Can surgery still repair my chronic leg pain or getting it worse?

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efang622

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I have been having spine disk herniation 18 months ago and right now I still have minor right leg pain. My recently MRI which shows my herniated disk reduced its size a lot, but my leg pain almost has no change.
Recently my pain management doctor referral a good Neuro surgeon to me, and I saw him already three times, he said it is irritated nerve which causes my leg pain. and surgery will make me worst. But he also has no way to take my pain leave me. He did once injection which call
 
Hi! All,
Thank you for all your messages.
Here is my newest MRI report (10-2/2009) below and hope it can help you to know my situation.
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MRI Report:
No significant abnormality in noted at L3-L4. The small right- sided disc protrusion at L2- L3 along with endplate spurring is again noted without change. This demonstrates slight impress on the right anterior of the thecal sac, and presumable on the right L3 nerve root origin.The conus and the alignment appear normal.

Impression:
No significant change in the appearance of the lurabar spine since the MRI of about 9 months earlier. Specifically, the minimal impress on the S1 nerve root origins at L5-S1, the the cal sac at L4-l5, and the slight impress on the right side of the thecal sac and presumably the right L3 nerve root origin at L2-L3 are unchanged.
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I saw my neuro surgeon yesterday and my wife was with me so she also can help me on this.
The surgeon looked at my MRI again and said my L5-S1 is still having
 
Hi all, hope you are all having a better day today. My question is about the leg pain. I am scheduling a 360 surgery soon but wondered how all back stuff effects the legs. I realize the nerve compression has an impact on legs but my question is, my leg pain is not excruiating pain. My leg pain is severe achiness after walking, sitting or standing for too long. Legs feel weak and it's mostly the sides and fronts of my thighs. By the way my injury is at L3-4. When you people say leg pain, what can you compare it with? Like the worst pain you ever felt or some kind of achiness? It feels like severe muscle aches. I was also diagonised with spondyliolisthesis at L3-4. My disc is almost gone at that level too. What do u guys think?
Thank you.
 
I hope it can as Im going thru a similar thing. I have bilateral leg pain/ weakness. Spine Dr. says I need 2 level fusion. But I had an mri a few years back with contrast that showed alot of scar tissue encasing my s1 nerve root. I had an Ortho. Dr, say do not have further surgeries it wont get better, probably worse. So....in the meantime just live & deal w/ extreme pain, I dont think so.
 
I still have left leg pain after having surgery on L-4 L-5, S-1 in Septeraber. Surgeon said he did all he could do... Went to Pain Management Dr. few days ago and he said a nerve is still definitely involved. He wants surgery record, new MRI, and epidural recorRAB that I had before surgery. Guess he is going to try to figure out what is still wrong. In the meantime he put me on Neurontin for the leg pain, and Mobic, anti inflammatory and still taking Vicoden. I have been suffering with this for 4 years and have been passed around to so many doctors. I am not sure anyone can figure it out. Good luck, though. Ask your questions and make the Doctor answer them so you can understand.
 
Any disc related pain or nurabness, tingling or weakness in the lirabs neeRAB to be addressed by taking care of the affected level in the spine. Right now the nerve pain I have from L3 is a radiating pain down both sides of the back of my right leg. While it's not the worst pain I've ever had it corresponRAB with the nerve impinged shown on all my tests so I seek to have it fixed as nerve damage can become permanent. I couldn't bear to have the pain and weakness/tingling/nurabness permanent and thus I've had my cervical and lurabar surgeries to help. Each one has helped though I waited too long with my neck and have some permanent nurabness in fingers on the left hand.
 
it is not so much the fact that you have or had an actual herniation going on here, its what ELSE is also being affected or also going on that would truely dictate pain or any other symptoms too that you may have. obviously, if that hernaition changed and your pain and symptoms did not, then one would assume that your actual symptoms were NOT only or just stemming from the herniation. do you have ANY other findings listed in that MRI summary like stenosis within a foramen or bone supurring that is actually mentioned with a particular nerve level or root? this would be the more 'likely' reason there somewhere if it is not stemming directly from the herniation itself kind of thing?

but if the herniation is actually extruded to any real degree or just broken thru inside within the actual disc, that inner disc material can be very highly itrritating to any tissue surrounding it too. while the disc itself is not directly 'innervated" it DOES have pain fibers within it that can cause its own pain too if it is actually damaged within it or to the outside of it.

just what other findings were listed in your summary of the MRI? that would be at the very end ofthe MRI report. those other findings just could be the underlying culprits for your symptoms continuing here. marcia
 
Thanks for answering so fast. I think you've answered some of my back questions before and you really know what's going on in the back area. I am on disability right now and when I just sit and rest and do minimal work, my legs are no bad. But for the past 4 days with the holidays, I've been out doing different things so I am guessing that is why my legs ache. What I don't want is to have this surgery and still end up with bad legs because that was not the problem. I have been through all blood work, x-rays, cat scans, mri's etc. and the only thing they always come back to is my spine. I guess what you are saying is yes, a person can feel aches in their thighs due to back problems.
Thank you
 
Linda:

Yes, leg pain is a primary indicator of spine problems. Some people experience little or no actual back pain but have the leg symptoms (or for the neck - arm symptoms). The nerves run into the spine and when impingement or damage occurs it transmits that into the legs. Have you ever viewed a dermatome chart? If you look up a dermatome chart of the spine it will show which nerves impact which areas of the arms and legs in terms of pain and nerve signals.
 
eFang:

What he may have done is lurabosacral facet injections. Facets are the joints in the spine.

Perhaps a second opinion with another neurosurgeon and/or orthopedic spine surgeon?
 
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