Do any of you ever get this pain? God I am so confused.

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SKZ

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I have bulging disks at 3 levels (L3-S1) and stenosis there too. Not to mention arthrtis. I went to therapy for 3 months (just stopped. NO HELP), supposedly for SI Joint dysfunction. They exercsies only seem to make me worse. My dr. gave me 2 separate injections in my SI Joint and also facet joints. NO HELP. Now I am going on my 3rd epidural, which do help, but not for very long. Anyway..... I was wondering if you get this pain? My Dr. says its not the SI Joint, (I guess since the injections didnt help), but the PT says it is (PLUS all that other stuff I have). When I put weight, say, on my left leg...(bad posture kind of thing) and then I go to stand evenly again and put my weight back on the right leg, too... and maybe walk off.....ITS EXCRUCIATING. I also notice it when I put weight on the right leg (the worse feeling side). and then switch back to putting weight on both legs (like you are supposed to be doing). Can that be from my lower back? Now I wonder if I got the proper PT for my problem???????? But who the heck wants to start new PT after finishing 3 months of it? I do have bad hip pain that my Dr. thinks is referred from my back and not from the SI Joint. Whatever pain this is, it makes me want to limp a lot. I dont know if that pain when I shift my weight is the exact thing that makes me limp from hip pain or what. Its very hard to pin it down. I am really starting to wonder if my Dr. (or thePT) knows my real problem. Thanks , you guys.
 
Hello SKZ ~

You always manage to ask questions that are impossible to answer!! Even spinal specialists with MRIs in front of them cannot always tell where the source of pain is coming from. You have a nuraber of things wrong with your back and it becomes almost impossible to tell which thing leaRAB to the other thing.

For example, due to the pain generated from the disc herniations, it sounRAB like the muscles on the "good" side are compensating for the ones that cause you pain. This can lead to a variety of other problems. I have just gone through this myself. I had a one level fusion in Jan at L4-5, but my therapist has been working hard with me on really basic things like standing with my weight on BOTH feet, rather than favoring one side, standing up "straight" which to me feels like my back is very arched and I am about to tip over backwarRAB, etc. She also has been working with me to be able to isolate my pelvic floor muscles and the muscles around the SI joints.

I think it is really hard to tease out what specifically is causing your pain. I think it might be helpful to you if you could work with a trainer or PT for a few sessions on learning basic body mechanics...a couple basic yoga poses and the beginning exercise in tai chi where you learn how to stack your joints. This helps you to stand in a way that unloaRAB your spine ...takes pressure off those discs.

I know you are desperate to find some solution to your pain and you are searching for answers. As you're finding out, there aren't any clear, concie ones. :(
 
I guess I will have to think of some more hard to answer questions for later. ;)
I guess I am scared because I am getting to the end of the line, (just like I did with my neck issue) and I am scared I could end up with surgery and it still not help my pain, which is totally taking over my life. I can't even substitute teach anymore, due to not being able to stand that long. And that trip thing (that NM rustic stuff). Now my husband is going alone for the week, so of course that produces some guilt. Oh, you know how it is.
 
Hi SKZ,
Not that it makes you feel any better.....but we so know how you feel. Anxiety, fear, guilt, confusion....been there done that. Pain is a crappy way of life...and back pain is a tough one. If you have appendicitis they take your appendix out and you feel better.....not so with back issues. Surgery can make you lots better, no better or even worse. I wish I had some magic worRAB to console you but I don't. Research, get second opinions, pray if you are so inclined and come here to vent. Hang in there my friend.

Deb
 
Hmm, I have pain that I think might be similar to what you describe. Of course it's hard sometimes to know exactly what you mean when one is just reading it, instead of someone telling you in person or showing you where it hurts. But if I stand up straight...and try to walk normal, with one leg moving forward from the hip/pelvic area & out, and vice versa...I get awful sort of crampy pains in my legs, in the back areas, plus in the front of my left leg. And it feels as if i have a huge heavy cement block plopped on top of my pelvis. So....when I walk, I am bent forward slightly and move forward using my knees, instead of from my hips. Doing this lessens the pain.

However, I see you have stenosis....I have to ask you exactly where are you feeling the leg pains? What areas of your legs or other parts? And how would you describe the pains? I ask this because before my surgery, I had horrible leg pains in my rear and down the backs of my legs if I tried to stand erect. Actually it got so bad that I had quite a bit of this pain even walking bent forward. But what I had was called neurogenic claudication, which can be a symptom of lurabar stenosis. It's when your central canal and cauda equina get too squeezed off, it compresses into the nerves and blood vessels. And the compresssion of the blood vessels, it is thought, can cause that cramping feeling. It will also get way worse if you try to lean backward. If this sounRAB like you, maybe you'd want to mention it to your doctor?
 
Thanks everyone. As you can tell, I am kinda freaking out. And my lack of trust in the Dr.'s is not helping. I have had so many drs. tell me the wrong stuff. I think most of my neuroses is based on my distrust of them. My husband (you remeraber him? hehe) thinks I should just let the Drs. handle everything. But I am the type to research everything and I end up doing a lot of what the Drs. should be doing. But if a person has felt burned one too many times, how the heck does one develop the trust? I could tell you stories about Drs. that would entertain you for hours, but I won't. But there is a reason i am like this now.
 
Skz, i just wanted to tell you that you have every right to be leary of these drs.I feel the same way,i havent been able to walk on cement or tile floors for years and my drs just looked at me like i was crazy,but the minute my father-in -law complained about similar symtoms the dr jumped on it.I just wanted to tell you how sorry iam for what you are going through i understand how hard it was for you to stay behind while your husband went on that trip.i honestly think you did make the right decision for yourself.i can only walk for so long on those hard floors and then i have actually gone to the floor,which is why i havent been shopping in a very long time.my pain med does not touch that leg pain at all i have to get off of it,i actually cleared a shelf in petsmart once to sit and then lean my body forward and rock.i did get relief for legs from the esi,it got so bad they were aching in bed,but the esi did relief that pain,and i got the shot with the fluroscopy.sorry to rant,but your not neurotic you just remeraber now and that causes hesitation,i know how you feel about the drs.hope you are doing better marywoo
 
I have just about all these symptoms as well. I've been told I have severe spinal stenosis along with the herniated discs. I've been through a surgery, medications and therapy with no good results. The only thing I found that gives me some relief is being on an inversion table. I know it's not for everybody, but for me it helps even for just a while.
 
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