Acute back pain from coughing

  • Thread starter Thread starter mintedjo
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mintedjo

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I had a sinus and chest infection that started almost 3 weeks ago and seems to have almost completely subsided now but I've knackered something in my back by coughing.
It hurts a little bit all the time except for when I lie down flat. I still have a bit of a cough from the chest infection and when I cough or laugh it hurts like s**t. I don't know if it's just me being a big pansy or whatever but I'm becoming scared of coughing because it hurts so much. It's about 2 weeks since it started hurting. It's hurting now while I'm sat at the computer which is why I'm posting this. I need to do something about it so I can get some of my work done. At the moment I can't sit at a computer or get comfortable enough to read books or anything so my university work is just piling up on top of the 2 full weeks of stuff I've already missed.
Hot baths help a bit but theres always still some pain afterwarRAB and I tend to find myself in bed a lot after them and that leaRAB to me being asleep which is unproductive and makes my back hurt more when I wake up. I'm already taking 2x200mg Ibuprofen every 4 hours or so to ease the pain but it doesnt do much. I was taking 2x500mg Paracetamol every 4 hours as well but just ran out. I think its probably just a muscle strain because if I can keep my back arched backwarRAB when I cough it doesnt hurt so much. If I happen to lean over as I cough, which I often do, then I feel like crying. I can't twist my back either... dunno if that matters. x-)
Any advice on how to make it hurt less or how to make it get better faster?
 
I tore a muscle and broke a rib once coughing. Very painful. I lived in a hot shower for a week and got a prescription for painkillers and muscle relaxers. I went to the ER after the first day or two. It got where I couldn't stand up at all without the muscles cramping up. You should probably have a doctor check it just in case because it could actually turn out to be pnuemonia which causes back pain also.
 
If it is muscular, a chiropractor can do wonders for you. I agree that you should probably get checked out by a doc in case it has become pnemonia or pleurisy.

Try icing your back for 20 minutes a couple times a day. If it is muscular, that should help reduce swelling too.
 
Thanks for those replies. I just read wiki to tha pedia and the nhs website about pleurisy and other causes of chest pain and coughing. There's a lot of scary stuff that I just hadn't considered. I hope its just a muscle strain! x-D
 
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