i've been out of commision for the last 2wks. with back spasms, will it last for a long time?

Question: i've been to the dr. about my back's muscle spasm. i've been prescribed 800 mil. grams of ibruprophen and muscle relaxants that i use in the evening. i also got a back-spine exray today and a prior blood work was done to check my kidneys. the blood work came out fine, kidneys are o.k., thank god. the problem is that when i get up in the morning, i'm fine, until i bend down to apply lotion to my legs and put on my panty hose. when i do that, i get this painful pulling on my side, mostly my left side and this can go on for hours. you can say it's like a spasm and it starts, stop, and so on. man, it'll stop you in your tracks. today, the dr. wants me to have a consultation with a spine dr. for his opinion, the dr. said i might have to get shots in my spine and/or physical therapy, dang! what is the longest time a person could suffer with back spasms? is there actually relief?

Answers:
First thing, no matter how much it hurts, keep trying to move around as much as you can. If you give in and just lie in bed all of the time, your muscles will atrophy and the pain will get worse.

Second, look into as many treatments as you can. Find a low-impact exercise like yoga or tai chi, with an instructor who has experience with other people with injuries. Consult a massage therapist to work out problems with the muscles that might be aggravating the situation. Consider seeing a chiropractor or an acupuncturist (or both). There's no telling what will work.

When it feels better, stick with your exercise program. It'll save you a lot of grief once you figure out what exercises to do to keep the pain from coming back.

Other Answers:
One of the worst things for a bad back is to sit in front of a computer.

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I have had back issues since Jan 2004 when I was in a car accident. I have had 5 injections and 2 surgeries. I understand your pain, but I suggest seeing a doctor. Spasms can last for the rest of your life if not treated appropriately. Depending on how they came about, it could be something more severe and you would want to have checked out anyways. Back problems remain with you the rest of your life once you get them. I am only 27 and will have to suffer the rest of my life....It is not fun, but you learn to live with it after a while.

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You better learn not to bend over - that is what aggravates this. You have to bend your knees and not your back. You got to learn how to put on your panty hose by sitting on a chair or bed with the back straight until you can stand up and finish the job.

I have always said that those back support belts - you know the ones that men put round their middle, where there is a big wide area of leather that goes against the back and a belt buckle in the front? - are really being put on backwards. They should be put on so that the buckle is in back and the big wide part is in the front. That way, when the wearer tries to bend over to lift something, he can't and has to lift by bending his knees. THEN they won't get damaging back strain.

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Yoga. Try it. It's very effective on strengthening and stretching the back muscles.

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