this-I would agree with Henry Weston , my back can get bad in the morning if I am in a hotel room.


My home made strategy is

Heat pads-buy them in tesco 2 for about 5.99 get big ones and wear them like a girdle.
Ibuleve gel -put this on as well .

try and get to a swimming pool and do some gentle stretching/swimming

best not to sit around too much it does not help for me.

[Rachel443]

Hi!
Have you done something to your back, maybe gardening and you've pulled a muscle? Seems strange that its only in the left side?
I have suffered with lower back ache for a while and went to see a physio, who put it down to bad posture:naughty: So I took his advice and started to pay more attention to how I was sitting/standing etc. Exercise also helps. Now I just keep as active as possible. When i have a long car journey its normally sore the day after but with some stretching, it soon loosens up.
I would go and see a Doc if it has just come on for no reason and is only on the left side though, could be something underlying????

Anyway, hope you get better soon! :)

[Mesopotania]

Osteopath worked for me - I couldn't walk as my lower back was to painful. Osteopath cost £30 a session - and after 4 sessions I was absolutely fine - no pain at all. Well worth the money

[Lord Lardington]

Thanks for the super speedy advice, it all sounds very usable.

I don't think my bed is the primary cause becuase I felt my back "go" when stretching in the shower. That said, it might not be helping my recovery either. I'll check out a new mattress.

[Hippychick]

Try a tens machine for pain relief, I find them very effective at managing pain and a lot better for you than taking bucket loads of pain killers. Also probably best to get checked out by your GP.

Lloyds pharmacy are selling them at the moment for £14.99 which is a good price IMO.

[Savvy_Sue]

Go and see your GP: they can refer you for physio / further consultation if necessary but also rule out anything too dreadful!

since the waiting lists for physio can be quite long, the sooner you go the better!

[frivolous_fay]

I find if I pull a muscle in my back, I have to be super careful at night not to aggravate it. Usually it's my left or right lower back. I quite often have to lie flat on my back... essentially, if I lie in bed and it hurts, I move until it doesn't, and try to sleep that way.

If I shift in the night and end up putting tension on the bad muscle, I *really* know about it in the morning. I take ibuprofen for the bad days... and eventually the cycle breaks.

The above mainly works for my relatively minor (or at least, shorter duration than yours) pain, but do see a specialist if there's really no sign of improvement.

[Guapa1]

I'll second going to your GP. I'm going for physio at the moment and it takes a while to be seen, so the sooner you get the referral the better.

[dawnylou]

My dad always has problems like this. Suffered with his back for years but at some times it will flare up so badly he can barely stand up!
Last week he was really bad so he went to docs who told him he would have to wait a week for an appointment so he struggled for another week just popping pills. When his week was up he went to docs and was promptly written a prescription for painkillers!
It maddens me that docs sometimes seem to think everything can be cured by popping some sort of pill!

[vyvyan]

I find if I pull a muscle in my back, I have to be super careful at night not to aggravate it. Usually it's my left or right lower back. I quite often have to lie flat on my back... essentially, if I lie in bed and it hurts, I move until it doesn't, and try to sleep that way.

If I shift in the night and end up putting tension on the bad muscle, I *really* know about it in the morning. I take ibuprofen for the bad days... and eventually the cycle breaks.

The above mainly works for my relatively minor (or at least, shorter duration than yours) pain, but do see a specialist if there's really no sign of improvement.


This advice works for me too. Also, I often sleep with a pillow or a cushion to put under my knees if I'm on my back or between my knees when I'm on my side - seems to ease some of the pain. Basically, if you're still hurting find a comfortable position to suit you.

[Lord Lardington]

Thanks again all. I'll get down to the GP and also try a TENS (sounds intriguing).

[smileypigface]

I've had lower back pain, on my left side, since I was 17 ...

The best, long-term solution I have found is my Chiropractor - an Osteopath helped me in the sort term about 12 years ago but then I tried a Chiropractor and haven't looked back.

My understanding is that the Osteopath looks at the problem area .. whereas the Chiropractor looks at the whole skeleton and looks to re-establish total balance ...

I have a bad spell about once every 2 years - and it's always the result of me doing something daft (heavy lifting etc).

My chiropractor looks for long term solutions not just constant treatment - he devised a course of rehab exercises for me to do, under supervision, 26 sessions over 13 weeks doing strengthening exercises to build up the muscles around my weak spot (I have a disk that slips out of place) - I did this about 2 and a half years ago and that bought me all this time with no problems - however I was too stupid to keep up the simple exercises and then slept in a tent for most of last year (as part of my job) so I wasn't entirely surprised when I started to get problems again this year - so I've just done the rehab sessions again and am making more of an effort to stick to the maintenance this time!!!

Oh, and cold packs on my problem area do better than heat .. because heat encourages blood flow to the inflamed area and 'feeds' the inflamation - cold constricts the blood vessels and therefore reduces the inflamation.

I definitely don't go for things that mask the pain .. tens machines and pain killers - as I prefer to address the problem rather than mask it.

Each to their own - I know other people who have done the same route as me and swear by it ... but also people for who the Chiropractor has not helped at all. It's just a case of finding what treatment suits you best as an individual.

Good luck in getting it sorted - you have my heartfelt sympathy!

Last thing ... I have a vibrating (battery powered) wedge-shaped cushion (got it from Boots) that I use in the car on long journeys and find it invaluable to stop me seizing up when driving! (My hibernating cushion as my small son named it!!!!!)

[Savvy_Sue]

My dad always has problems like this. Suffered with his back for years but at some times it will flare up so badly he can barely stand up!
Last week he was really bad so he went to docs who told him he would have to wait a week for an appointment so he struggled for another week just popping pills. When his week was up he went to docs and was promptly written a prescription for painkillers!
It maddens me that docs sometimes seem to think everything can be cured by popping some sort of pill!But in the doctor's defence, a large percentage of back pain problems will resolve themselves in a certain length of time, and an equal percentage of those that haven't will resolve themselves in another length of time, and the doctor doesn't know at the start which sort is which unless there's something obviously wrong on examination!

Plus in some cases easing the pain will help resolve it, because of course if we're in pain we hold ourselves awkwardly and pain starts flaring up in other places. And it may need stronger painkillers than you can buy OTC initially.

If the doctor COULD do something which would sort it out instantly, I'm sure they'd be happy to do it!

[mjr600]

If you see a GP try for diclofenac it is an anti-inflammatory and works very well, don't let him put you on paracetomol/codeine it's a cheap option and may make you feel ill. You need to control the pain before you can work on the problem, constant pain has side effects like irritability and depression.

Drinks lots of fluids, loose a bit of weight, sleep on your side or back, lay on your back with your legs crossed and a few cushions under your legs lifting them up it will make your spine curve away from the nerve and relieve the pain.

[~daisy~]

often lower back pain is symptomatic of a tight piriformis which is a muscle deep in the buttocks and the sciatic nerves runs through or very close to this

if this muscle therefore becomes tight and contractedthen you will experience lower back pain and any decent massage therapist could release this for you quite quickly

as a remedial massage therapist i would advise a stretching and strengthening rehab programme but to take some decent anti inflammatory initially also

[Errata]

In your shoes I would see my GP so they could rule out what wasn't causing my backache and then ask for a physio referral and if the wait was longer than I was prepared to accept ask my GP to suggest a good local private physio practice.
I have a couple of upper vertebrae and a disc that are degenerating due to age and giving me some discomfort. The problem was diagnosed by my GP supported by x-rays and I initially had private physio until my NHS physio appointments started, about 6 weeks. The private physio treatment was a good start and as well as exercises to do and manipulation, I was given lots of sensible advice on bed, sleeping position, chairs, sitting position, and the physio adjusted my car seat and steering wheel so I was in the optimum position for comfortable driving.

[Aurans]

Had a similar problem earlier this year, except the pain was in my right lumbar region. It turned out to be as a result of a sports shoulder injury that I'd sustained a couple of years previously. The NHS physiotherapy I'd had wasn't anywhere near enough to deal with it, so over time the muscles in my shoulders and back tried to compensate, and eventually it all led to really nasty lower back pain. I didn't hang around, went straight to a chiropractor and have had it sorted. Not the cheapest route but certainly more effective for me than physio.

If you can afford it I'd say head for the chiropractor, typical cost around £45 for the first session (an hour) followed by about £30-35 per 20-30 minute sessions thereafter.

[fabwitch]

Get it checked out by your GP, you can ask to be referred to the Pain Clinic for long term pain. I had the nerve endings burnt away in my left lumber region as I had been in pain for many years.This worked brilliantly for me.

[Tim Deegan]

Thanks for the super speedy advice, it all sounds very usable.

I don't think my bed is the primary cause becuase I felt my back "go" when stretching in the shower. That said, it might not be helping my recovery either. I'll check out a new mattress.

We recently sold two memory foam/pocket sprung mattresses to an osteopath. So we asked their professional opinion on the best type of mattress for back support. They told us that most of their profession recommends a combination of pocket sprung and memory foam (which is why she bought them). They also went on to say that if you can't afford pocket sprung with memory foam, then the next best option is just pocket sprung, and that they are far superior to latex (or reflex) foam and memory foam mattresses that seem to be the most common memory foam mattresses on the market.

[curlywurlygirly]

Great thread guys....

Another vote for TENS machine, they are fabby - though the better deal is at Boots.....it is £19.99, but you get 4 pads with it, as opposed to the 2 at Lloyds - which is decidedly better (also if you buy it online through a cashback site it's even cheaper).....

Have just forked out for a Chiropractor myself - not cheap, but well worth the money!;)

[curlywurlygirly]

If you see a GP try for diclofenac it is an anti-inflammatory and works very well, don't let him put you on paracetomol/codeine it's a cheap option and may make you feel ill

Am on both for back pain - and imho they both make you feel very sick....defo. have to eat with them!

[Lord Lardington]

Hi there, update from me. I got up today and the back pain was worse and couple with the collective advice I pushed for an appointment with me GP for today (I’d already booked one for Friday but that seemed long way off).

He gave me some strong painkillers “Naproxen” to ease my path to getting it sorted, that path being a referral to a local physiotherapy clinic. My first appointment is tomorrow at 13:30 so I’ll report back.

If this doesn’t produce results after the 10 sessions I get paid for by my medical insurance I plan to try a Chiropractor I’ve had recommended too me by a friend, plus my doctor wants to see me again if the physio doesn’t start to work quite quickly.

Oh, and I’ll going to send my girlfriend some flowers for putting up with my pain-induced grumpiness.

Thanks again all

[Errata]

Good to hear you've got things moving. My physio reviewed my progress at the start of each weekly session and did a super review each fourth session. The reviews led to slight changes in treatment.
If your physio doesn't seem to be as successful as expected, your GP will suggest a next course of action for you, which may not be a chiropractor.
Good luck - enjoy the exercises.

[Piggybanker]

Oh so timely. Caved in and went to GP myself today having tried heat pads and run of the mill pain relief as well as acupuncture for the last 3 weeks. Now on diclofenac and paracetamol and advised not to drive more than 1/2 hr. Mmmmm - office 1hr away and drive during the day for work :sad:

Colleagues recommended hanging from a door frame or similar but I can't hold my own weight!

Hope you feel better soon
Piggy

[Lord Lardington]

Piggy - if I hung upside down I would doubtless actually pull my legs right off (I'm big). What's your sickpay deal? Luckily I get full pay but know that a lot of people (my other half included) get no pay for three days and then some bad day rate. This would add terrible stress to the pain, which is exactly what you don't need. She often goes to work when she really should be at home.

[Lord Lardington]

Errata - I was surprised to receive physio and not chiro or osteo but my doc said that after the physio (if not successful) the next move would be something else, like a back specialist. He, like you suggested, never mentioned Chiro.

I guess your point is that I possibly shouldn't try Chiro now that I'm on the treatment trail? Well, I think you're right. It's too easy think, "Wow, this hurts, lets try everything at once."

[Ted_Hutchinson]

Vitamin D Deficiency and Chronic Low Back Pain (http://www.spinejournal.com/pt/re/spine/abstract.00007632-200301150-00015.htm;jsessionid=GnZKTkW0RrL3B1JWSTZ2Sn01Ty6F7 1yTX1gc1xrGQTTHmmdz1JLN!1864852813!181195628!8091!-1)

Vitamin D Chronic pain research (http://www.vitamindcouncil.com/researchChronicPain.shtml)

UK vitamin D status (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/3/860)is such that even in Summer the average adult has below 80nmol/L vitamin d (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17726070)required for maximum calcium absorption.
http://static.capitalreach.com/a/asbmr/2006december/6952/slides/small/slide1016.jpg (http://app2.capitalreach.com/esp1204/servlet/tc?c=10169&cn=asbmr&e=6952&espbr=16&espmt=2&s=20343&&m=1&espnavmode=1#)Slide 18 ( 00:10:02 ) (http://app2.capitalreach.com/esp1204/servlet/tc?c=10169&cn=asbmr&e=6952&espbr=16&espmt=2&s=20343&&m=1&espnavmode=1#)The amounts needed to raise status to the level associated with lowest cancer incidence are here http://static.capitalreach.com/a/asbmr/2006december/6952/slides/small/slide1031.jpg (http://app2.capitalreach.com/esp1204/servlet/tc?c=10169&cn=asbmr&e=6952&espbr=16&espmt=2&s=20343&&m=1&espnavmode=1#)Slide 33 ( 00:17:19 ) (http://app2.capitalreach.com/esp1204/servlet/tc?c=10169&cn=asbmr&e=6952&espbr=16&espmt=2&s=20343&&m=1&espnavmode=1#)

[Fritha]

I had tremendous upper, middle and lower pain, essentially the entirety of my back (not all at once usually, they tended to vary!)! sometimes it hurt so badly I literally couldn't breathe properly!


Doctor put me on painkillers (anti-infammatories, diclofenac if I recall correctly, or one that begins with an r and ends in ac!) a couple of times to see if it would clear up, when it didn't I was referred to physio, she diagnosed that the top is my spine isn't quite the right shape and prodded me a bit to get movement back in it!

I only needed three sessions so that was quite exciting!

I also bought a tens machine which I have to say was my best purchase, as curly says get the one from Boots as it's got four pads as apposed to the two on the lloyds one. I found the TENS can clear up pain that double doses of painkillers (which I was on at one point to try to manage my pain!) didn't even ease!

Good luck with your physio etc :-)

[noonesperfect]

often lower back pain is symptomatic of a tight piriformis which is a muscle deep in the buttocks and the sciatic nerves runs through or very close to this

if this muscle therefore becomes tight and contractedthen you will experience lower back pain and any decent massage therapist could release this for you quite quickly

as a remedial massage therapist i would advise a stretching and strengthening rehab programme but to take some decent anti inflammatory initially also

I would second this, or possibly shortened hamstrings (too much sitting/driving causes this).
I tried painkillers + doctor + chiropracter + pilates classes. Eventually had 2 sessions with an osteopath and bingo! that worked.
A combination of a simple stretching exercise and special insoles keeps me mobile.

[Errata]

Errata - I was surprised to receive physio and not chiro or osteo but my doc said that after the physio (if not successful) the next move would be something else, like a back specialist. He, like you suggested, never mentioned Chiro.

I guess your point is that I possibly shouldn't try Chiro now that I'm on the treatment trail? Well, I think you're right. It's too easy think, "Wow, this hurts, lets try everything at once."

My line of thought is that I always try the NHS first for any health problem, rather than self diagnose and try something that costs ££££ because 'it worked for my mum/mate/him off the telly'.

Backs are particularly important to us, they stop us from falling over! It makes sense to treat them with the respect they deserve and tap into the largest collective amount of knowledge/skills/experience/treatment/research - which is the NHS.
Hope all is going well with you.

[debbiedeejay]

A combination of a simple stretching exercise and special insoles keeps me mobile.Glad to hear you've gone to your GP about your back, you have certainly done the right thing and there are some brilliant suggestions already posted to help you on the way to recovery.

With reference to the above quote from nonesperfect,have you thought about asking to be also ref. to your local NHS Podiatry department and asking for a Biomechanics/gait assessment? There could be a underlying problem with your feet that in turn is causing problems in your back,hence the simple exercises and special insoles(orthotics),could help in pain levels.Also daft as it sounds but make sure your footwear is supportive and in good nick!

Hope the info is of some help and good luck- back pain is horrible!

Take care.

[Lord Lardington]

Ahoy hoy.

Checking in. Hada couple of physio sessions (plus the exercises he’s told me to do at home) and I think I’m seeing some results. I took a what seemed like a backwards step in that my left leg went a little weak/numb I was worried but both my physio and doc assured me that this wasn’t uncommon. The numbness is wearing off now and my mobility is definitely increased.

After my first bout of physio I had a horrendous night of pain (the Naproxen my doc had given me was not even taking he edge off) but I’ve got some short term Tramadol now which I take if I feel the need rather than religiously.

All in all, I think I might be on the up although there’s a way to go.

[keelykat]

Hello, I saw a chiropractor about my back-after my doctor just gave me pain killers which didn't even touch the pain. Although i had shooting pains,which went down my left leg and was causing me so much pain it was unbelievable! A lady at work recommended someone who had seen her daughter, so off i went and wasn't disapointed!

He examined me, and found out what the problem was...and then i was put into wierd positions and certain bones cracked etc as things were re-aligned...sounded very scary but didn't hurt at all. When lying down my one leg looked longer then the other, my OH was there and couldn't believe it...very odd for him to see that. Once he had finished, i was told to lie down again, and my legs then were same length..... my back was all twisted to start with which is why i looked lopsided etc.

I'm not very good at explaining, but basically if there is a serious problem with the back-it must be seen by someone who specialises in these kind of things. General gp's aren't any good.

After having my back re-aligned i was shown some exercises to do to strengthen up my back muscles etc, which i had to do several times daily.

I'm lucky in the sense that i went early on, and so i didn't have to go back again-i just kept doing the exercises and i didnt have any recurring problems after that (fingers crossed). I didn't take the painkillers for long!

It was like being a new person when i came out-i felt less tense...and i felt taller too. Another thing was-i'd been having migraines since the time i hurt my back, which i found out were related and stoped after seeing the chiropractor! I was amazed!

keely.

[cjS]

I too suffered awful back pain first thing in the morning, had allsorts of advice from doctors and other 'experts'. I changed mattresses 4 times, never did a thing! Then 2 months ago we moved house, we treated ourselves to a new bed FRAME! Nothing flash! I have not had a pain in 2 months. It was not the mattress at all, it was the wooden slats that supported the frame where just not up to the job, this new bed (frame) supports the mattress so much better , giving the feeling of a much firmer mattress. It's worked for me and I AM NOW FREE FROM THAT PAIN THAT USED TO WAKE ME EVERY MORNING!!

[Katykat]

As a long term sufferer and facing another epidural inj next week, I have taken some steps that has eased my pain considerably. I bought a TENS machine, a memory foam/ pocket sprung mattress and started Pilates. All of these things have helped. In fact i am seriously considering cancelling the procedure next week, although my OH says I should use it as an addition and he thinks I might regret cancelling it. Will talk to my Specialist, but I would say probably thi best long term help would be Pilates. It really does feeel good when I've been.

[Carlakoala]

I am a body worker. I treat people using Shiatsu and Bowen Technique. Yes Chiro and Oestos can work - go on personal recommendation. DO NOT BELIEVE them if they tell you it will take a treaments plan of say, 10 treatments at (a very nice) £30?40 a time. I expect to get someone sorted in 2-3 treatments if the problem is purely muscular. If it keeps coming back then yes, external factors: bed. Car. working position should all be looked at. I can recommend a book called The Back Book by Barrie Savory - a UK oesteo - for exercises and an explaination of what is happening. If you are finding one side worse than other it sounds like a disc on that side has become compressed - so like a car with a flat tyre, you list to one side, creating pressure all over the structure. Lower backs also tend to go when we are stressed - especially over money or housing - studies have shown this to be true.
hope this helps you and others.
Carla

[dazb2004]

Hi all,

I've been suffering from arthritis in my lower back for years now. I've tried various pain relivers, exercises and even acupuncture and nothing has worked at all.

After numerous trips to the doctor, he finally suggested I try a Baxolve (http://www.neurotech.co.uk/baxolve_home.php). I didnt know what it was, so after a bit of research I discovered it was a tens machine that uses electical pulses to numb pain. I was sceptial at first but after trying it the first time, i couldnt believe how good it was.

I would recommend it to anyone who suffers back pain.

Darren

[audioblackout]

hi,

i have had alot of trouble with my lower back over the years but 'touch wood' i've been ok for a while now (although the sciatica isn't completely gone, but it's much better than it was)

after my last episode, i did alot of reading around and one thing someone mentioned was the chair you use for everyday work. i've tried alot of different chairs over the years, all supposedly great with superb lower back support. but at the end of the day, if you think about it, support is not what you need - cause the part that is the problem is not getting the movement you need to keep it working right and healthy. someone mentioned a gym ball, so i gave it a go.

a year later and i can honestly say it's' the best thing i've ever done. it took a good few weeks to get used to but now all day, i sit bouncing up and down on that thing, it gives your lower back a constant work out, and it's fun too. i get much more work done cause i'm constantly moving, thinking, working out.

and all that for only £6.99 from argos.

oh and another thing i did recently is spend a bit of money on a good pocket sprung memory foam mattress. it just arrived today. let's see if that helps too :)

[flugellover]

Hi all - there is a lot of good advice on this thread - excellent! I would highlight that as you can see through the postings...
1. different things work for different people
2. it pays to do something sooner rather than later if you get spinal pains (including neck pain)

other points I think are worth making include
-if you are treating the problem with more than one solution, how do you know what is working? I know that if you went to a physio for example and said you were also seeing a chiro/osteo, the physio would ask you to come back when you had finished with the other professional.
- if you do get spinal pains, try and keep moving as much as you are comfortable to - clearly in some acute episodes people need a day or two in bed, but where possible, don't linger in bed if at all possible after that. If that means that you need to use pain relief methods (e.g. pills or TENS, or heat) then, gerearally speaking, do it.
here's to happy, healthy, painfree spines - back pain is horrible!

[liames]

I have had back pain for 15 years mostly at the bottom of my back. I am on various tablets from my GP . The one excercise that really helps is the cat stretch started to do it about 6 months ago and I can really say it has helped the pain. You will have to google to see how to do the cat stretch. I do about 20 in the morning when I first get up and the same number before I go to bed.

[nappentass]

Excellent advise from everyone's experience.

I strongly recommend Bowen Technique - it was the only thing that really worked for me and was literally a life saver after 3 years in chronic pain- and for me it was an instantaneous result on the first session - completely painfree and able to move unrestricted.

Bowen has been a godsend to me so much so that I am training to be a Bowen practitioner to be able to help others because it's a non-invasive, gentle, remedial therapy that prompts the body to sort itself out.

The other thing that helped me was practicing yoga, which by learning and experiencing as much as I could has taught me a lot about my body and how to help it, to move and to strengthen it.

HTH
Jill

[anna42hmr]

accupuncture beleive it or not worked wonders for me, no pain any more and fingers crossed it stays that way

[Mutter]

Mine is Arhritis in the spine, treated by an Osteopath after a particularly bad spasm caused by the slight lean forward whilst brushing my teeth.
If I could sit periodically or walk on all fours it would be manageable. The problem is with standing, the pain now radiating into my left thigh now too.

At home I can manage by curling up and rocking, something that looks most odd to those who think lying flat should be relief!
Long term, I have noted all the help recommended on this thread and will look into it.
But, I have now to get a job. A standing job, one where even a 5min break will be a luxury, so was looking at Tens machines.

The thing is though which one?
Lloyds have them. Top of the range costing £30.00 or this http://www.acticare.com/products/acticareTSE.asp
or this http://www.neurotech.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=28

Does anyone have any idea whether costly is better than cheap, or is one the same as the next?
In MSE style, if I purchase Lloyds and it does'nt work, whereby the one costing £130 does, then in order to earn I should invest.
Oh, GP not a great help. After a flare up some time ago resulting in a swollen leg and foot, he suggested , after giving remedy, that I should regularly see the osteopath. Trouble is 2x weekly sessions is £80.
Might as well stay at home and forget working in that case.!
Any info on various tens would be so welcome and as I've said I will definately look into other longer term control. Just short term I need to stand for 8 hrs.
Note to Ted, I am taking Vit D.

[Savvy_Sue]

It just worries me that you're considering taking a job, even short term, that you KNOW will aggravate your spinal condition ...