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EMG Results and Epirdural Shot question

Spine Health | Last Active: Aug 22, 2023 | Replies (41)

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@jenniferhunter

@soccer1477 My case was also really confusing to the surgeons, 5 of them before I came to Mayo. I did have one spinal epidural injection done as a diagnostic in my neck, and it relieved all my pain everywhere, legs included temporarily. The surgeon at the time didn't understand why that could be, so he dismissed the results. This is because he didn't understand the funicular pain phenomenon that caused pain all over my body and it was generated in my neck by stenosis with a disc osteophyte complex that was pressing 5 mm into the spinal canal causing a bit of spinal cord compression. I hear many patients talking of similar situations in having leg pain with a cervical stenosis problem and their surgeons don't know what's wrong. If surgeons can't pin point and understand the cause of the problem, they are unlikely to help. You are getting varied opinions and I did too. They have to look for the differential diagnosis of what else could be wrong because they can't afford to be wrong and make a mistake with surgery.

If you try an epidural injection, it may give you more information, but only you can make that call. Having an epidural in my neck that also helped leg pain was a predictor of funicular pain, but there is no diagnostic test to prove the existence of funicular pain except when decompression surgery fixes it. You also have stenosis at the nerve roots, so that confuses where the pain is coming from. It can come from both places or either of them, the nerve roots or the spinal cord if it is getting touched or compressed.

The Piriformis Syndrome also mimicks a spine problem because of creating similar pain. You may want to read about these kinds of problems at this link:
https://mskneurology.com/identify-treat-lumbar-plexus-compression-syndrome-lpcs/
Jennifer

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Replies to "@soccer1477 My case was also really confusing to the surgeons, 5 of them before I came..."

@jenniferhunter THANK YOU so much, you are so helpful, I will try to have a virtual appointment with Mayo and see if I can make the drive, is about 5 hours, so will need someone to take me and see how i can manage as even 10 minutes to my appointments generate so much pain.
Thank you again.

Hello @jenniferhunter quick question, did you also have fasciculations in your legs or around your body? Thanks,