Any advice to help severe lower back pain?

Im taking care of my mom right now. She's 58 and has been suffering from severe lower back pain for about 2 weeks now. Before this she was in good health %26amp; we're still unsure of the cause. She doesnt have insurance so doctors %26amp; ER aren't really an option. She's in so much pain right now...she can't walk on her own. any advice?? plz help.Any advice to help severe lower back pain?
I developed severe back pain too, without a specific cause. There may have been one (shoveling snow?) but the pain started slowly, and later increased to the point where I also could not walk. I literally crawled on the floor, because standing, sitting up, and even laying down caused me crippling, curl-up-and-sob lower back pain. It's worth noting that my pain radiated down my leg too, a condition known as ';sciatica'; in which a bulging or ruptured disc in your lower (';lumbar';) spine applies pressure to the nerves that leave the spinal cord at that disc and travel down your leg.





Your mom may or may not have the sciatic pain, but I'd still be willing to bet that it's a bulging or ruptured disc in her lumbar spine that is the cause, since she went from good health to severe pain in a short time. I'm not sure what your financial situation is, but you could probably see a family doctor for around $100 a visit, and if you could save for this, it might benefit her greatly. I had no insurance too, and simply paid cash for the visit. If you can get someone to recommend a good doctor, he will be concerned about the possibility of long term nerve damage, in which case your mom might be able to benefit from free treatment provided by state or federal social services. Be honest with your doctor about this and ask him/her what you should do. This was my situation, and when it was determined that I needed surgery to be functional again, the state paid for it. The doctor might also be able to get her some inexpensive pain medication and perhaps a dose of oral steroids. These can provide some relief, even if only enough to get her to the point where she can work on her back herself (see next paragraph).





If no medical service is an option, believe it or not, even severe pain like your mom's can go away after a few weeks to a several months. If her pain is as bad as I think it is, she will want to rest all of the time, but if/when she does have episodes where it feels like she could stretch it, or exercise it, or walk a little on it, she SHOULD, even though she may feel that she should not. Current research shows that complete rest usually causes weakness in the back that can make the injury and the pain worse. Do an internet search for, ';exercises that alleviate back pain'; and make sure the exercises you find are for her type of pain. I found that most of the advice online is for people whose pain and disability was nowhere near as bad as mine, so be sensitive to your mom's unique limits. Exercises could really hurt, and should only be done to the extent that it is not torture for her. My doctor also suggested applying a cold pack several times a day, ten minutes at a time and there is no danger trying this for any sort of back pain (remember not to apply extreme cold directly to skin - wrap it in a cloth or apply it outside her clothes). Give the back a chance to warm up in between, using a heating pad if you wish, though it is not necessary (I didn't). Do not use a lot of heat on it. The occasional cold pack DID help me.





Most cases of back pain can be improved or eliminated with this type of treatment and time. Some, like severe cases that do not improve, may require surgery (usually laminectomy and/or discectomy) that relieves the pressure on the nerve. I had a laminectomy/discectomy that provided excellent relief and returned me to full function, but surgery can have complications and whenever possible, non-surgical treatment should be pursued (exercises, stretches, cold packs, with frequent periods of rest - probably very frequent for your mom).





Do a lot of research online - a lot of it will apply to people with ';inconvenient'; pain, and not crippling pain like your mom's, but it is still helpful to understand the possible causes. The most upsetting thing to me when I got severe back pain was how unrelenting and excruciating it was. There was a strong psychological element to it. You wondered if you would ever be ';normal'; again, and whether you could even live with that much pain, not knowing how long it would last. The idea that it might last ';forever'; was devastating. The fact that most of the cases discussed online were not as bad made it more discouraging, but still, familiarize yourself with the issues, and be confident that it is very likely to improve if you take a few basic steps like the ones I mentioned. Mostly, let her know that the people who have EXTREME pain, excruciating, crippling pain, are out here, and we do understand. Despite everything she feels, it is very likely to improve greatly, if not totally.





See a doctor if you can, and good luck.Any advice to help severe lower back pain?
Is it possible that the muscles in her lower back need to be stretched a bit? At age 32 I was having lower back pain and doctor gave me a handful of stretching exercises. I'm 45 now and I still do them when my lower back hurts. E-mail me if these aren't clear.





#1: Sit on the floor, pull knees up to chest. Roll back onto your shoulders and neck, keeping your knees to your chest. Return and roll up to your butt. Do this 5-7 times.





#2: Sit cross legged on the floor. Keep back straight, and just lean straight forward with hands a comfy distance out in front of you and on the floor. Do this for about 45 seconds, stretching the lower back.





#3: Sit on floor, lean back a bit on hands, knees straight up and together, feet flat on floor and heels together and against the butt. Slowly move the knees to the left until your left leg is flat against the floor, and right foot is off the ground, keeping knees and feet together. Then start with legs vertical again and do the same thing to the right.





#4: Sit on floor, cross right leg over left, put right foot next to left thigh and flat on ground. Turn your shoulders to the right, put back of left hand on outside of right thigh, turn your head to the right and put right hand behind you on the ground. Do this for 45 seconds, then reverse everything and do it to the left for 45 secs





Good luck to you and your mom!
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