Back Pain That Feels like Getting an epidural...any Tips for Relief?

Sounds like it could be sciatica.
If this goes on for more than a few days you might want to see a spine specialist.

For muscle aches I tend to turn to a heating pad first (although sometimes I really should ice things).

Aspercream is nice - it has no scent and doesn't tingle on your skin.

Icy Hot if you like the tingle/smell.

It's not immediate relief but when you get home try a hot as you can stand it Epsom salt bath (about 1 cup of Epsom salts into your hot bath water).

Also, if you think it's a spasm try eating some potassium and calcium rich foods (banana milk shake) and drink lot's of water - dehydration can cause muscle spasms too.

I hope you feel better soon!

You should call your chiro office. Sounds like a pinched nerve but the only thing I know of that helps is the adjustments the chiro does.

I like to use heat on my back. My back pain is usually tight muscles rather than nerve pain, but a hot water bottle on my back has cured the worst back pain. I sleep with it under my lower back (don't put very much water in or it will be uncomfortable.

Sounds like when I had three bulging discs in my lower back. I wasn't careful with it and the disc at L3/L4 ruptured (that is where they insert the epidural).

Go to your regular doctor and I am sure they will have an MRI done.

I was told that I had a 50/50 chance of needing surgery. I had a pain management doctor ask me how many epidurals I had had...uh, two, on with each child...he says he sees L3/L4 ruptures in woman who have had multiple epidurals.

Honey, get to the doctor quick...it took me over 9 months to recover...I almost had the surgery just to stop the pain, but my husband wanted me to hold out and heal on my own after research showed that surgery was more likely to lead to another injury.

HUGS!!

I was confused. I had 5 epidurals and never felt any of them, except for their being a very slight pressure.

Do you mean you are in a lot of pain? I think you should see the Dr. but it sounds like no sitting (that can make it worse). Radiating down is key. Sciatica perhaps.

I had similar pain for years, multiple steroid injections, failed back surgery and even had a spinal cord stimulator put in (permanently). For the best relief for acute pain was ice and special excercises prescribed by chiro and a physical therapist. "Adduction" and "abduction" of the knees.

Lie flat on your back on the floor, knees bent with feet on floor. Lift your hips and hold for count of 5 and go back down. Repeat a few times. In same position, put a pillow between your knees and squeeze your knees tightly together and hold to count of 10, relax and repeat about 2 to 5 times.
In same position, knees bent, feet on floor while on your back. Have someone hold your knees together while you try to pull your knees apart, to count of 5 to 10, repeat a few times. If you don't have someone to hold your knees, you can put a strap or belt around to keep you from pulling apart.
These movements open up the compression on the spine. You can do these a few times a day. For the abduction (pulling apart) you can do one leg at a time, by lying next to a bed or sofa and pressing your knee against the bed. The idea is to have "resistance" against the muscle.

For 3 years on total disability, walked with walker, had back and sciatic pain, foot drop, years of drs. and narcotics. I eventually got my life totally turned around, off all meds, off disability, no longer deal with any of that and no longer use the spinal cord stimulator, (still in my back for 8 years). The difference was by consuming completely balanced nutrition, with 25 years of researched and published studies with patented products that change lives every day.

I have had a lot of experience with back pain. It sounds like you have a bulging disk/pinched nerve with sciatica. This takes a lot of time to heal. You have to be patient. You need to rest and alternate heat and ice. Don't bend down to pick things up (from now on out...be CAREFUL). Going to a dr and getting pain meds and muscle relaxers actually help you heal...it takes longer to heal when you are in so much pain and are tensed up back there. Right now while it is bad don't do stretches yet...you need to rest your back. You can lie on the floor with your arms out at a 45 degree angle and put your legs up on an ottoman or chair at 90 degrees. Get a prescription for physical therapy. Physical therapy as well as continued yoga are the number one best thing. You need to wait a couple weeks till your back is ready, but make an appt with a PT. Chiropractors can be great...I love mine. But now I just use her for adjustments when I can tell things feel out of whack. I can't stress enough how you need rest and time...then PT. If your back starts giving you chronic problems then you should look into yoga...yoga has saved my life. It sounds like you do not want pain meds and muscle relaxers but they help you heal ...they really do.