Nerve root block,

Thanks. I don't cope with pain well. Ive been having a back two weeks with my back and pain is pushing through the morphine strong!

Pain for two and a half years now virtually non stop. I can count on one hand the days I have had pain free and I would do anything to have permanent pain relief!

Yer, men to men eh?   But do they work, surgeons have come to the conclusion that the two ops I have had - I have too much scar tissue and therefore they cannot do rods and screws to stabilize my back. The pain is unbelievable.

Where did you have your procedure? What procedure, do you mean to say that they can sedate you?  Crickey all the injections I have had no-one has told me that.

 

Where? In the hospital, or do you mean where in my back? If the latter then I have a herniated L5 disc so they injected that nerve.

The Anaesthtist recommended sedation to me, he said he recommends it for all NRB patients, then it's up to them to say yes or no.

Last thing I remember is looking at the cannula in the back of my hand as he sent the sedation on it's way round my body, he asked my date of birth, and the next thing I know I'm in the recovery room telling the nurses how great they are in a slightly drunk sounding voice.

Where hospital and where back lol.  Oh God, I have 3, L4/5 L3/4 and s1/something or other.

My back should be stabalised but i have scar tissue.  Funnily enough I have read all about these rods and screws and now i come to think of it none of these people had another op before they had rods and screws (fusion)  Most people have L4/5    what does NRB patients mean?  I have never been sedated but i will ask this time.

 

Yes where the hospital and where in your back so its L4/5.  

DID ANYONE HAVE PRIVATE INSURANCE?

i have a theory, if you have private insurance - you don't necessarily get better treatment AND it depends on whether your surgeon has been trained in what treatment you are having.  

I AM DEFINITELY going to ask for sedation.  I have had so many as you probably read and in so much pain, if I do have another nerve root injection i want it done properly.  Although I did many years ago have one and it cost me £1,000 - it did no better than the NHS.

I just wish I could have a fusion but the dr says no.  although I am sure they won't because of flexibility. its a bugger this bad back business. My mother had it and now my daughter.  I fell down the stairs when I was in my 30s and went to osteopaths, chiropractors etc. etc. until I came to spain.  A friend on facebook has just said "well you know what pain clinics are don't you - and yes I do - the last stop) I'm just waiting for lyrica to kick in. Thats been the best for me.  Continuous no pain but i walked too far up a mountain yesterday lol.

Some photos have been lost and I wanted to go and see the hobbit house and bridge (Arabic) so now i am paying for it this morning.

I didn't have private insurance, I've not had any cause to grumble about the NHS service I have received. In fact, it has been brilliant so far!

since Sunday I've had no sciatic pain at all, but the back pain is still there and because I work sat at a desk all day I can feel myself stiffening up which is aching like hell! No pain killers I've tried so far have helped with the pain, so I just put up with it.

NRB = Nerve Root Block

I am not saying i am having a problem with the NHS either UK or Spain but probably the surgeons. Dr March in Valencia was  just playing it safe by saying the operation would be dangerous. The other 2 surgeons - well I don't think I should say much on that subject  

Usually nerve root blocks work within 2 weeks. I just wish I didn't have this sciatic pain - its driving me mad, and to think I have to put up with it for the rest of my life.....

 

sorry couldn't think, sounds really professional !

I agree Janette.  its over very quickly but still don't like them.  Have you time to tell your story.

 I have just been told that i have too much scar tissue they won't stabalize my back - thats on the spanish health system. I am in pain every minute of the day so they are sending me to the pain clinic.  The last time i went there the dr there spent all the time telling me about when he went to England to conferences and gave me a prescription for lyrica.   Second time, it was a nurse - a man - he got onto the computer and couldn't make it work he tapped so loud and got into a strop I walked out, thats 3 years ago and haven't been back - oh and I was supposed to have nerve root block. So I have been depending on lyrica and my dr doesn't agree with pain killers (not lyrica) paracetamol (she thinks I'm going to do myself in I think)

I have had lots of nerve root blacks X ray lead or not.  The best ones I had were 4 in one thigh and 3 in the other, these were cortisone injections and wow did they work.  But maybe they worked too much and I did too much as from 2 prolapsed discs, I now have 3.

Hope that you will come back and tell us all.

 

Phew 3 hours!!!! the liquid I think is to (sorry I can't think with this Lyrica - one of the side affects)  to stop you feeling the needle go in. You are quite correct in what you say but 3 hours crickey.  Wonder how much he put through the needle. I was told that a dr could only do cortisone injections so many a year - can't remember that far back but it wasn't many...

 

Haha not under the needle for 3 hrs Enna , from the time I went in until I left was about 3 hrs. Would have been even quicker but I felt a bit lightheaded when they got me on my feet so went back into bed for a short time.. I know it's not the nicest of things and I was so glad to get it over with ( my blood pressure and heart rate were through the roof but like you said I didn't look at anything.. I just want to know now when can I expect any result. At the moment I still have the same buttock pain I always had. I will be so upset if it was all for nothing.. I know I am one of many who is so worn down with constant pain.. Had all the usual drugs and painkillers but the one thing I did cut back on was gabapentin... Thought I was losing my mind so called a halt to that and only take 600 mg of that a day as well as amytripaline,naproxen, ketaprophen gel..

Hi Janette, sorry but it might not work at all. Some of my injections didn't and I was like you, got out of bed and fell down, went back to bed until I felt better.   Sounds like you have sciatica.  Read what i said to James below about injections into thigh..... tell me what you think.  Where do you live?