Opioids for back spasms?

I forgot to mention that both calcium and magnesium are natural muscle relaxants and can be helpful as supplements. Both minerals can measured in blood to check levels for deficiencies. Also when lying down, attention to alignment is important. When lying on back, placing a thick pillow or two under your knees helps the back relax. When side lying, a pillow between knees keeps the spine in better alignment. Simple but effective.

ZeeGee... I pray for you... it makes me sad the amount of people who have to live with pain because their doctor won't prescribe an opioid medication.... SO WRONG!! So what if they have to take it everyday... or alot at one time like you.....it's about QUALITY OF LIFE and in this day and age, people should not have to suffer because their doctor won't give them a med to take their pain away. SO WRONG

This is excellent advice. I do these things. While I'm mostly on my side in bed (with a pillow between my knees), I also put that pillow under my knees when I'm on my back. And on my side, I place a yoga bolster behind me to support my back. Finally, there is a pillow in front of me and I rest my arm on that when I'm on my side.

I'm 70 y/o with a diseased and degenerated lumbar spine. But through core strength, maintaining a weight slightly below normal, and my sleeping support I have no pain related to my lumbar spine. It's a lotta work, but it feels good, and beats back spasms, or worse, fusion surgery.

Thanks Lorie, all very helpful comments.

I recently got a massage to release very tight rhomboids and just happened on a very good masseuse with very strong hands. He started the massage with my neck muscles and worked down to my rhomboids. Very effective. Yeah it hurts, but it's a good hurt. I plan on doing this once a month. I'm in the gym everyday, 70 y/o, and I do stretch and use topicals, but stress is a problem so a good deep tissue massage works wonders.

Are there topicals available with an Rx? Which ones? Thanks again! Joe

I see a pain management dr who gives me trigger point injections for painful muscle spasms and it works immediately to give 100 percent relief and last forever sometimes and sometimes I might need to have it done again many months to a year or more later. The injections are not painful and it’s only a small needle
Hope this helps
Best of luck

I don't like the way benzos make me feel so addiction won't be a problem, but a 10 mg helps. Functional Medicine sounds like a good next step and a massage. The spasm stopped yesterday at 3 PM. Just like that, it up and went. Not a flicker of it again. (at least for another 3-4 months).

I had that once and as I recall, it did work but it didn't the next two times....

@heyjoe415 I lose track of my responses and what I say! So if I repeat myself, excuse me. I have degenerative disc disease. I am 67 1/2. I think we have some similar things in common. To answer your specific question diclofenac 3%, lidocaine, four or 5%, lidocaine patches, 5%, capsicum (be careful it can burn when the sun gets on it or you get in a hot shower), Biofreeze–– Bio phrases, over-the-counter, and it’s amazing and all herbal, for me anything that’s hot and wet heat, My Favorite Thing Is a tens stimulator wrapped in wet heat when I am at rehab, arnica creams, and a forever, favorite Aspercreme. I also took some oxycodone/Percocet let it dissolve in a little vinegar, then mixed it with some skin cream and keep it in a little cosmetic container at my sink.
When we get older, our rhomboids trapezius, levator scapula has to work harder to hold us upright, and those muscles are overworked and they go into spasm as our spine curves. We have to get into the gym and rehab, a massage and work on the front side to strengthen it. That is really important and you should ask your doctors and your rehab people about working on your scalenes and your front side to take the stress off your backside. I inherited my father‘s genetics. All I have to do is look at the way, he aged, and how gravity took its toll along with degeneration to know that I am in the same boat. My family on both sides all shrink tremendously as they aged interestingly, I asked to be measured and I’ve shrunk a couple inches. That all comes off of the discs. We really do have to share information to age gracefully

That happens to me all the time. It’s normal when things get released on one side opposing muscles can go into spasm. Same with sciatic pain. Interesting it never happens on both sides at once!

Ablation was very successful for me over the years. Problem is that many doctors and pain management clinics. Don’t offer it to people. Which is super unfortunate because it’s a really wonderful thing. Sometimes I think the pain management clinics are corrupt. They can’t make any money when they solve your problem and you go away. I had one doctor recently at a private pain management clinic who told me it was $2000 to order the special needle for the ablation so he wouldn’t do it. The only thing he wanted to order was crappy medication like steroids that would keep me coming back every three months , the ablation kept me away for 15 years . It’s great stuff!