Chronic Back Pain

[sears]

I have had back pain for the last 8 years and had a disc fusion in L5-S1 2 years ago.  The surgeon discovered that I didn't really have a disc left.  I am 28 years old.  During the first year after surgery, my pain was getting better and I really felt like I was finally going to get some relief.  About a year after surgery my pain started getting worse and worse again.  It appears the disc above the fusion is now bulging, but it seems like there has to be more.  I am now in pretty constant pain even after taking Ultram and hydrocodone throughout the day.  I did get a epidural in my SI-Joint that did help tremendously, but only helps for 1-2 months.  I can only get one more injection for the next 8 months.  I am now suffering from depression as all aspects of my life have changed and I can no longer do many things that I used to.  I would love to hear from people that may have similar experiences and can maybe offer some advice on how to get some pain relief or better deal with the pain.  I can't wait to start talking with you all.

[neuromanager]

In reading your story I can completely understand why you are depressed.  Chronic pain is horrible to deal with.  I'm sure your pain medication is a factor in your depression also.  You were asking about a dorsal column stimulator.  This is a device that is implanted near the spinal cord with leads placed in certain areas of the spine.  During the trial, which usually lasts a week, you have an external battery pack that you carry with you.  The device sends out "signals" that block your pain.  It works great for some and not well for others.  That is why there is a week trial period.  If it works well for you, then the neurosurgeon goes in and implants the battery pack (usually in your abdomen).  Speak with your neurosurgeon or pain managemen physician about it.  As depressed as you are, I would say it would be worthwhile to give it a shot.  Good Luck and keep us posted.

[sears]

I am sorry to hear about your chronic pain.  I am now a believer that no one can understand chronic pain or the effects of it unless they have gone through it.  Sometimes I think that doctors should have to go through it because if they don't understand it, they don't have the desire to fix it as much as someone suffering.  I am definitely interested in hearing more about the spinal cord stimulator!  Does it require surgery to insert it in your back?  What did you do that made it stop working?  I will do some research on it as well, but I would really like to know your thoughts on it since you have gone through it and have seen the results.  What type of pain meds do they have you on?  I feel mine don't really work either, but then I go for a time without taking them and realize that even though I am still in pain, with the meds I am in a little less pain.  One of my problems is that I don't like being on pills all the time, so I often go longer than I should without taking a pill and then my pain level gets so bad that it takes me several rounds of meds before I can do anything.  Are there any other ways you are dealing with having chronic pain?  Has it made you depressed?  

[sears]

I do hope you continue on  the path you are on.  My biggest advice is to be cautious.  I never wanted to be too cautious, but I think cautious is much better than being back where I am.  I wish I could have strengthened my lower back more prior to surgery and wish it wasn't so difficult to do so now.  After surgery, I didn't really have much muscle left on the left side of my back.  It definitely is stronger, but I think if it would have been stronger to begin with, maybe it would have been able to hold the other discs better and take some of the stress away from them.

For now, I can only get one more injection between now and the end of October, so I really want to try to wait a little longer.  I go back to the pain management doctor in April and will probably schedule an injection sometime in the summer.  Hopefully I can wait that long.  I definitely have gotten to vent a lot to the counselor and feel that it has helped. I think it would have been better if I went to them sooner so I wasn't so depressed.  I really appreciate you chatting with me.  I think talking about it with others will help me accept where I am.  Let me know how things continue progressing with you.

[tanglewood]

I've had chronic back pain for about 5 years now. I have too many issues with too many disc. My orthopedic surgeon said he did not think surgery would help me, so he referred me to a pain specialist who implanted a Spinal Cord Stimulator in my back on February 10th. I did the trial first and the relief was amazing. The surgery went well and again the relief was amazing, but I did something I shouldn't have and pulled something loose and the unit stopped working. I am waiting now to be rescheduled for surgery to go in and fix it - I will be more careful next time! Something you might ask about, though - the neuro-stimulator or spinal cord stimulator. You can google it to find out more. My device was made by MedTronics. I am in terrible pain now because the meds don't do the job. I will be so glad when they get the device working again! Good luck. Feel free to pm me for more info if you want to.

[kittyluv1]

It sounds like you are doing all the appropriate things to assist you in coping with your condition.  It is unfortunate that you have had additional disc damage so soon.
I hope the counselor is allowing you to vent the he*** about everything!  If you decide to investigate anti-depressants at a later date, or elect not to use them at all, it can be monitored with your current pain control management.
I think lumbar surgery is much more complicated than neck surgery.  In the waiting room at my doctor's office were several postop lumbar patients and they were still in varying degrees of discomfort.  Most were surprised that I had done so well --  I can only hope that I continue to progress without any setbacks.
Let me know what are the current plans.  Another  injection?
You've got a strong sense of self and that will carry you a long way!

[sears]

Thank you for your response.  The fusuion was not done for degenerative disc disease, but mainly because they could see that the disc was less than half as thick as it should be and definitely herniated.  Once they did the surgery they said there pretty much was no disc left.  Prior to surgery all of my other discs looked like they were in great shape.  I knew that I was at risk for having the next disk have some problems, but I did not realize it would be so soon after the original surgery.  I was still recovering from the pain of surgery when the next disc started causing problems.
I am seeing a counselor to help with the depression, but have not yet decided on taking antidepressants.  I am not a person that likes to be on medication and I worry about mixing all the different kinds.  There is a small risk in taking the Ultram that I am on for pain and an antidepressant.  Although, I have not ruled it out yet, I was hoping that maybe I could make some progress with out it.
I am also in the care of an orthepedic spine specialist and have done an MRI, CT Scan, and regular X-rays to watch my progess.  I am also in the care of a pain management doctor, which is where I have gotten my injections.  
I hope that your experience turns out better than mine!  What is the recovery period for your fusion?  I would imagine it is similar to the lower spine, but maybe not.  
I really appreciate you responding and I look forward to talking with others in these situations as I think it will help me better deal with what I am going through and maybe along the way I can offer advice to someone also.

[kittyluv1]

Welcome to the Back and Neck Community.  Members are here to provide assistance and support to individuals experiencing symptoms related to possible abnormal conditions of the cervical and/or lumbar spine.  Advice given is non-professional and is primarily based on personal experiences.

I am sorry to hear of your continued health problems.  Having had a fusion in the L5-S1 area 2yrs ago, you have been at risk for having problems in the discs located above the fusion as they have taken on increased stress that the lower discs can no longer handle.
If your fusion was done because of degenerative disc disease, stenosis and possible disc herniation, the potential for this process to affect the adjacent discs is greater.
SI joint dysfunction is more primarily related to pain produced by movement of the joint and muscles controlling your hip and knee movement.  Epidural injections are used to help alleviate the inflammatory process and reduce subjective pain.
Are you under the care of an orthopedic spine specialist?   Have you had a recent MRI?
Dealing with chronic pain is an emotionally difficult task, sometimes more difficult than the physical aspect.  It is helpful to find a support structure of similar individuals (many local hospitals offer pain control support groups as well).  We are happy to have you on the forum and look forward to assisting you in any way we can.
I am almost 4 wks postop anterior cervical discectomy and fusion C4-C7 and my initial recovery has been very successful, but as my neurosurgeon has pointed out "Once a neck patient, always a neck patient."  I had a follow-up exam today and the hardware in my neck is holding steady and I am not having any of the horrific pain I had pre-op.  However, there is always the risk of degenerative changes in my upper neck and I am hoping that careful attention to my body mechanics and avoiding any trauma will keep this process from happening too soon.
Please post back and let us know how you are currently treating your symptoms.  Are you thinking about consulting someone regarding your depression?  Sometimes taking anti-depressants can help in reducing pain as well as improving mood.
I, and other fusion patients, will be very happy to chat with you and help you as much as we can.  Keep posting!
Best wishes -----