Lower back pains at 17?

Question

Last year around June of 2005, I went to see a doctor for it and he prescribed Flexeril (if you any idea what it is, it basically just puts you to sleep) and told me to not work for two weeks. After that the pain still came back. I work at a textile mill in the packaging department as a material handler, constantly lifting boxes from 5-125 pounds every moment. There's not much I can do about that, because at 17 who else is going to pay $14? I've used over the counter muscle rubs and pain relieving creams. I find that Blue Goo is working best over ulta strength Bengay... but if I go back to the doctor, he'll just give me more flexeril and put me out of work for a few weeks. Any other suggestions??

It's right at my waistline in the back, I know the muscles are constantly being strained by all the bending over. Are there any pain killers that would work effectively? Or another muscle relieving cream that I should use?

Answer 1

If the doctor gave you Flexeril which is a muscle relaxer, then the pain must be in the muscles and not the bone. Try this nutritional supplement called Hylauronic Acid. Your activity is causing your muscles to over produce lactic acid. This is normal as when you exercise the muscles produce lactic acid anyway, but your continued bending and moving is not giving your body a rest so that the body can get rid of it. Also try to increase your water intake to flush the body of the toxins. Hylauronic Acid has been just recently found to neutralize the lactic acid. It is not cheap to buy as it usually costs $9.99 for 30 capsules. You will need to take 2 capsules when you get up in the morning and eat breakfast, and 2 more capsules when you eat dinner at night. You can also take 2 at lunch if you are having pain. Drink plenty of water so that the body will clean itself. This will happen every time you go pee. This is why I said it can be expensive, but I have gotten such relief it is unbeliveable. Try for a week, then taper off to 1 capsule 3 time a day. The only place I have found it is a Walgreen`s. Hope this will help you. You are much too young to be in pain with your back. Also apply heat when you get home, but not at the same time you use the muscle rub. Also practice pulling in your abdominal muscles and breath from the upper part of your abdomen, do not hold your breath, when you pick up the material you are handling. This will strengthen the core muscles. Do not hold your breath at any time when you are lifting a load.

Answer 2

I had back pain since an early age also. I finally figured out that it was artharitis. It actually affects lots of younger people, but that's why muscle relaxers and similar products don't work well. I take tramadol which is a pain killer, it helps alot but is not always enough. Most doctors shy away from anything stronger because arthritis is a life long condition and strong pain medications over a prolonged time lead to addictions. I also take celebrex but it is pretty expensive. The truth is that back pain is a big mystery to doctors, they don't know what causes it most of the time, or how to fix it. I've been to half a dozen specialist and all tell me something completely different. My insurance also covers a chiropractor which I like.
Hope this helps, I know prolonged medical conditions can take a mental toll on you as well. Try to ask your doctor about tramadol and a possible arthritic condition. Keep looking at doctors until you find one that can help.

Answer 3

You are 5' 7" and weight 121lbs? I have had lower back problems my whole life.I once seen a Doctor way back in the late 70's when i was still in my teens and he asked me how tall am i and i told him i am 5' 10" and he said how many inches is that and i said 70" and he asked what length were my pants and i told him 30" and he said my upper body is longer than my lower body and people that are like that have back problems because the longer upper body puts stress on the shorter lower body at the waist and that's why people such as myself have lower back problems.Maybe that's your case? I don't do pain killers and any X-rays i have had done always come out normal as well.I learned to live with the pain (It don't happen very often) and be careful on what i do to put any added stress on my lower back.

Answer 4

I have two ruptured discs that are in that same area...most likely you have either some irritated or bulging discs. In which case, you shouldn't be using pain killers since that will only allow you to do more damage. I would go to the doctor (chiropractor) and get it checked out. Please take care of your back, because it has to last you your life time. I was 22 when I injured my back...it has really messed up what I was doing in life (I was a dancer.) It effects everything I do. Please find out if this is a serious issue or not...with that much pain, it sounds like it might be. An MRI is the only way to find out if you have damage there unless it is so severe (like mine) that it shows up on an x-ray. Good Luck!
P.S. Arnica Montana is an herbal cream that works like a charm to help heal sore muscles, and bruising.

Answer 5

I find that
Biofreeze cream works well ( get from PT)
Skelaxin ( muscle relaxer which does NOT put you to sleep)
Mobic for pain

have you had a MRI of the site? sounds like you could possibly have a buldging disk

when off work did you go thru any Physical Therapy? It really helps

I now do the core classes 3 times a week to strengthen my abdominals which in turn strengthen my back

I have 2 small herniated discs

Answer 6

You should be careful with your body at such a young age, I would suggest going to another doctor or maybe even consulting a chirpractor. The pain may be due to lifting but it could also be related to a soft spot in your spine. I would suggest getting an MRI, and your current doctor may consider this since the pain is reoccurring. There may be other options as well such as a back-brace or weight-belt, however pain numbing is not suggested because you may further risk serious injury. Good-Luck

Answer 7

Short term relief is the "blue goo" which does work great but you really should think of muscle strengthening so that you can have a better long term remedy- if you strengthen the muscles in your back you will not be plagued with this constant pain which is spasm from the heavy lifting you are doing. There are also belts that you can where to help you relieve the back pressure from lifting- you see people in all types of stores wearing them anymore. Invest in seeing a back specialist- have him evaluate you, especially since you will probably stay in this field for a long time due to the $. The orthopedic specialist can give you back exercises to increase your muscle mass and/or refer you to a gym or therapy for muscle strengthening- that way you will be able to continue your job without the risk of constant back pain. I agree, Flexeril is great but you are in ga ga land with cobwebs in the brain for days. Good luck

Answer 8

You might want to try going to a chiropractor.Constant strain on the lower back can put your back and hips out of alignment.
A good pain reliever for the back is Bio-freeze,a non prescription gel that"freezes" the area of pain.You can also apply hot and cold packs to the affected area,alternating between the two every 15 minutes.This is what I do and it helps a lot.Good luck!

Answer 9

Maybe you should try going to a physiotherapist. A good physio can help you retrain your body so you can put the least amount of strain on the back. They can show you how to use all the muscles in your back and shoulders to minimize back pain. In the meantime learn some back stretches for your back. Try taking Epsom salt baths and try hydrotherapy at home. Shower using as hot water as you can for three minutes and then as cold as you can for thirty seconds. Do this three times. It helps me a great deal. You could try Robaxcet platinum (with ibuprofen).

Good luck.

Answer 10

You're young and $14 an hour sounds appealing but you could regret it. Is it worth the risk? Is making that much money now worth not being able to work in the future. Disability doesn't pay the bills.