A couple of weeks ago, I fell out of bed and was startled awake when I hit the floor. Bruised right shoulder and top of right foot. In last week have had severe pain in back if I sneeze or cough...really can t do either! Am visiting a friend and tomorrow face an eight hour drive home! Have been using ice and heat but it doesn t seem to be improving. Any suggestions to help until I can see my Primary Care Physician on Thursday?
Hi, Thank you for providing the brief history of you. A thorough neuromuscular assessment is advised. As, you had a fall from a bed and bruised your right shoulder along with the top of right foot, how is the pain in that area. Also, you mentioned from last week you have severe back pain. What I suspect it be a sprain of the ligaments in the spine. As, when the symptoms with sneeze, cough arise, there is always an advice to get the thorough neuromuscular assessment performed. As you been trying ice and it's not subsiding, I will advise you to undergo physical therapy as you will have instant relief with Therapeutic Ultrasound therapy and TENS therapy. Post finishing you visit, you can undergo the MRI scan of the Lumbar spine to see the soft tissue status, Never ignore the smallest pain and aches in the spine, as it may worsen as days progresses. Prevention is better than cure. Also, try doing McKenzie extension exercises as it will help centralize the pain, post which applying hot water bag in the lower back region will help reduce the pain. Try doing little of core stability exercises, of course in a day it won't give you any results, but will at least activate the muscle to help you to travel for 8 hours. Once you are back, perform an MRI of lumbar spine and with physical therapy you will be back to normalcy. RegardsJay In Chat Doctor. 