@lisa12
Hi, Welcome to Mayo Connect.

I pretty much have the same conditions as you throughout my back.

I have had morton neuromas in my foot. They caused me to limp.. which caused my bad back to hurt more. I had surgery on my foot and without limping my back … and hip were better. Then another neuroma appeared a few years later. I went to a different podiatrist in another town.. an hour away. An MRI was done to discover another neuroma ( it was small) . . my former podiatrist kept saying he was going to order a MRI. Instead he did injections. I was tired of that. The new podiatrist ordered physical therapy. My therapist was good. He used dry needling and some torture tools to help me. He had me walking well within 3 weeks. .. This is a domino effect of pain… one pain can cause another.

My back started hurting again a couple of years ago. The pain was below where I had surgery twice before.. LS joint. The pain was achy, stabbing, electrical, tingling, burning… you name all the adjectives that describe pain and that would cover it. It kept getting worse. There would be a sharp pain in the groin too.. it seem to come from nowhere.. I feel fortunate not to have it hit when in public. Sometimes it felt like my knees or hips would give out.

I went to my pain specialist and referred to my notes… and he started telling me what I had not told him yet of my symptoms. He says he knows the cause but has to do a couple of injections to be sure. The first one helped for about two weeks and the next one about 6 weeks. His words were that I had sacrum dysfunction. It is better known as SI joint dysfunction (sacroiliac joint dysfunction).

My doctor .. the pain specialist… did a SI joint fusion at the end of April. He drilled a hole… stuck a piece of bone in the hole he drilled and the bone graft usually completes within six months. I was awake the whole procedure that took less than an hour and went home afterward. That pain is gone… I am walking differently now… better. The doctor had to pull some muscle out of the way during the procedure. So there is muscle pain in my buttocks and in my leg. It gets less and less each week.

I am not saying that SI joint dysfunction is your problem. I am saying It is worth having it checked out if it hasn't been checked already.

I am chemical sensitive .. so I too am limited on what I can take. I seem to do well on Oxycodone. I only take what I need… 2 to 5 pills a day. Depends on my activity and the weather. It surprising dulls my brain very little. Most opioids/narcotics give me a horrible headache and nausea. So I was surprised. I use a moist .. microwavable … heating pad and then arthritic cream to get me through the night. Heat again to get me started in the morning. I use a pillow between my knees when I sleep. It takes getting used to and time to find the correct pillow for you. I started out with a travel size pillow and now use a thin, soft standard bed pillow. My x-tra large son who is 6’ 4” tall uses a body pillow… specialty pillows are for most a waste of money. I use a flannel pillow case on my pillow.. seems to help keep it from sliding.

Right now I am limited on walking, but walking and other gentle exercise helps with the pain. For back pain you need strong core muscles… so seek out those exercises. As you know exercise is good for the mind as well as the body. If you think you might need an anti depressant talk to your pharmacist about which one might be the best one for you… and which will be okay to use with other medications you may take. Most doctors do not know a lot about the medications they prescribe and do not have time to research which one is best for their patient.

Remember always that you cannot make others happy and they cannot make you happy. Others can contribute joy to your happiness and we can contribute joy to other's happiness. You are in charge of your own happiness… happiness is not to be sought after it is to be created. It is a difficult thing to accomplish when you are in pain all the time. Create your happiness by doing activities that bring you joy and have people in you life that bring you joy. Do simple things like smile at someone, opening a door, saying good day. … Giving joy to others will bring you happiness.

One of the best things you can to quell pain and calm the mind is to just breathe. Make sure you breathe with your diaphragm. My thoracic surgeon told me to blow out birthday candles every day… several times a day. There are many videos on the internet on how to breathe properly… some are a little differnet than others. Blowing out birthday candles work for me 😃🌬 I'll soon have 70 to blow out.

I hope some of my ramblings help you in some way.
ZeeGee

Hi @lisa12, welcome to Connect. I'm sorry to read of your chronic pain. It's very difficult not knowing how to manage multiple symptoms, and figuring out the causes of such. It sounds like you are being proactive, and seeking answers and solutions. I love that!

As @hopeful33250 mentioned, I graduated the Mayo Clinic's Pain Rehabilitation program last October. I too, have multiple symptoms and live with chronic pain from neuropathy, migraine and central sensitization syndrome (CSS). I, like you, tried many medications, creams, injections, therapies and treatments over the years. I had many tests and saw many specialists. It became clear that I was spinning my wheels and becoming worse, both physically and mentally.

I was relentless in my search for help (not always a healthy thing, but it worked this time around 😉). I needed a plan to learn how to obtain acceptance of living with chronic pain and symptoms, direction for how to properly use and treat both my body and mind. I wanted to get off opiates and all other unhealthy medications. Through my research I found Dr. Sletten's video on central sensitization syndrome. I was amazed at his clear definition of the chronic symptoms I experienced. After defining the science, he defined a promising path forward...Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Center (PRC).

Here is a link to his presentation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8defN4iIbho
And here is a link to Mayo's PRC:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/pain-rehabilitation-center/sections/overview/ovc-20481691
@lisa12 I understand you live in Canada and its challenging to get to Mayo Clinic. Nonetheless, if the videos peek your interest and you are further interested, I am happy to share my experiences and knowledge. What is your biggest goal in terms of living with chronic pain and symptoms?