Post lumbar spinal fusion with nerve pain in knee/leg

I’m sorry to see you’re still having pain. I’ve read some people try Gabapentin, which might be similar to Lyrica. Also, Cymbalta is something some people try. Everyone is different. I know someone with severe scoliosis who takes morphine. Her pain is extremely severe. It’s not ideal though. She sees a pain specialist. She is trying to avoid surgery. I hope your doctor can recommend something else to help.

@shelly1228
I had lumbar decompression and fusion surgery l3-l5 in August 2024 and still experiencing nerve pain in hips/hip flexors (dis not have this pre-surgery. My hope is it will improve over time.

I was just out on Lyrica yesterday starting low with 25 mg to see side effects. Lidocaine and capsaicin creams help a little. I am on an antidepressant Wellbutrin but that doesn’t help with nerve pain. I was on Cymbalta I. The past and it helped some but stopped working at some point. I have read that gabapentin works a little differently than Lyrica and may be an option for you. Also, antidepressant amitriptyline is supposed to help with nerve pain but there are side effects. When I tried it in 2017, it made me really tired and I stopped taking it. I may reconsider it now that I am not working to help manage my nerve pain.

@shelly1228 Welcome to Connect. I know healing from surgery can be frustrating, and the surgery causes inflammation that can last a long time which can cause some crazy pains. Don't give up just yet. What I can relate is my experience after an epidural injection that caused some bad pain with burning and electric shocks in my hand. After the steroid was absorbed by my body which took about 6 weeks, I was left with hot and cold sensitivity in my hand That eventually did go away and return to normal, but it took a year and a half for the nerves to completely calm down. I've also had an ankle fracture and surgeries for it, and it took about 4 years for swelling to really subside, so my foot looked normal like it's neighbor. When it had some swelling, I could get tingling in my foot by touching my ankle.

The other issue with surgery is that it creates scar tissue that gets tight. That tightness can pull on and compress nerves. There is a physical therapy called myofascial release that can stretch out tight scar tissue, but only when your surgeon agrees. You can't do it while you're healing.

Here is our discussion on MFR where you can learn more. I have done this a lot and benefited from it.
Neuropathy - "Myofascial Release Therapy (MFR) for treating compression and pain"
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/

Thank you for this information. I will look into MFR but my surgeon specifically has said no to deep tissue massage on the area of my fusion so I doubt if they’ll say I can do MFR. maybe in the future when I I get a bit more healed.

I’ve been on cymbalta, hydrocodone, duloxetine, buspirone, Gabapentin and methocarbamol at night for over a year and hydrocodone, gabapentin, buspirone in the morning as well. I use Salon Pas patches and Roll-ons and still have nerve zaps , stingers going to the toes, Leg numbness , sciatic and sacrum pain . I had an L4-S1 fusion 4/17/23 and 3 weeks later a friend twisted me while I was seated. Then the next week the nurse practitioner for the surgeon said it might be a set back but you can start lifting , bending, and twisting so I went home and bent over to dry my lower legs and felt a burning that never improved. I just found out a month ago at Mayo I have a screw loose screw and was told to leave it alone. Out of all that the last couple months the best relief I get is a massage about every 3 weeks, pelvic therapy helped, I force myself 3 times a week to walk-in a pool which hurts but to keep my sanity I have to get out and for $3 a visit it is worth it for a heated pool

@shelly1228 You're right in that your body must heal completely first after surgery and the spine fusion must be healed. After that, you probably would be cleared for physical therapy and MFR.

That medicine dont work u need a pain med and muscle relaxer im not a dr but been dealing with pain in my back since 2009 and im on gabbapention for nerve pain oxycodone due pain i L-4 through S-1 siaticia pain muscle spasums so im on soma for that That medicine doesn’t work; you need a pain med and muscle relaxer. I’m not a dr but have been dealing with pain in my back since 2009, and I’m on gabapentin for nerve pain and oxycodone for pain in L-4 through S-1. I have sciatic pain and muscle spasms, so I’m on soma for that.

yes, I woke up from surgery with a feeling like a screwdriver was stuck in my foot. It finally dissipated after a couple years. Weather makes it worse. No one paid attention to it. (doctors). After 5 years its pretty resolved but replaced by severe outside shin burning. My sacral joint hurts, my outer hip. I go for MFR and the pain completely goes away. And when I get an injection in my butt with NSAID. I am coming to the conclusion that only physical exercise/stretches will keep the nerve pain at bay. whether it is chair, yoga, stretching in the doorway and stretching out my lumbar piriformis. I use a lot of topicals like muscle rubs, diclofenac 3%, lidocaine 5% and more. I'm looking at another lumbar surgery but beginning to think its a dysfunctional piriformis disorder for 25 years which gets ignored and under dealt with. If it is, then good news is no surgery but bad news is the only REAL remedy will be stretching it out and periodically using a strong anti inflammatory. Yes, scar tissue needs MFR but you will have to wait until you are further along. A lot of healing - nerve healing takes 1 -4 years. Still changes for me in year 6!