Is an "injection" necessary to get on the road to recovery

[suzie54]

A recent MRI shows that I have a protruding disc in my back. The symptom is extreme pain and numbness in my left leg. The first episode of excruciating pain occurred in December, 2004.  I did not have another episode until September, 2010.  Then, a third episode in March, 2011.  Each episode seems to be more severe.  This past episode left me with no reflex in my left leg.  I was put on tramadol (300 mg) to manage the pain.  It has been 3 weeks since the last episode and I have now gone off the tramadol.  I saw a neurologist on Friday and he has now referred me to a neurosurgeon to get an "injection".  I am wondering what the "injection" will be and what it will do for me.  Is it to reduce inflamation?  Will this allow me to be able to go for physiotherapy?  I am of the belief that I have a chronic condition that is going to reoccur over time and the only solution is to try to minimize the number of times it happens and the severety of it.  I would like to get into physiotherapy and receive advice on how to exercise and how to change my way of doing things so that I can prevent this episodes.  Is the "injection" necessary to get on the road to managing this situation?  


This discussion is related to protruding disc/to treat or not to treat.

[Dr Sharma]

Hi there. You have herniated intervertebral disc, which is causing compressive neuropathy. The treatment options that your have are NSAIDs, opioids, physiotherapy, epidural injections of steroids to reduce the inflammation, these can be repeated over few weeks, administered by a pain physician/anesthesiologist under fluoroscopic guidance. This should not interfere with your physiotherapy. If these options do not provide relief and pain, keep recurring, surgical decompression is the last option. You must undergo the epidural steroid injection if there are no contraindications like being on anticoagulants, diabetes mellitus or local infection. Hope this helps. Take care.

[mcamp]

hi, I had the injections, it allows you some relief for a short period of time only. I ended up getting a laminectomy, because my disc's (multiple) had basically disintegrated, and it is true that the disc problem could reoccur after a laminectoomy. I am scheduled for a disectomy because of my personal problem. But you do need to do something because the disc will not get better by its self if it has ruptured already.

[caregiver222]

The corticosteroid injections provide short relief, but the medication has a relatively short half-life. They don't cure anything. There is another procedure involving injection of a medication that allegedly shrinks the disc. In Europe they use a needle to inject ozone.

Tramadol is useless as a screen door in a submarine. It is the preferred medication in small villages along the Amazon and amongst witch doctors in Somalia.

Ask them about prescribing a "TENS" device.

Did they suggest hydration and keeping your blood sugar low? No, of course not. That would involve common sense. The reason to try fasting is that glucose levels affect osmolality and this causes fluid to swell the disc and impinge on the nerve.

You need a 3T MRI. Depending on the damage the first step is usally special exercises, if the problem is in the lumbar region. It sounds like classical sciatica. I am genuinely surprised that you haven't been referred to a rehab specialist.

The "final solution" is a laminectomy, which should only be performed at a place that does lots of them. Even so, the problem usually comes back.

Ask them to prescribe a 5% transdermal lidocaine patch and a few days of oral prednisone. Oral prednisone has many contraindications but if used for a short period you will have no problems.