Can I Take Pain Killers for Back Pain in Pregnancy and in Old Age?

CAN I TAKE PAIN KILLERS IN PREGNANCY ?

Being pregnant may affect which types of analgesic you can take safely without causing harmto your baby. Paracetamol is not known to be harmful in pregnant women and is usually preferred over other painkillers. In contrast,aspirin and ibuprofen are not recommended, especially in the later stages of pregnancy. Some clinical studies have been linked the use of these drugs with an increased chance of miscarriage. Your doctor will not usually prescribe opioids as pain relief whilst you are pregnant. If you already take prescribe do pioids and you are planning to get pregnant, you should seek medical advice before try to conceive. Your doctor will weigh up the risks to you and to your baby and may suggest alternative medications. This is because babies of women taking opioids have about a 50% chance of showing symptoms of drug with drawl after birth.         

CAN I TAKE PAIN KILLERS IN OLD AGE ?

Elderly people are more likely to experience vertebral fractures as a result of underlying, age-related bone disease such as osteoporosis. For this reason, they may require more pain relief than people of a younger age. The pain killers aspirin and other NSAIDs (e.g. ibuprofen) should be used with caution in the elderly. This is because elderly people are more susceptible to the side-effects of these drugs, like increased gastrointestinal bleeding and abdominal pain.

Before resorting to these drugs, it is advisable to try other means of pain relief if possible. These may include losing weight, using a walking stick and keeping warm, and in terms of drugs, using paracetamol instead of aspirin, or using a low dose of ibuprofen. Another option is combining paracetamol with a weak opioids analgesics. 

BACK SCHOOLS 

Back schools- classes taught by physiotherapists -teach people with chronic back pain how their backs work, what causes their pain and offer them advice about staying active. Educating people about how mechanical strain and bad posture can worsen their pain, and showing them the correct way to lift objects, to get in and out of bed or to stand properly, allows them to adapt their lives to reduce their pain and prevent future back problems. Whilst back schools may be effective in the short term, at the moment it is not clear whether their positive effect results extend beyond 12 months. 

Your PHYSIOTHERAPIST will be able to advise you of back schools in your local areas.