Strategy for being bedridden from back muscle spasms

November 22, 2015 7:12 PM

Help! I have been stuck immobile for 9 hours due to lower back spasms. I anticipate another day of the same tomorrow except without husband at my beck and call. What can we do to best prepare me?

I am a chronic sufferer of muscle spasms in my neck and shoulders so I am armed with drugs and general spasm management techniques but I'm not used to the immobilization caused by this muscle group.

I have both flexeril and tizanidine plus vicodin and alleve, plus knowledge of the rules for mixing or not. I can call my doctor tomorrow to see if there's anything else to be done in that area but since I can't get to a pharmacy, there'll be nothing else For most of the day.

I'm looking more for what will be the useful things for my husband to do before he goes, things to leave in my reach, etc. Smartphone and charger, laptop, check. I also have snacks and bottled water, including snacks with protein.

I'm also looking for position advice. I tried flat on my back with legs raised and supported at right angle but it wasn't comfortable in the extremities and was almost impossible to move in and out of that position unaided. Flat on my back or on side with knees bent has been more successful. Getting in and out of bed us torture - it seems like I cannot stand the weight of my legs during transitions. Can you recommend good websites that might have suggestions and diagrams for this?

And, well, anything else you think might be useful to someone in this position? Some secret stretch that's going to make it all go away? Argh.

posted by Tandem Affinity to Health & Fitness (15 answers total)

Response by poster: Ps I have a tempurpedic bed so I think that's alright. I've read about lying on the floor but I worry about a chill.
posted by Tandem Affinity at 7:16 PM on November 22, 2015

Have you tried an electric heating pad? I found one of these would ease pain and loosen me up for a bit
posted by KateViolet at 7:18 PM on November 22, 2015

Oh I feel your pain! I've been through this so many times over the past 5 years. One of the things that's helped me the most is this video. Take it slow and easy. Do you have a headboard you can grab on to when a spasm hits? That helps a lot. Get lots and lots of pillows. Put one between your knees if you can lay on your side, and a few behind your back to prop yourself up a little so you can relax. Try to roll off the bed when you need to get up. Flexeril tonight before you sleep should help a lot. Hopefully tomorrow you're in much better shape. Hang in there, this pain can be excruciating, but it will ease up soon. Once you are feeling a little better and out of the acute spasm phase try using a tennis ball for trigger point massage. Lie on it on the floor, placing it at various spots around your low back, glutes, hips, hamstrings and just relax into the ball as much as you can.
posted by katy song at 7:23 PM on November 22, 2015

I know this is not necessarily something one wants to think of, but... something to pee into if it's necessary. If you can't get something designed for the purpose tonight then get a wide mouth bottle or a Tupperware with a lid or even some plastic bags or something. If the pain gets bad enough that you can't get up you may be very grateful to have the option...
posted by brainmouse at 7:38 PM on November 22, 2015 [1 favorite]

After this bout, some Physical therapist can better teach you appropriate stretches and self traction methods if you ask them to, but of now I'd google some stretches for your muscle group and do those gently after some heat.
I'd be doing some at home electro stimulation to stop the spasms and relax the muscles. That works amazingly well on the shoulders, neck is a little trickier though. Feel better!
posted by TenaciousB at 7:41 PM on November 22, 2015

Since you asked for some "secret stretches", when you're over this acute episode have a look at some of Pete Egoscue's stuff. Most of his exercises are fairly gentle stretches that you can do by yourself, at home, with no special equipment. I've found them very helpful for my back problems. Probably the easiest way to start is to get his book Pain Free (from the library, even!) and try a few. Good luck and feel better!
posted by Quietgal at 8:55 PM on November 22, 2015

Lying on my side on the couch with pillows works for me. Facing the TV, remotes at hand.

You can roll off the couch onto the floor and crawl away when needed, more easily than from the bed, and more easily than from a supine position.
posted by JimN2TAW at 9:15 PM on November 22, 2015

Any chance you have a corset? I find that medium compression makes a real difference.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:18 PM on November 22, 2015

Something large and flat and sturdy can help with getting in and out of bed. Do you by chance have a boogie board...?

I recommend developing a temporary interest in some slightly silly things so you have stuff for your pain and pill-addled brain to focus on. Things I have found useful in this regard: the HMS Bounty saga and present-day Pitcairn Island, the rabbit hole that is the Gouda Foods web site, the 1972 Andes plane crash, the Donner party, 1970s disaster movies. All entertaining and distracting while asking very, very little of your brain.
posted by kmennie at 9:22 PM on November 22, 2015

Fellow lower-back spasm sufferer here, and these five yoga poses have changed my life. It helps me so much that now when my lower back is hurting, I will try these poses first before I take any flexeril or other drug. I am really happy I can pass the information on to someone who can benefit from it. Feel better soon!
posted by seasparrow at 10:17 PM on November 22, 2015 [6 favorites]

Find the best PT in your area. Get in touch with them, get a recommendation for back school. It helped me. You might be able to check a video out of the library. I had chronic lower back pain for a number of years. It went away never to return. Back school helped me to de-stress that area by careful means, how to bend over a sink to brush teeth, getting out of bed, a whole bunch of things. When you get off the toilet tomorrow, brace your hands on your knees to rise. Good luck.
posted by Oyéah at 10:33 PM on November 22, 2015

I had a lower back injury that left me with nerve pain in the whole lower half of my body and bed bound for months, and these helped me get through the days:

A hot water bottle would be a good idea, and I've had very good results with tiger balm all over the affected area.

For me, laying on my stomach was the only comfortable option. It was the way my discs were bulging into the spine. In particular, laying on my stomach with one of my legs bent to my side

McKenzie back exercises changed my life.

But if you can only do one thing, do this frog stretch. Seriously, I have taught it to SO many people. It kills at the beginning but it truly opens your hips out and makes your back spasms relax. Tip: After 2 mins of doing it, don't get UP out of it, slide and wiggle your legs behind you until you're laying on your stomach. It's at once gentle enough for most people to manage, and amazing enough to provide amazing relief.

You can also try laying like this or this for a couple of minutes at a time, letting gravity gently elongate your spine and loosen up your hips.

If you have a foam roller, try using it. If you don't have one, the home hack method is to run a rolling pin up and down your hamstrings (ask your husband to do it), and when by yourself, up and down the sides of your thighs (the ITB).

With lower back nerve pain, remember that if you feel ANY pain at all whilst peeing or taking a dump, you MUST go get it checked immediately. Tingling in your feet is also not a great sign.

Good luck, lower back pain is debilitating.
posted by shazzam! at 4:20 AM on November 23, 2015 [1 favorite]

I will tell you my method for getting out of bed without lifting the legs: Lie on your side, knees bent, facing toward the middle of the bed. Slowly nudge your hips and legs backward toward the edge. When near the edge, let the bottom leg slide off, followed immediately by the top. This should land you in a kneeling position with your arms on the bed. From here use the bed frame to lift yourself to your feet.

Some physical back support may help. If you are in the US, your husband could get you a back brace for about $30 US at Target or CVS.
posted by zennie at 6:50 AM on November 23, 2015

You are going to need to schedule bathroom times and go and try to pee whether or not it feels like you need to because otherwise there will be Incidents. There is nothing worse than having a major part of your body frozen with pain as the realization of urgent pee needs dawns upon you.
posted by poffin boffin at 7:15 AM on November 23, 2015

Seconding the suggestion of a corset or something similar. I have a wide belt that has stiff leather in front and strong elastic in the back, somewhat similar to what weightlifters wear, and it helps a lot.
posted by rjs at 12:56 PM on November 23, 2015