I have for the past year suffered Chronic back pain which has been and is AGONY! It has been going on since my Parkinson's Diagnoses, I am dying to know if there is any connections. Has any one from the forum suffered the same thing, if so can they advice relief of any kind. Trinny
I have suffered back pain for the past 7 years? However in my experience a couple a paracetamol will do the job. Also avoid carrying heavy things like bags of shopping, if you can......
Hi trinny, I also have chronic back pain.I was diagnosed in November.I now have a number of things which may make sense as they are probably attributed to pd.I went by ambulance high on gas and air 3 times in the summer and nothing could be found.I know how you feel. All the best Titan
Unfortunately i've been told my back pain is due to change in gait from Parkinson's. The bottom of my spine is fusing so i'm now having intensive physio which is hard work but helping.
Your back pain maybe due to changes in your posture causing strain on your muscles and wear and tear. Perhaps a referral to physio may help
Dear Trinny, As if you didn't have enough with PD to cope with!!!
Low, middle and high back/neck pains are usually due to some sort of stress that you are putting upon them and general wear and tear.
That may sound a bit harsh but it's good news in that it means that you can do something to help sort it out!!!
Several questions spring to mind which need answering before I can give any advice on what will hopefully help you. If you find them too personal, please feel free to email me the answers via the PDS in confidence. However, if you don't mind, it may help others who are going through a similar problem.
Just to put you in the picture, I'm a physiotherapist of 31 years, have had PD with hindsight for 12 years, diagnosed 3 1/2 yrs and back problems since student days!
1. Where abouts is the pain/agony? Left/right? At what level?
2. When is the pain worst? What have you been doing for the last 1/2 hour before that? (standing still, walking, sitting, lying or other).
3. Are you a bit over-weight/under-weight? Don't worry, I won't tell anybody!! LOL. Or have you lost/gained weight rapidly, recently?
4. Do you have the typical Parki posture of leaning forward when you stand and/or walk?
5. Does anything you do relieve the pain? (painkillers [which?], lying down, walking?)
6. Is there a history of back problems or arthritis in your immediate family? (siblings, parents?)
7. What work do you/did you do? *No need to go into details but posture-wise, sitting, lifting, driving etc.
8. What are your main/time consuming hobbies? See * above.
9. When you look at the bottom of your most used shoes, is the sole of one shoe more worn than the other? Which? ( L, R, inner or outer side.)
10. Do you fall asleep in the chair during the day/evening/night?
If you can get back to me with some of this info, I'll be better placed to suggest something that may well help.
Thanks cecily what a fab questionaire thanks for you concern and prof help (I hope your genuine) because i have replied privately to you too! via the Forum safe Link TRINNY
I am also suffering from lower back pain. It comes & goes & I don't seem to find what sparks it off. I can hardly move withit sometimes & then a few hours later it is much better. Lying in bed makes it worse & I have to get up & walk around to relieve it.I am having physio for it But every time I have gone to the physio it has been O.K. but 2 hours later at home it is bad again. The physio has suggested a course of acupuncture so I will wait & see. Thank you for your brilliant input Cecily It is very much appreciated & I have gone through the questionnaire. Ceal
Thanks Cecily. My husband's back pain makes him completely immobile during the night and first thing in the morning. I am having to lift him out of bed various times during the night to go to the loo. Physio gave the best answer that it is muscular due to the wear and tear, etc of PD. Doctors had always said the back pain was unrelated. That never made sense to me. Paracetamol first thing in morning helps and by the time the PD drugs kick in and we have had breakfast he is much more mobile. However no-one seems willing to really help us with the mobility problems at night. It's now taking its toll on my back and joints. Occupational Therapy said they couldn't help so I have to get back to them for another 'fight'. They seemed prepared to allow us both to fall down stairs or in the bedroom before they will consider doing anything.
Quote ~ When you look at the bottom of your most used shoes, is the sole of one shoe more worn than the other? Which? ( L, R, inner or outer side.)
Since being a child, I have noticed that my Left outer side of my sole is a lot more worn than the right sole. As it happens, my left side is the one mainly affected by Parkinson's. I am curious to know of what use this is to a physiotherapist when assessing a patient?
hi i had back pain for quite a while before i went to the gp ,first i was told by gp it will be the way i walk ant helpin i put to much presure on the one leg and kinda twist me body ,so i cam e awya thinkin ok pd rite deal with it,time went on i could not cope so when i saw me neuro she took look at me then sent me for a scan ,it turned out in the end me bottom too verterbries and the 3 middle ones are on there way out rubbin and ive not long bin dx with sponderlytus arthritus of the spine as well.im not syin thats wot rong with ur back im just saying pd plays its toll with ur back ,and this is wot happined tome when i questioned it all.wot a shock agin it was ,now im dealin with it and have to walk with 2 sticks to keep me self up straight
I do not have Parkinson's but I do suffer from chronic back pain. I have found Alexander Technigue,which looks at the way you move most helpful.My lady has treated many P.W.P.It is private,unfortunately.I have also found McTimoney chiropactors helpful when I have a flare up. They do not crack you like the usual chiropractor, but are very gentle.You think, "How can that do any good?"but it does.
I had acute back pain for six weeks until recently, on occasion I could hardly speak it was so painful. No doubt this was due to my slightly dodgy gait. I was recommended a cranio-sacral specialist and it's been amazing. She is also a trained physio and after one enormous tug on my weak leg to 're-align the pelvis' - which was not painful, just wierd - she then does cranio sacral work and I am astounded by the results, over three sessions the acute pain has disappeared. i still have stiffness and aches but nothing like what it was before and am having on going sessions. I can't recommend it highly enough, I've never had such a powerful therapy. Definately worth looking into.
Hi all you lovely bad backers! I haven't posted for a while, you've guessed, a very painful back, LOL!!! It follows my rule of cause and effect.......two falls, first a skydive which I honestly don't think was a problem, the second and more serious, from the top of an 'A' frame ladder in October last year which left me with piercing stabs of pain in my low back. I'm due for an MRI scan in 3 weeks. I've mentioned before that pain is your body's way of yelling at you that you are doing or have done something wrong. The problem is trying to identify what it is and then correct it. Eg. If I turn my head to the right and look up, I get a tingling feeling from my R shoulder to the tip of my thumb. If I bring my head back to a neutral position, it goes. Hey presto, pressure on my C6 nerve root
I think I have pressed the post key by mistake, so, seconds away, round 2. If you have a stiff back when you wake after a reasonably comfortable night's sleep, possibly your bed is not right for you, either too hard or too soft, so it does not support your back sufficiently and allow the muscles to relax.
I'll post this to explain that this is a bit long winded but hopefully you'll get a bit of practical advice to help.
Dear cecily, I answered your back pain Q's as best I could & gave them to my phsysio (mentioning no names or forums) She said it was helpul info for her to have & repeated her opinion that in my case it is a postural thing. Stern instructions to "walk tall". My back pain has certainly not a thing to do with skydiving
Too soft..... lay a sheet of marine ply or spare door under your mattress (that's if you have a sprung divan base). Otherwise, it may be the time to invest in a new mattress. Don't go for an ultra firm orthopaedic one unless your body shape is dead straight, most of us have curves, maybe larger than we'd like but never-the-less need to be taken into consideration. When you go to buy a bed or mattress, take a picnic and a good pillow. Aim to take several hours trying out different beds. You may well find that after a short period of time lying on a 'right for you' bed, your back pain begins to ease and you feel more relaxed. This is what you're aiming to find, why? Because when muscles relax, the toxins like lactic acid, and waste products of the energy creating chemical reactions, are allowed to be flushed through out of the muscles and nutrients and oxygen enter the cells, to be used next. The muscles give a further sigh of relief and relax more. BLISS !!!! Whilst I'm talking about water, drink plenty, PLEASE. Fill two 2litre pop bottles with water and drink it all within 24 hours. This is the total which includes any other drinks, hot our cold. If you've already bought a mattress that's a little too firm, try putting a sleeping bag, duvet or layer of foam under the bottom sheet. Some of the memory foam mattresses are useful. If your torso is quite definitely an in/out curvy shape, you may find that putting a rolled up guest towel in a pair of tights and tying it around your waste will help support your waist (very glam!!!). If it is possible, ask a friend or family member to look at the central line down your neck to low back and check if it is straight when you're lying on your side. Off for a pee, please excuse, back later, (groan, sorry for the play on words), Cecily.
Whilst on the subject of beds think twice about buying the much advertised all Memory Foam. They are fine for people who do NOT have Parkinson's, but John(PwP) found them very difficult to turn over in and getting out of bed is a nightmare, as you have nothing to push against.An expensive mistake for us. Lovely to hear from you again Cecily.So sorry you are in pain.
I have arthritis of the spine and was in awful pain and physio didn't seem to help much. I have been using a tens machine everyday for a few weeks and it has helped enormously.
. Whilst you're on the subject we're about to look for a new bed.
We currently have a 6ft x 6ft double. I have PD and the old girl has osteo arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. She's had 1 knee replaced so far, more replacements to come.
