Post fusion pain.

[Preston9mm]

I have been through the ringer with pain medicine, with no results. I've been living in excruciating pain for the last 2 years following 2 spinal fusions and cannot find any way to relieve the pain. The pain is centralized at the location of my fusion. S1/L5/L4. I am extremely active. I run roughly 5 miles every morning, and have no trouble lifting heavy objects. My pain is only during certain motions. Sitting to standing, laying flat in bed, and bending to tie my shoes (or similar). I'm sick of medicines and want the problem actually fixed. So, I guess my question is, Does anyone know of a similar issue and how it was treated? And, does anyone know of a medication that might help until a doctor can fix my issues. Here is a list of my past (unsuccessful) medications: Morphine (MS Contin/Kadian), Opana, Oxycontin, Methadone, Exalgo, Percocet, Vicodin, Dilaudid, Oxycodone IR, Neurontin, Lyrica, Valium, Flexiril, Soma, Robaxin..... The list goes on and on. I've done nerve ablation and every type of injection available. Please help...

[Preston9mm]

Yup... Tried all of those as well. Voltaren, Pennsaid, Flector patch, and even lidocaine patches. None have helped. I'm currently scheduled for a spinal cord stim trial. Hoping it is effective, but not banking on it.

[femmy29]

Given that you have tried nearly every opioid medication out there beside fentanyl (?), perhaps you should try voltaren gel.  It is an anti-inflammatory gel that you rub at the source of the pain 4 times a day.  I have found it to be much more helpful than I ever imagined it would be and it works a lot better than oral NSAIDs.  It saves your stomach from irritation as well.  Best of luck.

femmy

[Preston9mm]

I'm kind of in a unique situation. I'm active duty Navy and currently stationed in a SEAL command. I've been cleared to work out, so I have to at least look like I'm putting forth some effort. It doesn't seem to aggrivate the pain any. I'm crippled whether I'm workingout hard or not. I have the luxury of being able to utilize the personal trainers that our glorious SEALs have employed. They are quite a bit of a help forming a workout plan around my injury. Honestly, I hope to be able to bust my hump working out until the pain is gone. Fingers crossed. It doesn't help that I will be retired in 8 months if I can't get off the narcotic medicine. I figure, I just need to find something to manage my pain during the training process to see if the workouts can change something and help me live pain free. Thanks for the imput.

[Jaybay]

I had the same problem after having cervical discs fused back in the 90's.  I can tell you there really isn't any magic medicine that will make the pain go away.  While it's great that you're running and staying active, running is a high-impact activity that puts a lot of stress on your spine and it may actually be making your pain worse.  Try switching to race walking for a while and see if it makes a difference.

I weightlifted my way out of pain and it hasn't been back - well, the neck-related pain anyway!  Physical therapy wasn't providing enough resistance to build muscle and take the strain off my spine.  Once I got in the gym and worked with a trainer I was pain-free in about a month.  Of course, you should check with your doctor first if you decide to try that route.  Mine had all given up on me and I was nearly crippled anyway so I figured I had nothing to lose. Luckily, it worked.

Some doctors just don't educate their patients well about how important physical rehab is where orthodedic issues are concerned.  If we patients don't do the painful rehab work, both in-office and at home, there's not much hope for a full recovery.  It's like any other exercise program - it has to be a dedicated routine and it takes time before you see the benefits, but it could make all the difference in your life.