Back and leg pain

Have you had epidural injections? These are often a short term help, but they never helped me. I had L5-S1 nerve ablations back in 2016. No help. It's not a terribly invasive procedure, so I don't think you should shy away from trying iit. I hope your pain journey is shorter and more successful than mine. I can barely remember all the stuff I've had done over the past eight years. Good luck!

Yes, I have. They worked the first time but not the second time.

@pljauthor I think you need some more information on if your symptoms are, or are not related to your spine. Compression of the spinal cord can cause incontinence and problems with bladder or bowel control. Sciatic pain can be generated by a spine problem, or if can be a pelvic alignment problem causing muscles to compress nerves that go to the legs. Before anyone offers to do surgery, you need this figured out.

I would recommend getting second opinions from a spine specialist and a urologist, and even a physical therapist may be helpful with an evaluation.

Here is some information about lumbar plexus compression syndrome which mimics a spine problem and causes sciatic pain.

MSK Neurology - "How to identify and treat lumbar plexus compression syndrome (LPCS)"
Posted on March 30, 2017 by Kjetil Larsen
https://mskneurology.com/identify-treat-lumbar-plexus-compression-syndrome-lpcs/

in reply to @pljauthor I'm sorry you are suffering! Have you had an MRI of your sacral spine, and if so, what did it say? I have similar issues that are related to tarlov cysts, that were removed in the past, and need to be removed again. I am unable to sit more than 30 minutes at a stretch before my legs go numb, although I do have a special "donut pillow" that is very helpful in this regard. Good luck

@pljauthor
I had your symptoms and had MRIs of my cervical spine and lumbar spine plus pelvis/hips over the years. I have spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease and neurogenic claudication. My spinal cord and nerve roots/nerves were being compressed. I had pain/weakness/numbness if I sat, stood or walked too long/far. My bladder was also affected. I learned that I also had bilateral gluteal tendinopathy and bilateral hamstring partial tears which explained the pain/weakness there (not sure how this happened but believe tied to spine compression causing weakness with movements…not able to control them well).

I had lumbar spine injections which helped relieve some pain but it is only a short term treatment. I had successful ACDF surgery C5-C6 cervical spine and L3-L5 lumbar laminectomy decompression and fusion (lumbar spine surgery just done 8/2/2024). These surgeries were done but an orthopedic spine specialist and many of my symptoms have been relieved.

I believe nerve ablations only help with pain. You sound like you have spine compression and may benefit getting MRIs of cervical/lumbar spine plus EMGs/nerve conduction studies from a neurologist.

Good luck getting the right doctors, diagnoses and treatments.

Thank you for all of the information! I have had an MRI and am missing discs at L4 and L5 due to degeneration. Everyone says to avoid surgery, so I am moving slowly. Pain relief is high on the agenda, but long term, I may have to have the surgery.

I have had numerous MRIs over the past eight years. Looking to pinpoint the reason for the continuing pain im buttocks and lower back(caused by a hard ski fall on my lower back and buttocks) . Each time the interpretation says "nothing remarkable' normal degenerative changes. Has anyone out there in Commenters Land had a second, even third interpretation of their MRI? And had something discovered thet was missed.
Thank you in advance.

@pljauthor
Not having discs cushion your vertebrae and if any disc material compresses your spinal cord/nerves will not improve without surgery. Injections will be a temporary way to delay surgery (what I was doing) but injections do not work for everyone. I am a 55 year old female and single parent of a teen son. My quality of life was getting so bad that I didn’t want to delay surgery anymore. My neurologist suggested getting surgery while younger to not only improve quality of life but also make recovery easier. I am glad I did not delay surgery until I was older. The surgery was extremely painful and getting around the first week was extremely difficult but got a little better 2nd week. When I went for my post op appointment (yesterday 8/15/2024), I was told I am doing really well, incision healed well, and I am off narcotics (after 1st week). He said I was the best post op appointment he ever had because I am doing so well at 2 weeks post surgery! 🙂

See attached pictures of my L3-L5 decompression/fusion.

@pljauthor
You may want to consider surgery sooner rather than later because not having discs to cushion and control movement of your vertebrae may make pain level higher. Spine injections are limited/temporary in pain relief and don’t work for everyone.

They used some of my own bone from decompression to use for fusion material between L3-L4 and L4-L5.

@pljauthor
One last thing to consider. The longer spinal cord/nerves/nerve roots are compressed, the higher the chance for permanent injury. It took me several doctors and surgeons over 5 years to get properly diagnosed with my cervical spondylotic myelopathy (spinal cord flattening/compression injury) and even though I got ACDF surgery on C5-C6 in January 2022, I have some residual symptoms due to permanent injury of my cervical spinal cord (arm/hand weakness, etc.). That is why my surgeon wanted to do my ACDF surgery ASAP to stop further progression of the injury.