STILL HAVING SCIATICA PAIN

I AM A 30 YEAR MOTHER OF 4, WHOM HAD A LAMINECTOMY AT L5,AND TWO HERNIATIONS AT L4/L5 & L5/S1 REPAIRED IN NOV/04..IN THE BEGINNING IT ALL SEEMED WELL, UNTIL ABOUT TWO WEEKS POST SX, I BEGAN HAVING LEFT LEG SCIATICA SYMPTOMS AGAIN. MRI DONE SHOWED NO HERNIATION, BUT IT DID SHOW MY L5 NERVE ROOT DISPLACED FROM SURGERY??? COULD THAT BE A RESULT OF MY LEG PAIN?? IHAVE NOTICED IT PROGRESSIVLY GETTING WORSE SINCE MY RETURN TO WORK, SAW MY SURGEON HE SAID HE WAS LEAVING CANADA MOVING TO THE US, AND HE DIDN'T WANT TO START SOMETHING ELSE HE COULDN'T FINISH..

I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU HAD ANY OTHER IDEAS AS TO WHY THIS LEG PAIN IS GETTING SO BAD...SINCE SX I HAVE LOST FELLING IN MY RT TOES D3-D5...IF I SIT FOR TOO LONG MY LEFT FOOT GOES NUMB...I THINK I AM JUST FRUSTRATED BECAUSE I THOUGH I WOULD HAVE FELT MUCH BETTER....I HAVE DONE AN INTENSIVE PHYSIOTHERAPY PROGRAM.BUT SINCE I HAVE WENT BACK TO WORK I AM HAVING MUSCLE SPASMS, PAIN DOWN MY LEFT LEG TO MY FOOT AND BIG TOE.....DO YOU THINK THAT ANOTHER MORE RECENT MRI MIGHT BE BENIFICAL??

PLEASE IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS THAT MIGHT HELP ME OUT I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT...THANK YOU, ALSO WHEN THEY WENT IN FOR THE SX THEY FOUND MY L5/S1 NERVE ROOTS WERE CONJOINED BILAT. AT WHICH POINT THEY SEPARATED.......

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP...

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW]

There are several causes of persistent pain after back surgery

There may be persistent or recurrent herniation, a disc fragment, or other soft tissue injury/nerve compression from other causes. If the discs were the only thing causing your symptoms the outlook may have been better - so there may be other factors involved

People with conjoined nerve roots can have symptoms of sciatica even when there is no MRI evidence of compression. Conjoined nerve roots occurs in about 4-10% of the general population. They are also ssociated with some bony anomalies of that region - I do not know if this is the case on your scans - that could contribute to pain. The treatment is controversial but a thorough workup to exclude other causes of pain such as recurrent herniation or disc fragments using MRI and/or CT myelogrpahy should be done. Conservative treatment is probably the best (non-surgical) for conjoined roots.

Good luck

[carlu]

I under went lumbar fusions in March 2004 due to a fractured spine and degeneration of the spine that was causing my spine to shift out of place when I sat up. During the surgery my surgeon caught the sciatic nerve on the right side in one of the screws. PAIN! Nothing was relieving the it and after a CT Scan he had to immediately take me back to surgery to undergo a total revision of what he had done the day before. This has left me with continous pain in my back and little feelings in my right leg and foot but severe pain down the back of my leg and foot. Sciatica and neropathy is now what I have to live with. I cannot walk across the room or sit long without my leg and foot absolutely not moving and intense pain. I cannot ride five miles without severe pain. I have to wear the back brace in order to get any relief and take pain medication. I've gone to physical therapy but this only makes matters worse. We have tried several drugs for neuropathy but nothing is helping and now he is suggesting that we do another mylegram and more surgery. I'm at a point that I want to do anything for relief but scared of more surgery too. The first surgery was suppose to solve the problem but due to the accidental damage to the sciatic nerve, things are getting worse. Has anyone experienced anything like this and how were you able to get relief?  
Thanks,
Lou

[akemi]

I've been having pain from my groin area radiating to my knee.  I went and got xrays but it doesn't say that anything is wrong.. Doctors are telling me that it may be a pulled muscle.. But It feel like something is just squeezing my leg.  this has been going on for 3 weeks and I'm tired of taking pain medication,, I feel that it's not a muscle but a nerve.. I don't have the back pain but for some reason the pain on my knees would hurt so bad when after all it started on my groin.  I was refered to go see an accupuncturist.  Should I get an MRI, see a neurologist, CatScan ,, I need some help

[Enik]

Of course, I am not a doctor. But,after the experiences I have had with doctors, I would certainly advise you to see a neurologist as soon as possible.  Obviously something is wrong or you wouldn't be having these sensations. An MRI and/or EMG would help you learn what is going on. Good luck!

[er_gyrl]

In the beginning before I was diagnosed with all of my back problems it was the pain that would shoot right into my groin I though it was like a groin strain...but after weeks of me telling my doctor that it was something else is when he ordered a CT scan.....That sounds llike it could be coming form your back....when you get pain into your groin it usually means that the level at L3/L4 is the level with the problem.....It wouldn't hurt to get the tests done at least that way you know whats going on!! If your original doc doesn't want to order I would get a 2nd opinion.....
LET ME KNOW HOW IT WORKS OUT!! GOOD LUCK!!

[shaikhmohdmusa1]

LIKELY COULD BE FIBROMYALGIA,FRAGMENTS,MINORLY SLIPPED /PROLAPSED /SPACING OF DISC DUE TO TRAUMA,ALSO COULD BE DEEP MUSCLES,TENDONS,LIGAMENTS INJURIES,A GOOD EXPERIENCE-RELIABLE RADIOLOGIST , WOULD HELPS IN THE FINDINGS..WITH MRI

[mssmisty]

Currently I am waiting on an epidural nerve block:
It all started with:  
I had had low back pain/hip-knee spasms + numbness since first week of june this year. was gardening and felt a sharp pain left buttocks to toes and have been in pain ever since. PT and chircopactor not helping sometimes makes it worse.

I was seen by the neurosurgeon 7/29/05
regarding my MRI results: herniated disc L4 L5 with pinched nerve left.

Will this Epidural help? is it painful? I am to see the neurosurgeon 2 weeks after the epidural for progress.  still in tons of pain.
mssmisty

[er_gyrl]

SORRY TO HEAR OF YOUR DISCOMFORT......

OK, I AM GOING TO HONEST WITH YOU...I HATED GETTING MY EPIDURAL STEROID....BUT THAT MAY HAVE BEEN BECAUSE I DID NOT GET ANY RELIEF FROM IT...I WAS SUPPOSE TO GO FOR 6 BUT ONLY LASTED FOR TWO...THEN MY SURGEON TOLD ME USUALLY IF AFTER THE FIRST ONE YOU DO NOT HAVE RELIEF YOU WON'T IN GENERAL....I WORK FIR 5 FAMILY DOCOTRS SO I AHVE HAD PATIENTS TELL ME THAT THEY HAD SHOTS AND IT WORKED FOR THEM AND THAT THEY FEEL GREAT...SO GIVE IT A TRY YOU NEVER KNOW....MY DOCTOR IS SENDING ME FOR ANOTHER EPIDURAL SHOT....I HAD SURGERY IN NOV/04, AND A NEW MRI REVEALED A PROTRUSION AT THE SAME LEVEL I JUST HAD SURGERY ON...SO HOPEFULLY THE SHOT WILL DECREASE THE INFLAMMATION....IT GETS SO FRUSTRATING....EH

[eirunner]

I am dealing with the same pain running down the back of my leg and into my knee. I attribute much of mine to tight hamstrings due to running. I think my sciata nerve is strangled by the pyriformis muscle. I am doing stretches each day. I bought a book called "3 minutes to a pain free life" and it teaches you to use strength and stretching exercises to protect your joints and muscles. I have been to PT's and chiropractors and they help if you can afford to continue the treatment. I am having success with the stretch program. I am not completely well, but can now run again. I have to do the stretches anytime I feel the pain start to increase sometimes several times a day but they always seem to help. I know there are all kinds of reasons for the pain and more than one therapy. But I have dealt with back problems for 30 years and have had to have only one surgery and it was a ruptured disc in my neck that was compressing my spinal cord. I tried to avoid surgery but finally had to give in when therapy no longer worked. I started walking and eventually running when I was 35 because my low back and sciatica problems kept me out of work and in constant pain. I began to get better when I increased my strength and became active. I had been told for years to rest but knew that sitting, standing or lying down for extended periods made everything worse. I still have times that rest has to take place to help the healing process when I have overexerted but still feel that activity is my best medicine. I do realize that in many cases activity is impossible due to pain but if there is no mechanical reason for pain, beginning an exercise program slowing and carefully (with doctor approval) will usually help.

[er_gyrl]

Your words were inspiring...Sometimes we are so caught up in how we feel instead of what we are able to do about it...

[chiblonde]

I am 29 and had surgery 5/20/05 and was pain free for almost 3 months.  The sharp pain down my left leg started again 3 weeks ago and it is getting worse each day.  I stayed home from work yesterday and cried because I don't know what else to do.  The ibeprofen doesn't work and I had 3 steroid injections prior to my first surgery and can't have anymore until December.  They tried oral steroids last week and it seemed to work while I was on them but once the dosage started decreasing the pain came back- and worse.  I just had an MRI done this morning.  If my neurosurgeon recommends surgery again should I have it?  I can't live with this pain.  I am a single parent and can't function at all (I can't bend and put dishes in the dishwasher, do laundry, clean up, put my pants on or anything).  I'd rather have my whole leg numb at this point because the pain is a 10 on a scale of 1-10.  Any suggestions?

[jcvasquez]

Hello

For two months now I have been having pain in my lower back.  I also had blood in the urine.  So after extensive test of not needed tests and all of them coming back negative, I went to the ER.  I have no inusrance, I am the mother of 2, and I am only 30 years old.  Well, went to the ER, had a CAT scan done, and the doctor assest that it was a displaced hip and a bladder infection.  So he had me lay down and and preceeded to uncomfortably place my hip back into place.  He said that it was out of place about over an inch, and it was pinching my sciatic nerve.

Please help, I have taken all the anti-inflamitories, and antibiotics.  I am still having frequent urination, and the pain is sometimes so intense from my buddocks and leg(left) that at times I can't walk.  Laying down straight for a period of time with legs elevated (suggested by the ER doctor) has not helped and sometimes agravates it worse.  Sometimes, it feels better to walk, but afterwhile becomes unbareable.

I went to the ER on August 25th and I don't know what else to do.  Or were to go.  I have had an IVP, CAT Scan , blood work.  And have this amazing bill, but no cure or as to what it really is.

Thanks, jen.

[sade101]

A related discussion, sciatica was started.