bdiververison, I haven't had the epidural, but my best friend, Mom, did and she had good relief. It is interesting that they will take a longer route to dura. I don't think this is your last chance, though.

I have a number of problems and fusions in my cervical and lumbar regions. I still have awful pain. They have tried epidural shots 11 different times and they have never helped me. However I know people who have had great success with epidural steroids.
I hav also had ablations in both areas. The cervical lasted 6 months. The lumbar did not work. They tried a technique called ViaDisc on my L5 S1 and it failed. My next step is Spinal Cord Stimulator.
Good luck. I sincerely hope it works for you!!

Hey,

I did the epidural steroids as well as the rhizotomy - where they burn the nerves. It’s all done under ultra-sound guidance. Once they numb you with Lidocaine, all you feel is some pressure.

I was going every 2 weeks and getting no results towards the end. I was working and would die every time I had to walk down to an exam room. This did nothing for my mood while in with my patient.

We moved back to GA, where I went to the ortho I saw before we moved. Tried PT x3 - could not walk without a walker by week 3. Went back to doc - was on table in 4 days. CT/MRI done in those 4 days. Showed my ‘severe’ stenosis at L3-4. It was so bad, he had a special machine brought into OR to monitor the signals when he released the narrowing.

I had a fusion in FL 2 yrs ago. That was a complete disaster. The rods were all undersized and broken, the screws were also undersized and stripped. Then there was a collection of liquified bone graft & glue, with almost no bone growth.

My 3 hr surgery turned into 7+ hrs, because he had to do a complete take-down of the previous surgery and redo it, before he could start on the reason I was there.

Bottom line, if you have stenosis - a narrowing of the canal, there is really nothing besides surgery to get the signals flowing.

I too walked draped over the shopping cart - it opens the intra-vertebral disc spaces. It’s ironic, I could not walk >5 minutes either.

Good luck.
K

Right now I am doing the steroid shots about every 9 months for the past 3 years with my pain med doctor. Just had 2 shots done last month. Normally the shots worked very well for me but not this time. A lot better but I still have pain. The MRI showed my lower spine is very crooked at L4-L5. Looks more like the letter L. Plus have bulging discs. All caused my arthritis.
I was told to see the spine surgeon to get any real relief. I had to postpone due to the cancer I contracted. The surgeon will straighten out the spine with pins. I have read it doesn't always cure the back pain. So I am so uncertain to go through that surgery. I am 74 years old with pretty bad COPD. Not in the best of health as well. I just finished going through 3 cancer surgeries and treatments. Last biopsy showed no cancer. Due to the cancer, the PA for the surgeon who I talked to said come back in 6-9 months before they will even discuss the surgery.