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Ablation for lower back pain L4-5 S1
Spine Health | Last Active: Jan 2 9:37am | Replies (50)Comment receiving replies
When I had a nerve block it was not an epidural. The doctor put 6 needles in my back to determine area of pain. The first two were painful he said they were the most tender. The other 4 were fine. I did have an epidural prior to this to see if it would relieve my pain and it did not. Then that was the need for the nerve block. I am 3 days out from my RFA and I'm feeling the site they went into my back. So far so good. I go for my right side in 2 weeks. Hopefully I will be done.
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It is a little confusing to me. I've had epidurals. I've had targeted injections to figure out which nerves need to be "ablated." RFA's eliminate my referred pain and in my case were never used to get rid of my back pain.
When I was young I'd get off the table and go back to work. (40) now I am 67 and I can very achy in my lumbar for up to a week. Sometimes there is no recovery needed. By now, I've had so many injections over the years the nerves are probably too frightened to grow back, ha!
RFAs are for facet joint spinal stenosis. But I had degenerative disc disease and disc compression and a whole lot of back lumbar back needing surgery in 2018. I had a fantastic orthopedic surgeon at UCSD. He gave me my life back in spades! The rest of my back is degenderating around the small fusion he did. Only a matter of time until I have to return. However - I get decades of relief from referred front leg/thigh pain from the RFA - only the heat works on me - not the pulse. I'm repeating that. Sometimes they have to do it again in a few months but it lasts decades. (the nerves can regenerate). I'd rather do that then icky cortisone injections.