Back Pain

I’m so sorry you’re in so much pain. Those injections, (Epidural Steroid Injections) are not FDA approved; it says that right on the bottle of the steroids. I now have Adhesive Arachnoiditis because of these injections. Do not get them anymore and get a few opinions from NEUROSURGEONS, not orthopedic surgeons, before you have any surgery. Get an MRI if you can.

Good advice, thank you. Who knows what "stuff" we are having pumped into our bodies. It is a very lucrative business.

Except if you're a medicare patient it doesn't pay squat.

I'm starting to think that the real culprit for me might be needing a hip replacement.

Hip replacement may be your answer. I have had two knee replacements. One partial lasted 10 years and had to be replaced by a full job. I was told that hip work is much easier and quicker to recover from. Worth the try.

I had that too for many years and the culprit as it is for many people is decompression at L3 L4, L5. RFA ablatia worked wonderfully for about 13 years to get rid of my leg pain, but the numbness, tingling, itching did not go away because my nerve root out of my spine was being compressed. I had two hip replacements because the cushion was gone, but then the pain and numbness didn’t go away and then they turned to my spine. By the time they looked at my spine, the vertebrae were grafted together, and I had to go in for immediate surgery to save the nerves. it was the most wonderful surgery with the most wonderful orthopedic surgeon. It gave me my life back after 20 years however, now 25 years later, I’ve continued to deteriorate. I recommend you all find good orthopedic surgeons. You can trust my orthopedic surgeon tells me now my situation is “complicated“. So I do have to try some of those icky, epidural, and steroid injections after we locate which nerve roots exiting the spine are responsible for dysfunctions and pain. Mount Lucas is still positive and I can still enjoy many passions in life and it’s always a balancing act.

I will discuss it with my pain doc soon. BTW not sure if epidurals are FDA approved, but Medicare covers them.

I also have lower back pain and have considered injections. What medicines do you take?

@charlie92plus
I have spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease and neurogenic claudication. I had surgery after injections stopped helping and my feet and legs would be numb when I stood or walked. My lumbar spine decompression and fusion helped stabilize my spine and relieved some of my symptoms. My feet are no longer numb when I stand or walk.

Have they recommended surgery to you as an option? The surgery for me was very painful (I had L3-L5 decompressed/fused) but glad I had it. My spinal cord/nerve roots/nerves were being crushed, especially at L4-L5.

What about nerve ablations?

Hydrocodone as needed.