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Nerve damage after spine fusion
I’ve shared on others posts not a new one. I have spinal stenosis , I had a spine fusion in April 2023 L4-S1 L5 was loose, 3 weeks after my surgery a friend didn’t know I had surgery and came up behind me while I was sitting in a metal fold up chair and placed his hands on my shoulders and twisted me. The next week the NP said it might be a delay but shouldn’t bother me and that I could start twisting , bending and lifting upto 30 lbs ( I still couldn’t lift a gallon of milk) I went home and showered that night bending down to dry my legs and I could feel a sting across my back. About June had an epidural done still no relief( more MRI’s that the surgeon says why) he never looked at my back just said he couldn’t do anything else it’s all healed go get a pain stimulator. After failed therapy pain doctor agreed somethings wrong so he sent me to another surgeon, he done another mri same thing get a stimulator. I was admitted in the ER and seen another surgeon who said get a stimulator. Since the surgery I’ve had testicle pain that switches sides depending which side of back is flared plus anus pain (bowels won’t move right, hurts to fart) My urologist recommended Pelvic therapy (that’s for women) I tried it and found out my tailbone was bent after therapy bowels done good then the next week she had me use a foam roller on a door for my back since I couldn’t get in the floor and instantly the nerves were triggered in my legs, I tried another stretch that made it even worse. Now 1 -1/2 weeks later I am still aching 24/7 from the incision to my feet. Nerves zapping everywhere , plus sciatic is so bad an electric blanket irritates it. At one time I had a nerve on my right leg being triggered by the bass at church so I had to switch to setting in the entry way where it’s concrete to avoid vibration on the wood floor. Gabapentin, cymbalta, hydrocodone all low doses and no relief . I spoke to another surgeons office that said it has to be a year since the surgery before they will see you. Has anyone else had nerve pains this bad and told deal with? I’m concerned they know somethings wrong and don’t want to admit it. Where do I draw the line after I loose bowel control and unable to walk? Does anyone else have surgeons not look at your back after the initial follow up? $84,000 surgery apparently Peyton Manning must of tipped him because he done his surgery and haven’t heard any complaints. Just a miserable 51 year old that also has bulging disc in my neck that they won’t touch, and being out of work for a year is tough. Not to mention the heart and lung issues, a detached vitreous gel in my eye that I found out this past year . Will be happy to answer any questions and appreciate any and all prayers
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@sbtheplumber1
Bursitis is painful. My recent hip MRI has shown bilateral gluteal tendinapathy and high grade partial hamstring tears. It is hard to walk but told PT will help increase strength and help with healing (have chronic weakness/pain). I am so weakened due to my spinal issues it is causing a domino effect.
I was also told my recent cervical MRI showed no issues and surgery/titanium cage looks good and “no issues” despite my returning symptoms. I need to get updated EMGs to see how my brain/CNS/PNS are communicating signals to my arm/leg muscles which may also show where radiculopathy continues to send neurological signals and symptoms.
Take a look at these nerve maps to see what levels of your spine affect certain body parts/cause symptoms.
1. https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.GCyAml-dCqFi2RJFz0hydAHaHE%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=cc981d14bcdf5c72fc065d517a71d76ad39db33d7dfb0b06ab72c7c719d9fb87&ipo=images
2. https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.0NT98KLgcEER5vyUg91D1gAAAA%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=515ed094b935ee2f53ddad570150f945f74217dccec74235f2a4ca54e8cf50da&ipo=images
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1 ReactionMy last MRI: FINDINGS:
Soft tissue: Normal surrounding soft tissue/paraspinal muscles.
Bones: No fracture; no vertebral height loss. Transitional S1 vertebral body (Castellvi IIIb). Stable remote postsurgical changes with solid fusion at L3-L4. More recent L5 laminectomy, interbody graft placement L5-S1 with bilateral posterior rod and screw fixation L5-S1-S2, also unchanged. Surgical hardware is intact. No lucencies are appreciated around the fixation screws. Gas is present within the intervertebral disc space at L5-S1 reflecting micromotion. Solid fusion of L5 and S1 is not identified.
Alignment: Anatomic.
Discs, Spinal canal, Foramen:
T10-T11 through L2-L3: The spinal canal is not narrowed. The foramina are not narrowed.
L3-L4: Mild disc bulge. Bilateral facet degeneration. Mild spinal canal narrowing. Moderate bilateral foraminal narrowing L4-L5: Remote postsurgical changes with solid fusion. The spinal canal is not narrowed. Mild bilateral foraminal narrowing. L5-S1: More recent postsurgical changes with findings of pseudoarthrosis. The spinal canal is not narrowed. Moderate left
and mild right foraminal narrowing.
S1-S2: Transitional S1 (Castellvi IIIb). Rudimentary disc. Hypoplastic facets. The spinal canal is not iscs, Spinal canal, Foramen:
Report
foramina are not narrowed.
Sacrum: No acute abnormality of included sacrum.
Additional comments: None.
IMPRESSION:
1. Transitional S1 vertebral body (Castellvi IIIb).
2. Postsurgical changes at L5-S1 with findings of pseudoarthrosis. 3. Remote postsurgical changes at L4-L5 with solid fusion.
(MRI Spine Lumbar w/ + w/o Contrast) Lumbar radiculopathy
Report
Exam Date/Time 10/25/2023 17:44 EDT
Procedure
MRI Spine Lumbar w/ + w/o contrast
EXAMINATION: MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/ AND W/O CONTRAST
Date: 10/25/2023 5:00 PM
History: Male, 51 years old. Lumbar radiculopathy Technologist Notes: c/o lbp that radiates into testicles, anus, bilateral groin
COMPARISON: Lumbar radiographs dated 10/16/2023, MRI lumbar spine contrast dated 6/13/2023, CT abdomen pelvis dated 6/15/2022
Technique: Non-contrast images were obtained of the lumbar spine. Intravenous contrast was injected, and post imaging of the lumbar spine was obtained. Pre and post contrast images were obtained with multiplanar multisequence MR imaging of the lumbar spine. Technologist Notes: c/o lbp that radiates into testicles, anus, bilateral groin
FINDINGS:
Soft tissues: No abnormality demonstrated of the surrounding soft tissues or paraspinal muscles.
Bones: No suspicious lesion or compression fracture. Transitional S1 vertebral body (Castellvi IIIb) again noted. Stable remote interbody graft placement L4-L5 with solid fusion with more recent interbody graft placement L5-S1 with posterior rod and screw fixation L5-S1-S2 on the left at L5-S2 on the right. Mild chronic degenerative endplate changes accompany mild to moderate disc degeneration at L2-L3 and L3-L4, unchanged. No abnormal marrow enhancement. No abnormal disc enhancement.
Alignment: No significant listhesis or scoliosis.
Cord: Unremarkable and terminates at a normal level. A filum terminale unchanged. No abnormal dural, pial or intramedullary enhancement.
T12-L1: No significant spinal canal or foraminal narrowing.
L1-L2: No significant spinal canal or foraminal narrowing.
L2-L3: Mild disc height loss. Minimal disc bulge. Mild facet degeneration. The spinal canal is Page 1 of 2 Print Date/Time: 6/14/2024 09:25 EDT
L3-L4: Mild disc height loss. Minimal disc bulge. Bilateral facet degeneration. The spinal canal is not narrowed. Moderate bilateral foraminal narrowing with displacement of the exiting L3 nerve roots greater on the left.
L4-L5: Remote postsurgical changes with solid fusion. The spinal canal is not narrowed. Mild bilateral foraminal narrowing.
L5-S1: Recent postsurgical changes. The spinal canal is not narrowed. Enhancing single soft tissues demonstrated involving the traversing right S1 nerve root. Limited evaluation hardware artifact demonstrates mild to moderate bilateral foraminal narrowing.
S1-S2: Transitional S1 vertebral body (Castellvi IIIb). Recent postsurgical changes. Rudimentary disc.. Hypoplastic facets. The spinal canal is not narrowed. The foramina are not narrowed.
Sacrum (visible): No acute abnormality of the visualized sacrum.
IMPRESSION:
1. No new abnormalities are identified.
2. Stable recent postsurgical changes L5-S2, as described above. Suspected epidural granulation tissue involving the traversing right S1 nerve root at L5-S1..
3. Stable remote interbody graft placement L4-L5 with solid fusion.
4. Stable degenerative changes.