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Facet ablation

Spine Health | Last Active: Dec 31, 2023 | Replies (42)

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@predictable

@andilynn, I'm not responding to your main problem as you reported it, but to your mention of pain around your sacrum. Perhaps my experience with that problem can be helpful to you. Check it out at https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/partner-with-undiagnosed-back-pain/ under my name near the top of that discussion.

What you'll find is that, for several months, I could find no physician or medical professional who knew how to address my problem. They followed the play-book for lower back problems, offering physical therapy, pain injections, and surgery -- none of which were applicable. Apparently American medicine is not widely aware of inflammation of the sacroiliac joint(s), which turned out to be my problem. Thanks to my primary care physician (who is smarter than the average PCP) my problem was identified, then confirmed when anti-inflammatory injections into the joint(s) ended the pain three years ago. Read my report, then consider whether to ask your medical team about this possibility.

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Replies to "@andilynn, I'm not responding to your main problem as you reported it, but to your mention..."

Thank you for your information Predictable. I'm glad you found someone sharp who was able to diagnose and help you. My facet joint problem is evident on my past two MRIs...worse now than two years ago. I hope to find help with my issue soon.

Predictable, May I ask what your symptoms were?

I had unremitting lower back pain for about three months before my primary sent me to spinal for examination. Pain ranged from the back of my pelvis up to the lower lumbar and down to my butt. Walking and stretching had little effect. MRI showed arthritic conditions in the lower lumbar, so PT put me on the stretching table to loosen up the vertebrae. That was just the wrong thing to do, since my problem involved the sacroiliac joint; inflammation there increased after the stretching. So I dismissed spinal and my primary arranged for an anti-inflammatory injection with another specialist. That fixed it.

PT was horrific for me too - I was so much worse after that. This all started in October of 2015 with pain to the right and left of the sacrum during the night (worse in early a.m.). I still have that, but also discomfort in the day now - not constant, but daily. Did you have the night pain? That was all I had for over a year.

No night pains @andilynn. Just steady relentless sore-to-move kind of back pain. I think I got some relief lying down, as I recall.

I understand Predictable. I guess my problem is not the same.