bulging discs and pinched nerve..need advice

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spoiltmom

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After suffering for 4 years with an excruciating pain that runs down the side of my left leg and into the top of my foot I finally got a diagnosis.
I was sent to a neurologist who did an EMG/NCV and determined that there was a problem with my S1 nerve so he sent me for an MRI. The MRI says I have 4 bulging lurabar discs. 3 of them are minor and 1 of them is pinching my S1 Nerve. Since then I've used up my insurance maximum on Physical Therapy and the pain is still terrible. It took me so long to get a diagnosis b/c my left knee was messed up. It wasn't until after I had surgery to fix it that my ortho doctor finally realized had a back problem.

I have an appt with my Neuro on May 19th to discuss Epidural Steroid Injections but my aunt had the same problem and she had surgery and has had no problems since then. She's urging me to see her surgeon and find out what he can do for me.

If I take these Epidural Injections and they work is that a permanent fix or can the pain return??

Thanks everyone!

AManda
 
I'm sure there will be others who are better equipped to answer this, but my physiatrist just discussed this with me on Monday. He said that the epidural shots were to determine type and location of pain in my case. Sounded like a temporary fix.
 
I JUST chose not to have one..I didn't want to go through all that for probably a temporary fix..they say it can last from 3 days to 6 months and maybe not work at all..my aunt had them, did not work, my dad had them and they worked for awhile and then after his 3rd time, they quit working..I guess if we could be told it was a cure it would be an easier decision to have them.
 
Hi, if you've been suffering that pain for 4 years, it probably would only be a temporary fix, if it helps at all. There's no way to say for sure, it's possible it could also help you, but no one can predict for how long.

Sometimes they do the ESI's and if they help, it can enable you to do physical therapy, which in turn might help the disc, but that is also a maybe. But if you've used up your insurance, your doc's office can request an extension for you. I was told that my surgeon...I had used up most of my PT allowance before my surgery and he told me they can get an extension if need alot more after surgery. I don't know if pt would help you, but it's another option to look at.
 
thanks everyone! I'm not trying not to waste anymore time or money than I have to. This is all getting so expensive! I'm trying to stay optimistic but the Physical Therapist I was using told me that since my back has been this way for 4 years that most likely conservative care such as PT and Injections won't help me.

I had $2000 in my health savings account on January 1st. I've already spent ALL of that and I'm now paying out of pocket. Which is fine with me as long as I get some pain relief. I just hate to pay for something that may or may not really work.
 
I gather you are seeing a neurologist and not a spinal specialist? It might be a more direct path if you were to go to a fellowship trained spinal specialist, either an orthopedic or neuro surgeon who specializes in the issues of the spine. This doctor may still recommend esi as that seems to be the thing we all do prior to having surgery. In fact, some insurance companies insist on it as they do work in some cases, and are a lot less costly than surgery.

There is no way to answer your last question as everyone is different. Even in a case that sounRAB identical, patients can and do respond differently, heal at different rates, develop different problems, etc.

A friend and I had esi's at the same time. She needed 2 and is fine 3 years later. I had 3 which basically did no good, and I finally had a fusion on Jan 7th and am now recovering!
 
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