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Lower back pain

Posted , 4 users are following.

aamir73176
aamir73176

Hi,

I was suffering from sciatica pain from December 2014. Done a lot for it, but dose not work any. Than on 12/01/17 they done my L5 S1 surgery. After the surgery my pain gone and I became straight but after 8 weeks my right hip swollen from the back side and I became bend on my left side. If I stand for little while my back on right side becomes very very tight. I feel my right leg is longer than left leg. When I go to bed if I sleep on right side than no pain but if I sleep on my back or left side than it is very very painful if I change the side or want to get up from the bed. And this pain is exactly at that place where they make the cut to operate. At the result I am sleeping all night on one side (right side) or if I change the side than my sleep become 3-4 hours for the whole night. I can not walk as I am struggling to balance my self and my back becomes very tight on right side. Could not go for work sitting in home eating painkiller. In the morning I am normal, during the day also not very bad pain but I am struggling in night. I did search for hip bursitis and so many more but could not reach to any point. If any one have any idea please let me know as I am very upset because of the situation. Please ignore my mistakes in all above as English is not my first language.

Thanks

0 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • josephine32
    josephine32 aamir73176

    Posted

    I don't know why it is so bad at night and not during the day, but I am experiencing this also and cannot sleep only on my left side.  Often the pain down my whole side from hip to foot wakes me and I struggle to find a comfortable position.  Sometimes placing a cushion between your knees does help.  After a couple of morning painkillers, I gradually improve.  Daytime I experience backache on standing and walking for any length of time, but not the leg pain.  The hospital thought I have a trapped femoral nerve in the groin, and I think it is definitely a nerve pain and probably the sciatic one. There seems to be no cure for this other than to find what eases you and hope it doesn't worsen.  Sorry to be no help, but you do have my sincere sympathies and empathy.

    • amkoffee
      amkoffee josephine32

      Posted

      I don't think there is actually a sciatica nerve. Sciatica is a condition meaning pinched nerve causing pain to go down the leg. So the fact that they're calling it a trapped femoral nerve is exactly sciatica. I just wanted to correct that for you so you could understand what they were saying.

    • josephine32
      josephine32 amkoffee

      Posted

      The sciatic nerve is the largest single nerve in the human body; it runs from each side of the lower spine through deep in the buttock into the back of the thigh and all the way down to the foot. It serves a vital role in connecting the spinal cord with the leg and foot muscles.

      Any type of pain and/or neurological symptoms that are felt along the sciatic nerve is referred to as sciatica.

      Sorry to include that quote and it is confusing, but it seems that it is a term applied both specifically and also generally.  Got that from a medical website and it does describe the symptoms accurately.  Doesn't alter the leg pain - I also have numb patches on my front thighs now - good for injections if there must be a silver lining somewhere!

    • amkoffee
      amkoffee josephine32

      Posted

      That is why I said the words "I think", because I was not exactly sure. But I am happy to have learned something new. Thank you for that. But I am sorry that you are suffering so much.

    • jane75220
      jane75220 josephine32

      Posted

      Have you had any nerve conduction tests to find out why you have these numb patches on your thighs?

      Mind my asking if you work and what your occupation  is/was as this may have a bearing  on  your signs and symptoms.For xample sedentary work can cause  a lot of back problems as well as heavy physical work.

      I was  recently advised to try  a deep remedia;l massage. This is done by qualifiedd  physiotherapists who have extra training.

       

    • josephine32
      josephine32 jane75220

      Posted

      No I have not had those.  I was referred to a consultant who said I had a rugby ball size patch of numbness on one thigh and a smaller couple of patches on the other.  He referred me for an MRI but unfortunately it turned out that my pacemaker could not support this and only physio could be recommended.  The leg pain is fairly recent and apart from trying to ease it, I have not followed this up so far.  He said he was of the opinion that I had a trapped femoral nerve in the groin and not the back.  

      I am over seventy now and am fairly sedentary (I love my computer) although walk when I can and manage most household jobs after a fashion.  The back pain is constant now, not acute as it has been on occasions, but severe backache mostly which eases on sitting or lying (which is why I am upset that this relief is now not certain with the addition of what I think is sciatica).  I have come to accept the situation now really.  The consultant was concerned that I should have numbness in both legs now as this is not usual apparently, and wants me to report in if this worsens or affects any body functions.  So far, so good in that direction.  I will look into conductivity tests as you suggest as I had not heard of these.  Many thanks.

  • amkoffee
    amkoffee aamir73176

    Posted

    Have you discussed any of this with your doctor? There is something called a body pillow you might want to get one of those and try it. A lot of people have success using a body pillow. Or at least try putting a pillow between your knees when you lay on your side at night.
    • aamir73176
      aamir73176 amkoffee

      Posted

      Dear amkoffee,

      Yes I been with doctor he prescribed me diazepam done the blood test and urgent MRI on the 21st of this month. Now I am waiting for my appointment with him on the 3rd of next month. See what he saying. But because of this situation not even me, but my all household are very upset. I am thinking that if it's something serious than I have to go somewhere else to do the treatment because it's takes long to stay in waiting list.

      On the 15th of this month they took me in Ambulance to the hospital because it was an extreme pain and I was shouting. I can not take the risk.

  • amkoffee
    amkoffee aamir73176

    Posted

    I don't understand why you would have to go somewhere else if you had to deal with this. Do you not live in your own home? I am so sorry you had to go to the hospital by ambulance. The pain that you're describing is just horrible I know I have suffered from lower back pain for 13 years. And if I were not on opiates I would be bad too. It is likely that they will suggest surgery for your problem. But I want to make sure that you know the risks involved with surgery. Because I'm finding that more and more surgeons are not telling their patients the percentage of surgeries that are successful from back surgery. The actual success rate is quite low. There is the percentage of people who get a long-term success which means no pain for many years, then there's the success rate of people who get no pain or a couple of years. Then you get into the people who have no success at all but no failure. So they actually come out of the surgery with nothing gained nothing lost except the money and the pain of the surgery. And then you get into what they call failed back surgery. These are people who have obviously had back surgery and are worse off than they were when they went in. These surgeries happen more frequently than you would think. Don't believe for a minute that this is like a one or two or even 5%. Because in my uneducated opinion it happens more frequently than that. Your surgeon should be able to give you some sort of percentage on these groups of surgeries that I've talked about. Make him talk about this before you have your surgery. Because you need to be well-informed so you know what you're getting in to. I just don't want you to go in thinking everything will be fine and you will be pain free following the surgery. Because you might be disappointed. All this being said you should find yourself a pain management doctor immediately. They will handle everything about managing your pain from prescribing medication to performing certain types of injections in your back to help with the pain. So for example I was not a candidate for surgery because my issues could not be fixed with surgery. So I had to look for other options. My pain management doctor does epidural injections in my back which does give me some relief, not a lot but a little. In addition to this I've had to get on opiates. I know nobody likes to get on opiates especially now with the public opinion of them right now and the push to make it harder to get them but chronic pain patients need them and that does not make us addicts. There are also other options that pain patients have been known to use such as stimulator that is inserted in your back. There are also things called a TENS unit that you can purchase to use on your back these help a lot of people. There are so many things that I could go into that I wont here that will help you out. You're just now starting your journey and you have a long ways to go before you understand it all. But your first step should be to a pain management doctor.

    • josephine32
      josephine32 amkoffee

      Posted

      There is so much variation in back pain and from so many causes and I do agree that often back surgery has not been a solution for many and can worsen the situation.  However, if there is serious damage being caused by pressure to a nerve, then it has to be freed somehow before it does more and irreparable damage and sometimes an operation is the only way to do this.  I pray this is not the case here and other options will be offered.  Only a correct diagnosis can decide this and an MRI normally will do this.  As for the pain, well only those who suffer know how agonising and scary it can be when in an acute episode and I do agree that pain management is urgent here.

      I cannot have an MRI scan because I have a pacemaker which would be affected, so I soldier on hoping it will not worsen.  I have a few good days sometimes which feel wonderful, other times I only want to move as little as possible, which of course we are told not to do.  It is a rock and a hard place....

    • aamir73176
      aamir73176 josephine32

      Posted

      Thanks both of you for giving me such a useful tips. I done the MRI and blood test and now have to see the surgeon on the 3rd of next month. Will update you all what's they saying. At the moment unbalanced walking as I am bent to the left and the back of my right hip is swollen.also the right side ribs went to the left because of the pressure or tightness when I am in standing position. But at least I am not in that kind of pain specially in day time.I am sleeping just on my right side in night with taking two 500mg painkiller.

      Thank you once again.

    • josephine32
      josephine32 aamir73176

      Posted

      So good luck that they find a cause which can be successfully treated and we shall look forward to hearing from you again.  My husband tells me I am looking like a question mark shape when walking, but that is the most comfortable at present though I do try to straighten up if I can but I do feel unbalanced too and it is hard to feel the proper centre of gravity you ought to be walking in - in other words which way is upright....
    • aamir73176
      aamir73176 josephine32

      Posted

      Hi,

      Unfortunately last evening I got it again. the pain came back 07:55pm. This is not the normal pain what generally people saying and some people listening and understand. It's kind of different and horrible pain but this time I can describe it. When it's comes I becomes very hard if someone hold me from the foot finger and push me on any direction my whole body will go at that direction even my head. My foot specially foot finger becomes very cold and the lower part of my body start shaking below my tomy while it is not comes in my control. The lips and mouth became dryer but not temperature at all as my little daughter continually checking my temperature and shaking. The pain today I can describe is if some one get a deep wound and than again he get another wound in that wound and than repeat it again in theat place. I mean pain comes in the pain and the next pain com in that second pain. I do not know what is this. It's cover my lower back and the joint of my right hip and front of tigh and it's like water come up and down and moving in these areas.please any one if suffering or suffered or know someone who suffered from this journey please let me know and what is the good solution of it. After this pain I really realised that I got new life.

      Thanks

    • josephine32
      josephine32 aamir73176

      Posted

      You describe what I call an acute episode in my book and I have had only three instances of this where I was incapable of movement and in tears and they lasted a few days and then eased into a more general pain which could be controlled and sometimes eased.  You do sound so distressed and my feeling is that your anxiety and fear is making this perhaps worse than it is alone.  I would still only guess that you have a trapped nerve somewhere, especially when you describe the water running feeling, as I experienced this in my leg before it became numb permanently in patches.  In fact I stood stock still in a store because I thought it really was fluid!  

      I think you would benefit from some anxiety reducing medication for the present and it might be a good idea to request this until you are better diagnosed.

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