Could I have Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?

HI Kelly, sorry to hear about your pain , I'm understand how you feel, did you try physical therapy ?, I have that pain but was after I have spinal lumbar fusion, before my was only in my lower back. You may go to

a pain management specialist . Hope you have relief soon

Hi  Kelly, you would need to see a consultant who would take a MRI of your spine to confirm a diagnosis. However, as a cautionary tale (and please realise that your situation may not be my situation), age has nothing to do with it. I am someone who has been confirmed as having spinal stenosis and your symptoms sound remarkably similar to mine (though I had also had severe burning pain in my lower back). I should also say that I recognise what you say about your Doctor 'brushing it off due to age'. I have always been fit and active and started getting symptoms similar to yours at age 37 and within 5 years (and after a difficult pregnancy) I was virtually in a wheelchair. I spent thousands of pounds on physios, oesteopaths, acupuncturists, etc, etc. saw my GP countless times only to be told that I just needed to exercise more (despite me exercising every day). I was on a toxic cocktail of painkillers and still had unrelenting chronic pain. Finally I  had to go into my my GPs office (I am in England) and openly weep and state that I was depressed and couldn't take anymore before she finally relented and sent me to a consultant (via a labrynthine system of physios). After a second scan, the consultant told me I had 'severe' spinal stenosis and spondylithesis. He looked at me as if to say, 'what took you so long to get help?' It took 5 years from the start of my pain to getting a diagnosis (though much of this time was spent sitting on waiting lists to get various different spinal injections to see if those would work). The only thing that helped me in the end was decompression and fusion surgery. The consultant told me there were only 3 options for stenosis: surgery, injections or to leave it (sometimes it gets better on its own after several years). I wish I could go back and be more assertive from the start. I can't get those 5 years of my life back but I know now that listening to your body and trusting your instincts (even if you are wrong- if you are, who cares?) is critical to getting the help you might need. In England right now the emphasis is on not bothering the health services and I'm afraid back/sciatic pain are one of those things that tend to get fobbed off. I'm not sure what country you are in but if you can't get an MRI on your insurance or via your GP then pay for one yourself and then take it from there. If it is serious it should show up on the scan (though no guarantees, some people have relatively normal scans and bad pain) but at least you can put your mind to rest and take appropriate action. Be wary of well meaning therapists who frankly only want you to keep coming back for more expensive treatments (physio, oesteopathy, acupuncture, etc.). I would have better spent the money on an MRI of my spine. Being in pain with children is awful as you feel obliged to pretend that it is not as bad as it is in order to protect them from seeing you suffer. BTW, surgery for me was not the be all and end all and I still have pain but I walk much better and I feel much more empowered to make the right choices knowing that i did all I could to deal with the chronic (back and leg) pain of spinal stenosis. I hope your GP/health professionals are more helpful and you have an easier journey. Best of luck and let us know how you get on. L

Thank you both for your replies. So far the only treatment I have had is anti inflammatory meds. The doc didn't even look at me. I to am in England. I am the sort of person not to push things but in this case I'm beginning to think I need to! Although part of me wonders if it's all in my head! I was told by my doctor that because of my age they won't contemplate arthritis which is what I have though I may have up until recently. I've struggled to get a doctors appointment this week and even let a message with the on call doctor only to be told to take painkillers. I have to wait till next week to see someone. Although I am in pain, I don't think it's urgent enough to go to A&E, it's the sudden pins and needles that are worrying me more than anything at the moment

Hey Kelly,You're instincts are probably right.  Sounds like you have a pinched nerve which could be from a herniated disk. YOu can have this injury at any time. You don't have to be 60! If your doctor is brushing you have - you may have to switch doctors.  They'll start with x-rays and then probably proceed to a CT scan or an MRI.  Don't ignore this.  Also, avoid surgery as long as you can.  It doesn't usually help with pain. You probably need to start with physical therapy.  No harm in googling exercises to do for sciatic pain and trying them. If that doesn't help, I would get to a neurologist and they will do injections.

 

I did think herniated disc to begin with. The symptoms seem roughly the same. The sciatic pain has stopped at the mo but the pins and needles are still there. I usually find after sitting down the pains start again. If I keep moving, at a slow pace, I'm ok till I've relaxed. If I'm running around like us mums do then it's worse