Spinal Fusion issues

@mpar6771 Hi, sorry about Ur circumstances... So has ur Doc offered any ideas what may be Causing your pain? Is it only your back or anywhere else. And wanted to know if Epidural Fibrosis was ever discussed or considered. If not might also be a possibility you want to google. It's basically scar tissue from the surgery growing around and adhering to your Lumbar nerve roots and Compressing them...Even though none of my providers suggested it, it seems to have a high incidence in failed back surgeries... best wishes going forward.

@linda6101 Hi, fusion and $ crazy... Was wondering the same, have any of the minimally invasive procedures you've had been for Epidural Fibrosis? It's basically scar tissue from the surgery growing around and adhering to your Lumbar nerve roots and Compressing them...Even though none of my providers suggested it, it seems to have a high incidence in failed back surgeries... best wishes going forward.

@jenniferhunter I have thought about this but my doctors haven't gone into any detail about it so the only research I have is what I have found on the internet. So far I have only done one day of PT in October 2024 just a couple months after the surgery. They had me do every exercise in the book and I could not move the next day, I was in worse pain than even after waking up from the surgery or the month from surgery. It has been that way ever since that appointment. I honestly went back to work and tried PT way too early it was only 2-2.5 months from the surgery before I started my daily life for about a week and then that PT appt and I haven't been back.

@smn1 So my original surgeon has not, he saw that there was fusion on the left Myelogram. He said it had to be my SI joints and sent me to have injections done and never did a follow up he said I'm no longer and active patient of his.
I had a hip surgeon (who also specializes in spine) look over some X-rays for my hip. He dismissed the SI joint being the cause after injections failed and the x-rays. He ordered a MRI and one with contrast. They see the scar tissue pressing on the roots but they haven't said that it's causing my pain. He went back to the myelogram and saw that my S1 and S2 never fused, and made a pseudo joint he has ordered injections. This is rare he only sees in 1-2 patients and in only 1-2% of people. It's possible because of my age being the reason that they haven't fused but it shouldn't be painful so if the injections will provide more insight.

@smn1 Also I do want to say my symptoms have gotten worse.
Before: Pain was in my lower back and down my left leg. I had shaking "episodes" with my left leg where it would violently shake for a 1-2 minutes. I had 2 fractures at my L5 by the time I got the surgery the second fracture is what led me to getting the surgery because it worsened my pain in my lower back. I only took ibuprofen in those moments
After: Pain has just increased in level and is constant. It still like before but also just worse in my pelvis, right hip and has started going to mid back now. I am on tramadol because I refuse anything stronger and other medicine hasn't worked.

@mpar6771 What initially caused the fractures... I'm just heading out right now. But google lumbar epidural fibrosis as well as lumbar epidural adhesiolysis. Just as I know from personal experience you've been consumed researching trying to find answers. When I get back later I'll share a little more insight into this. peace

Thank you so much! I believe that the first fracture was caused by me doing a backbend and falling I was 11, I just remember having back pain ever since that night. The second was like a month before the surgery. I was at work and backed up into the corner of a table and it was where the first fracture was so it broke the same vertebrae in a different place. I have done so much research from reversal surgeries, revision surgeries, spinal cord stimulators, etc.

@smn1 I agree. My pain specialist tried to remove it. Got some but not all. So the pain lingers.

@mpar6771 I understand your concern. MFR isn’t exercise. Have you ever kneaded bread dough? You push the dough and feel the elastic pull as it develops. MFR is like that. The therapist finds the tight areas and pushes against it on your body and just holds the tension and waits. The fascia is unwinding itself and changes and liquifies a bit before it returns to semisolid. It gets reorganized and fluids begin to circulate through the tissue again. You just get to lay on the table. It is a shearing motion with pressure that is held “against the barrier” of tension until it loosens. Once you learn this , you can find ways to do home treatments using things to simulate the shearing pressure that the therapist does.

MFR has done wonders for me. There is a provider search at http://www.mfrtherapists.com.

@lisajanec Hi, Lisa it would help to know the date of Ur surgery. As well as your condition proceeding it... Also when the pain and balance issues started. Thanks