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Neurology  (Expert Forum)
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Low Back and Left Hip Leg Pain
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MedHelp Member's Question

Low Back and Left Hip Leg Pain

by kids4me, May 03, 2004 12:00AM
I am a 43 year old female.  Hx: of car accident hit in behind at a stop light.    Had lots and lots of X-Rays and test done.



Diag:   Herniated Disk L5.  with Sciatica pain  &  Whiplash



Problem:  Constant low back achy pain with sharp pains going down both legs (rotating will be one leg one time then the other the next)   does not come daily, but low back ache's hurts all the time.  Shooting pain down legs come when it wants to can not associate anything with this either..



Main Complaint:   Left hip/leg pain wakes me up almost nightly, some nights I could cry pain so bad.



Question:   Dr. wants to give me a injection of (? cortizone) in my back under X-Ray to relieve the swelling.  States will take pain away, hopefully.   I wonder how severe the risk are with this type of injection???   I understand cleanliness is the most important to not get an infection.   But, my concern is what are the odds of him slipping or ? and causing me more injury than good, I did not even do a spinal tap with my kids for fear of this reason!!!
Doctor's Answer

by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-CS, May 06, 2004 12:00AM
The actual spinal cord typically ends above the L2 level, therefore if the injetions are below this level there is no risk of hitting the spinal cord. Below the level of the spinal cord there are the individual nerves. You have not told me which type of injection they are planning, therefore I can not provide particular information. However in general, with fluroscopic guidance the chance of injuring an individual nerve is unlikely. However you should ask your doctor what his individual risks are. He should provide you with some statistics. Good luck.
Member Comments (15)

by kids4me, May 04, 2004 12:00AM
To: More info for Dr.
Is their anything that you can take....???....   suggested to rid me of this pain?  Or do...   I have had physical therapy, water therapy ,   ?    actupunture, (which did help for short 1 day )   I do not count myself as obese or even heavy I am 5'6" tall and weigh 142 lbs.    Female.

I have Flexeril / Ultracet / Darvocet     ?????



Diagnosis:   Lumbar   HNP    L5    S1

by LylaSue, May 04, 2004 12:00AM
To: Kids4me
1 also have a ruptured disk L5 along with a Harington rod (3times)spinal stenosis degenertive disks. I had 2 of the epidural injections they did not work for me. I'm debating on going for the third (facet injection)The other two were different one nerve block the other they called a midline somthing, I also have the very painful hip can't sleep many of nights even if i'm not lying on the hip thats painful.Is this the same with you? I sometimes take 2mg Ativan is helps me sleep. I've been on all kinds of meds for other problems (conective tissue diseases) And nothing totaly kills my pain.

Walking or standing are very painful for me are they bothersome for you ? I'm 44 forgot to mention that.i hear the epidurals do work for some people wort a try. I never got any type of infection. i think infection is a possibility with any of them.

I hope I was of some help. I'm always a reader of this forum but never post my own questions, feel stange to ask the doctor. hope this gave you some answers.  

Good luck

by nurse12hr, May 05, 2004 12:00AM
To: kids4me
If you have a documented herniated disc with sciatica, why has no one recommended surgery to you?



Cortisone shots are iffy at best, but may provide significant relief for a time.



Personally, I had a big L5-S1 herniation, was reluctant to do surgery but had a microsurgical procedure that was the BEST thing I ever, ever did.  Was an outpatient procedure, missed less than a weeks work, and by 3 months post op had ZERO-NO-NADA pain.



Don't put it off too long--the longer you have a herniation, the less chance surgery (or cortisone) will help you.  You might wind up with residual pain that won't go away no matter what you do.  I had pain and sciatic for 6 months prior to surgery.  That sciatic pain is HELL, especially at night.



Get a good consult with a reputable neurosurgeon and start getting opinions.

by tynimite, May 08, 2004 12:00AM
I was told that I have degenerate disc disease, Is there any cure for this? I have chronic neck and shoulder pain on the right side. I have had two epidurals of chortizone in my disc, but no help. I also have lower back and leg pain on the left side, could all of this be related?

by desperateinflorida, May 24, 2004 12:00AM
I am a 41 yr old female, and I suffer with my right leg and hips hurting.  I have had a MRI done and they did find the start of arthritis but nothing serious yet, I have went to a chiropractor and he said it was a sciatic nerve, I do not believe this, I don't have a shooting pain down my right leg from the center of my buttock, I have a continous DULL ACHE that goes from my hip down to my ankle, I have NO numbness or my leg or foot goes to sleep, it's worse at night, I can't sleep unless I take a pain pill with codine in it, I have tried everything over the counter but nothing helps.  This started when I was around 17 years old but it only ached once in a while, I remember laying in bed and rocking myself to sleep with my foot pressed on the footboard, last May 2004 I had to have my ovaries taken out and since then it's a continous pain day and night the ache never goes away now, I don't have any shooting pains it's just a very very strong dull ache, very uncomfortable.  I am now getting to where when I sit for a few minutes it's hard to get to walking, and my feet hurt until I take a few steps. I feel like I should be much older than I am.

Any ideal of what this could be, would be greatly appreciated.

by shemoe, May 25, 2004 12:00AM
To: desperateinflorida
You don't have to have sharp pains per say for it to be siatica. I have had severe siatica for two years now and most of my pain in my left leg and left buttocks is a deep dull ache and it never goes away completely. On the number scale 0-10 how bad is your pain my pain usually stays between 5-8 which means I hurt pretty bad most of the time. Pain meds and pain management helps some but there is never just complete relief. My pinched nerve is in my hip area so I have been told and I tend to agree but they say there is nothing that can be done about it, so I live like this and yes it gets very depressing but you learn to adjust the best ways you can...but like I said it can be a sharp or dull and or burning and yes tingling it is all apart of some form of siatica.................it affects people differant depending where your pinched nerve is located I am sure...not a doctor just a survivor of this pain.....

by desperateinflorida, May 25, 2004 12:00AM
To: Shemoe
Thank you Shemoe for responding to my question.  They say that it's a siatica, I just had a hard time believing it only because of a couple of people I know that has siatica it affects them differently than it does me, they have sharp striking pains that shoot down the back of their legs from the center of their buttock and mine is nothing like that, mine aches front and back with never a sharp pain