This is not a diagnosis, and an electric-shock feeling in the lower back is worth taking seriously because it can mean a nerve is being irritated, often by long sitting. Most new back pain of this kind still settles with movement and load management, but a few symptoms need same-day care.
Get urgent help (A&E or 999 in the UK, and do not drive yourself) if you develop numbness around the genitals or anus, trouble starting or controlling peeing or pooing, weakness in both legs, or severe and worsening numbness or weakness in a leg. See a GP or NHS 111 sooner rather than later if the shock pain shoots below the knee, you get foot weakness, or it is not easing after a week or two of the steps below. A pharmacist can also check that ibuprofen is safe for you.
What is likely feeding it
A two-hour round trip plus a week of bench work is a lot of sustained flexion and vibration. Luthier work keeps you leaning over a bench, often twisted, with the low back braced and the hips stuck. That pattern commonly produces a local ache plus a sharp, electric sensation on one side. Staying completely still tends to make it last longer; NHS advice is to keep moving rather than rest in bed.
Pain relief you already have
NHS and NICE guidance is that paracetamol on its own is not very effective for low back pain. An anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen is the usual first choice if you can take it (not if you have stomach ulcers, kidney problems, asthma triggered by NSAIDs, or are on certain other medicines).
- Do not use ibuprofen gel and ibuprofen tablets together. Pick one route.
- Gel is gentler on the stomach and fine to start with. Put a thin layer on the sore lower-right area three or four times a day, including before the drive home. It takes a couple of minutes; set a phone alarm so “too busy” does not skip it.
- If the gel is not enough after a day or two and a pharmacist says oral ibuprofen is safe, short courses at the lowest dose that works are reasonable. Paracetamol can be added to oral ibuprofen if needed, spaced as on the packet.
- Heat (hot water bottle in a towel) for stiffness after the drive, or a wrapped ice pack for 10–15 minutes if the area feels hot and angry. Either is fine; use whichever settles the shock feeling.
Commute changes that matter more than the gel
The drive is probably the main trigger right now.
- Lumbar support in the small of the back: a rolled towel or jumper is enough. Sit so the support fills the curve, hips back in the seat, knees about level with or slightly below the hips.
- Seat closer so you are not reaching for the wheel with a rounded back. Elbows slightly bent.
- Every 20–25 minutes, even on a short total trip: pull over if you can, or at least tilt the pelvis, squeeze the glutes, and do a few slow breaths while lengthening the spine. A two-minute walk at each end of the journey helps more than an extra painkiller.
- Avoid a thick wallet in the back right pocket. That alone can create a one-sided shock pain.
On the bench
You cannot stop the course, but you can break the posture.
- Bench height so you are not constantly folded at the waist. Raise the work, or sit on a higher stool, rather than hunching.
- Stand and reset every 25–30 minutes: 10 slow marches on the spot, a gentle knee-to-chest on each side, and a hip flexor stretch (one foot back, pelvis tucked, no deep arch in the low back). Thirty seconds a side is enough.
- When you have to lean in for fine work, hinge from the hips with a long spine instead of rounding, and switch sides of the bench when you can so the right side is not always loaded.
- Keep lifting wood and tools close to the body, knees bent. A week in, fatigue makes people snatch awkwardly.
Walking is the best “exercise” in week one. Short and frequent beats a long session. Avoid heavy twisting and deep forward bends until the electric feeling calms.
If the gel plus these breaks do not take the edge off within several days, or the shock starts travelling into the buttock or leg, contact your GP or 111. Early advice often includes simple nerve-friendly movement and, if needed, a short prescription rather than stopping the course. A pharmacist this weekend is a sensible first stop for the ibuprofen question.
