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Do steroid injections work? Do they hurt?
I was injured in an automobile accident. I had a lot of injuries: knees, hip, pelvis, ruptured discs, blah blah. I have been in physical therapy and found it to be very helpful for my muscles, ligaments, SI joint, flexibility and mobility; but....it is making my nerve root damage worse. Just the slightest touch of my therapist's hands and crazy nerve sensations spread like wildfire.
I don't understand how some days I am doing "ok" and can actually walk to the stop sign and other days, in an instant, all it takes is a sneeze, I am knocked down for a good 10 days. I have to recooperate all over again.
Pre-accident I was a fulltime student working on my teaching credentials and working 25 hours a week. I golfed every Friday, road my mountain bike several times a month, went bowling every Sunday morning, went to ballgames hiked, went out dancing, etc. etc. Now, I can't count on myself to walk out to my mailbox and get the mail. My social life has come to a screaming halt. I had to drop out of last semester in school (SITTING IS THE WORSE) and have not been able to work because I am no longer a dependable person.
My PT recommended fluorscopy and my MD said basically the same thing - try the steroid injections. Do I want to take this route? Do they work? Do they make things worse?
Thanks for any input!
Hi Christina,
The neurologist confirmed a pinched nerve at the L4-5 level. He suggested to me to have stimulation physical therapy at his office. He wants to do this for four weeks. I told him I have already had 6 consistent months of physical therapy and I need something less conservative now. I am going back to my family doctor on Monday to ask what sort of surgery I can do to get rid of this pain in the ass (literally) once and for all.
I read online about a noninvasive surgical treatment for pinched nerves. It claims to have a 90% success rate and one can expect to return to normal activities within 3 weeks time. I am apprehensive about having more PT at the neurologist's office because I feel he may just be wanting to make more money off of me and, it is no guarantee that it will work. This kind of therapy would not be covered completely by my insurance and I can't afford the hefty 35% copay. If I am a candidate for surgery, which I should be, I can be in and out and start living my life again!
I still don't know why I have this hip/thigh pain. I didn't think that was along my L4-5. But, I do know that there are two other discs bulging in my back, it must be either from them or it could be muscular, I don't know.
My feet/legs are becoming more and more tingly and numb. I too get the burning when laying on my hip and my lower back burns like crazy when I try to lay on it or if someone was to touch me there. Yesterday in the shower, just the water coming down made me want to cry. I have heard about putting a softball there...YEAH RIGHT....I could NOT handle that, please!
Hate to go back to the "private" area, but when all this happened to me, I had issues down there as well. I just got feeling back in that area recently. THANK GOD!! lol
Also, I totally understand the swollen feeling you get...same here. Oh, I wanted to ask you if your hands are all tingly as well and what about your face?
Cheers!
E
The neurologist confirmed a pinched nerve at the L4-5 level. He suggested to me to have stimulation physical therapy at his office. He wants to do this for four weeks. I told him I have already had 6 consistent months of physical therapy and I need something less conservative now. I am going back to my family doctor on Monday to ask what sort of surgery I can do to get rid of this pain in the ass (literally) once and for all.
I read online about a noninvasive surgical treatment for pinched nerves. It claims to have a 90% success rate and one can expect to return to normal activities within 3 weeks time. I am apprehensive about having more PT at the neurologist's office because I feel he may just be wanting to make more money off of me and, it is no guarantee that it will work. This kind of therapy would not be covered completely by my insurance and I can't afford the hefty 35% copay. If I am a candidate for surgery, which I should be, I can be in and out and start living my life again!
I still don't know why I have this hip/thigh pain. I didn't think that was along my L4-5. But, I do know that there are two other discs bulging in my back, it must be either from them or it could be muscular, I don't know.
My feet/legs are becoming more and more tingly and numb. I too get the burning when laying on my hip and my lower back burns like crazy when I try to lay on it or if someone was to touch me there. Yesterday in the shower, just the water coming down made me want to cry. I have heard about putting a softball there...YEAH RIGHT....I could NOT handle that, please!
Hate to go back to the "private" area, but when all this happened to me, I had issues down there as well. I just got feeling back in that area recently. THANK GOD!! lol
Also, I totally understand the swollen feeling you get...same here. Oh, I wanted to ask you if your hands are all tingly as well and what about your face?
Cheers!
E
I do not have the L3-4. Just L4-5 thank god. I have 4 places in my neck. In my privates the answer is NO.... If it was I surely would not be complaining, Probably wouldn't even mention it to the doctor LOL.Thats crazy about the nail. How far did it go through?MY feet get a swollen feeling even though when I look at them they seem ok.I get the burning feeling when I lay on one side too long in my butt/ hip area.The guy who gave me my emg pushed in the area where it burns and I jumped it hurt so bad. He told me to lay on a softball on that area. I tried it but I could not stand the pain. He said it would help but I was not able to lay on it that long to find out.
Hurray for a good nights sleep. I am up so early every morning even though I don't have to be because I just can't stay in bed any longer because it hurts over my whole body. Between my neck and shoulders and low back. I look like I am 90 years old when I first get up. I get scared when I think about what it is going to be like as I get older.
The best of luck to you today. I am hoping for good news for you.Hopefully some answers.
Take care.
Chrisitna
Hurray for a good nights sleep. I am up so early every morning even though I don't have to be because I just can't stay in bed any longer because it hurts over my whole body. Between my neck and shoulders and low back. I look like I am 90 years old when I first get up. I get scared when I think about what it is going to be like as I get older.
The best of luck to you today. I am hoping for good news for you.Hopefully some answers.
Take care.
Chrisitna
Hey,
My bad, I meant to type L3-4 area, not 4-5. I have three "bad" discs in the lumbar, but I feel the major problem comes from my 3-4.
I don't have the vibrating thing you talk about. But, if it's vibrating on your private area, is it at least pleasurable? lol sorry, couldn't resist.
I understand how you can have pain in three areas at the same time and the ridiculous way you have to walk. I feel like I have to walk around my hip joint, it looks so stupid! I also can relate to having it in one area, and then it trades off with other areas of the body and lets it have a turn. An equal opportunity injury!
When I sit or laydown, my legs/feet burn and tingle & have little feeling. Yesterday I felt a poke at the bottom of my foot, I thought there was a sticker in my sandal. It was tickling like a sticker and annoying. My mom told me to look underneath my sandal and I had stepped on a nail that had penetrated through, no biggy! lol
About the EMG, I also noticed the one side hurting more than the other, I don't know if that means anything or not. And around my butt was very painful (that is where the facet joints are I was talking about) in the way lower back and then he poked down my butt and YIKES! I did the same thing you did. He told me to relax and be still. Easy for him to say : )
I am glad you were able to swim a bit, too bad you had to bail.
I took a muscle relaxer last night and FINALLY slept through the night. This is a HUGE deal for me. It has been months since I have been able to do that.
Gotta get ready for my appt. Catch ya later.
Cheers!
My bad, I meant to type L3-4 area, not 4-5. I have three "bad" discs in the lumbar, but I feel the major problem comes from my 3-4.
I don't have the vibrating thing you talk about. But, if it's vibrating on your private area, is it at least pleasurable? lol sorry, couldn't resist.
I understand how you can have pain in three areas at the same time and the ridiculous way you have to walk. I feel like I have to walk around my hip joint, it looks so stupid! I also can relate to having it in one area, and then it trades off with other areas of the body and lets it have a turn. An equal opportunity injury!
When I sit or laydown, my legs/feet burn and tingle & have little feeling. Yesterday I felt a poke at the bottom of my foot, I thought there was a sticker in my sandal. It was tickling like a sticker and annoying. My mom told me to look underneath my sandal and I had stepped on a nail that had penetrated through, no biggy! lol
About the EMG, I also noticed the one side hurting more than the other, I don't know if that means anything or not. And around my butt was very painful (that is where the facet joints are I was talking about) in the way lower back and then he poked down my butt and YIKES! I did the same thing you did. He told me to relax and be still. Easy for him to say : )
I am glad you were able to swim a bit, too bad you had to bail.
I took a muscle relaxer last night and FINALLY slept through the night. This is a HUGE deal for me. It has been months since I have been able to do that.
Gotta get ready for my appt. Catch ya later.
Cheers!
I've been called that before. lol. I did not like the needle part. Especially around my butt area.I felt like jumping off the table when je was working around that area. It hurt really bad. In fact there were a few spots it hurt real bad. My thight and around my left ankle area. That was wierd. In fact when he took the needles out it felt like they were still there for a little while.My L4-5 gives me pain in my butt area and sometimes around my calf. I had one bad episode in my calf area I was scared I thought maybe I blood clot or something, then it went away just as fast as in came on. My feet bother me alot. My left groin area too. This sounds really wierd but the worst thing is went I get the vibration feelings. Like a cell phone on vibrate.Do you know what I am talking about with these. It feels like a I have my cell on me on vibrate and the feelings I can only describe with a buzzing noise. People think I am crazy when I try to explain what it feels like and I make a regular timed buzzing sound. The worst place when I get it is in my shall I say private area. I have to try and find a position laying down to relieve I guess some kind of pressure on my back. In fact I ended up going to the doctor on my own because I was getting these in my legs for a few days. Both of my legs at the same time.For awhile there every time I got in the car I got these feelings in my legs after a few minutes. I guess it is the way I sit or something. I would be fine then I would get in the car and the buzzing will start. The first time it happened I kept checking my pockets for my cell phone. When I found it in my pocketbook I thought it myself, am I going crazy. What the heck in going on.I starting reading different things on the computer and found there were other people trying to explain the same thing. I felt a litle better when I seen someone else describe it the same exact way. so I am not nuts after all.I haven't figured out which is worse though, the tingling or the vibrations.
I can only imagine how nervous you are about tomorrow.Doctor appt. anymore give me anxiety attacks because you never know what they are going to say.I think is it better and I only feel worse or is it worse and they will say you just have to live with it.
Whe I got my emg results back the w.c. doc says oh yeah by the way I didn't thnik you're disc was that bad but you do have some damage to your nerves. End of conversion.I took the results to the nurse in the school I worked and we went over the results together. Looking up the places where there was damage done. She pulled out her medical books. So after doing that it started to make sense to me about the places I say hurt and bother me.
They don't burn but I do get that in my neck area where I have the herniated discs.My left arm is weak.
I spent many a day laying in my bed taking my muscle relaxers and the doc says you have to get up and move around. Yeah ok easier said than done. The bathroom seemed many miles away.In those days of laying there I came to the conclusion my bedroom needed a lot of work done to it. I made my husband change my curtains to cheer me up.
Some days are hard and positive thinking goes right out those windows. It's Ok because you know you have days when you do think positive.
It felt soooo good to go in the pool yesterday and I forgot all about my back problems but believe me it came crashing back to me. I kind of riuned it for everybody. I had to get out. We were playing a game and I forgot about my shall I say limitations and I felt my neck pull and start to lock up. I had to get out right away. It is a little stiff today but the worse was when I got out and started to walk I now have my groin pain again. So I am back to limping again. Then my feet started to bother me. Here's positive thinking for you. I am just waiting for my right side to start hurting now. Usually I have the 3 spots together. My right side hip and ankle/foot and my left groin. There's a good limp for you.
Well take care of yourself. I actually have to go lay down again because it hurts to be in a sitting position too long.
You'll be in my thoughts especially about tomorrow.
Christina
I can only imagine how nervous you are about tomorrow.Doctor appt. anymore give me anxiety attacks because you never know what they are going to say.I think is it better and I only feel worse or is it worse and they will say you just have to live with it.
Whe I got my emg results back the w.c. doc says oh yeah by the way I didn't thnik you're disc was that bad but you do have some damage to your nerves. End of conversion.I took the results to the nurse in the school I worked and we went over the results together. Looking up the places where there was damage done. She pulled out her medical books. So after doing that it started to make sense to me about the places I say hurt and bother me.
They don't burn but I do get that in my neck area where I have the herniated discs.My left arm is weak.
I spent many a day laying in my bed taking my muscle relaxers and the doc says you have to get up and move around. Yeah ok easier said than done. The bathroom seemed many miles away.In those days of laying there I came to the conclusion my bedroom needed a lot of work done to it. I made my husband change my curtains to cheer me up.
Some days are hard and positive thinking goes right out those windows. It's Ok because you know you have days when you do think positive.
It felt soooo good to go in the pool yesterday and I forgot all about my back problems but believe me it came crashing back to me. I kind of riuned it for everybody. I had to get out. We were playing a game and I forgot about my shall I say limitations and I felt my neck pull and start to lock up. I had to get out right away. It is a little stiff today but the worse was when I got out and started to walk I now have my groin pain again. So I am back to limping again. Then my feet started to bother me. Here's positive thinking for you. I am just waiting for my right side to start hurting now. Usually I have the 3 spots together. My right side hip and ankle/foot and my left groin. There's a good limp for you.
Well take care of yourself. I actually have to go lay down again because it hurts to be in a sitting position too long.
You'll be in my thoughts especially about tomorrow.
Christina
Ok, you are a FREAK!! just kidding...you like the shocks!! I did not like them...the little tingly ones were not that bad, but when he pulled out the big guns....oh dang!! And the worse part was when he put the needle in where my facet joint area is....
Are your symptoms from the L4-5 pain from the back/hip and inner thigh? Also, are your feet and calves numb and burn?
Did you go swimming today? It was a beautiful day here in California. I was too weak to stand today, but I looked out my windows from my bed. I never thought I would be so thankful for the 6 windows I have in my bedroom, they sure do come in handy when you can't be outside. I took my first painpill at 6am and have been pretty much miserable all day....how exciting huh?
I am nervous about my appt. tomorrow that tells me the results of the EMG. I am thinking to myself what if nothing shows up and I will never get better. Yeah, real positive thinking, huh?
Oh, and you KNOW you love vacuuming!! I will keep you in my thoughts....
Talk to you soon!
Are your symptoms from the L4-5 pain from the back/hip and inner thigh? Also, are your feet and calves numb and burn?
Did you go swimming today? It was a beautiful day here in California. I was too weak to stand today, but I looked out my windows from my bed. I never thought I would be so thankful for the 6 windows I have in my bedroom, they sure do come in handy when you can't be outside. I took my first painpill at 6am and have been pretty much miserable all day....how exciting huh?
I am nervous about my appt. tomorrow that tells me the results of the EMG. I am thinking to myself what if nothing shows up and I will never get better. Yeah, real positive thinking, huh?
Oh, and you KNOW you love vacuuming!! I will keep you in my thoughts....
Talk to you soon!
HI,
Thank you for the 411 on your injection experience. I hope it works well for your neck. It seems that doctors make you take all these steps before doing surgery, even if the shots will not work in a lot of cases. I hear the shots work great for some diseases/pain areas, etc. but are really useless on other things. I am afraid of getting tricked into thinking I am ok, and messing myself up worse - that would be just like me! LOL
I guess I am not sold on the injections because I have a lot of weakness and don't understand how numbing an area of my back is going to relieve my weakness? It doesn't make sense to me.
I hope the Bonati Inst. takes care of you right the first time. I am so sorry that your previous back surgery was botched up. May I ask why you needed back surgery, what symptoms you had and what you are feeling now from the bad surgery?
Cheers!
Thank you for the 411 on your injection experience. I hope it works well for your neck. It seems that doctors make you take all these steps before doing surgery, even if the shots will not work in a lot of cases. I hear the shots work great for some diseases/pain areas, etc. but are really useless on other things. I am afraid of getting tricked into thinking I am ok, and messing myself up worse - that would be just like me! LOL
I guess I am not sold on the injections because I have a lot of weakness and don't understand how numbing an area of my back is going to relieve my weakness? It doesn't make sense to me.
I hope the Bonati Inst. takes care of you right the first time. I am so sorry that your previous back surgery was botched up. May I ask why you needed back surgery, what symptoms you had and what you are feeling now from the bad surgery?
Cheers!
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