Suggest treatment for back pain after an injury
Patient: Hi, I am 74 yrs old and I fell last Friday while caring some items to my daughters car and about 3 steps from bottom of stairs my feet slipped while it was raining and I fell backward against the Runners of my steps and it was a hard fall and I injured my back .I went to the ER and they took Exrays and didn t see any fractures but I am in real bad pain in my back all week long and it isn t any better . I am using Ice and and every time I get up it feels like a knife sticking in my right back from bottom of shoulder blade to my waist .I can not Stand to lay on my right side in bed and it puts pressure on my chest also.I feel a tighteness in right side also. I am afraid something else is going on inside me.Please let me know what I should do , thank you Oscar Doctor: Hi,Thanks for writing in and sorry to hear about your injury.Hope you are not in much discomfort.Falling on the back can send the back muscles in to spasm. This happens due to sudden contraction of muscles during fall and can be a source of pain and discomfort. It can last for more than a week. No fractures on X ray is a good sign. However, you need to apply ointment containing muscle relaxant and pain reliever to your back. If available you may also use a heating pad.Rarely, it is also possible that you have hurt your discs in the back region. A slight displacement of intervertebral discs can cause pinching on nerves and lead to pain that will not respond to usual medications.I hope you will recover in a week or two. However, should your pain show persistence then please consult your doctor again and if required get a MRI scan to check any spinal disc problem. Take rest and avoid heavy physical activity till you get back to normal. Please do not worry.