Lumbar Spinal Injection

I had the spinal injection last thursday and still no change.  I know I have to wait for 2 weeks to have another.  What has been your experience with this L-5 rupture recooperation.  I have rested and I am doing the McKensie exercises and still very little change..   When it gets really bad in the afternoon (shooting pain down the left leg to the ankle) I take a darvocet and the pain dissappears.  I do not want to take drugs all the time nor do I want to depend on them.
Will this really ever go away....... I am not sure I should go for a 2nd injection if the pain continues......

Please let me know how long it took you for the rupture to shrink and for the pain to subside!

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

Have you discussed the option of surgery with your orthopedic surgeon? All the herniated discs do not need surgery, but they may take a long time for recovery. There's no fixed time for recovery, but usually it takes about 3 months. It depends on the severity to a large extent.

Regards