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Harrington Rod and lower back pain
Spine Health | Last Active: Oct 3, 2023 | Replies (72)Comment receiving replies
Oh boy - I hate to be the bearer of bad news.
Trust me, I WISH I had ways to get better to share...
I'm 58, 5'5 119 LBS (so losing weight doesn't help).
I was in a car wreck in 1976, my back was broken.
They did the same surgery on me they do for scoliosis
(the Harrington Rods - they took bone from my hip to fuse) etc etc ...
About 17-18 years ago, we discovered (due to extreme back pain)
that my rods were broken...it looks like pick up sticks in the xray.
Screws seemed to have inched up spinal area by 2-3 inches,
rods are crooked and one leans way to the side. Oddles of
scar tissue surrounds it
Today...this week...I've been in so much pain I'm ready to scream.
Considering going to the ER. I am one who truly has to be hanging
by a thread before ER 🙁 Soa
I have had epidurals, tens unit, nerve blocks, chiropractor, physical therapy
out the wa who...accupuncture which did work for a few days...the list goes
on the only thing I've not tried is stem cell.
I was on the Fentanyl pain patch for years and that did offer a lot of
relief. Took me from a 8-9 pain level (not constant) to a 2-3 most days.
If I did too much which at least I was able to do - I would pay for it but
you know - to cook dinner for the family...wipe down those darn dirty
kitchen walls ... its worth paying the next day. Isn't it a shame we have
to live this way?
The pain management clinic I went to closed down and we don't have
another pain management type of doctor anywhere nearby. My poor
primary care doctor won't even prescribe pain meds. Can't say I blame
him.
Can you tell - this gets me upset?
It does...It just stinks to know there is something out there
to help me and I can't have it 🙁
I hope others find help...I really want to do the stem cell.
If I get to do it - I'll share my experience. I'm sure I don't sound
like a ray of sunshine but its a big pain day ... I wish I could be outside
getting our pool ready for the summer .... but oh well..
Good luck guys ...
Replies to "Oh boy - I hate to be the bearer of bad news. Trust me, I WISH..."
@natesmawmaw It sounds to me you did to much. I had a back fusion surgery last month. I wear a brace and I cannot bend, twist, or lift anything heavy. My bones were soft so my surgeon told me I have to very careful. The surgery was 9 hours long, from T-10 to my pelvis. I do Tymlos, a injection with a small needle that I have to do every day in my stomach to increase my bone mass. I still have pain since it hasn't been long since my surgery. Got off of Oxycodone yesterday and just on Tramadol, but the surgeons wants me to get off of that too. I don't think I want to yet. Forgot to tell you, my surgeon told me if I wasn't careful and did too much I could pull out the screws and break the rods, which sounds like what has happened to you. Have you seen the surgeon again? I had my surgery at Mayo in Rochester, MN, which is 3 and1/2 hours from wear we live. I feel so bad for you, I know what pain is like. I hope I helped some but it may have been no help.
Hello I had fusion of spine in 1979. I'm 60 now. My top of rod is rubbing my neck skin now. I have to have good posture to control it. My Harrington rods been moving a little. When I have sex I can feel them moving.. that's scary. I've been going to pain management for years and years. I'm wanting to try the stem therapy. Please let me know how it works and act.
Doctors say my pins is fine but why my rods is moving?
The life of a woman of fusion of spine. I just look my best to feel good about myself every chance I get.
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I feel your pain, my pain management just cut me off two months ago