Do steroid injections work? Do they hurt?

I was injured in an automobile accident. I had a lot of injuries: knees, hip, pelvis, ruptured discs, blah blah. I have been in physical therapy and found it to be very helpful for my muscles, ligaments, SI joint, flexibility and mobility; but....it is making my nerve root damage worse. Just the slightest touch of my therapist's hands and crazy nerve sensations spread like wildfire.
I don't understand how some days I am doing "ok" and can actually walk to the stop sign and other days, in an instant, all it takes is a sneeze, I am knocked down for a good 10 days. I have to recooperate all over again.
Pre-accident I was a fulltime student working on my teaching credentials and working 25 hours a week. I golfed every Friday, road my mountain bike several times a month, went bowling every Sunday morning, went to ballgames hiked, went out dancing, etc. etc. Now, I can't count on myself to walk out to my mailbox and get the mail. My social life has come to a screaming halt. I had to drop out of last semester in school (SITTING IS THE WORSE) and have not been able to work because I am no longer a dependable person.
My PT recommended fluorscopy and my MD said basically the same thing - try the steroid injections. Do I want to take this route? Do they work? Do they make things worse?
Thanks for any input!

[ozziefisho68]

gday, it has been my experience to steer clear of steroid shots/injections as they will quite often alleviate pain for only a few short days and then the pain will return, in very minor cases it can happen to work as the original problem was not a serious one and therefore relaxes the surrounding muscles/tisssue around the area and provide enough relief for some recovery,i have had 2 major back surgeries in the past 12 months,and to be quite honest i would steer well clear of all steroid shots but that is my opinion only,years back i was having severe back pain /leg pain numbness etc and my local doctor who i will not name!!! advised me to have regular steroid shots...and yes for short periods this slowed the pain down,but in the end all it did was numb the pain around the area enough for me to carry on so called normal duties only to the detriment of my future health,basically it numbs the area enough for you to do general duties etc,giving you a false sense of security ,and you are probably doing more damage in the long run,that was my case anyway,as far as the shots hurting it really depends what sort of pain you are used to/and how you handle it.i myself would compare the shot  to a mozzie bite at the very worst,but not worth the trouble,  my advice would be to contact your local doctor, and ask to be referred to dr warwick stening,he is an absolute magician with any back problems, he operates out of the prince of wales hospital at randwick in sydney ,he is the best neurosurgeon i have ever dealt with ,and does private and public patients,ph:02 96504997 fax:[phone] and his address is suite 13 ,level 7,barker street entrance ,randwick , nsw 2031

[amythist2779]

Hi,
I agree with the above poster. I would steer clear of the injections. I have fibromyalgia and chronic back pain. I had no idea what the injections were when I first tried them which was a couple years ago. I only had 3 of them to learn my lesson. The first time I had them I had one in each hip, Well I could not walk for the next 3 days because it made the pain so much worse that I could not stand up. The next time I got them in my shoulders because I get these knots that just wont go away, anyhow, like before, I could not hardly use my arms for a few days. The shots for me made the pain worse and on top of that it made the area where I got it very weak.

If you decide to go for it, I hope you have better luck than I did. Good Luck to you,

[giveitback]

Thanks for sharing your experience, I was kind of thinking the same thing. I am already messed up, the last thing I need is for a "false sense of hope" by opting for the steroid shots and then have to deal with the after-effects of the shot to boot!

You know what is really messed up is that it's been difficult to find a doctor to treat me because my injuries were sustained in a car accident. All I want is to get better and have my life back, why does everyone think you are out for money? I would give up every cent to just be me again!  : )

[chadry]

I had one injection for my low back. After the needle I started to tell the staff I was having pain in the other side of my butt and leg. They said that was normal that I might experience different pains. By the time I got home I was in tears. The left side hurt so bad. It did nothing for the right side. I really did not want to get this shot because I have a very low tolerance for any med. But the W.C. doc and nurse said that I was refusing treatment that could make me feel better so against my own better judgement I had it done. At least this doc was ok with me. He actually gave me a few days off of work to get back to my normal pain. He was supposed to do these on my neck also but he decided after this reaction he was not going to touch my neck. I would not have had them done anyway.I am not sure if it is the same injection you are talking about because I had to go in an outpatient hospital to have this done. I was given something to relax me first before they put the needle into my back. I completely understand how you feel about your life though. I have been going through the same thing. I do not do anything I used to do and had to give up alot of the things that make me happy. I am 45 and I worked full time and took classes at night to get my associate degree in computer graphic art. I used to be able to sit and do my projects for as long as I wanted. I am 2 credits away from getting a degree that took me 6 years part time andbecause of my neck and low back I really don't see me doing this now. I am very sad about this. I feel like I wasted a lot of time. I do enjoy school though but I have had to miss classes because I knew I would not be able to sit the whole time through the class. My proffesor was very understanding though when I explained that I might have to get up and just stand in the back rom time to time so that when the class was over I would be able to walk out and get home. I wish you well. I have a law suit going on because I really do not know what I am going to do with my life now. The money isn't the issue and I would love to have my life and job amd my hobbies back that I used to enjoy. If my job where I was injured was a little more supportive of me maybe things would be different but unfortunately they were not and constantly gave me  a hard time when I could not walk to go to work. My contract was not renewed and yesterday was my last day of work. I honestly know what you are going through. My advice is to think carefully about any injections and get different opinions if possible. I know this can be very difficult. Find out the advantages and the side effects before you make any decisions. Hopefully you will be one of the people it benefits if you decide to get it. I hear there are some people who they help. Have not talked to one yet though. Would love to hear a few success stories that would offer some optimisim and hope. Best wishes.

[giveitback]

Thanks for the reply and I am very sorry to hear about your condition. Although I do not wish this pain and inconvenience on anyone else, I am happy to hear that there are people out there that can relate to my complaints. Seriously, if you have not been there yourself, people just don't get it. They think that just because all my bruises are gone and the scraps are all healed that I should be just good as new, but I am far from it.
I was supposed to graduate next year from the teaching program. I went back to school after raising four children and leading an incredibly active life, I am 43. I have worked so hard in school and am so close to my goal like you. But, there are times I just want to say "Forget it" - I think because I am tired of letting myself down. I don't want to go back and then get disappointed because it's too hard to sit, too far to drive,  the classes are way too far apart on the campus to walk fast enough to get there, etc. The world seems to be moving at a rapid pace and I am so damn slow. I am used to being the one who runs to her class, gets there on time, gets the great grades, etc. Now I can't even handle an online class because of the sitting and the brain power involved in studying (medicine takes away my cognitive sense lol ). But then I say, "are you crazy, you have worked way too hard to stop now and you will be better some day!" and that is what I am saying to you as well! Please don't give up what you started, don't let your body win over your mind! OK, so I am spiritually alive today and want to pass that on to you - I am usually positive and upbeat and seems all I can focus on these days is my body ruling me! argh  : )
I am going to hold off on the injections, I am having an EMG next week..keep in touch, would like to hear how you are doing!
Cheers!
Elaina

[chadry]

Thanks for replying to my posts.I know how you feel about going to school.I also went back after raisng kids. I had 3 kids my husband 4 and we have 1 together. I was all over the house all the time for years working non-stop. I call them my days before I was broken. I worked in a school when I got hurt. I was an instuctional aide for special ed children. I injured myself caring for a child with  C.P. When they gave me that assignment the year before last I thought it was just like taking care of one of my children, boy was I wrong. I even went to our principle and told him that I don't think I can do the job physically. She was a little too big for me, well his reply was I understand your situation but no one else wants to take care of her so she is yours.I explained that I never had back problems but I was going home everyday with a really bad back ache. Well if I had only known then what I know now. I would have never dreamt that this would be the consequence.
A few weeks ago I started to get shock like feelings in my legs but the only way I could explain it to anyone was to make a vibration sound. Sound crazy or can you understand this. It felt like my cell phone vibrating. I have had this in the past but not in my legs it was in my groin. That drives me crazy trying to find a position to relieve the vibrations. The first time I got this feeling I actually checked my pocket to see if my cell phone was in there. That feeling comes and goes. It seems I get this feeling somewhere in my lower body after being the car too long. It must be the way I sit or something that triggers these sensations. My legs have been feeling better lately.But when I sit my feet tingle now. Of course I haven't been doing too much either. Don't want to trigger anything. The sad part is the last time I felt better I went out to garden and was down and out of work for over 3 weeks.My buttocks has been doing better lately but I can still feel the stabbing pain  every now and then and then I think oh no here it comes again.
I have such a low tolerance to meds that I can only take a quater of a flexerall when I really need it because I get so tired I sleep for hours from it.I have too take them when my neck acts up, it's the only way to get it moving again in a few days. All I take on a regular basis is Xanax at night to get some sleep before the pain in my back starts. I can only take half of a very mild dose and it relaxes me enough to fall asleep for a few hours before I have to get out of bed. I love the W.C. docs who want to give me some heavy duty meds and expect me to drive and go to work. I don't know what they are thinking.
Alot of times when my butt starts hurting on the right side I also get a pain in my right ankle and I get shooting pains in the left side of my groin. Then I am really limping.My husband has had to go behind me already and push me up the steps becausethere have been times I could not even crawl up.
Would love to hear back from you again, especially about the shock feelings to see if you had the same.
I really hope you can continue school even if it takes longer than you want. At least you can say to yourself then that at least you did it.I know it is easy for me to say that and you are the one who has to do it. I am determined to get my last 2 credits and prove to myself that I finished. No matter how long it takes I have resigned myself to the fact that I will be a college graduate. That is a goal and dream Iset for myself and I worked so hard. My kids call me a nerd because I am so serious about my grades.I loved my last 2 classes. They were biology 1 and 2. 2 was mostly about the human body and organ systems. The ironic part about last semester was I had to miss my class about the nervous system due to my nerves and pain. I really do wish you the best. Hang in there, things may ease up a little and you might just be able to keep going.I miss shopping.I miss just being able to walk around wal mart and browse leisurely. Now I go with my family and if they don't want to leave when I start hurting they get a wheel chair and push me around. I am not too crazy about that but at the same time I understand that they don't feel like leaving yet and they feel rushed if I am sitting in the car waiting for them.I just miss so much. But I am thankful that I can still do so much. I am feeling pretty good today so I think I will attempt to garden a LITTLE. I have such beautiful flowers bloomimg right now that I can't stand the weeds in there. I am going to go slow and only do a little at a time and if I feel the slightist bit od discomfort I am going to stop. Wish me luck.
Take care of yourself and I hope today is a good day for you.
Christina

[giveitback]

How was working in the garden today? I am sure you enjoyed getting outside and being productive.

I know exactly how you feel when you need to leave early from a place! That is so OLD, huh? You want to go, but you don't want to let people down and ruin their time by leaving early. I am at the point where I just don't go. period. if I know I can't make it through. At least that way, I don't get mad at myself for not being able to hang with the rest of the crowd.

I had a so-so day today. I watered my front lawn and drove myself to the drugstore to pick up a Father's Day card. I had a long list of the things I needed to get done today, but that was all I was able to accomplish. Tomorrow I will wake up a new woman pain-free and conquer the world! Ha Ha...

When people say, "have a nice weekend" I think to myself, the weekend is NO DIFFERENT than any other day of the week..every day of the week is meshed together pain after long BORING pain days over and over!  I look forward to being able to say, "have a nice weekend? You betcha!"

Cheers!

[chadry]

Hi, My gardening actually went pretty well
I took it real easy. When I started to feel a little pain coming on I took a break. I just putted around after that, but I did have to lay down in the afternoon. Thank Goodness for my Xanax though because last night I had a real hard time getting comfortable. I went out a little today again but couldn't do too much. I had groin pain today walking up steps which I have not had in a few weeks and my left foot is not so good now. I just get stir crazy after awhile though  and need to do soemthing.
I remember when I first got hurt a friend of mine wanted to go see Constantine preform from American Idol with his band called Pray for THe Soul of Betty.
I never to his music before but it was a  big deal for my friend so I went with her. What  a night of H___ that was. There was no seats, you had to stand the whole night. I thought I would get crazy. I hurt so bad I didn't know what to do with myself.
My friend was in heaven so I didn't want to ruin her night. At one
point I was talking to my daughter on my cell phone and I was literally banging my head on the wall my back hurt so bad. I finally found a spot against the wall and sat on the floor,it did not help much, I thought Iwas going to freak out if I didn't sit down.
Learned my lesson on that one. Never will I go anywhere if I can't sit down after  a tiny little bit.
I had to get back out of bed tonight because my foot is driving me crazy. I am just waiting for my meds to kick in a little so I can sleep.
I think I have to go to a meeting tomorrow night with my union to see about getting my job back. They are going to plead my case about my injury being work related and ask for at least one more year to see how I will do. I need my job and I will tell them I will do my best but actually I don't know how I will do it everyday.One of my union people asked me if my condition was a day to day thing and I told them it was a step by step thing. I never know what my next step will bring. W ish me luck. I need the money. At least I will have the rest of the summer off till school statrs again in the fall. If I get it back. I don't think I will. Another aide lost her job after she got injured also, so it kind of don't look too good. I do not know who else will hire me though. I try to remind myself that when one door closes another one opens and I am always good at telling that to other people. My daughter just toldd me  that yesterday. I was trying to cheer her up when she left Texas to come home a few days ago after she graduated college. She is scared about her future so I gave her my pep talk. She gave it back to me...
Take care of yourself and I hope tomorrow brings you good things.Maybe a few more errands accomplished.
It is very nice chatting with you..
Christina
I forget to tell you we have custody of our granddaughter that will be 2 in July, have you been on the floor changing a diaper lately. It's pretty hard getting back up. SHE W ILL BE POTTY TRAINED SOON. She was sick last week and all she wanted was for me to hold her and I have my neck problems my arm was so weak I couldn't even hold onto her when we were sitting down. I was so glad when she fell asleep. 2 year old are alot of physical work, thank goodness I have peole here to help with her all day. I would really be broken..
Bye Bye

[keith92234]

Thank you for you in-site
I am facing the possibility of getting steroid injections in my neck.
I am having numbness, joint and muscular pain.
I fear getting the steroid injections for several reasons.  Like you said;

I may have relief for a   short time  yet I will  carry on with  normal duties only to the detriment of my future health.    You see  it  numbs the area enough so i will  be able to Carry on with my  general duties etc,   giving me  a  false sense of security ,and I will  probably doing more damage in the long run

I have also heard that the injections can cause "Moon Face"  or swelling of the face and neck.

[giveitback]

Christina,

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you, I did not see your comment until today.  

Sounds like your time at the concert was murder! I would never attempt to do that, I could not even make the drive to the concert in the first place!

And, there is no way in Hell I would be able to care for a child in my current condition. I don't know how you do it.

Hope things have been getting better for you. Hope you get to keep your job as well. I have not been able to work for 7 months now, it sucks. I cannot collect unemployment or disability because I was working for cash as a tutor and a nanny while I was a full time student. I have been living off of my savings which is pretty much tapped out. I just want to get better so I can go back to work and finish up in school. I am so BORED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take care!

[chadry]

I am finding my limitations. I started to get my leg pain again yesterday after I gave the baby a bath. I explained to my family I need help at bath time. I can not bend over the tub. That was the first time I tried to give her one by myself.

I didn't get my job back.I was denied again. I am going to try and get unemployment next week when my contract runs out. My union said that would fight further but to be honest my faith I had in this school district is ruined. I had to honestly ask myself if I really wanted to work for these people knoing how they have treated me. They would probably give me a job they know I can't do so I will quit. They have done it to people in the past. I think I will leave it at being dismissed.
I know how bored you are getting. You sound worse off than me as far as your disabilities. I wish you could get some help money wise. That's a scary thing when you start thinking about money. It can also be very depressing. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.I am starting to get bored because there are so many things I want to do but can't. My daughter came over the other day and helped me do some cleaning that really needed to be done had to take some meds after that. I didn't even hardly do anything.
Have you decided anything on the injections? What do your docs. say for the long term.One doc told me about shots you can get to numb the nerves.He gave me a trial version in his office one day with (not sure about spelling) marcaine. He said it was like what you get when you go to the dentist. It probably would have been ok but he forgot to mention the part about the adrenaline. I shook like crazy. I would have told him not to give that to me because I am very sensitive to it. I thought I was having an panic attack but I could not remember ever shaking like that before with a panic attack, He finally told me what he gave me when I told him how bad my heart was pounding. I wanted  to scream. These doctors just don't listen when you tell them something.I was hoping that would help but he had to stop because of my reaction. It is supposed to deaden the nerve pain. Maybe something like that could help you.
I hope you have more good days than bad. I am hoping time will help. We'll see right.
My kids are talking about going to the zoo but that brings back concert memories. I said I would pass on that one. I KNOW I can't do that. a few minutes at the store is about all I got.
I hope today is a good day for you. Take care of yourself and like I said I will keep you in my thoughts.
Christina

[giveitback]

HI,

Thank you so much for the info on the injections!  I was wondering if it was possible for them to give you the same reactions as you can get in the dentist chair. I cannot handle that adrenaline. There is a big note on my chart saying, "Do Not Use Ephedrine" (spelling) because my heart races and body shakes like crazy....Thank You!  I am so sorry you had that icky reaction.
My mom took me to the grocery store yesterday. I got about 1/3 of the stuff I needed to get and had to leave. I tried to go without taking meds, silly me!
So sorry about your job situation. It sounds like maybe it is for the best though, you know how they are treating you. They don't sound like very caring people. Maybe the best thing right now is just focusing on getting better and later finding a job that will appreciate you.
My weakness is so-so this morning, my back/hip/leg are telling me to "watch out" so that means my day will not be so fun. ha ha ha....oh well, it will pass eventually.
I go back to the neurologist on Thursday to get the results from my EMG - did you have an EMG? Sorry if I already asked, I can't remember very well because of the medication LOL. Depending on the outcome of that test, is what determines my next stage of treatment.
Have a nice day and be careful with that baby!  : )

Cheers!
Elaina

[chadry]

Well I am glad you got out to go to the store. You were out and about and sometimes even though you can't do exactly what you used to do at least getting out sometimes makes you fell better.I read that you can get these shots without the adrenaline but that the adrenaline helps it some way. I had an allergic reaction years ago to sulfa and I had to have adrenaline but they also gave me something else to calm down the side effects.
I did have an emg done on my legs. My right leg  showed that I had problems coming from my L4-5 area where I have my problem. So that does explain the pain I get on my right side.I was supposed to have an emg done on my arms by my doctor but I didn't know if I was losing my job so I was afraid to run up any bills with my co-pay. I recently got my co-pay for my MRI and have to figure out how to pay that.
The guy who gave me my emg thought I was crazy because Ilove shocks. I like when the kids come down a sliding board and touch me. It makes me laugh. I told the guy is that all you got? He was laughing. A few spots hurt real bad though when he put the needles in but that didn't last too long. It is over pretty quick. I hope you get some answers on thurs. Or at least some help making a decision on your next step.
I said a prayer for you last night when I went to bed hoping that you will feel better and that things start looking up so you can get on a little better with your life.
So today is a new day and hopefully a good one and if not good than at least a bearable one.
It is so hot today that I really am not going to be doing anything to much. Iknow the kids will want to go in the pool so I think I will try to go in today. It will be the first time since last year. I think the water is warm enough today. I was afraid to go before today because I didn't know if the cool water would do anything to put my back into spasms. I had one doctor tell me to be careful swimming because of the strain on my neck. I love to swim. Of course.Why is it that it always effects the things you love to do. When they say no vacuming I agree and say Ok. I don't miss that to much. haha :)
Take care and as always good luck. I will keep you in my thoughts.
Christina

[ceal]

[ceal]

I had my 1st injection three weeks ago in my neck. I have three herniated disc. C3-4, C4-5, and C5-6, foraminal narrowing, disc fragments, nerve impingment, etc... I have had problems off and on for 20 years but over the last 2 months it has been worse and I have not had a pain free day. It feels like someone has put a boulder on my head and wont take it off!!  I am scheduled to have the second injection tomorrow. The first one did not do anything but I was told by the doctor who did the injection and by my family doctor that it would probably take more than one for me to fell any results.  It hurt soooo bad. While he is injecting it into the neck, the pain radiates down into the shoulders and then into the arms.  I do not look forward to the next one but I am willing to try it to try and hopefully get some relief. If the injections do not work the next step would be surgery and I have been looking into a place in Florida called the Bonati Institute.  They have a website and will look at your MRI films for free and give you a free consultation.  I have had a failed low back surgery where the fusion did not take and have to have that fixed and the Bonati Institute sounds like a great place to go for that as well. They do noninvasive procedures, dont have to cut you open and leave you with a huge scar like I have from the first back surgery.  If anyone has gone to or knows of anyone who has gone to the Bonati Institute it would be great to hear about your opinion of them or their practice. Good luck!

[ceal]

p.s.
I forgot to tell you that I had injections for my back years ago before I had the surgery on that. They did help, but only for a short time. They are only a short term fix.

[giveitback]

HI,
Thank you for the 411 on your injection experience. I hope it works well for your neck. It seems that doctors make you take all these steps before doing surgery, even if the shots will not work in a lot of cases. I hear the shots work great for some diseases/pain areas, etc. but are really useless on other things. I am afraid of getting tricked into thinking I am ok, and messing myself up worse - that would be just like me! LOL
I guess I am not sold on the injections because I have a lot of weakness and don't understand how numbing an area of my back is going to relieve my weakness? It doesn't make sense to me.
I hope the Bonati Inst. takes care of you right the first time. I am so sorry that your previous back surgery was botched up. May I ask why you needed back surgery, what symptoms you had and what you are feeling now from the bad surgery?

Cheers!

[giveitback]

Ok, you are a FREAK!! just kidding...you like the shocks!!  I did not like them...the little tingly ones were not that bad, but when he pulled out the big guns....oh dang!!  And the worse part was when he put the needle in where my facet joint area is....

Are your symptoms from the L4-5 pain from the back/hip and inner thigh?  Also, are your feet and calves numb and burn?

Did you go swimming today? It was a beautiful day here in California. I was too weak to stand today, but I looked out my windows from my bed. I never thought I would be so thankful for the 6 windows I have in my bedroom, they sure do come in handy when you can't be outside. I took my first painpill at 6am and have been pretty much miserable all day....how exciting huh?

I am nervous about my appt. tomorrow that tells me the results of the EMG. I am thinking to myself what if nothing shows up and I will never get better. Yeah, real positive thinking, huh?

Oh, and you KNOW you love vacuuming!!   I will keep you in my thoughts....

Talk to you soon!

[chadry]

I've been called that before. lol. I did not like the needle part. Especially around my butt area.I felt like jumping off the table when je was working around that area. It hurt really bad. In fact there were a few spots it hurt real bad. My thight and around my left ankle area. That was wierd. In fact when he took the needles out it felt like they were still there for a little while.My L4-5 gives me pain in my butt area and sometimes around my calf. I had one bad episode in my calf area I was scared I thought maybe I blood clot or something, then it went away just as fast as in came on. My feet bother me alot. My left groin area too. This sounds really wierd but the worst thing is went I get the vibration feelings. Like a cell phone on vibrate.Do you know what I am talking about with these. It feels like a I have my cell on me on vibrate and the feelings I can only describe with a buzzing noise. People think I am crazy when I try to explain what it feels like and I make a regular timed buzzing sound. The worst place when I get it is in my shall I say private area. I have to try and find a position laying down to relieve I guess some kind of pressure on my back. In fact I ended up going to the doctor on my own because I was getting these in my legs for a few days. Both of my legs at the same time.For awhile there every time I got in the car I got these feelings in my legs after a few minutes. I guess it is the way I sit or something. I would be fine then I would get in the car and the buzzing will start. The first time it happened I kept checking my pockets for my cell phone. When I found it in my pocketbook I thought it myself, am I going crazy. What the heck in going on.I starting reading different things on the computer and found there were other people trying to explain the same thing. I felt a litle better when I seen someone else describe it the same exact way.  so I am not nuts after all.I haven't figured out which is worse though, the tingling or the vibrations.
I can only imagine how nervous you are about tomorrow.Doctor appt. anymore give me anxiety attacks because you never know what they are going to say.I think is it better and I only feel worse or is it worse and they will say you just have to live with it.
Whe I got my emg results back the w.c. doc says oh yeah by the way I didn't thnik you're disc was that bad but you do have some damage to your nerves. End of conversion.I took the results to the nurse in the school I worked and we went over the results together. Looking up the places where there was damage done. She pulled out her medical books. So after doing that it started to make sense to me about the places I say hurt and bother me.
They don't burn but I do get that in my neck area where I have the herniated discs.My left arm is weak.
I spent many a day laying in my bed taking my muscle relaxers and the doc says you have to get up and move around. Yeah ok easier said than done. The bathroom seemed many miles away.In those days of laying there I came to the conclusion my bedroom needed a lot of work done to it. I made my husband change my curtains to cheer me up.
Some days are hard and positive thinking goes right out those windows. It's Ok because you know you have days when you do think positive.
It felt soooo good to go in the pool yesterday and I forgot all about my back problems but believe me it came crashing back to me. I kind of riuned it for everybody. I had to get out. We were playing a game and I forgot about my shall I say limitations and I felt my neck pull and start to lock up. I had to get out right away. It is a little stiff today but the worse was when I got out and started to walk I now have my groin pain again. So I am back to limping again. Then my feet started to bother me. Here's positive thinking for you. I am just waiting for my right side to start hurting now. Usually I have the 3 spots together. My right side hip and ankle/foot and my left groin. There's a good limp for you.
Well take care of yourself. I actually have to go lay down again because it hurts to be in a sitting position too long.
You'll be in my thoughts especially about tomorrow.
Christina

[giveitback]

Hey,
My bad, I meant to type L3-4 area, not 4-5. I have three "bad" discs in the lumbar, but I feel the major problem comes from my 3-4.
I don't have the vibrating thing you talk about. But, if it's vibrating on your private area, is it at least pleasurable? lol  sorry, couldn't resist.
I understand how you can have pain in three areas at the same time and the ridiculous way you have to walk. I feel like I have to walk around my hip joint, it looks so stupid! I also can relate to having it in one area, and then it trades off with other areas of the body and lets it have a turn. An equal opportunity injury!
When I sit or laydown, my legs/feet burn and tingle & have little feeling. Yesterday I felt a poke at the bottom of my foot, I thought there was a sticker in my sandal.  It was tickling like a sticker and annoying. My mom told me to look underneath my sandal and I had stepped on a nail that had penetrated through, no biggy! lol
About the EMG, I also noticed the one side hurting more than the other, I don't know if that means anything or not. And around my butt was very painful (that is where the facet joints are I was talking about) in the way lower back and then he poked down my butt and YIKES!  I did the same thing you did. He told me to relax and be still. Easy for him to say  : )
I am glad you were able to swim a bit, too bad you had to bail.  
I took a muscle relaxer last night and FINALLY slept through the night. This is a HUGE deal for me. It has been months since I have been able to do that.
Gotta get ready for my appt. Catch ya later.

Cheers!

[chadry]

I do not have the L3-4. Just L4-5 thank god. I have 4 places in my neck. In my privates the answer is NO.... If it was I surely would not be complaining, Probably wouldn't even mention it to the doctor LOL.Thats crazy about the nail. How far did it go through?MY feet get a swollen feeling even though when I look at them they seem ok.I get the burning feeling when I lay on one side too long in my butt/ hip area.The guy who gave me my emg pushed in the area where it burns and I jumped it hurt so bad. He told me to lay on a softball on that area. I tried it but I could not stand the pain. He said it would help but I was not able to lay on it that long to find out.
Hurray for a good nights sleep. I am up so early every morning even though I don't have to be because I just can't stay in bed any longer because it hurts over my whole body. Between my neck and shoulders and low back. I look like I am 90 years old when I first get up. I get scared when I think about what it is going to be like as I get older.
The best of luck to you today. I am hoping for good news for you.Hopefully some answers.
Take care.
Chrisitna

[giveitback]

Hi Christina,

The neurologist confirmed a pinched nerve at the L4-5 level.  He suggested to me to have stimulation physical therapy at his office. He wants to do this for four weeks. I told him I have already had 6 consistent months of physical therapy and I need something less conservative now. I am going back to my family doctor on Monday to ask what sort of surgery I can do to get rid of this pain in the ass (literally) once and for all.
I read online about a noninvasive surgical treatment for pinched nerves. It claims to have a 90% success rate and one can expect to return to normal activities within 3 weeks time. I am apprehensive about having more PT at the neurologist's office because I feel he may just be wanting to make more money off of me and, it is no guarantee that it will work. This kind of therapy would not be covered completely by my insurance and I can't afford the hefty 35% copay. If I am a candidate for surgery, which I should be, I can be in and out and start living my life again!
I still don't know why I have this hip/thigh pain. I didn't think that was along my L4-5. But, I do know that there are two other discs bulging in my back, it must be either from them or it could be muscular, I don't know.
My feet/legs are becoming more and more tingly and numb. I too get the burning when laying on my hip and my lower back burns like crazy when I try to lay on it or if someone was to touch me there. Yesterday in the shower, just the water coming down made me want to cry. I have heard about putting a softball there...YEAH RIGHT....I could NOT handle that, please!
Hate to go back to the "private" area, but when all this happened to me, I had issues down there as well. I just got feeling back in that area recently. THANK GOD!! lol
Also, I totally understand the swollen feeling you get...same here. Oh, I wanted to ask you if your hands are all tingly as well and what about your face?

Cheers!

E

[chadry]

Hi,
I was hoping you were going to write about your results. I was thinking about you all day. I had found a web site one time that showed what was effected by the L4-5 area.I don't remember exactly where everything was but it kind of wraps around. Do another search and see if you can find the images of what is effected by the different nerves. I think the surgery you are talking about is worth looking into. I would love to hear about that,I have the nerve problems from the same spot.
My arms and hands get wierd sometimes. I have to wear a brace on my right hand to sleep. I had to start that about a year ago or I couldn't sleep. I guess it is kind of like carpal tunnel. It only happens when I lay down.My left arm falls asleep at night and I get the tingling in my finger mostly The middle finger of my left hand. It goes right down the top of my finger.I tried the brace on my left hand but it didn't make a difference. I have to keep my arms more down by my sides at night. I can't raise them up and pinch my shoulders. I have to tuck a pillow a certain way to get comfortable. If I lay on the couch I get the feelings almost right away.Within minutes both my arm fall asleep. So far my face has been ok. I worry about swallowing. Someone was telling me that you can start having trouble swallowing. That scares me.
I have really bad reflexes in my left arm now. There is such a difference when they test my reflexes on my arms. My left arm hardly moves at all.
I did a search one time for the tigling in my private area and let me tell you the results were not exactly what I was looking for. I just had to laugh at that one.
The same swollen feeling I get in my feet I get in my arm. It was really botherting me yesterday and I always have to look and see if it's swollen even though I know it's not. I used to do the same when my legs would tingle to see if there was anything going on because I had no idea what was happening to me. Now I don't hardly look anymore. I just check my feet to see if they are really swollen, but they aren't.
Trust me a softball turns into a hardball when you try and lay on it.
Have you been to a massage therapist? I like to use a heating pad I do not like ice packs at all.
Have to go and check on the baby she is not sleeping yet. I lay in the bed in her room sometimes and that bed really is the pits,
Take care Elaina.
Chrisitna
Too bad you live all the way across the country. I'm in New Jersey.We could hobble around toghether.

[chadry]

Do you know if the L4-5 problem can give you circulation problems with your feet. Maybe I am having issues with circulation. Do your feet ever change color when you sit too long? Just curious. Maybe I should see my regular doctor. I wanted to know if you ever experienced this. Only when I sit too long.I do take blood pressure meds that sometimes make my feet feel cold easier than usual.
Talk to you later.
Chrisitna

[giveitback]

Hey C,

No, my feet don't change color, they just tingle and go numb and feel like they are huge. Sometimes they burn as well. Maybe it is a circulatory problem with you.
I have been down all day, am getting much much worse. I will respond to you when I am able. Do you happen to have Yahoo Instant Messenging? If you do, my screen name is hap_p_pants and we can chat "live" sometime. Gotta lay back down, I am dying here.

E.

[jst4shanell]

they cause osteoperosis

[Bevy16]

I had pain in my shoulder and legs the pain management said he wanted to give me steroid injections series of 2 for 3 treatments total of 6 I did it and all I got was diabetes. I never was helped at all if I were you I would try and go to a spine or back specialist. You still have to b very careful of the doctors u go to. Ask around and hopefully find a good one. They put me to sleep for all of my injections. Bevy

[Fancyod]

I agree with those above,  I have fibromyalgia and chronic back pain in L4 L5 S1 and neck both sides when I lay in bed both leg go numb down to feet the nerve pain is the worse, the pain so bad sometimes in my arms I couldn't pick up a coffee cup I had the injections they work a little for one or two days my bladder work better in that time then back to the way it was before. The pain clinic keep pushing them on me because they hate to give me pain medicine. The injections really hurt feel like my legs at the joint is coming apart at the hip.