spinal injections

So who here has had needles full of steroids stuck in their back or neck and what were the results. I have so much arthritis in my back that surgery would be questionable and I would have to be off the Coumadin for to long. Not much use having the back fixed if I have another stroke. Only have to give up the Coumadin for 5 days for the injections.

Looking for information .

No injections in my back or neck. However, got a steroid shot in my wrist that was amazing. Mine was De Quervain's Tenosynovitis, which is basically like carpel tunnel but on the other side of the hand. It was excruciating. 1 shot fixed me up, for 3 years now. I've had cortisone in my elbow and shoulders. Elbow worked, shoulders didnt, because I don't think he hit the right spots.

Arthritis is a different animal than what I had, but the shots will be less invasive, and with the blood thinner issues, may be your best bet. I would say, try the shots and see what happens. If it works, great. If not, surgery is your remaining option, but the shots don't really complicate that.

Good luck, whichever you choose. Being in pain like that sucks. Sorry man!

No personal experience to share, but I wish you the best of luck. I have been following your back issues from afar and sure hope you find some relief.

My 78 year old father-in-law had surgery to stabilize the #7 vertebra in his neck a couple months ago. He was slowly becoming paralyzed. They installed a metal plate that had two screws in the #7 and two screws each in #6 and #8. They cut off some bone spurs, ground them up with some cadaver bone and packed that in above and below the #7.

He is like a new man. Things could not have worked out better for him. I realize that everyone's story and results are different. Best of luck.

Got the needle in the neck a year ago for tingling and numbness in my hand/fingers in my right hand. 3 days later I parted company with my Multistrada and broke my right collar bone. Some improvements in symptoms over time but can't declare the shot did anything.

Got a shot int he lower back a few weeks ago to treat some bad Sciatica. A week later about 50% of the pain was gone. I then caught some damn thing in my lungs and was trying cough up a lung. The coughing hurt the back like hell, After day of all the coughing the Sciatica seemed to move to normal lower back pain. Took muscle relaxers for 2 days and that pain went away. Again, it's hard to tell if the shot was the ultimate fix or simply facilitated some healing.

Both shots were uneventful and no side affects at all.

Best of luck either way.

Gary

HotRodZilla said:

No injections in my back or neck. However, got a steroid shot in my wrist that was amazing. Mine was De Quervain's Tenosynovitis, which is basically like carpel tunnel but on the other side of the hand. It was excruciating. 1 shot fixed me up, for 3 years now. I've had cortisone in my elbow and shoulders. Elbow worked, shoulders didnt, because I don't think he hit the right spots.
Arthritis is a different animal than what I had, but the shots will be less invasive, and with the blood thinner issues, may be your best bet. I would say, try the shots and see what happens. If it works, great. If not, surgery is your remaining option, but the shots don't really complicate that.

Good luck, whichever you choose. Being in pain like that sucks. Sorry man!

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They say it helps if you switch hands once in a while.....

I had nerve issues in my right leg. I could only ride my bike for about 30 minutes before the discomfort required a stop; not a good situation when getting ready to ride from AK to MT and back. Was prescribed three steroid shots in the lower spine to be spread over several weeks. I was told by folks who had similar treatments that it was quite painful. I had the first injection and it was right up there with having a cuticle trimmed during a manicure. Lest you think that perhaps my pain threshold is particularly high, you should know that the mere sight of a needle normally causes me to assume the fetal position and whimper like a baby. My problem cleared up after one shot and has remained so for eight years.

The real lesson to be drawn from this sage is that every situation and person is unique.

My wife had a few for her bulging disk, worked wonders for her. She still had to have a spinal fusion but the three shots she received here heaven. Each one lasted about three months.

I've had good luck. Horrible pain in the ball of my foot at least 15 years ago--just couldn't walk normally at all. One shot of cortisone in the spot (mixed with novocaine or something so he'd know immediately if he hit the right spot) was wonderful! Blessed instant relief! But he warned me that the effects of the novocaine would wear off right away and the cortisone would probably take much longer to help. Nonsense. The pain NEVER came back.

Last year, after enjoying about 3 years of sciatica pain, I finally went for a much more aggressive approach. An MRI showed "arthritic bone growth" on one of my vertebrae, really squeezing the nerve (spinal stenosis). A fairly minor and quick surgery--didn't even spend the night--where the doc removed some offending bone produced complete relief immediately. Don't know what's causing your pain, Ray, but it's wonderful when they can identify--and FIX--it. Good luck.

I had a spinal tap a couple years ago to diagnose meningitis. Not my favorite thing, but I would think an injection for pain control could be pretty amazing.

Pterodactyl said:

I had nerve issues in my right leg. I could only ride my bike for about 30 minutes before the discomfort required a stop; not a good situation when getting ready to ride from AK to MT and back. Was prescribed three steroid shots in the lower spine to be spread over several weeks. I was told by folks who had similar treatments that it was quite painful. I had the first injection and it was right up there with having a cuticle trimmed during a manicure. Lest you think that perhaps my pain threshold is particularly high, you should know that the mere sight of a needle normally causes me to assume the fetal position and whimper like a baby. My problem cleared up after one shot and has remained so for eight years.
The real lesson to be drawn from this sage is that every situation and person is unique.

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Pterodactyl somehow you don't impress me as someone who would whimper like a baby. My whole perspective of you has been destroyed. LOL

You can add me to the recent back pain list also. Some sciatica also but now that has seem to have gone away. Last Saturday when I thought I was turning the corner on getting better I did a dumb thing. After replacing some parts on the dual sport I said what the hell lets go for a ride since the weather was so nice. BIG mistake, by nightfall I was in severe pain again and spent the next in the recliner.

Going back a couple of weeks the doc wanted to put me on a three day regiment of steroid pills. When I went to pick them up the pharmacist told me they were not covered under my insurance. I was so pissed I walked out. I will not get into the healthcare debate hear.

The pain is once again slowly subsiding now but **** it will only take one more fun adventure to set me off again it seems.

What to do, Good luck Ray it looks like many a feejer folk are falling into the same bucket.

Dave

Don't know what's causing your pain.

The pain comes from 50+ years of being a human forklift, concrete floors and boat bilge's. After all the x-rays and mri scans the doc says there are maybe four disc's kinda ok and all the rest are damaged including three herniated in my neck and some excess curvature here and there. they are talking about seven injections over a few days so they don't overload my system with steroids. Sounds like better living through chemistry

These so called golden years SUCK !!!!

Prior to my spinal surgery, I did go to pain management and had (1) spinal epidural done for pain. Due to my fusion surgery date, there was only time for one. The stenosis around my spinal canal was so severe, that the epidurals would have only been a temporary fix. Had I not had the fusion surgery, when I did...I would more than likely be paralyzed now. Ray, I know you've been dealing with this for quite some time now...hope you can get some relief soon.

Two Selective Nerve Root Blocks (SNRB) in my neck One for C6-7 and the other C3-4. Worst experience of my life, and then the good stuff kicked in and felt alive again. This was a few years ago and although I had to make some lifestyle changes I have not had to get the artificial disk replacement surgery that is the next step.

I was down to 25% strength in the right arm and it was numb/tingly and the pain was such that I couldn't sleep. For a week. Didn't even know that was possible.

The SNRB was worth it.

El Toro Joe said:

Prior to my spinal surgery, I did go to pain management and had (1) spinal epidural done for pain. Due to my fusion surgery date, there was only time for one. The stenosis around my spinal canal was so severe, that the epidurals would have only been a temporary fix. Had I not had the fusion surgery, when I did...I would more than likely be paralyzed now. Ray, I know you've been dealing with this for quite some time now...hope you can get some relief soon.

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The injury to my neck was early in 92 but the state of WA. Screwed with me for almost 13 years and finally pensioned me but never addressed the injury. From there all I had was the VA and I'm way down the list there. Now with Medicare and a supplement I can pay the bills so progress is being made.

Ray,

It might be a little too late but have you given chiropractic any thought?

A good chiropractor, though hard to find, is worth their weight in pain meds. I know because I have one.

JSNS.

Mark

Life will kill ya.

I used to pretend I could stand pain. Four months of continuous and intense pain cured me of that silliness. Morphine and Fentanyl are good.

Three years ago I got a shot in my ailing right hip (to much holding up the Wing at stops) she was a sports medicine doc and used an ultra sound to guide the needle, I was impressed and doing good so far. Best wishes.

The thought of sticking a needle in my back makes the pain go away.

Plus one for finding a good Chiro, noting that it is very hard to find a good one. I've been through 7 over the years, and only 2 helped, and the rest were kinda nutty. But the last one made up for the failings of all the others.

I had on-and-off back pain for years, finally started to get really bad sciatica, and chiro wasn't working. I remember a driving trip to Whistler where I could not get out of the car, and spent the whole weekend flat on my back in serious pain. If you search on the forum for "drug run" you'll find the PNW crew used to make a quick road trip into Canada to buy Costco-sized bottled of 222's, which helped mask the pain. Also used a TENS unit for a while too when drugs didn't help.

A few years ago, I found a local guy with a neat chiro-table unlike anyone else I had been to. It dropped at the waist, and also stretched the spinal column. The table cost the doc over $50k, and he had to train on it for a year before he could use it. He had recommended I get an MRI which showed compressed discs. Other docs were recommending cortisone first, then possibly surgery. My chiropractor tried the table and he also let me borrow a device he had on hand called the Back Revolution - it works like an inversion table but it suspends you upside down at the waist, not the ankles and knees like most tables. Looks sort of like an upside down situp machine and does not take up that much space. It wasn't cheap, about $400, but it made all the difference. I use it a few times a week, hanging upside down for about 90 seconds, when my back starts to tighten up, and I also spend time on a massage chair with very strong lower back rollers. The two of these work so well, I only see the chiropractor once every few months on average, and the only time I've taken drugs in the past three years is when I had my crash this past summer and needed to get over the soreness and stiffness caused by the fall.

Massage also works wonders - many times the lower and upper back muscles conspire to add tension and tightness. A good massage, even if just in a chair, helps relax, and when coupled with the steps above, it's solved my problems.

Back problems suck. Find the solution that's right for you, Ray, and question the need for surgery at every turn - for every one I've talked to where it has worked, it has failed for 3-4 others, and it introduces new complications.