Sciatica

[Joe.K]

I have No idea why I posted that, but the key lesson is don’t chat on the phone without leaving/closing the thread on TZ and absent mindedly touching the screen…


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[bambam]

Saw a surgeon last Friday, I have a narrowing of L4/L5 disc protrusion. Apparently 65% of males between 55 and 70 are likely to have this condition. Key hole surgery where they file out the narrowing to allow the nerves to be unaffected by the prolapse. To be honest I can't wait to get it over with, having lived with it for nine months. Paying for my past now, but at 63 I don't want to live with this amount of pain!

I think a lot of people have the condition, but not all suffer as a result. One of my friends has the condition but has no ill effects from it at all.

Good luck with the surgery. Hopefully they can do it via keyhole, mine has left a nice long vertical scar.

Be prepared to not be able to do much following the surgery as you have to let things heal before you jump back into things. Take it slow and steady. I wasn’t able to start proper physio for at least 6 weeks following the op, though I was encouraged to be mobile, go for walks etc. The painkillers were pretty strong too!

Good luck with it. If there’s anything you want to ask etc then feel free to PM me.

[wildheart]

I think a lot of people have the condition, but not all suffer as a result. One of my friends has the condition but has no ill effects from it at all.

Good luck with the surgery. Hopefully they can do it via keyhole, mine has left a nice long vertical scar.

Be prepared to not be able to do much following the surgery as you have to let things heal before you jump back into things. Take it slow and steady. I wasn’t able to start proper physio for at least 6 weeks following the op, though I was encouraged to be mobile, go for walks etc. The painkillers were pretty strong too!

Good luck with it. If there’s anything you want to ask etc then feel free to PM me.

PM’d you


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[blackie]

Still inconclusive. After a contrast MRI he's now convinced it's not the degeneration of L4 & L5 but something going on with L3 could be a cyst or a bulge but nothing sinister (he says).
So now waiting again for another nerve block epidural so until then I'm off my face on pills.
I'm fed up with it now and can understand why people end it all when things get too bad for them.
I've not slept in my own bed now for months

[jeepie]

You can ease a lot of it by doing the right stretches regularly. Much of time it is a muscle spasm that locks on the nerve that needs releasing. Particularly make sure your core is sorted. But it depends what is actually causing the issue. I managed the occasional bout myself until I got a slipped disk that was pushing on it. After 9 months of nagging agony it was fixed by an operation. This guy seems to have some good results judging by the comments and I have tried them myself and you can feel the effects in the right place



Doing the various Piriformis exercises you can find should help. Also using a foam roller or the lacrosse ball for deep massage. But don't do something that makes it worse if the cause is not muscular.

Superb. I noticed this thread having not seen it before.

I was going to post this exact video.

Brutal exercises with had me pouring ice cold sweat. But this fixed my pain for good.

Hurts like hell but really really worth it.


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[wildheart]

I have my long awaited Spinal decompression surgery tomorrow, can't wait to be out of pain! Fingers crossed!!

[reecie]

Best of luck with it.

[bambam]

That is great news! Good luck with it and don’t forget to take it easy - for some weeks - before you start the physio proper.
They should get you mobilised and walking a day or so after surgery and it’s gentle exercises and walking for quite a while before you can start being more active.
One of those helping hand sticks is really useful for when you drop something.
Best of luck.

[wildheart]

Well I’m back home five days on and Sciatica free! Wow what a relief. 18 months of torture behind me. The surgeon said the nerve had started to calcify on the spine tube wall. He’s freed up the nerve around the prolapse and has ground out the channel to stop it occurring again.
I have a few months of recuperation ahead of me, but can walk now without pain. The Nuffield Centre in Cambridge provided the opportunity for this, first class service!


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[bambam]

Well I’m back home five days on and Sciatica free! Wow what a relief. 18 months of torture behind me. The surgeon said the nerve had started to calcify on the spine tube wall. He’s freed up the nerve around the prolapse and has ground out the channel to stop it occurring again.
I have a few months of recuperation ahead of me, but can walk now without pain. The Nuffield Centre in Cambridge provided the opportunity for this, first class service!


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That is great news!
Best of luck with the continuing recovery. Remember to take it easy and not rush back into things.

[reecie]

Good stuff. I know the feeling of relief after my op.

[wildheart]

Thanks chaps!

[Joe.K]

To all my fellow sufferers: Have a rocking Christmas you bad backed bastards!IMG_8465.JPG


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[bambam]

Thanks chaps!

How is your recovery going??

[wildheart]

How is your recovery going??

Seven weeks pain free! Just started swinging a golf club. I was very lucky, I had an amazing surgeon. He stated I was heading towards a wheel chair! So pleased I had the operation. My sciatic nerve was calcifying on the vertebra wall. No way manipulation or exercise was going to shift it. If anyone wants the surgeons details, just PM me. Best £9 K I have ever spent!

[bambam]

Seven weeks pain free! Just started swinging a golf club. I was very lucky, I had an amazing surgeon. He stated I was heading towards a wheel chair! So pleased I had the operation. My sciatic nerve was calcifying on the vertebra wall. No way manipulation or exercise was going to shift it. If anyone wants the surgeons details, just PM me. Best £9 K I have ever spent!

That is great to hear! Sounds like you got it sorted in time. Great stuff and best wishes for your continued recovery.

[scooter]

Just got back to this thread and read your update.

I am absolutely thrilled for you.

Having had spinal fusion in 1982 and a microdiscectomy in 2004 I know exactly what pain you had been suffering from and the ridiculous relief when it's all gone.

scooter

[wildheart]

Just got back to this thread and read your update.

I am absolutely thrilled for you.

Having had spinal fusion in 1982 and a microdiscectomy in 2004 I know exactly what pain you had been suffering from and the ridiculous relief when it's all gone.

scooter

Thanks mate


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[blackie]

Update.
I,m now 4 weeks after my operation and on no tablets whatsoever.
Seems as usual I'm an awkward arse, after a CT and MRI I was found to have haemorrhagic facet joint cysts growing in my spine.
The surgeon that was going to do it said he was passing it over so the op was done keyhole although they did open it up larger as it took longer than expected.
I,m getting slight tingling down the legs but assuming it's part of the healing but we will see.
After 2 years of banging Tramadol, Morphine, Diazipam etc etc its quite unreal to be having a clear head to see things.
A week in Fuerteventura has helped and done me a world of good.

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[bambam]

Update.
I,m now 4 weeks after my operation and on no tablets whatsoever.
Seems as usual I'm an awkward arse, after a CT and MRI I was found to have haemorrhagic facet joint cysts growing in my spine.
The surgeon that was going to do it said he was passing it over so the op was done keyhole although they did open it up larger as it took longer than expected.
I,m getting slight tingling down the legs but assuming it's part of the healing but we will see.
After 2 years of banging Tramadol, Morphine, Diazipam etc etc its quite unreal to be having a clear head to see things.
A week in Fuerteventura has helped and done me a world of good.

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That sounds like very good progress after just 4 weeks.

[blackie]

Yes, I was surprised as well. Early days.

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[wildheart]

Update.
I,m now 4 weeks after my operation and on no tablets whatsoever.
Seems as usual I'm an awkward arse, after a CT and MRI I was found to have haemorrhagic facet joint cysts growing in my spine.
The surgeon that was going to do it said he was passing it over so the op was done keyhole although they did open it up larger as it took longer than expected.
I,m getting slight tingling down the legs but assuming it's part of the healing but we will see.
After 2 years of banging Tramadol, Morphine, Diazipam etc etc its quite unreal to be having a clear head to see things.
A week in Fuerteventura has helped and done me a world of good.

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Jealous of your holiday location. So pleased it has got you off the meds! And out of pain


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[blackie]

Jealous of your holiday location. So pleased it has got you off the meds! And out of pain


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Cheers, it had to be done. Mrs B booked it whilst I was under the knife. Knowing I'd be 4 weeks on by then. Really enjoyed the rest and the plane/resort was half empty.
Concerning today I've had more nerve tingle down the left as it was the right they operated on.
The left vanished when the right took over and I'm apprehensive that the surgeon may not have got all of it and the left is a different thing anyway.
I've had no news as to an update as the Dr was in surgery when I was discharged. That's my only complaint the not knowing but I'll get Xmas over and be on the case asking what was done and to what extent.
Was happy they managed keyhole and the surgeon wanted to do it as he'd never seen this before as its quite rare.

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[blackie]

Update.

I've started to have the odd twinge in the right thigh but the physio isn't overly concerned and a meloxicam every other day and exercise seems to be keeping it at bay.
The specialist binned me off 2 weeks ago from my appt so now awaiting another email with a time so I can question him about the procedure and how it went

[wildheart]

Pleased your making progress Mr B. I'm 5 months pain free now. I mowed the lawn and cleaned the windows at the weekend. Unfortunately I have Covid now, which has laid me low. Illness is never ending!!

[GIB984]

Old thread but for sufferers of this absolutely evil condition it’s never too far away…

Suffered for years (35+) but recent MRI put fear of god into me as identified compression of the cauda equina bundle and was told operation imminent - within 24 hrs and to wait for text for admittance to hospital.

Good old NHS sent me text saying referral made to spinal specialist team and to call if no contact received within 2 months.

Having had the fear of god put into me I paid to see a neurosurgeon at the QE in Birmingham who said I was in good shape and there was no way he would be operating on me - apparently my issue was escalated upwards because it’s standard procedure - basically above the pay grade of the MRI assessment team.

Regardless of all that, 4 months on and still in excruciating pain on morphine + tramadol + ibuprofen but nothing touches it; now prescribed gagapentin which is apparently good for nerve pain?

Interested to hear of any views on the gagapentin issue plus any views on IDD spinal decompression which is picking up over here - big in the states - but not available on NHS?

Willing to give it a go but no real empirical data available on efficacy/success and the videos I’ve seen of the machine and its usage doesn’t offer much reassurance of its ability to target specific areas of the spine?

Any one tried it?

[bowie]

I'm still the same have had the epidural injection in my back and what a farce that was taking load of pictures then said would get a shooting pain in my leg for a second this did not happen, and then I heard the other consultant say let me have ago well you can imagine how i felt after taking pictures again he did it and i felt the pain for a split second still no relife for me so the consultant said about surgurey in the mean time the women who my wife worked with had the same problem and walikg with one walking stick she had the opp and after 8 weeks still feels worce she left for another few months then went back to see the consultent and she asked him why and his answer was i didnt say it would cure your back pain she now walks with two sticks this just doesnt give me any confidence at all i cannot afford to pay private so still taking pregabalin amitriptyline and anything else

[Gareth-W]

Update!

After I had my own epidural in Feb '21 I still suffered from some slight low right calf pain. This was due to fragments of the disc calcifying and slightly rubbing the nerves in the leg but after it lingered for about 9-12 months it just went away......as my speciailist said it would.

Since then I have been pretty much pain free and it would appear that I've been one of the lucky ones in regard to the efficacy of the epidural. I play golf once/twice a week and am very careful to stretch/wam up before doing that and especially so on cold/damp days.

I did suffer one minor relapse playing golf 6 weeks ago however. After 5 holes I felt a tell tale painful twitch in my lower back. I immediately stopped playing, walked in and got on the drugs! Was in some pain for the weekend and then got a new prescription for 2 weeks worth of Naproxen, Codeine/Parcetomol, Diazepam and Omeprazole.......which after taking for 4/5 days totally cleared away all the pain and I'm back to normal once again.

I know some people shy away from taking prescription drugs but when you have had/lived with lower back pain and the drugs will remove that pain I am all for them. Surgery (I had mine about 25 years ago) should always be the last resort here and finding a good specialist is key too. I'd be very wary about Physios and Chiropractors as nearly all the ones I have seen over many years don't have a clue about the complexity of backs. The reality is that until you have a an MRI (NHS or Private) no one really knows what is going on inside your back so I would strongly advocate having one and sooner than later!

[Passenger]

An older English friend of ours out here was suffering terribly with this. They gave her an Operation to implant a device, I assume it was the electronic nerve stimulator? Based on her description. She´s much happier now, pain free, weather permitting she gets out for a long walk most days, she´s 90. Pretty sure it was on the Spanish health service too, because I recall when she was telling us about it how she was most pleasantly surprised, didn´t expect she´d be offered it by her surgeon , ´´you know because I´m British´´...Wonderful service really.

Perhaps this could be an option for some of you guys in the UK?

Few worse pains than back pain.