Epidural Steroid Injection

[Randy]

Been having some serious lower back pain and went today for an epidural steroid injection between L3 and L4. GAWWWWD DAAAAAMN!!!!!!! I thought this was supposed to help the pain - not feel like a rusty railroad spike is being driven into my back. And now I'm having pain where I didn't have pain before. Sure hope it gets better before it gets any worse.

I feel like I'm fallin' apart and I'm only 39 fer chrissakes.

 

[twowheelnut]

See! I tolja those damn Metzelers were no good fer ya, but would you listen? NooOOooOOooo!

(J/K Hope you feel better... :good: )

 

[HIGHLANDER]

I feel your pain Randy, I have three already and scheduled for a fourth this week. I've had a herniated disc since Easter, what a pain in the ass.. it really is because the sciatic nerve passes thru the buttock and at that point the nerve is almost 3/4" in thickness. Think of the worst " charlie horse " you've ever had , multiply by 10 you'll be close and the pain never goes away.

The shots seem to take effect after two or three days and if your lucky will last about 2 /3 weeks before thing swell up again, at least that's my scenario lately.

Unfortunately I'm considering going under the knife as I average about 2 to 4 hours sleep a night.

Try having another doctor apply the steroid epidural. The first doc I had had no compassion, but the second guy could administer the numbing shot that you get before the epidural much better than the first doc. He applied it in three increments instead of sticking me like a pig.

It's the numbing shot that's the killer right ? Good luck bro!!

 

[Randy]

Thanks, TWN - eye new ewe wuz a'ight.

Highlander - he did it in 2 steps. He first applied a topical anesthesia so I didn't feel the initial hit. It was when he stuck the 2nd needle in and 'wiggled' it to get to the right spot that a sharp pain tore through me like nothing I ever felt. Fortunately, no herniated disks per the MRI, but, there is some bulging which they feel is causing my discomfort in addition to some irritation in my SI joint. Best of luck, to ya.

 

[Bounce]

I see your injections and raise you this (bottom of the page).

Clarification (the above was sent as I was heading out the door). Stick to the injections if they work for you. They are painful for a day or so afterwards but when they work, they are the least invasive procedure. If you are faced with surgery, there is an artificial disc that's just around the corner. When I had my surgery it was supposed to be "about 5 years away" and I couldn't wait (loss of the use of my right arm). While fusion saved my arm and I am happy about the results, it's far from perfect as it bring certain issues to the table that I have to deal with on a daily basis. These are far less incapacitating than if I'd done nothing, so it's a fair trade. However, current patients have more options (or will have soon).

 

[professor]

Randy-- I've had serious back pain off and on for the last 35 years. It started when I jumped off a roof (I was in the roofing business) and instantly my left leg went numb. No insurance, divorced, had legal costidy of both my kids, just barely making it, I HAD to work. I walked with a limp for about a year. Some mornings I had to crawl to the bathroom, the pain was so bad. After about a year the feeling came back and the limp went away and I felt like a humane again. About 4 years ago I goofed up and this time my right leg ached like a giant toothache. Retired, with a few bucks, I decided to go to the #1 specialist in the area. He told me (after pictures and tests) that as long as I could still walk, I should stay away from the knife, as the body will heal itself better than any surgan can make it. After 4 or 5 weeks, and about a hundred motrins, my back straightened itself out and I'm back to normal again. I've found that, for me, a couple of big, strong, cups of coffee eased the pain enough so that I could get some sleep at night, and if you can afford it, laying on the couch, only getting up for the toidy, will keep you from reinjuring the nerve over and over again. Anyway-- thats my expierience with a f----d up lower back, good luck! MIKE

 

[Randy]

According to my Orthopedic Surgeon and my Chiropractor (who is also a Neurologist), they feel that my condition should be treatable with just the injections. They didn't see anything on the MRI that suggested surgery in the near future, but, both wouldn't commit to saying I wouldn't need it down the road. I've had problems for a long time and they both feel it has just been inflamation that had gone away in the past. It didn't this time. They both suggested rest, but, I lead too active of a lifestyle to sit around. Plus, my job doesn't permit it. So, we'll go for 2 more injections after this one and see if it does the trick.

Mark, I've read your story and that was a helluva task you pulled off - my hat is off to you.

Mike, Glad to hear you were able to get your back in order without any invasive procedures. I've known quite a few people that went under the knife for spinal cervical procedures and it isn't something I wish on anyone.

 

[donaldb]

The Lord has been good to me w/respect to health. No back problems here---yet! However Professor has a very valid point. I know a local attorney, he spent many years in the military and suffered a ruptured disk while in the service years ago. They wanted to do surgery, he refused. He lived and limped and struggled for a couple years and somehow made it through. While his back is not perfect and it still from time to time flares up, he continues to work through it. The flare ups are now seldom and he may not have one but about every couple years and he is very careful and knows his limitations. I asked him why he hasn't gotten it repaired and his response was something to the effect that what do you suppose people did 50-100 years ago? They didn't have surgery to correct there back and those people found a way to continue on continuing on. When you think about it this makes since. No doubt he believes to this day he made the right decision and swears his back is no real problem anymore, that his body repaired itself. :blink:

 

[red2kcbr]

Same situation here. I had one epidural steroid injection in lower back about 3 or 4 years ago. Pain shooting down my left leg, numbness, and couldn't walk on my heels. (That indicated a nerve issue). Disk was swelled up and pushing on nerves.

My doc was real good with the needle. She is an anesthesiologist and found the epidural space free hand, first try. The anesthetic they shoot you with first stung like a wasp for a couple of seconds, then nothing.

I felt some pressure with the steroid shot, but no real pain. I started to improve within a couple of days.

If I flair up again I'd get another shot. Avoid the knife if you can. Get a couple of opinions. Remember, a surgeon approaches problems from a surgical viewpoint, so he suggested talking to the anesthesiologist for another option.

If I'm going to lift anything, I use my weight belt. For jobs like running a chain saw, or just about any manual labor, I use the weight belt and avoid most problems. The safest thing is to avoid manual labor. That's what I try to do.

 

[Bounce]

Mark, I've read your story and that was a helluva task you pulled off - my hat is off to you.

Thanks. That I can ride at all is a credit to my neurosurgeon. My finish was no great shakes as far as placement. There are several people just on this board who finished significantly higher than I did during their IBR rides. I'm happy I was able to try and more than proud to be considered a Finisher.

My point of linking to that was to support those who have been recommending that you exhaust all other options before choosing surgery. And, if you do end up facing surgery, to check out the artificial disc that wasn't an option for me at the time.

 

[fjr]

Two words. Inversion table.

Reverses the effects of gravity then slowly start a strengthening program with a GOOD physical therapist.

 

[painman]

Due to my chronic back I regularly use the Hang-ups. It is quite the item for pain relief.

Clicky This

Hope it helped. Painman. <><

 

[yanktar]

My 2 cents:

At age 35 I herniated the L5-S1 disk-the most common. It hurt like a M-F--and was initially diagnosed wrong by a complete incompetent. Yeah, sciatica etc. They wanted to do surgery but I stayed away and found a good, traditional chiropractor--hand manipuplation, not that gadget that they push and click. He was also a pragmatist--going for what worked, not for what was SUPPOSED to work.

He gave me a lot of relief. I also did research and found that the surgery was not likely to give me much relief--"60-90% of patients are ambulatory after surgery" Ambulatory? that means walking around, right? I was walking around already.

I also found that after 4 years of surgical vs non-surgical treatment most patients were about the same.

So: ICE your spine. Get those blue ACE ice packs and do it 2-3 times a day. At first it will be awful and clammy, but when you get used to it, it will give you relief.

Next, try to keep your back straighter. If you must sit in a desk chair, try to get one with a waterfall seat. For other chairs, they make triangular pillows you sit on that angle you--especially good for cars. Also, it helps to pull the seat up more than usual, but angle the back more, bending your knees more. At night, a firmer mattress, a thinner pillow, and sometimes a pillow under your knees helps.

Exercises.

The last time I reinjured it, my Ortho gave me AWESOME exercises. Basically, a lot of SLOW situps, you pull up halfway and hold for 10 seconds and let down. Reverse situps (on your stomach), again slow.

Leg stretches. On your back, pull one leg up with the knee bent to about 90 deg, then push it to the opposite side (so if it's the right, push it to the left), back and slowly let it down. You'll FEEL the vertibrae releasing! In 2 weeks I had TOTAL relief--I was amazed! But this guy knows his shit when it comes to re-hab exercises!

The latest surgery (after simple disc removal) is disc replacement rather than fusion. Disc replacement is far less invasive (4 hrs of surgery vs 6 or more), they only go in through the front (as opposed to front AND back) and they don't need to take a bone graft from your hip (a third incision). Fusion FREEZES the spine, replacement retains or RESTORES mobility. There are only a couple of products on the market yet, and a couple are in clinical trials. Unlike other joints (hips, knees) disc replacement is designed for a lifetime, not the usual 15 years.

Good luck!

 

[JimLor]

Damn, we are a bunch of old farts aren't we!

 

[yanktar]

Damn, we are a bunch of old farts aren't we!

What's all that tooting I hear? :blink: :dribble:

PHEW!!!!

 

[EastTNFJR]

Randy,

The pain should go away from the injection in a few days and by then the long acting epidural steroids shouldbe working. I ama Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetistm (CRNA) and have done many of these type of injections as well as hundred and hundreds of labor epidurals. If you or anyone else for that matter have any kind of questions for this type of stuff I will be glad to try and answer them If I can. Hope you are feeling better by now and I would avoid surgery if I could for as long as I could. Try exercises, stretching, losing weight, chiropractic almost anything instead of surgery cause once you're cut its never the same. I of course don't see the success stories only the repeat offenders who are coming again and again for another surgery. I have some lower back and neck problems that bother me at times but I will hold off on spinal surgery until it is absolutely necessary. That being said, for some people it is the only thing left and their only option. My dad has some spinal stenosis and may require surgery which is OK if you have to have it to keep walking and more importantly keep riding in our case...LOL! HAve a good one!

John

 

[HIGHLANDER]

EastTNFJR,

Do you know what the sucess rates are for surgical disc work? I need to have my disc " shaved ", know what I mean? I've tried all the Yanktar suggestions for the last 9 months and I'm considering surgery at this point. Are there any decent web sites your aware of that furnish this type of info? Webmd is pretty basic in it's information.

 

[Randy]

Thanks for the replies and valuable information. Well, it's now 72 hours after I had my injection and what I feel now is more of a 'pain' that, my guess, is simply a traumatic type pain from having a big needle jammed into my spine.

The main symptoms that I was having before the injection have subsided and I do feel relief.

This was, but, wasn't, my first injection. It was my first epidural injection, but, not my first steroid injection. This all started about 6 weeks ago and I had horrible pain in my lower back and left side. Orthopedic Surgeon (who is a very close friend of mine by the way and was out for my best interest, not just looking for a reason to slice me open) gave me a local steroid/anti-inflammatory injection near my left hip (SI joint). That helped until I started feeling pain on my right side (all in addition to the lower back pain). The chiropractor and Ortho both seem to think that the pain I was experiencing most recently in my right side may very well have been the root cause. Perhaps whatever my body was doing to compensate for the problems on my right side may have thrown my left side out of whack.

So, to make a short story long, I'm not going to be in a big rush to get a second injection. If the shot, along with the chiropractic care and stretches/exercises help, then I'm not going to go back for another injection.

 

[Bananas]

About eight years ago I was suffering from a herniated #5. Had to be careful how I walked. Step the wrong way and "WHAM"! lightning bolts down the leg! The cheek of my ass always felt as though I was sitting on the small end of a 2"x4".

Went to the back specialist and had all the tests and pictures, and was scheduled for surgery a few months down the line.

The company that I work for had scheduled a manditory meeting on the Saturday before the surgery was to take place. One of the events at this meeting was a presentation by a man and women team from an outfit called "Save a Back". They proceeded to demonstrate the mechanics of the spine and had some audience participation with proper lifting techniques, and ended the program with some stretching exercises.

After the class, as people were filing out of the auditorium, I intercepted the "Save a Back"guy in the hall and told him of my upcoming surgery on Monday. He told me that surgery should be the last option after all else has failed. He advised me that I should first try some stretching exercises, that he demonstrated for me on the floor in front of me. I told him that the surgery was in two days, and asked him when I could expect to feel the benefit of these exercises. He told me to give it two days.

Monday rolled around, and the lightning bolts had stopped and I was noticing much improvement. I canceled the surgery. I have been doing these stretches ever since, and have returned to a normal life. I have explained and demonstrated this exercise to countless people and co-workers with great success.

The exercise is called a "Cobra Stretch". It is done from a front leaning position, as if you are doing a pushup. The difference is that it is done from your knees and not balanced on the tips of your toes. Like a girls pushup. While in that position, stretch your head back and look up at the ceiling as far back as you can, and at the same time, arch your back down into a "sway back" position. Try to pin your hip bones to the floor if you can (you won't be able to, but strive for this). When you think that you have arched your back as far as you can, stretch it a little bit more. Hold that position for ten seconds and rest for ten seconds. Then do it again. Do this for ten reps.

When you first begin doing this, it is a little uncomfortable. The more that you do it, the easier that it becomes. I was assuered that there is nothing about this exercise that is damaging in any way. I have personally witnessed many successes with this method. Give it a try, what do you have to lose! Hope to hear you tell me that it has worked for you also.

Oh... one more thing, if it isn't convienent for you to get down on the floor to do this, you can forward lean against a wall, and arch into the wall. This exercise isn't just for the morning, you can, and should, do it periodically throughout the day. It will work!!

Bananas!