will I ever be pain free?

Had 3 discectomies L4 L5. still nerve pain, ankle and foot pain and back stiffness.  will pain ever go away?

[ggreg]

Depends on how far out you are from the surgery.  It takes many months for swelling, inflammation, and painful muscle spasms from procedure to settle down.  In the meantime, patients should have adequate pain control, rest, possible back brace, and addition of slowly progressing physcial therapy for optimum results, maintenance of flexibility, and surgical success.  At home, a patient can tighten tummy muscles (NO situps) by sucking in stomach muscles tightly for a few minutes several times a day, because strong abdominal muscles help take weight off spine.  Also at home, wearing support knee-high stockings and soaking feet in cold water can provide some relief.  

But many people with lumbar spine or any spinal problems will always have some pain with or without surgery, and therefore some form of good pain medicine should be given according to severity of pain.  Anybody who has painful ankles and feet should also be evaluated for other possible illnesses, to include diabetes and diseases that have symptoms of lower extremity swelling, just in case those issues are unrelated to back problems.