Nerve pain! Is it really the nerves waking up?

when I was in hospital they did tell me that the nerves are like loads of wiggling worms waking up

Hi, I think your Dr may be trying to tell you that nerves are very touchy and that many of your activities will "wake up or aggravated your nerve/s." You might want to ask your Dr to explain in other words what he/she is trying to tell you. Your Dr has taken an oath to help you and you have every right to question him/her until you get it! Best of luck.

Every 6 months or so, I have a minor procedure called RFA. (radio frequency ablation) which basically microwaves a particular nerve to deaden it. I have this done to a nerve in my leg, for a condition called meralgia paresthentica, caused by a constricted nerve, that resulted from inguinal hernia surgery. I also get a somewhat simillar treatment to my lower back, to reduce sciatica pain from degenerative disks. In both procedures, the nerves are deadened from a lesion or burn, but are not completely killed. this stops the pain temporarily, and it returns as the nerve heals, and does what it's supposed to do by transmitting pain signals to the brain. Sometimes  it's not better to kill the nerve completely, because that would just trade one bad sensation for a different one, which may be no better. Maybe you might want to ask about RFA.

I have tried gabapentin and amitriptyline, with increased dosages, both having no effect. I also have used a topical creme, Lidocaine 4%, which does seem to work, but the prescribed regimen of four times per day continuously, is not practical for me. I pretty much only use it at night, before bed if my leg is really sizzling. Oh, the sensation my leg has is kind of like when you bump your elbow, and they call it "hitting your funny bone" , it's that burning, tingling, numb feeling, running down the side of my thigh, 24/7. The RFA ablation does work most of the time, but if I stand in one place for a long time, such as ironing clothes, the sensation will return but go away as soon as I sit down or walk. When the ablation wears off ( and the nerve heals) the tingling, burning,  numbness returns continuously. It's not a perfect procedure but certainly better than nothing. I've been doing this for about two and a half years now. It's also a somewhat experimental procedure, and its results aren't always consistent. For instance, when they treat the nerve (lateral femoral cutaneous nerve) where it's most easily found, it doesn't work well, but when it's treated down near the scar mass, it works much better.They also burn some other sensory nerves in the same general area. An ultrasound is used to guide the canula probe. I also live in the US