Any get an ablation/rhizotomy for back pain? Results? Do it again?

Posted by spclk. (Karen) @spclk, Jun 13, 2024

Hi all,
Had a laminectomy with fusion 12/2022. I am still moving like I’m 110. I hurt all the time. I just rx’d a Medrol dose pack last week for myself, with no results. That has never happened. They have always worked in the past.

Have had 2 epidurals with new guy that worked. Need third. Referral went out for ‘dual epidurals w/ablation’. I’m afraid to do the ablation (rhizotomy = same thing). It seems so final - burning nerve tracts.

Thoughts? Anyone else do the ablation? I don’t know whether I’d be better to get the spinal stimulator or the ablation. Results if you did the ablation.

I’ am currently wearing a ‘bone growth stimulator’, even though on MRI and x-rays seem to be WNL. Doc thinks this ‘may strengthen my bones’. I’ve been doing the 2 hr daily treatment since 12/23/2023. No improvement to speak of.

I am a ‘traveling’ nurse practitioner, and seem to do a tiny bit better when walking more, moving around. Until my back decides to lock up and I can’t stand. After spasm passes, I can move, but not gracefully. I pretty much flop into a chair, have to pull myself up or get to end of chair and push off.

TIA for any help. Also, if you don’t mind, please share the docs/clinics y’all are using.

I have been going into Orlando for my surgery/epidurals, because we live out at the beach. Wouldn’t bring my dog out here! We are going on Saturday to look at another house in Yulee, FL - ~20 mile's from JAX. I’m hoping this is the clinics y’all are going to!!

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bilt4pain | @bilt4pain | Apr 30 7:01am

I’m fused from C3-C-6, T2-S1. Full titanium spine. But I have FBSS of thoracic and Lumbar spine and facets disease. I’ve had many ablations on my facets in both areas. For me they work for 11-13 months. And I already have a St. Jude/Abbott SCS and an intrathecal drug pump implanted. The SCS has 2 modes, burst & tingle. They typically use burst. You don’t feel it working. It operates for 30 seconds on, 90 seconds off. That’s supposed to interrupt the pain signal. And I have a 16 pin wired into spine by a neurosurgeon. Tingle is another story. If you’ve ever had a TENS machine (by Rx or at PT) it feels like your insides are vibrating from the electric current. With the SCS on tingle, my entire body from navel to toes feels like it’s vibrating inside. Unusual sensation at first. But I found that at the end of the day, I go horizontal and tingle with the SCS for an hour and an 800mg Motrin. Do ablations work, absolutely. Does SCS work absolutely. Morphine pump, absolutely. But any one therapy on its own, and I’d be miserable. I live in level 6 pain , but it frequently gets worse from over activity or the weather. There’s nothing to be afraid of. Before my doc created me, I was an emaciated mess in chronic level 9 and couldn’t get relief from oral opiates anymore.In the picture below (of my hip) you’ll see the morphine pump(abdomen)and the SCS above and behind the pump) I’ve tried everything from acupuncture to Chinese herbal medicine. This is what works for me. We’re all in different boats, but sailing in the same sea of pain. Godspeed for some relief for you. Have a blessed life.