Posted , 45 users are following.
Had acute pain in right leg for 15 months which Gp was saying was hip and knee osteoarthritis and was prescribed cocodamol and later Tramadol which only took the edge off. Had knee and hip x-rays which showed minimal arthritis. Eventually I insisted on seeing a hip surgeon privately and he not only was the first person to listen to me but actually agreed that it was my spine. At last I was able to get an MRI scan done which confirmed lumbar spinal stenosis. The acute pain has eased now but I'm not able to walk far and have back pain as well as now both legs weak. I'm informed that steroid injection don't last long and surgery may have to be repeated after a couple of years or so. I'm not sure that it is worth the risk and considering to try acupuncture. I know there isn't a cure but some pain relief would be nice.
7 likes, 108 replies
Fanny_Jane
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I had a steroid injection in my wrist a few weeks ago. It had been in a plastercast following a thumb fusion. When the cast came off it was soooo painful. I had a scan and the surgeon said the cast had rubbed away at the tendon and made a small hole in it! He put a steroid injection it it as first resort to more surgery. It was not painful at all and It is so much better I am hoping no more ops.
Lots of people live with lots of very painful and difficult conditions. We just have to get on with it .I hope that when I'm in my mid eighties I am still as positive as EileenAnn is.
EileenAnn why don't you join the Athritis Care forum I mentioned in my earlier post. I am a member and really enjoy reading the posts and sometimes putting my twopenneth in. It's not just about arthritis but about living and all sorts of stuff. I am quite isolated due to my problems and have gained new 'virtual' friends that have made me feel less alone. I do not do Facebook or Twitter as it's not really my thing but the Arthritis Care Forum is really friendly and helpful at the same time.
Well hope all you Spiney's are keeping your chins up today (!). Bless you, Fanny Jane.
aprilflowers
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I am a huge believer in accupuncture and anyone whatever their age can have this through the NHS, put some pressure on your GP for a referral. Privately it costs from £40 upwards in Edinburgh which is way beyond my means. The other thing I use, especially if it a damp day and my back aches, is heat pads. Brings down the inflammation quickly and brings comfort. The £ shop sells them! otherwise Boots or any chemist. Isn't it marvellous how good you feel when the pain is under control. I hope I manage as well as Eileen Ann when I reach my 80's and I can always be your virtual friend if you wish. I rarely talk about my back to friends or anyone as I feel it must be boring for them. Am waiting to attend the pain clinic and look forward to finding out how to manage pain. A TENS machine also helps. Never give up folks!
alpaca2209 aprilflowers
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aprilflowers
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I am a huge believer in accupuncture and anyone whatever their age can have this through the NHS, put some pressure on your GP for a referral. Privately it costs from £40 upwards in Edinburgh which is way beyond my means. The other thing I use, especially if it a damp day and my back aches, is heat pads. Brings down the inflammation quickly and brings comfort. The £ shop sells them! otherwise Boots or any chemist. Isn't it marvellous how good you feel when the pain is under control. I hope I manage as well as Eileen Ann when I reach my 80's and I can always be your virtual friend if you wish. I rarely talk about my back to friends or anyone as I feel it must be boring for them. Am waiting to attend the pain clinic and look forward to finding out how to manage pain. A TENS machine also helps. Never give up folks!
Fanny_Jane
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Although they sound scary they are not at all. The way they transmit the medication is very slow release. They bypass the stomach so do not irritate the stomach lining and are better than pills when on a long term pain control programme or by people that have had stomach issues with pills by mouth.
There is also a patch called Lidocaine. This is the same medication that dentists use. It can be cut and stuck on a particular area for about 12 hours at a time and can give good pain relief for that period.
Obviously these are a prescription only option via your gp/pain clinic consultant. Like all medication they have their side effects but morphine is actually the safest pain medication to take long term out there, organ wise, unlike paracetamol that can seriously damage a liver when taken long term or in large doses.
Most people with chronic pain issues use them all the time. I don't. I use them only when in a bad place, pain wise as I like to keep my intake of medications down to a minumum. I find them more acceptable than meds like gabapentin/neurontin/amitryptyline, which personally rob me of my mental faculties.
Accupuncture is wonderful for many people. It did nothing for me sadly. Also on the NHS in my area you get 6 goes and that's it. Then you have to go back to the end of the queue. This means that most people get one/two goes a year as the waiting list is so long.My husband found it helpful but needed it to go on every week for a long time to bring him any real relief. We are also not in a position to go privately.
I also agree with you that heat is the best thing for a painful spine although some people do actually prefer cold/ice (brrr!) applied. I have a plug in heat pad that I cling to most of these cold, damp days.
I have used a tens machine since they came out about 25 years ago. My consultant got me one at the time with the vat knocked off. I use one still from time to time and believe that alternative methods are always worth a go, if they suit you then that's great.I have even tried hypnotherapy for pain control. I used a well known hypnotherapist in my area recommended by my gp.It was a good experience for me. Although I still have pain issues I am able to deal with it all better. I was a complete insomniac due to the pain, after the hypnotherapy, in which he taught me a technique to get to sleep, I have been able to sleep for 4/5 hours at a time and feel so much better for it.He also taught me how to relax properly and accept my pain, in this way it seems more manageable than before.
My post may have sounded like I was plugging pills. I really wasn't, just listing what is available out there for people in pain.
I don't know what your pain clinic is like but ours is a bit limited if you are looking for long term care. Basically they give out amitryptyline/gabapentin/neurontin/codeine. A few steroid injections if you are lucky, accupuncture 1/2 times, offer you a possible 6/8 month wait for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy or psychiatrist appointment and then tell you there's nothing else they can do.They are usually run by anaesthetists and psychiatrists.
I did get an MRI scan when I originally went which I was grateful for, as it did pinpoint more issues than I or they realised I had, which was very helpful. They can also refer you to an orthopaedic consultant if they feel an operation may be required. However once you've been through a couple of appointments they run out of steam as they have nothing else to offer.I believe some areas offer a workshop in living with/dealing with chronic pain.
And yes.. it's wonderful when the pain is under control, or even just bearable. I don't know about you but it is a big part of my life and I never, ever talk about it to anyone if I can help it. I am always worried that 'normal' people will think I'm moaning or a grump and put up with a lot rather than mention it.
Well it's been lovely talking to you. Lots of luck when you visit the pain clinic and fingers (ouch!) crossed that you get some positive ideas and help in dealing with your pain.I always think that being knowledgable about a problem helps a lot. Take care of yourself. Fanny Jane.
aprilflowers
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Fanny_Jane
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larry_76510
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j.79275 larry_76510
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I guess you`ve had your surgury by now, I hope all went as planned and all is going well for you..I am writing you to give you some info on myself. I am a 50 year old man that ruined my back working in 1989...I fought having surgery 15 or16 years, I was scared.. I have to this day had 2 operations and appr.30 different types of injections to say the least.. The injections work sometimes sometimes not..I was like you i was in a wheel chair before my first operation in 2004 ,then thank god i was able to walk again.. To make a long story short, i am thankful to be walking but once you mess that back up regardless of your type of surgeon you sadly will always have problems . Now thats my take. On my first op. i ended up flat on my back for 6 months from contracting ecoli & staph infection which they cleared up with a pick line for home use with strong antibiotics. To this second i am fighting both legs and lower back pain.. I hope you didn`t contract a infection from your procedure. The actual surgery was a cake walk to me, other folks say its terrible. Both surgery`s was as i stated simple , but the infection was a nightmare.. The inf. didn`t take place bad and really get flairing until about a month afterwards.. I hope you can and are willing to take pain meds like percocet/oxycotin/morphine.. I can`t take the neurotine, lyrica type meds, they make me extremely sick, i`ve had them all at one time or the other throughout the years...
I can give you more info, but i honestly don`t want to scare a person off from a surgery if they need it.
I didn`t have a choice as you on having to be cut.
Sitting like on a plane, car, desk or standing, walking ect.. kills me right now, i have to lie down flat for relief !
Take care of yourself, don`t lift heavy stuff for a while or twist, becareful, but be as active as you feel comfortable.. Good Luck in the now and future, remember, your for sure not by yourself.. We all on this forum and abroad feel your pain!!!!!!!!
j.79275 larry_76510
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Larry,
I`m new on this site, I believe I am really on the wrong discussion thread.
But when I read your situation I had to give you a shout!!
ron02907 larry_76510
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EileenAnn
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frank24438 EileenAnn
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Jane_Elen
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Will be back!!,
Somerset_John Jane_Elen
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Rob777 Somerset_John
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Hello spinal sufferers. I found this thread by googling 'lumbar stenosis tens', and it's good to find a mostly uk group. Too often I've seemed to get american threads and their problems are totally of a different order, what with their insurance difficulties etc. Having said that, I have found this site extremely hard to negotiate and to find this small thread again. It's a huge site, and only by re-googling was I able to get back. The site's pwm search box didn't do it for me. I wonder how many others are wandering around looking for support from people with similar issues?
Anyway, it's specially good to find sufferers with similar problems. I've got spinal stenosis and general wear and tear of the back. I am 65. Male. This problem started small some years ago, was it 5,6, or 7 years. Can't remember. And like Somerset John my problems have sped up over the past year, so much so that I had to get a diagnosis and some help - at the moment gabapentin/amitriptiline and an appt with orthopaedic surgeon in a few weeks. (The English NHS is wonderful in so many ways, even if it's slooooow, but you know your doctor isn't driven by perverse incentives, as can be in the US.)
Like S John I wonder where I'll end up. Disabled in a chair? For now my days are better thanks to drugs, I can move about the house mostly pain free and have got back to diy projects that have lain fallow for yonks, and as for walking I can do a bit, and am grateful for supermarket wheelie baskets. I can get to the gym but at the moment am scared to try the bike. For all I can cope with the day, my nights are bloody nasty, getting up two, three, four times to limber up, climb some stairs, heat some milk, snack, sit upright at the pc, and this does the trick eventually and I can get back to bed. I am writing this during a UK 'scorcher' of a few days in July and this heaps on the agony as nights are on the torrid side. Thanks to the nocturnal problems I am around my bed for half the day. Ridiculous, but there we are.
I don't have much faith in any of the treatments on offer and know that adaptation is the most important thing. This is an area of medicine - the spinal bones, cord and nerves - where medicine is still very poor, even if it's come a long way in the past years. MRI is a wonderful way of getting at the reality, and antidepressants/antiepileptics serendipitously give support, but nothing really transforms one's life. So it's good to find this thread, as hearing of others' problems and some advice is particularly beneficial, and Thank you for that.
It's really buggered up all my plans for my future though. It's depressing and frightening and annoying and all that. And it means I am disabled. Goodness me, I didn't see this coming at all. Before I get into a rant, I will sign off and intend to return here and find more support. Cheers, Rob.
jennifer1946 Rob777
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Rob777 jennifer1946
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Was the pain management specialist helpful? Rob
jennifer1946 Rob777
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Rob777 jennifer1946
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jennifer1946 Rob777
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I said I would tell you my tales prior to today but eveyone has the same stories I fear..I did go to a chiro practor who pulled my shoulders so far back he bruise my ribs and I could hardly breathe for 5 weeks but Iwrote to the practice and got my money back but apart from that I have spent a LOT of money both here and in Greece desperately trying to get some relief.Have you heard about the bed where they stretch your spine? I heard a practice in Nantwich would be getting it so I went there but I had 5 physio sessions at great cost in time and money,all before the bed was installed!!I've since read testimonials and it seems to halp alot of people but Idon't know whether I would put myself in the hands of phsios for somehing like this..
Anyway...drop ma line to tell me how you are and the second I feel some difference I will certainly be on here to let everyone know about it!!Take care.Jennifer.
jennifer1946 Rob777
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Rob777 jennifer1946
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I sympathise about the two problems coming together, your toes and waiting for the injection on the nhs. I was told, by the way, my problem has spread beyond an injection, and a physio assessed me for mri, and agreed her knowledge could not help this except in recommending exercises to strengthen the back and core muscles to support the spine and ways to decompress it - have you googled decompression exercises? I think they give some relief (I presume the bed you speak of does the same, but this may also be for trapped nerves rather than spinal canal narrowing? dunno) but just for a bit.
My gp is prescribing neuropathic pain relief, and I am on some amitryptiline and gabepentin at the moment, which I am grateful for and gives some support, and I feel quite motivated and positive in general, but there is always the undertow of wondering where this is going.
I await more news of the effect of the needle! Rob
jennifer1946 Rob777
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Like you I really worry about being dependent on others.Allmy life I've been the one pushing wheelchairs,accompanying friends and family for treatments and I've always been so thankful that I am the one giving support and not being supported.That's why I just HAVE to get this sorted.I never get anything simple wrong with me and I am trying to diagnose the problem myself...I once had terrible leg and knee pain,couldn't get up from sitting on the floor at one stage...had scans,xrays etc...it turned out to be a perforated BOWEL!!! Can you believe it! A surgical mesh I'd had put in had come loose and travelled down and embedded itself into my intestines!! THREE ops to get it sorted...So now I am wondering if it could be adhesions attached to a nerve so when I go backto Greece I'm going to look into that as we can get any tests etc without referrals from drs!! and this is a shot in the dark soI'd rather go it alone as I'm probably wrong!
Gamapentin 300mg x3times a day did nothing for me....I hope you get some relief from that as it will make a big difference.
The bed is a traction device that stretches the spine but,like I said before,I don't know whether I should trust 'just' a physiotherapist......I will look up the decompression exercises tonight...the trouble is I'mnot very good at doing things on my own!!
Anyway... alot of people are far worse than us so we have to be grateful and keep on searching.So,speak soon..Jennifer.
Rob777 jennifer1946
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I am sorry to hear about the injection, and wonder if there's any change?
I imagine, I could be wrong, the traction bed might provide some temporary relief, but once you stand up and start walking, everything will slowly settle back to how it was before, yes? You have been diagnosed with spinal canal narrowing, a mild problem, am I right? I am going to be asking for advice from a physio next week about whether rowing exercise is as good as I think it is, and I will also ask about your bed.
I agree there are many worse problems then this. There is an excellent american site spine-health.com, I think it is, full of information, and I think it is somewhere on there that these problems are classified as quality of life concerns, rather than diseases. Rob
jennifer1946 Rob777
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I am so happy to tell you that I have seen some improvement!! I was very disappointed at first as I thought was going to happen but I don't wake up at night atall.,which is wonderful,the pain in my groin has almost gone and that ache from knee to ankle when sitting or lying is not as bad as it was before so maybe there will be more improvement still.I am having the toe op on Wed so won't be walking for 3-4 weeks so Iwaon't be able to test the sciatica on a daily basis but I know the injection has helped and I am so glad I decided to spend the money on getting it done before my op.
So...that's my news for now..I will look forward to hearing what else you have done and how you get on.Good luck with it all.Jennifer.
Rob777 jennifer1946
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So your future lies in repeat injections, acupuncture, meds, etc. I will post when I have seen my orthopaedic surgeon in September, and I surmise I will also not be a candidate for surgery.
By the way, I spoke to a physio at Newcastle RVI, who said the traction tables are rather old fashioned, and they themselves don't have one (it's a respectable hospital). But yes, the idea would be to decompress the spine, just as you can do with exercises. I like a rowing machine, which doesn't cause me pain, and puffs me out too, and one of the worst things about stenosis is the interference with aerobics.
Good luck with the operation. Rob
jennifer1946 Rob777
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Well,I've had the operation and I was up walking the same day and haven't stopped since.Went to the Lake district 2 days after the op an dwalked around Ambleside...If I hadn't been awake throughout and heard the SAW!! and drill I would be doubting whether I have actually had the operation..It's all very odd..The surgeon himself had said to do both feet at once as he thought I may not go back a second time! Ionly took pain relief the first day...and my pain threshold is way below zero.I can't understand it.Of course the spinal injection took away ALL sciatic pain but it's now back...not as severe as before the injection but it's there so I will continue with my own investigations!!! and report back to you with my findings.Nobody else is going to persist in trying to find out what's wrong but it will be US who will be incapacitated in the future so WE have to sort it out as far as is possible.If you find something please let me know...I have been restricted at the gym 'cos of my aching toes but I will be going back and I will definitely try the rowing machine...it makes sense.
Hope you are managing to stay cheerful..not long to September now.Take care,Jennifer.
Rob777 jennifer1946
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jennifer1946 Rob777
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Rob777 jennifer1946
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Well, let's hope the diagnostic effort is getting closer to the nub of your problem - Wiki is good on pirifirmis syndrome and magnetic resonance neurography, though it all looks rather new and experimental. Do they have the right machinery in Greece (if you are thinking of trying to get the problem visualized)? The wiki entry on MRN talks about the equipment at the bottom of the page. I hope the physio works, though will this be just short term? How complicated the body is!
Well all the best Jennifer and let me know how things go - I won't have any news for ages; as I said, my surgery won't happen til god knows when, next summer/spring I guess. We are having an indian summer here (I suppose the mild weather qualifies to be called thus) and I will be off to Sicily in November through to February and then back to Poland (I went there recently to get one or two dental implants!) and then back to here to prepare for the knife (though the surgeon said it's very quick, just in overnight then home). Marvellous how far medicine has come in our lifetimes!! Ciao, Rob777
archemedes Rob777
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What a shock to the system eh, but there are worse things in life?
I'm a sufferer just like you (but you already know that), and my way of coping with it all is to stiffen my upper lip and to soldier on.
Never give up, and if you do buy a mobility scooter in a moment of weakness just like I did, just leave it in the garage and never use it.
Periodically you can always look at as a method of strengthening your resolve never to give into the actual temptation of using it.
All the best.
gary1911 Rob777
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Hi I'm Gary not done this type of thing before and I'd like to apologise firstly for my typing/grammar not very good at it
not sure where to start as I'm not sure if i'm replying to one person or lots of people, but anyway I read a lot of stories on here and was glad (in a sorry way) that i wasn't the only person going through this, sometimes when you get passed from pillar to post, well I started feeling like I was making my symptons up and sometimes i couldn't describe what was happening to me, not blaming Gp or NHS but you know by the time you get appt symptons have moved around, so you go to all different depts at the hospital.I started having problems 2 years ago just problems walking became a problem, aching leg but prior to that I started having problems in my left arm, pains in my arm, btw it's my left arm and right leg, anyway I went for all the scans had Mri's and yes got early stages of arthritis, in July 2014 I had a lumbar decompression operation I knew all the side affects, however I had and still have problems, not being personal, but I've been to urogolist as I can't ejaculate, have to take pills to urinate and for bowel movement still have all the pain, I'm not saying the operation made it worse because I can't compare, but the pain is worse than ever I now have terrible back ache which I never had before, as well as the other pains and I feel lose of sensation in my left arm more than ever, thank God I have a great partner who takes care of me, before my operation I was able to take a bath but now I can't my partner as to lift me in and out of the bath, I got a bath seat which makes me able to wash myself but I can't clean my feet or even cut my toe nails, sorry if that to much info, but want to explain how much this as affected my life, I used to be a dancer in clubs, not that that as got much to do with this, but now It takes me 20 mins to walk to the bus stop, it's only 5mins away, I'm only 48 and feel lifes over now.
So my symptons are really based around the hip, it get's very sore and it's like electric shocks going down to my knee and if I put too much pressure on it I get the pain all down my leg and I drag my foot, the back ache is dreadful I just feel like I want to bend over but thats too painful, you know what I mean like touch my toes to strech it, but that's not possible, I now rely on my partner to take me out as I find it's to hard to go out with my walking stick, although I tried really hard I now have to go out in my wheel chair, which is a God's send in some ways, but something I hate, and now I'm having problems in my left arm, I've noticed lately that my hand is starting to curl and my knuckles are getting swollen, dropping things which gets very frustrating.
Ok think I've rammbled on enough, but actually writing it down made me feel a bit better, I got appt with yet another consultant on 6th March so starting all over again.....appts appts you know what I mean....
Best wishes Gary
joe21672 jennifer1946
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No problem. It's [url=https://www.10machines.com/best-rowing-machine/]okay!
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