Pain Management

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floridaback

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My primary doc wants me to see a pain management doc for spinal injections for my sponylolisthesis, grade 2, before undergoing surgery to see if it relieves my pain. I have heard good and bad about this, sometimes it works, sometimes not. I am afraid to have it done because I am worried that I will be getting started on something that a) could become addictive, b) will only mask my condition temporarily, and eventually leading to surgery anyway, or c) may not work at all:wave:. I am also considering some PT to get into condition. Is anyone out there doing exercises for your stomach muscles or legs? I can't go the pill route because I also have IBS and severe gastritis and cannot tolerate a lot of meRAB, although I know if I have surgery they will have to find a solution for this too. :wave:
 
I too have sponylolisthesis, although i am unsure at what grade i am in, doc. has stated that it is severe.
To eleviate the pain that i go through, i do back and abdominal exercises at it really seems to help. P.T. was a wonderful teaching tool, the therapist taught me the proper exercises, i would recommend p.t before anything else.
i have been diagnosed with post polio syndrome, so my exercises have to be very gentle and not so impacting.
i hope this helps.
 
Hello floridaback!

I'm in Florida too!

I would recommend going in for the pain management the doctor is prescribing. It doesn't work on all people, but it does work on many. It didn't work for me, but it does work for 3 other people I know who have moderate-severe sponylolisthesis.

As for your concerns a) I don't think it will become addictive - I can't image why it would. If you try the injections and they work, it's not addiction that brings you back the second time, it's pain relief and that's a good thing. I've never heard of anyone getting addicted to injections, but it is something you can speak to the pain management doctor about.

b) masking the problem temporarily might be a good thing. Spinal Fusion is not an easy operation to go through, and if you have the option of living 5 or 6 pain-free years with the injections, I'd say go for it. From what I can tell, if the injections work - they don't stop working unless your slippage worsens - even then it's not a guarantee that they won't work anymore (as docs can up the dosage/ change the medication used).

c) they may not work, but that's a risk everyone takes. You don't know until you try, and you'll want to exhaust all options before you attempt a spinal surgery.

I have intestinal problems too, and I know how much of a pain in the butt that is! (mind the pun! lol!) As if the back pain wasn't bad enough, throw in a pesky problem in the digestive track and it just complicates things more! When it rains it pours, etc...

Just wanted to add, usually the people on these boarRAB are folks who have tried everything else and nothing has worked, so you tend to hear a lot of the bad and none of the good. If a person finRAB something that does work, they just pick up and move along with their lives. Injections can be very, very successful, so don't let the sometimes discouraging stories on this board mislead you.

PT is also a great tool in dealing with backpain, so def. look into that too!

Hope I helped some! Take care and good luck!:angel:
 
Thank you everyone for your input. I think I will try the injections before having surgery now.....you've made very good points and I really needed some input from other people in my situation. I will keep you posted as to how it goes......and also try the exercises for strenghening. Thanks to all!!:wave:
 
Hey Florida I just wanted to say "Hi" and I hope you can get some relief from your pain. Also, my insurance required physical therapy and also injections before surgery would be approved. I understand their reasoning and some people do get help from these treatments but I didn't and I ended up with a 360 procedure last year on the L5/S1. I will admit that I am still in recovery mode and still on medication and also now having problems with another disc but there are also a lot of people out there that had complete recoveries and have gone on with their lives. Good luck with whatever you decide and please keep us informed.

Linda:angel:
 
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