17 days Post Micro D L5 S1 - Question on nerve pain - Back Problems Message Board

shokatsu · 11-21-2005, 05:56 PM

Well its been 17 days since my Microdiscectomy on L5 S1 to remove a disc fragment lodged against the nerve. As you may have read in prev post after surgery I got very bad pain when I sat or moved to my side while laying down. It was so bad I was really freaked. It had since gotten 50 percent better as I can now sit limited in a kitchen or office style chair with my back straight up. When I stand I have to be real careful. If I twist – BAM – pain. Also still cant roll to side when sleeping. Now since I have been on my back so much my shoulders hurt and my upper back aches ( Think I pinched nerve in shoulder and seeing Dr about that tomorrow – Different Dr). I have been walking 2 miles a day and lower back feels great. Incision is healed up.

My question is. WHEN oh WHEN will this darn sciatic pain go away that happens when when I twist, roll, sit wrong, or shimmy when laying down - so I can sit, Drive, roll over like a normal person ( or Like I could do before I had this surgery)? Dr said couple more weeks, but I am thinking longer and wondered if any of you know. I do not have numbness, tingling or pain. Dr explained it as the disc space needs to compress down to fill in the void where he removed the disc particles. Then the pain will no longer happen upon moving and said a couple more weeks. Does this sound right? I Do feel better since my first post, but I am getting CABIN FEVER and can only stay in my feet so long and sit for maybe 10 minutes. I Do not have Fusion, just a standard Micro D.

Regards

Brian

CuteT · 11-21-2005, 07:29 PM

Hi, Brian. My husband had a Micro D at L4-L5 about two months ago and he still can't twist, bend or sit wrong (back has to be straight). As far as rolling, driving and being able to move around *almost* normally (with the exceptions mentioned above), he has been able to do all of those things since about four weeks post surgery. He still has to be careful, but things seem to be easier for him now. He still has a bit of tingling and coldness in his right leg and foot on occasion. He has pain all the time (he cannot go without his meds.) If he moves wrong or sits funny, he gets shooting pains from back to foot. He was in for a checkup a few days ago and although the doctor says he is healing fine, they scheduled him for a second MRI (just to be sure) which he had done today. If you ask me, you sound very lucky. I can't believe you are able to walk so far already. And on a daily basis? He can't walk more than a few blocks at a time yet. And you say you don't typically have pain? Is that only when standing/sitting/laying still? What meds are you taking? Do you go to physical therapy? He goes to pt, but they aren't doing much for him except massage and very minor stretches. He has too much pain to do anything else. The only thing we keep hearing (from doc and pt) is that it is going to take time because his nerve was pinched for so long. They say 3 days healing time for every 1 day the nerve was pinched.

Don't know if this helps, but I thought I'd share.

Take it easy and lots of luck to you!

shokatsu · 11-21-2005, 08:17 PM

I have Zero pain if I dont agrivate the nerve. Medicine I am on now is Motrin 800 and Soma for spams and Xanex for anxiety. I have no pain at all once I am on my feet. I do have pain when sitting. the pain I am worried about the is when I trigger the nerve by rolling in my sleep and wake up screaming holding my leg, or sitting then it locks up and I scream and stand. Once I trigger it it hurts for about 30 minutes to an hour. Walking seems to be the most relaxing thing. From reading your post sounds like I am actually doing well. the thing I am having a hard time grasping is that before surgery I had constant pain, but nothing compared to this. I was alble to sleep on my side then. Now NO WAY. I tried this mornign to see if I could finally do it and BAM I was screaming and holding leg and cursing every other breathe.

Brian

CuteT · 11-21-2005, 10:30 PM

Yes, you do seem to be doing very well. Wow, you're only taking Motrin 800? They had him on Vicodin for a while, but they switched him to Darvocet for pain and he takes Flexiril at night for spasms. Hmm...your cases sound like almost the complete opposite of each other. While he didn't (initially) have constant pain before the surgery, it was so severe and crippling that it left him sort of like you are now, moaning and screaming in agony. He wasn't able to walk it off though. He had to sit it out for as long as it took...30 to 60 mins usually. Everyday it got worse and worse until finally he couldn't walk at all. He ended up having to be carried off to the ER by an ambulance. After that, all he could do was crawl. Now that he has had surgery, he says the pain is constant, but not quite as severe...and he can walk. As for the shooting pains...that's a different story. If he sits wrong or moves the wrong way, it can be worse than ever. The only difference is, it doesn't cripple him enough to stop whatever he's doing because it only lasts a few seconds to a minute.