contemplating back surgery - Pain Management Message Board

Sydneygirl · 06-25-2002, 11:46 PM

hi there
im 27 years old. i've been getting ocassional sciatic pain for 6-7 years which has increased over the last few months to a point where i can only sustain walking or standing for about 5 mins. at this point i get sharp pain down my left leg/buttock and my leg will go tingly, then completly numb. CT scans & an MRI show i have a disc out at L5/S1 which is compressing the left sciatic nerve (also a bulge at L4/5)

i've undergone 2 months of physiotherapy, and one month of traditional acupunture. both therapys seem to only provide short term relief, and now both therapists agree with my neurosurgeon that surgery is probably my best option - that my pain isnt likely to be cured conservatively as it has been there for so long.

i do want to explore all other options first though as i consider surgery a last resort. a friend suggested 'laser acunpuncture' (similar to 'deep tissue' acupunture) which targets the deeper muscles

does anyone have any info./success stories with this?
im concerned these methods will only provide temporary relief and my symptoms will return months/years later..perhaps with the disc in a worse state?

my other concern is that i've been told the longer i put off surgery, the less chance there is of it being a success..

drs · 06-26-2002, 07:15 AM

Just wanted to say, be real careful in deciding the surgery. I know someone who had this and it didn't do anything but make things worse. Some PT specialist are pretty good and others not so good. Keep checking around for a good one that helps. Haven't heard about lazer acupunture though. Have you ever tried that "blue stuff" with the emu oil in it for the pain? Suppose to work good on sciatic nerve pain.

DeniseinPain · 06-26-2002, 01:43 PM

Welcome Sydney ! I too had the L5-S1 herniation. I really had no choice but to have the hemilaminectomy because the disc was pushed so far into the Sciatic nerve that NOTHING would even touch the pain. That was on the right side. The surgery was successful in that I no longer have the right side sciatic pain; however, the neurosurgeon that operated on me did not send me to any type of physical therapy afterwards - didn't even mention it - nor exercises. As a result in December 2000 my lower back started hurting and has gotten chronically worse ! I kept going back to him and he would tell me that there was nothing more he could do for me - that I had to lose weight ! Well, I did lose weight and guess what? I AM STILL IN CHRONIC PAIN ! Anyway went to numerous docs, had 2 more MRI's - went to an orthosurgeon who wants to do a fusion. I don't want another surgery. My last resort - Pain Management. I am currently being treated by a wonderful pain management doc. She thinks I will eventually get better, we are just trying different things. The last thing we tried recently was facet block injections (a form of epidural) that were EXTREMELY PAINFUL ! AND DID NOT HELP AT ALL ! On top of my low back pain, my left buttocks and leg now have sciatic pain. The pain management doc feels that (after examination) the periformis muscle is tightening on the sciatic nerve. I am going for another MRI within the next two weeks to make sure nothing is herniated. In the meantime I am taking MS-contin 30 mg 5 x day and hydrocodone (10/325 mg) 2 every 4 hours for pain.

Good luck to you in what ever you decide to do. I do believe that the longer you wait the worse things will be. As far as the outcome of the surgery? WHO KNOWS ! No one can predict that unfortunately. They tell you odds and chances, but the ultimate decision is yours. Keep on researching - get as much info as you can and then make your decision.

Hang in there !

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linda534ss · 07-07-2002, 10:54 PM

I just finished my document on my spinal fusion back surgery. I had the same symptons as you except in my right leg. I will have it up for you tomorrow andi t will be worth reading.

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Linda
linda534ss

karenl · 07-08-2002, 06:43 AM

sydneygirl, before you do surgery try calcium and magnesium citrate supplements. Has done wonders for my back pain, which has been nerve and muscle. I no longer have back pain.