I would strongly encourage having your spine imaged (x-rayed) and assessed. It can be a herniated disk or a bone spur in the lower spine - both can be effectively treated.
Spouse recently had three lumbar vertebrae fused and a nerve path opened up (ground off the spur) which fixed the pain in her lower back and legs - she's now recovering at home, but is now mobile with a rollator and driving after a month. She plans to return to driving school bus in the Fall.
I was told the RFA wouldn’t help sciatica. Glad yours did! May I ask which levels you had done? My issue is at L5/S1. The pain doc wanted to do three levels right and left, so six ablations. I was concerned about that weakening my multifidus muscles so I said no, and got my first cortisone shot 10 days ago. It hasn’t helped the sciatic pain, but may be helping the arthrosis pain.
I have chronic pain in my foot and have had three surgeries on my lumbar spine to fix the problem impingement. Ok it didn't work for solving the problem with the L5 nerve. So, I will have an injection to see if it would lessen the pain. I been on oxycodone and pregabalin for a while trying to manage the pain. I'm thinking about the Stim System to see if that will curtail the pain. Has anyone had this devise implanted and can give some results?
Yes, I do. Had 3 operation Fusion and injections still no relief. My next step maybe the Stim System to try to reduce this foot pain. The only way I've been able to manage the pain is taking oxycodone and pregabalin. I want to get off the oxy the side effects are nothing nice.
I was told the RFA wouldn’t help sciatica. Glad yours did! May I ask which levels you had done? My issue is at L5/S1. The pain doc wanted to do three levels right and left, so six ablations. I was concerned about that weakening my multifidus muscles so I said no, and got my first cortisone shot 10 days ago. It hasn’t helped the sciatic pain, but may be helping the arthrosis pain.
I have a stimulator. You have to be willing to lower your expectations and learn to work with it. I know it works because they just did a reset on mine to give my system a rest. I quickly felt my sciatic pain return in left buttock and left foot. Only way I could get to sleep was laying on an ice pack. I am now working with the rep to slowly change settings and intensity till I get the right settings again. I was doing well before sitting at my computer for 6 days straight, doing some time sensitive work. All of a sudden I got debilitating breakthrough pain of the sort I used to get before the stimulator. I believe that unfortunately I have to go back to protective limitations in what I can do. But so far the stimulator has been worth it.
I had severe "sciatica" pain and radiculopathy starting in Oct 2021. The pain overall lasted for months and the night pain for almost a year. The radiculopathy went from tingling all the way down to my right outer foot, inner knee, buttock, feeling like water running down leg, numbness, dull aching, feeling of instability in both quads and sacrum. Those symptoms only started dissipating in mid 2022 and are now gone.
I was already seeing a neurologist for a neuromuscular vs autoimmune disorder and he felt these new symptoms supported his differential diagnoses so he did not order MRI. I had lumbar and thoracic spine x-rays that my physiatrist had ordered. The lumbar spine films were ordered in error and prior to having any sciatic symptoms. The order was supposed to be for cervical and thoracic. The LS spine showed disc space narrowing, subchondral sclerosis and osteophyte at L5-S1.
I self-referred to PT who gave me an exercise routine that helped a lot. Doing step-ups with heavy weights turned out to be the most beneficial. I moved to a new home and carrying 40 lb boxes up stairs also helped a lot.
For an excellent resource on sciatica and cauda equina, Tom Jesson, MD has dedicated his life to those conditions and teaching physicians about them. It's surprising that they don't know much about it and still say pain will be gone in six weeks.
I had severe sciatica pain down my left leg and left bum cheek for quite sometime. I had two steroid injections but they did not help, neither did PT. Then, my pain management doctor recommended the MILD Procedure (Mildly Invasive Lumbar Decompression). It’s been approximately two years since I had it done and occasionally, I get a few twinges but mostly still pain free. I wish you good luck in finding some relief.
Hi,
It’s my right leg too that I have the sciatic pain. I had all sorts of(useless and expensive!) treatment last year but then found relief with a Radiofrequency Nerve Ablation and am going to have to organise a repeat. My back’s a mess but there’s little that can be done! I walk and exercise despite the pain and try to manage as much as possible. People who haven’t experienced chronic pain really don’t get it do they?! All the best to you. Janet
Same for me chronic sciatic pain and left leg and foot radiculopathy equals CRPS both flare on a daily basis try to control one and the other flares trying to walk through it and take many supplements and I find sometimes ice helps the sciatica and heat helps the foot numbness and poor circulation the You are not alone
I HAD severe sciatic pain. I was so desperate I even spent a little fortune on this clinic (crooks really, clinic closed down)) where the treatment was to stretch you on special tables. There was a bit of very short-lived relief.
What REALLY helped me was Dr HO’s decompression belt. This was a godsend. Now I may have one or two light sciatica twinges per month and they last for maybe one minute. The last I saw they were $150 at Shoppers Drug Mart (less 20% on seniors’ day. You can also get it from Dr HO’s website.
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I would strongly encourage having your spine imaged (x-rayed) and assessed. It can be a herniated disk or a bone spur in the lower spine - both can be effectively treated.
Spouse recently had three lumbar vertebrae fused and a nerve path opened up (ground off the spur) which fixed the pain in her lower back and legs - she's now recovering at home, but is now mobile with a rollator and driving after a month. She plans to return to driving school bus in the Fall.
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Like -
Helpful -
Hug
4 ReactionsI was told the RFA wouldn’t help sciatica. Glad yours did! May I ask which levels you had done? My issue is at L5/S1. The pain doc wanted to do three levels right and left, so six ablations. I was concerned about that weakening my multifidus muscles so I said no, and got my first cortisone shot 10 days ago. It hasn’t helped the sciatic pain, but may be helping the arthrosis pain.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI have chronic pain in my foot and have had three surgeries on my lumbar spine to fix the problem impingement. Ok it didn't work for solving the problem with the L5 nerve. So, I will have an injection to see if it would lessen the pain. I been on oxycodone and pregabalin for a while trying to manage the pain. I'm thinking about the Stim System to see if that will curtail the pain. Has anyone had this devise implanted and can give some results?
Yes, I do. Had 3 operation Fusion and injections still no relief. My next step maybe the Stim System to try to reduce this foot pain. The only way I've been able to manage the pain is taking oxycodone and pregabalin. I want to get off the oxy the side effects are nothing nice.
My level is also L5/S1
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI have a stimulator. You have to be willing to lower your expectations and learn to work with it. I know it works because they just did a reset on mine to give my system a rest. I quickly felt my sciatic pain return in left buttock and left foot. Only way I could get to sleep was laying on an ice pack. I am now working with the rep to slowly change settings and intensity till I get the right settings again. I was doing well before sitting at my computer for 6 days straight, doing some time sensitive work. All of a sudden I got debilitating breakthrough pain of the sort I used to get before the stimulator. I believe that unfortunately I have to go back to protective limitations in what I can do. But so far the stimulator has been worth it.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI had severe "sciatica" pain and radiculopathy starting in Oct 2021. The pain overall lasted for months and the night pain for almost a year. The radiculopathy went from tingling all the way down to my right outer foot, inner knee, buttock, feeling like water running down leg, numbness, dull aching, feeling of instability in both quads and sacrum. Those symptoms only started dissipating in mid 2022 and are now gone.
I was already seeing a neurologist for a neuromuscular vs autoimmune disorder and he felt these new symptoms supported his differential diagnoses so he did not order MRI. I had lumbar and thoracic spine x-rays that my physiatrist had ordered. The lumbar spine films were ordered in error and prior to having any sciatic symptoms. The order was supposed to be for cervical and thoracic. The LS spine showed disc space narrowing, subchondral sclerosis and osteophyte at L5-S1.
I self-referred to PT who gave me an exercise routine that helped a lot. Doing step-ups with heavy weights turned out to be the most beneficial. I moved to a new home and carrying 40 lb boxes up stairs also helped a lot.
For an excellent resource on sciatica and cauda equina, Tom Jesson, MD has dedicated his life to those conditions and teaching physicians about them. It's surprising that they don't know much about it and still say pain will be gone in six weeks.
I had severe sciatica pain down my left leg and left bum cheek for quite sometime. I had two steroid injections but they did not help, neither did PT. Then, my pain management doctor recommended the MILD Procedure (Mildly Invasive Lumbar Decompression). It’s been approximately two years since I had it done and occasionally, I get a few twinges but mostly still pain free. I wish you good luck in finding some relief.
Same for me chronic sciatic pain and left leg and foot radiculopathy equals CRPS both flare on a daily basis try to control one and the other flares trying to walk through it and take many supplements and I find sometimes ice helps the sciatica and heat helps the foot numbness and poor circulation the You are not alone
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionHello!
I HAD severe sciatic pain. I was so desperate I even spent a little fortune on this clinic (crooks really, clinic closed down)) where the treatment was to stretch you on special tables. There was a bit of very short-lived relief.
What REALLY helped me was Dr HO’s decompression belt. This was a godsend. Now I may have one or two light sciatica twinges per month and they last for maybe one minute. The last I saw they were $150 at Shoppers Drug Mart (less 20% on seniors’ day. You can also get it from Dr HO’s website.
Good luck to you!