Delayed pain after bone marrow biopsy??

To determine if I still had polycythemia vera or myelofibrosis a bone marrow biopsy was done but now a month later I have extreme lower back pain and cannot stand up straight making mobility very painful or near impossible. I'm wondering if this is a common occurrence or not related at all to the BMB which was/seemed very smooth and painless?

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To determine if I still had polycythemia vera or myelofibrosis a bone marrow biopsy was done but now a month later I have extreme lower back pain and cannot stand up straight making mobility very painful or near impossible. I'm wondering if this is a common occurrence or not related at all to the BMB which was/seemed very smooth and painless?

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Thanks for your reply. I can't tell if it originated at the biopsy site but it is very close to it and radiates down my left leg making vertical standing extremely painful/impossible to do. But the bone marrow report does refer to bone marrow aspirate, right. To be truthful I have never seen the incision point and the dressing applied by the Dr fell off the next day. When my daughter comes over I'll ask her to take look as I live alone. The nurse practitioner has been told but I'll see the cancer Dr in two weeks who is not the Dr. that did the biopsy which I don't really know but he did a near painless job and had a great personality...

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Generally there’s really not much pain after the biopsy. A day or so it can feel tender. I’ve had 13 over my cancer history and only one time the biopsy site was tender for more than a day. It felt more like a bruise. But nothing like you’re experiencing.
Bone marrow aspirate is exactly what happens. During a bone marrow biopsy, there is a larger aspirating needle that’s inserted into the bone along the iliac crest. It’s rich in marrow and is a good place to source a core sample and peripheral blood.

It may be totally unrelated to your biopsy. I’m not sure your daughter will see much. The point of entry is small. About the size of a ball point pen tip and should have healed by now/ But if there is any swelling inside it could potentially compress the sciatic nerve. That can also happen anytime if you slept in a weird position, bent over, picked up something heavy, etc. I have that issue myself occasionally and it’s age related. When that happens I see my massage therapist who is excellent at releasing the muscles and tension that causes my ‘pain in the butt and back’…

If this is sciatica there are a number of exercises which can help reduce the pain and strengthen the back to avoid it in the future. But check with your doctor first to rule out involvement from the biopsy. I really hope you get some relief soon!

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It is so comforting to get practical information on my medical issues. Thank you, thank you! It appears that I don't fully understand how the reply system works, so I may have posted a comment without the intended target...but whatever I'll be more careful with future posts.

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I’m so happy you found us too. It really is comforting to be able to speak with others going through similar medical conditions or issues. You’re never alone here in Connect.

You did just fine with your reply. I’m one of the mentors in the blood cancer support group so I try to make sure I read new replies even if they’re not addressed to me. You’re a quick study and replied in the perfect spot. 🙃
So, if you read a reply where you want to talk directly to the member who posted it, simply click the blue reply button under their comment. That opens up a box where you can respond.
Another way is to just type in someone’s @name in your message anywhere and that will send a notification to the member. Several names can be tagged if you want to include others directly as well. Our messages reach quite a few members so someone usually joins in the conversations along the way. ☺️ We’re all here to offer encouragement and hope, along with sharing our own medical adventures with information and empathy.

By the way, did your biopsy confirm a diagnosis of PV?

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Your comments are much appreciated and my biopsy did confirm I still had PV but could not determine why my hematocrit kept dropping for a few months. I read a medical paper that suggested my PV was in the "spent phase" of PV but things appear to be returning to normal (for an active PV patient).

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Hi all,
Just wanted to share my story and see if anyone else has any success stories if they've experienced what is happening with me, chronic pain and numbness after a Bone Marrow Biopsy.

On 4/1/22 I had a bone marrow biopsy on my right iliac crest due to chronic low white blood cells over the past 4 years. Thankfully they were able to rule out blood cancers, however I’ve now been left with severe pain starting from the middle of my glute down my leg. The pain sometimes turns to numbness and weakness, causing me to walk with a limp. It’s been a difficult adjustment as before this I was a very active person, working out 4-5x a week.
After the surgery I was told they had to try 3 times for marrow, which would increase recovery time. I’ve heard multiple attempts aren’t that abnormal though. I was not given much instruction on how long recovery would be, the Dr doing the attempt said it would be 1-2 days recovery and I could workout.

A week and a half later: I was still in pain but since I waited more than the recommended time, I tried a light run and some rowing. I had to stop due to the pain. Soon after (or maybe I missed it), a lump developed right above the biopsy incision site. It looked like bone sticking out. I called the onocologists office who performed the biopsy and was told to get imaging due.
2 and a half weeks since biopsy- ER Visit: I went to the ER and had an x-ray done, no bone fracture. A bedside ultrasound was done and I was told it was a hematoma with sciatica and sent home with stretches to do and Flexeril. The stretches make things worse and cause my leg to go even more numb.
4 weeks after biopsy- Followup to PCP: I was given a 5 day supply of presnidone and some more Flexeril since I told the dr that motrin seems to help a little. I tried this with not much relief. I had a CT scan done with and without contrast- nothing abnormal found.
5 weeks after biopsy- Oncologist followup: Oncologist reviewed the CT scan, xrays, looked at the lump which is actually a little bit smaller now. In his experience he said he’s never seen long lasting nerve pain but didn’t want to rule it out. He told me to try physical therapy.
6 weeks after- PT: Did some basic stretches and exercises, they seemed stumped but said I could try any exercise as long as it didn’t hurt.
At home I tried some light biking on my spin bike and a few hours later 95% of the pain moved to my lower back.. my leg felt better! I told this to PT and they said the pain is localizing. A week later they had me try squats and the pain returned to my leg, and my back is still in pain.
I’m stumped. I got a prescription for Celebrex now in hopes something can tame the inflammation. I know its only been 7 weeks, but the pain and loss of function is really impacting things and the lack of clarity from my drs has me feel a bit hopeless. I see a chiropractor tomorrow and get the prescription filled in.
Even thought it feels like sciatica sounds, it doesn’t seem to add up. I’ve been icing, using heat compresses, lots of anti inflammatories, stretches, limiting walking, increasing walking, etc (all with regular intervals, not all at once).
Sorry for the lengthiness, I hope someone is able to get something from this, or if you have and advice please let me know.

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Generally there’s really not much pain after the biopsy. A day or so it can feel tender. I’ve had 13 over my cancer history and only one time the biopsy site was tender for more than a day. It felt more like a bruise. But nothing like you’re experiencing.
Bone marrow aspirate is exactly what happens. During a bone marrow biopsy, there is a larger aspirating needle that’s inserted into the bone along the iliac crest. It’s rich in marrow and is a good place to source a core sample and peripheral blood.

It may be totally unrelated to your biopsy. I’m not sure your daughter will see much. The point of entry is small. About the size of a ball point pen tip and should have healed by now/ But if there is any swelling inside it could potentially compress the sciatic nerve. That can also happen anytime if you slept in a weird position, bent over, picked up something heavy, etc. I have that issue myself occasionally and it’s age related. When that happens I see my massage therapist who is excellent at releasing the muscles and tension that causes my ‘pain in the butt and back’…

If this is sciatica there are a number of exercises which can help reduce the pain and strengthen the back to avoid it in the future. But check with your doctor first to rule out involvement from the biopsy. I really hope you get some relief soon!

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