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spinal injections 3 weeks ago and have chronic pain again! why?

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audigem
audigem

I was told by my doc i have bulging discs and micro fractures in the bottom of my spine l5 i suffer with chronic pain from it both in my back and down both legs. I had a steroid block injection 3 weeks ago in the facet joints and they worked for a bit but now the pain is back with a vengeance! Is this normal? Im at my wits end i am taking morphine for the pain but doesnt touch it. Im 26 years old and have tried everything so far. Apparently the facet joints are rubbing the wrong way? I really dont understand. Can anyone help me please?

1 like, 32 replies

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  • joy47826
    joy47826 audigem

    Posted

    I almost hesitate this but Prolotherapy injections rebuild the tissue and ligaments around the joint in question.

    If you could find the funds and the Prolo worker to at least get a consult for your issue that is another arena to look into.

    I had Prolo in my shoulder over 4 yrs ago and got 3 yrs relief, it's worn off a lot but I can manage the shoulders ok....and not willing to do any surgery for that area either....

    You are so young and don't know what else to say.

    I have a friend who is 80something and she walks so lopsided but she said she had 2 back surgeries probably 50 yrs ago...she has issues but does her life and in spite of walking all lopsided, she is ok.

    • audigem
      audigem joy47826

      Posted

      I havnt heard of this but i will speak to my doctor and see if this is a option on the nhs. Surgery is a last resort but they said they are doing it to stabilise my back not fix it so i suppose it wont get rid of pain anyway.

      Thankyou for your help smile

    • joy47826
      joy47826 audigem

      Posted

      Well, you have to go of your System for a private consult....that is how we do it in the U.S. No insurance covers this work.
  • graham6214
    graham6214 audigem

    Posted

    hi audigem the trouble with spinal injections are that they are only 50% effectif in other words they dont work for every one have you ever discused spinal cord stimulation with your consultant as this might be the route for you hope this help in your quest for pain relife all the best graham
    • audigem
      audigem graham6214

      Posted

      Hi graham no i havnt, i dont think ive heard of that before either. I will speak to my doctor and see what she says. Thankyou for your input graham.
    • frustrated61
      frustrated61 graham6214

      Posted

      Just a side note on the stimulators, I had one put in as well as many other's and had it removed 4-5 yrs later as it kept shorting out and would give me joltz of what seemed to be electrical shocks even when it was turned off.  It was a defect in the stimulator and my pain doctor (whom was one of the people who "founded" this "new" life altering object), he told me that of the say 100% of the people who had them put in, 75% at that time had them removed and removal was ongoing.  It sounds like a good thing but in reality it didn't prove to do what they claimed it would do.  Besides the defect, the stimulator actually did just that, stimulated the nerves thus putting me, and many others feeling of "triggers" to the nervous system.  I know in the US they are reexamining this and looking for other answers for relief.

      I wish you good luck and it's always good to see there are two sides to everything. Possibly a "pain pump" could be of some help?

      Again, good luck and I hope you get some relief soon!

      Frustrated

    • frustrated61
      frustrated61

      Posted

      With the pain pump, you they have to make sure you do not have any sensitivity to Opiates.  The pump is designed to use any type of drug but for pain it's usually, morphine, diladid any of the opiates.  Well, wishes!
    • frustrated61
      frustrated61

      Posted

      Sorry, to have to "repost" again.  What they have me on now is a pain patch of 75mg fentanyl and diladid for break through.  This may help.  This, thus far, over a stimulator, morphine, etc...this is the one that seemingly is of the most help with what I'm dealing with.

      Again, good luck,

      Frustrated

    • audigem
      audigem frustrated61

      Posted

      Hi frustrated i dont think im sensitive to opiates im on morphine and tramadol and diazepam, i was on buprenorphine patches but they werent nice! That doesnt sound very nice tho so think im going to wait and see what specialist says. 

      Thankyou 

    • frustrated61
      frustrated61 audigem

      Posted

      Sounds good!  And, if you don't have any sensitivites to opiates, then you may be able to be on a "pain pump" as opposed to a "spinal stimulator"

      Please let me know what your specialist says?

      Thank you

      Frustrated

  • frustrated61
    frustrated61 audigem

    Posted

    I'd have to say that three weeks is good for some people. Some have a greater time release but for me, like you, I get the injections and anywhere from a 2 week timeframe to maybe 4 but not likely, I'd get relief then back to extreme pain again.  My doctor said the insurance would stop paying if I wasn't getting relief. I told him it wasn't "him" that was doing a poor job, but the fact that my pain is in so many areas, it's hard to directly hit them all because we can only be allowed so much steroids in our system per year.  I also had to put in writing that while it was temporary, it was the "best" temporary ever.  At least I got "some" relief and a week, two weeks was better than nothing at all, right?

    Good luck as this is a touchy subject for me and I can see for you as well.

    Frustrated

    • audigem
      audigem frustrated61

      Posted

      Yeh i am due to go back in about 6 weeks time as cant get a appointment til then. They wont give me the injections again as they said it was only for a diagnosis for surgery and doesnt want to expose me to too much radiation being female and only young. Luckily i dont pay for any medical bills here in uk otherwise i would be so broke! You are right it is a touchy subject and is very upsetting to think about. Im getting married in december 19th so i have that too look forward too even if i am in a wheelchair. 

      Its nice to speak to people who are in a similar situation as you because they understand what you are going through.

    • frustrated61
      frustrated61 audigem

      Posted

      Hi Audi~

      First, congrats on your upcoming wedding!  Dec 19 what a beautiful time of year! 

      Second, you mentioned a wheelchair, are you currently in one?  If I have any length of walking to do, like from the car up to the drs office, I def have to use a wheelchair.  This is new since the second accident.  So odd that the myelogram showed that the fusion was intact and no nerves were being impinged.  However, the pain in the right groin (new since 2013) is constant with minimal release.  I keep telling them it's my  hip.  My right hip generates pain in conjunction with the right groin..a back and forth kind of thing.

      Thirdly, and lastly, you mentioned "radiation".  I'm curious what they use that for?  Anyway, keep posting as to your condition and treatment as we do have this in common and may learn from one another!

      Good luck and hopefully, they can fit you in for injections or something just before your wedding.

      Frustrated <3>

    • audigem
      audigem frustrated61

      Posted

      Thankyou, yeh we both love christmas so decided would be the ideal time. Would love it to snow but not much chance of that over here! I have to use a wheelchair to go shopping or a walking stick to go anywhere. I cant do the wheelchair on my own as my back is too painful. My pain goes through the middle of the bottom of my back and down the front and back of both legs. I cant even carry a shopping bag without pain! Aww yours sounds different to my pain but the same in the respect its more or less contstant. Yes radiation through xray while doing the injections so they know where to put them

       I know they wont give me no more injections, they told me they was only giving me one.

      Will they ever fix your problems?

    • frustrated61
      frustrated61 audigem

      Posted

      Hi Audi ~

      The pain doctor is trying his hardest to locate the exact problem.  While he agrees with me that it is most probably my hip generating this newest pain, he also things the S1 joint is problematic.  We'll see.  I told him that I just cannot live my life in ths kind of pain and they not do something about it.  He's trying. 

      With any luck, I'll be fixed to some degree in the upcoming year.

      Any chance the office could call you if there were any cancelations?

      Warm regards,

      Frustrated

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