Spinal pain

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

Althought most of us aren't medically trained here we have collected

experience and knowledge that clearly understand you are on the right track. In

my

opinion only you are totally correct in persuing the source of your pain. Your

surgeon may not encourage you, but we would. You may need to seek scoliosis

specialist for the help you need. If you could tell us where you are located,

posters may be able to give you names of scoliosis specialist that are skilled

enough to help you.

It seems like the pseudoarthroses (failure to fuse) is being ignored.

Certainly that could be one source of pain from what I've read online. And the

screw

separating from the rods would be another source in my opinion. You have a

complex medically history and it may take a very specialized doctor to make a

difference.

Good luck and don't give up. You ability to advocate for yourself (at such a

young age) is incredible.

Also have you even been given muscle relaxers? I ask because I experience

extremely sharp pain when my muscles lock across my ribs that only respond to

muscle relaxers, ice packs, and heat. Until I asked for the muscles relaxers

that

pain went on for weeks. BTW, the relaxers (brand names like Soma, Flexeril,

etc) also put me to sleep.

Good luck and don't get discouraged.

Jolene

[Guest guest]

Hi fellowl pain sufferers

I have not been pain free in over seven years. Prior to that I would

have spinal blocks occasionally which helped a lot. Then I fell

across my spa tub and have been in pain since. Five years ago I went

through some pretty drastic surgery. They fused four disks in my

lower back which ruined my life. The surgery included going through

my back and my stomach. The doctor didn't even discuss the future

with me about me never being able to touch my feet or cross my legs.

Now I am at the place where the spinal blocks are not effective and I

take 80mg of oxycodone three times a day. Naturally, this makes me

feel dopey and forgetful and does nothing to relieve the pain. I

also take neurontin and xanax and ambien to help me sleep.

Fortunately, once I am settled in bed I usually have no trouble

sleeping and am finally free of pain. I use heat and cold packs from

about early afternoon and sleep with two of the pain packs that I

heat in the microwave. My pain radiates down my left leg into my

foot but my knee is always hurting and is stiff and swollen. I have

no appetite and don't know if it is caused by the medicine but never

lose an ounce. Of course, I get very little exercise because of my

knee. Another thing is my skin stays sore from my back to my foot

and my stomach gets bigger all the time. About two years ago I went

to Florida and let another doctor do arthroscopic surgery on me after

he told me he could help me about 60%. This was outpatient surgery

and didn't help a bit. I try to keep and open mind but it is really

hard when I am in pain all the time. Sorry this is so long, but it

is my first time and I just want to tell all my problems. I have

also had therapy and it didn't help.

[Guest guest]

Hello all

have been suffering with severe sciatica from a small herniated L5 for many

years now- since 2003.

Finally after trying everything- 2 years of PT, 4 years of massage,

chiropractic, 1 year of accupuncture, epidurals,

the Neurosurgeon says he will do a Microdiscetomy and Foraminotomy of L5.

Though he still said I should try to live with it if the pain is 3-4 a day-

which it is not. Have a hard time walking very far without bringing on terrible

sciatica pain in right leg and foot. Cant ride in a car for more than an hour

without bringing it on. It just goes on and on.

Has anyone had this surgery? Any success or relief?

I am willing to try it since I am so limited in almost every way in activity by

pain.

thanks

Spinal pain

Hi fellowl pain sufferers

I have not been pain free in over seven years. Prior to that I would

have spinal blocks occasionally which helped a lot. Then I fell

across my spa tub and have been in pain since. Five years ago I went

through some pretty drastic surgery. They fused four disks in my

lower back which ruined my life. The surgery included going through

my back and my stomach. The doctor didn't even discuss the future

with me about me never being able to touch my feet or cross my legs.

Now I am at the place where the spinal blocks are not effective and I

take 80mg of oxycodone three times a day. Naturally, this makes me

feel dopey and forgetful and does nothing to relieve the pain. I

also take neurontin and xanax and ambien to help me sleep.

Fortunately, once I am settled in bed I usually have no trouble

sleeping and am finally free of pain. I use heat and cold packs from

about early afternoon and sleep with two of the pain packs that I

heat in the microwave. My pain radiates down my left leg into my

foot but my knee is always hurting and is stiff and swollen. I have

no appetite and don't know if it is caused by the medicine but never

lose an ounce. Of course, I get very little exercise because of my

knee. Another thing is my skin stays sore from my back to my foot

and my stomach gets bigger all the time. About two years ago I went

to Florida and let another doctor do arthroscopic surgery on me after

he told me he could help me about 60%. This was outpatient surgery

and didn't help a bit. I try to keep and open mind but it is really

hard when I am in pain all the time. Sorry this is so long, but it

is my first time and I just want to tell all my problems. I have

also had therapy and it didn't help.

[Guest guest]

wendy, the only way i relieved my sciatica pain was through having a great

pain doctor shoot pain stuff into my spine in the exactly right spot. i have

had good epidurals and i have had terrible epidurals. a good pain doctor is

the best person in the world to know. i have also had rf ablations and those

have helped a lot. marsha

**************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch " Cooking with

Tyler Florence " on AOL Food.

(http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4? & NCID=aolfod00030000000002)

[Guest guest]

Hi Marsha

I have had good epidurals as well- last fall, than 2 weeks ago an epidural- same

spot , same Doc and he either totatly missed it or the area is just too

irriatated. It just seemed to make the sciatica worse.

I am interested in the RF-

does that work for a good long while?

Re: Spinal pain

wendy, the only way i relieved my sciatica pain was through having a great

pain doctor shoot pain stuff into my spine in the exactly right spot. i have

had good epidurals and i have had terrible epidurals. a good pain doctor is

the best person in the world to know. i have also had rf ablations and those

have helped a lot. marsha

**************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch " Cooking with

Tyler Florence " on AOL Food.

(http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4? & NCID=aolfod00030000000002)

[Guest guest]

My experience thus far with RF has been a definite maybe. I've had it performed

bilaterally on the cervical and lumbar spines and the SI joints (and I've done

the epidurals and blocks as well). My right side is far less troublesome and

the RF has worked great on that side. It hasn't worked at all in the spine on

the left but it has helped some with the SI joint. Last week we tried the left

cervical again. He sure nailed the pain-causing nerves in my neck at every

level - it was excruciating, worse than the first time - yet when he did the RF

tests I didn't feel any buzzing so the nerve pathway was stunned the first time.

I'm not sure what happens now with the cervical spine. We will try the lumbar

again next week and re-try the cervical sometime in the near future. But I've

talked to so many people that have had good results that last anywhere from a

couple of months up to 2 years! Some of them did have to try a second time;

even fewer took 3

times before it took so I'm not ready to give up on it yet. I was told by my

doc (and other patients) that the effectiveness of epidurals wears off over time

but they never worked for me.

Good luck !

Re: Spinal pain

Hi Marsha

I have had good epidurals as well- last fall, than 2 weeks ago an epidural- same

spot , same Doc and he either totatly missed it or the area is just too

irriatated. It just seemed to make the sciatica worse.

I am interested in the RF-

does that work for a good long while?

[Guest guest]

Hi

so nerve block is not the same as the epidural? Is the nerve block better?

I had a Doctor tell me it was the same thing.

Thank you for sharing about the RF and your experiences with it.

Its amazing how many years it takes us on this journey.

thanks again.

Re: Spinal pain

Hi Marsha

I have had good epidurals as well- last fall, than 2 weeks ago an epidural- same

spot , same Doc and he either totatly missed it or the area is just too

irriatated. It just seemed to make the sciatica worse.

I am interested in the RF-

does that work for a good long while?

[Guest guest]

Epidural is a type of block. Spine Universe has a great page detailing all the

different types of injections: " Spinal Injection/Nerve Block Therapies for Back

Pain " . Check it out.

Re: Spinal pain

Hi Marsha

I have had good epidurals as well- last fall, than 2 weeks ago an epidural- same

spot , same Doc and he either totatly missed it or the area is just too

irriatated. It just seemed to make the sciatica worse.

I am interested in the RF-

does that work for a good long while?

[Guest guest]

-I'm new to the group and have had neerve block injections for about

10 years. They helped me for about 5 years then nothing helped so I

had surgery. I feel it ruined me and was drastic surgery. They

fused my lower back and also went through my abdomen and took a bone

graft from my hip. After six years, I still cannot lie on my left

side because it stays so sore. I have taken methadone but now take

oxycodone and have side effects although they are different than the

ones listed with the prescription. My skin just stays sore to touch,

my memory isn't very good, and I have a very poor appetite, but

cannot lost weight. I retain a lot of fluid and take lasix for this.

Does anybody else have these symptoms caused by oxycodone?

Doris

-- In spinal problems , kmabba

<kmabba54@...> wrote:

>

> Epidural is a type of block. Spine Universe has a great page

detailing all the different types of injections: " Spinal

Injection/Nerve Block Therapies for Back Pain " . Check it out.

>

>

>

>

> Re: Spinal pain

>

> Hi Marsha

>

> I have had good epidurals as well- last fall, than 2 weeks ago an

epidural- same spot , same Doc and he either totatly missed it or the

area is just too irriatated. It just seemed to make the sciatica

worse.

> I am interested in the RF-

> does that work for a good long while?

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Doris

I take both methadone and oxycodone now but my memory, poor appetite, inability

to lose weight were all  problems before I went on them.  Plus I've take

oxycodone on and off for years.  I do have edema (due to congestive heart

failure) but I grew increasingly concerned that the " water pills " weren't

bringing down the swelling much and my weight didn't drop though I eat very

little but what I do eat is very healthy and I do water therapy/exercise.  On a

hunch I went to a physical therapist who does manual lymphedema drainage massage

and sure enough, she diagnosed me with not only lymphedema but lipidema as

well!  Explains a whole lot of things that I had never paid close attention to. 

Unfortunately, little is known about either and since there is no specialization

among docs, diagnosis tends to be made by PTs.  I would have thought my

endocrine specialist would take care of the lymphedema but every time I talk to

him about it he just uh-huhs and

that's the end of it.  So I went to second one (these mds aren't easy to find

to begin with) and she wasn't very responsive either.

Since I've been in therapy I've gone down four sizes though my weight has hardly

changed!  There is virtually nothing that can be done for the lipodema though if

what was primarily experienced by males I'm sure there would be more research

out there on it.  Yet oddly enough, when I saw my new cardiologist I just asked

in passing who I would see for the lipidema and he said, " Me! " .  So I'll see now

what he can do about it. 

The hypersensitivity to touch is called allodynia which is not uncommon with

neuropathic pain and surgery often sets off the lymphedema cycle since it gets

cut up, crushed, whatever during surgery and afterward.  The lymphatic system is

extremely delicate and easily catastrophically injured so you might want to get

evaluated by a trained MLT therapist.  They work a lot with cancer patients

because those treatments really mess up the system what with the frequent

removal of lymph nodes.  The therapy has also reduced my allodynia a lot, too. 

Just a suggestion.

Re: Spinal pain

>

> Hi Marsha

>

> I have had good epidurals as well- last fall, than 2 weeks ago an

epidural- same spot , same Doc and he either totatly missed it or the

area is just too irriatated. It just seemed to make the sciatica

worse.

> I am interested in the RF-

> does that work for a good long while?

>

>

[Guest guest]

RF to my cervical region saved my life my pain is so much easier to manage now

but I can sure tell when it needs to be redone the pain is incredible.? Worked

on my lumbar and SI joint as well this limb length discreptancy is killing my

hip and left leg, the pain never goes away.? Sitting is very painful and I dread

long car rides, thank goodness my job involves alot of walking as I'd never

survive a secretarial job anymore.

Kim

Re: Spinal pain

My experience thus far with RF has been a definite maybe. I've had it performed

bilaterally on the cervical and lumbar spines and the SI joints (and I've done

the epidurals and blocks as well). My right side is far less troublesome and the

RF has worked great on that side. It hasn't worked at all in the spine on the

left but it has helped some with the SI joint. Last week we tried the left

cervical again. He sure nailed the pain-causing nerves in my neck at every level

- it was excruciating, worse than the first time - yet when he did the RF tests

I didn't feel any buzzing so the nerve pathway was stunned the first time. I'm

not sure what happens now with the cervical spine. We will try the lumbar again

next week and re-try the cervical sometime in the near future. But I've talked

to so many people that have had good results that last anywhere from a couple of

months up to 2 years! Some of them did have to try a second time; even fewer

took 3

times before it took so I'm not ready to give up on it yet. I was told by my doc

(and other patients) that the effectiveness of epidurals wears off over time but

they never worked for me.

Good luck !

Re: Spinal pain

Hi Marsha

I have had good epidurals as well- last fall, than 2 weeks ago an epidural- same

spot , same Doc and he either totatly missed it or the area is just too

irriatated. It just seemed to make the sciatica worse.

I am interested in the RF-

does that work for a good long while?