New with questions

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boxercrew

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Hi all,
I've lived with back pain off and on for the last 23 years after an accident. I was able to manage it pretty well most of the time till recently. About 3 months ago, my back pain got worse and constant. The worst part is that the pain started shooting down both legs. I have to stop while walking every few feet until the pain and weakness passes. Went to my general Doc and had xray and MRI. He tried 2 different muscle relaxers (skelaxin and flexmid) which did nothing, something for pain(also did nothing) and finally an oral steroid for 7 day. This also didn't help. He finally referred me to an oral surgeon. My MRI shows disc degeneration and a hemangioma at L3, bulging discs in L4 and L5 and a herniated disc in S1. The surgeon thinks sugery can wait and is sending me to Pain managment. What can I expect from this? My pain is really bad. They don't seem to get this and didn't give me an appointment until 6/16! I don't want to be taking drugs, they make me fuzzy and do nothing for the pain and don't fix the problem long term. I am at the point where I just want to get this fixed and go back to a more normal life.
I appreciate any insights and thoughts from all of you.
 
Do you know are they planning to try epidural injections?

Have they sent you to Physical Therapy yet?

Are they giving you any other medicines except for the muscle relaxers? Anything for the pain?
 
Hi Boxer and welcome to the board! This is the place to come if you have back issues. You will find many knowledgeable and caring people here.
I know you want this fixed quickly but believe me that surgery is not always the right answer. You need to try all the "easy, non invasive" things first. PT, core exercises, epidural injections, meRAB that help with that "nerve" pain down your leg. If this all fails and surgery is recommended....get a second opinion. Sometimes one back surgery can lead to another. There is no way to predict who will have a good or unfavorable outcome. Good luck to you. Keep us posted, ask questions and come here for the support that only another "spiney" can offer.

Deb
 
I'm not sure what they will be trying. I kind of feel like none of them are taking the amount of pain I"m having seriously enough. I went to my general dr abut 6 weeks ago when the pain got too bad to stand. He gave me Etodolac for pain and skelaxin (muscle relaxer) and sent me for an xray. That did nothing for the pain. I went back after 2 weeks with no change and he sent me for an MRI and gave me fexmid (muscle relaxer-couldn't take it..did nothing for pain but zonked me out) and an oral steroid which I had to take for 7 days. Again, no change or if anything I felt worse. Finally got the MRI results this week and a referral to an Ortho Surgeon. Couldn't get an appointment with him until 6/16..I did fax my MRI report and he said he doesn't want to do surgery now and that I would see the pain management people in his office. Meanwhile, I'm in pain, can't walk more than a few feet without stopping. I live in the city and take public transportation to work. I'm worried that my legs will give out clirabing the steps and I'll fall or something.
This is all so foreign to me. Before this, I hadn't even been to a DR for at least 15 years and never took anything stronger than an advil.
 
Believe me, it's not that I'm anxious for surgery. Never had an operation in my life. But I have a full time job, a teenager, husband, house, 2 dogs and a cat. I have to be able to function and right now, I'm not doing too well at that;-) I did pilates for years, so I know core exercises real well and I can't do them at all with the pain right now. Sorry, if I sound whiny..that's not my way..I'm just tired of this whole pain thing.
 
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