Back pain for the past 5 years

I hope I don’t burst your bubble but I’ve had 2 back operations and I’m in worse pain now than before the operations!

linda

Hi

I had a bad fall Dec 2013 and had surgery June 2015 with part removal of L2/L3 and L3/L4 and nerve decompression, prior to a number of therapies. I had surgery complication with a clot and infection and spent 5 weeks in hospital. I am mostly bed bound with assistance if carers. I am 52 and my disability has been 5 years. I have been waiting another session of steroid spinal injections and I'd the fails I am going for surgery again for the L4/L5. The pain I endure is left chronic lower back, buttock and leg, however my deteriotation is now affected my right lower back, buttock and upper. I am in chronic pain all the time whereby my GP has had to change medication every 3 to 6 months due to the addictive and my body becoming ineffective. Hope this helps B

Hi Raju,

I too lived with back pain for far too long until last year when my L5/S1 disc decided to rupture,  I had a micro discectomy performed in March 2017 and felt no improvements after that, in fact my pain became more severe and constant.  I was able to get an anterior lumbar fusion in July 2017 and life has been great once my PT concluded.  Trust me there are limitations that I must deal with but not one of them is called "pain".

Before a fusion was agreed upon, my surgeon and I were trying to get a disc replacement due to my activity level and age (41 y.o., soccer, hiking, golf, biking).  My insurance denied me 3 times for a replacement due to unstable discs on one of the sides of my bad one.  I still wish that I would have been granted that surgery but when I look back on it, the bottom line is that I'm pain-free and will be returning back to all the things I mentioned above.

Just make sure that you have a good plan going ahead, a very detailed rehab process, and most importantly the trust in your doctor.  Keep me updated and best of luck......

Brent

Well, if you have only tried medications then you haven't exhausted all there is before surgery.  You need a referral to a pain management specialist, that's what I used to be before I retired.  They can offer you a whole host of options along with medication.  To me, surgery is a last resort because I also treat way too many patients who were referred to me by surgeons as failed back surgery patients--ie patients who had had surgery and still had pain.  Often these poor patients had had multiple surgeries before they got referred to me. So, do yourself a favor and see what is available to you before you have any surgery done.  I am now a back pain patient myself and have so far managed to avoid any surgery in my back or neck.

I have had four completely successful back surgeries...

- L4-S1 Laminectomy for a bone spur crushing my sciatic nerve root.  Immediate relief; residual pain gone in a week.  Zero rehab.

- TLIF Fusion L3-S1 (rails, screws and spacers; pic 1).  Basically, my neurosurgeon pronounced that, after playing hockey for 45 years, my back was a "junkyard".  Difficult surgery; 12 days in the hospital.  Brace for 6 months; 4 months of rehab at 2X/week.  I'm a rehab freak so I kicked a$$ and never looked back.  Minor occasional soreness but nothing serious.  Does not restrict my life but I can no longer touch my toes...LOL...

- LLIF Fusion L2/L3 (lateral device insertion; pic 2).  Had to have this done because I was suffering from stenosis (like sciatica but down both legs.)  Doc could have redone all the rails and screws but we opted for this procedure.  MIRACLE OP!!!!!  Woke up in zero pain...walking...doing stairs!!!  One night in the hospital, no brace, no rehab!!!!  AMAZING technique.

- L2-L4 Laminectomy for bone growth.  Seems that the LLIF was SOOOO successful that the bone growth from the fusion was over the top...too much growth.  Bone was impinging on some nerves in the L2-L4 area; neuro had to go in and clean things out.  Turns out, he had a LOT of cleaning out to do so it took 3 1/2 hours and then 2 months for all the post-op pain to go away.  I wore the brace for a while but zero rehab.

In all, I've had a ton of work done on my spine and have the metal to show for it.  Add my hip and knee and the total of almost five pounds of metal makes me the TSA's worst nightmare at the airport.  I'm lucky to have had one of the most skilled neurosurgeons on the planet (my opinion).  I have recovered fine from every surgery...some needed more work than others...but at 70, I walk perfectly and don't use any painkillers at all.

Yes, people have had nightmare experiences with back surgery and I don't think there's any predicting how successful you will be.  Depends on what's wrong, surgical technique chosen, skill of the neuro, age, fitness, willingness to commit to the rehab and more.  It's all very individual.  For me, at least, I'm as good as I can possibly be considering the work that's been done on my spine.

Hi raju2018,

I'm sorry to hear of you are suffering from back pain, I am 4 years post back decompression surgery at Gobowen Hospital in Shropshire.

I felt the difference almost as soon as I came around back on the ward, my surgeon said the op went well though he had nicked my sciatic nerve in my left leg things should settle down well once the swelling goes down.

The chronic pain in my Lumbar was now down to a constant ache but no longer severe, the consultant informed me that I may need a further op in the future depending on whether bones spurs return possibly 5-6 years down the line.

Sadly in my case it was only 2 years and am now in chronic pain again and I'm due surgery again May/June this year.

Would I have the surgery again the answer is YES in a heart beat as the pain is now affecting everything I do or more honestly now don't do! 

I wish you the best on your own pain journey and hope you have a better outcome.

Regards Dave

I have chronic back pain issues that I'm pretty much able to keep in check, without drugs or surgery so far, even though I've been told I'll probably need surgery at some point.In my case, I have a pars defect (spondylolisthesis) basically a type of broken back where a pair pars (the little tabs on the vertebrae that keep them stacked in line above each other) is broken off, L5/S1 Are not in line. This has also led to disc s, L3. L4, and L5, to be badly degenerated. Anyway, the procedures I get on a regular schedule, are RFA, and a steroid epidural injection. They alternate those every four months, at two month intervals. I'll get RFA, then two months later, steroid epidural, two months after that, RFA again. They don't get rid of the pain, but they make it bearable. Also, there's a muscular issue also related to it in my upper back. I've been told that the upper back muscles are always trying to compensate for the lower back problems, so after four months, the muscles are hard as rocks around my shoulder blades and feel like ropes buried in me. I get trigger point injections ( anywhere from 6 to 16 at a time) to soften them up. I also use something called a Theracane, to help me reach back there to massage them. I also occasionally use a TENS on my lower back

maybe some of these things might work for you.