After I have my MRI next month they will review my scan and decide which neurosurgeon would be best to handle my situation. My current neurosurgeon said he wouldn't do another surgery until I had an EMG. I was just so sick of being cut and poked that I opted to try the pain clinic route which appears to be coming to and end as the spinal stimulator doesn't seem to be working. I bump the stimulator up 3 points every 3 days. I don't feel the increase but obviously it is doing something as the next day I had pain in different areas. Today has been the worst day as I can't stand up straight without pain going down my leg.
@kburt911
When they did your L1-L5 levels, did they fuse them? Or did they just clean up some bone growths/trim disc bulges? Do you have hardware in your spine? If they didn’t fuse, you may have instability which may be causing movement of vertebrae and compression of spinal cord/nerve roots/nerves.
I had L1, L2 and .L3 done along with opening the hole where the stenosis was and the shaved down my tailbone. I did do PT after surgery. I did great for about 4 months until I put weight on my right leg it would shoot a pain up through my thigh. As time went I had thigh pain constantly. Like a burning hot knife being jammed into my leg. The surgeon did another MRI and saw my L4 and L5 became compressed. So we did surgery again. It did not help but was told that it takes time for nerves to calm down. Started PT but it hurt so bad that the therapist didn't want to keep doing it. My pain still continued and the surgeon went in again even though he said I shouldn't be having this severe pain. He then consulted with a pain specialist and determined I have degenerative arthritis which would explain the lower back pain. Both doctors determined that the pain has to be coming from a build up of scar tissue and as time goes by scar turns hard like bone and must pinched a nerve or two. The only way to correct it would be another surgery to repair.at the time I couldn't imagine doing another surgery so I opted for pain management to try and get relief. I had nerve blocks, ablation, epidurals and lastly a spinal stimulator implanted a few weeks ago. I haven't had any relief. I am 69 and not ready for a wheelchair which is what I have been in for the past several months. I live just outside the city of Chicago and have an appointment at Northwestern Hospital to see if anything can be done. Next month I am going to have an updated MRI and then see a neurosurgeon. I am tired of living on pain pills and nerve pills.
I didn't have a lot of problems with my right leg before my operation. My chiropractor used to stretch my right leg. That helped a lot. I had my operation about 1 1/2 years ago. It's only recently that I have been experiencing problems with my right leg. Pulling, tiredness, etc.
I finally went to my family doctor last week and whined and sniffled about pain. There have been times that I would take two Tylenol every four hours. Then the pain would disappear, and I could work all night if I wanted to. Then it would be back the next day.
Before my operation I was taking two Tramadol and 2 Gabapentin four times a day. I was determined to get off the opioids. The doctors recommended Advil. They didn't warn me about taking it longer than 3 days at a time. My blood pressure went sky high. One doctor determined that I had a minor heart attack. The cardiologist said he doesn't consider it a heart attack until there is damage. Fortunately, there was none.
My family doctor ordered a new pain killer that is one step up from Tylenol with Tramadol in it. i was reluctant to take it. I finally did. I only took one pill even though the directions say take one or two. I am pleased to say, it's working! And I don't seem to need to take it every day. It's early days.
You are lucky that your doctor warned you that it takes time for the nerves to settle down. I wish someone had warned me and gave me better advice on pain control.
Everyone is different. My acupuncturist didn't have any of the lingering pain after her operation. She and my chiropractor trade monthly treatments!
Pain makes you desperate. My family doctor did not recommend PT for me after the operation. You may be doing what i did--trying to hard to get back to normal. Observe your body to see what works. Walking is one of the best exercises. If you don't have a dog. Get one. I have a "rescue." They are the best! They seem to know that you have saved them. You can take a mutt or if you want a specific breed, there are rescue organizations that specializes in certain breeds. I wanted a Bichon Frise because my last rescue was one. I ended up with a Bichon Frise/Poodle cross and a Shih Tzu. They came together. If I wanted one, I had to take the other. I took both. It was a great decision. I found them on Kijiji of all places! Good luck.
@kburt911
When they did your L1-L5 levels, did they fuse them? Or did they just clean up some bone growths/trim disc bulges? Do you have hardware in your spine? If they didn’t fuse, you may have instability which may be causing movement of vertebrae and compression of spinal cord/nerve roots/nerves.
I didn't have a lot of problems with my right leg before my operation. My chiropractor used to stretch my right leg. That helped a lot. I had my operation about 1 1/2 years ago. It's only recently that I have been experiencing problems with my right leg. Pulling, tiredness, etc.
I finally went to my family doctor last week and whined and sniffled about pain. There have been times that I would take two Tylenol every four hours. Then the pain would disappear, and I could work all night if I wanted to. Then it would be back the next day.
Before my operation I was taking two Tramadol and 2 Gabapentin four times a day. I was determined to get off the opioids. The doctors recommended Advil. They didn't warn me about taking it longer than 3 days at a time. My blood pressure went sky high. One doctor determined that I had a minor heart attack. The cardiologist said he doesn't consider it a heart attack until there is damage. Fortunately, there was none.
My family doctor ordered a new pain killer that is one step up from Tylenol with Tramadol in it. i was reluctant to take it. I finally did. I only took one pill even though the directions say take one or two. I am pleased to say, it's working! And I don't seem to need to take it every day. It's early days.
You are lucky that your doctor warned you that it takes time for the nerves to settle down. I wish someone had warned me and gave me better advice on pain control.
Everyone is different. My acupuncturist didn't have any of the lingering pain after her operation. She and my chiropractor trade monthly treatments!
Pain makes you desperate. My family doctor did not recommend PT for me after the operation. You may be doing what i did--trying to hard to get back to normal. Observe your body to see what works. Walking is one of the best exercises. If you don't have a dog. Get one. I have a "rescue." They are the best! They seem to know that you have saved them. You can take a mutt or if you want a specific breed, there are rescue organizations that specializes in certain breeds. I wanted a Bichon Frise because my last rescue was one. I ended up with a Bichon Frise/Poodle cross and a Shih Tzu. They came together. If I wanted one, I had to take the other. I took both. It was a great decision. I found them on Kijiji of all places! Good luck.
It has been 18 months after surgery and I still can't walk without severe pain. I live on oxycodone every 6 hours, 5 Lyrica a day and Cymbalta. PT is too painful that the therapist didn't want to continue.
It has been 18 months after surgery and I still can't walk without severe pain. I live on oxycodone every 6 hours, 5 Lyrica a day and Cymbalta. PT is too painful that the therapist didn't want to continue.
@kburt911
When was your last MRI/EMG/myelogram to narrow down the source of your pain and reason for not being able to walk? Were you told your surgeries failed or that a nerve was injured? Did they suggest using any hardware to stabilize your spine since so many levels were worked on? What has your surgeon said about options for next steps to help relieve you of the source of pain and not just mask it with medication?
I haven't had an MRI done for several months. I am going for an MRI next month at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago. My neurosurgeon said he wouldn't do another surgery until I had an EMG but I put it off because I heard it is quite painful. My surgeries were considered failed. Hardware was not discussed. I went the route of trying pain management instead of another surgery. The spinal stimulator is my last option with the pain doctor. I really like my neurosurgeon but after 18 months it's time to see if there are other options or if another surgery is the answer that's what I will do. I will be going from a neighborhood hospital to a leading edge hospital for spine surgeries. At least to have what they have to say.
I had a laminectomy and I had no feeling and drop foot in my right leg.i did PT and had to get a brace on my foot so I could walk.i did PT and had an amazing therapist that helped me to no longer need the brace .She worked with me to be able to walk without being able to feel my leg.unfortunately,the pain was still in my back.i did pain mgt and also tried a spinal stimulator trial that unfortunately failed.i decided to have a fusion surgery because I needed to get on with life.after surgery..I did PT again and there was a reduction in pain,but the feeling in my leg never returned.i was 36 when all of this was happening.i am now 53 and still dealing with pain.i go to pain mgt every 4 weeks and have found that nerve and muscle relaxers help me get thru my day.i am a le to drive with my left foot...I can walk..sometimes it's difficult..but I have learned to adapt.the feeling has never returned except for the top front of my thigh...I get burning feeling at times.i have had some weird lil lightening pains in my toes...calf...but not much.i did do the ekg tests thruout the years and unfortunately my nerves are too damaged.my drs were more concerned with my back and walking that the nerve damage just wasn't the priority. I was told after surgery to give it time...but it never returned.i wish you luck..but I also wanted you to know that you can live without feeling if that's unfortunately what happens.
I haven't had an MRI done for several months. I am going for an MRI next month at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago. My neurosurgeon said he wouldn't do another surgery until I had an EMG but I put it off because I heard it is quite painful. My surgeries were considered failed. Hardware was not discussed. I went the route of trying pain management instead of another surgery. The spinal stimulator is my last option with the pain doctor. I really like my neurosurgeon but after 18 months it's time to see if there are other options or if another surgery is the answer that's what I will do. I will be going from a neighborhood hospital to a leading edge hospital for spine surgeries. At least to have what they have to say.
@kburt911
In my opinion and experience, the EMGs are not that painful in comparison to the pain you experience in your spine. EMGs include probes/needles to test the signaling and health of nerves in arms/legs. It is a bit uncomfortable but a very short period of time to test each each.
What did your surgeon tell you that your surgeries would help in relieving symptoms? Why are they considered “failed?” If you don’t know, it would be good to talk to your surgeon to understand why, why hardware was not used in any of your surgeries and if decompression/fusion and hardware would help relieve pain and what levels are causing your current symptoms. A myelogram and updated MRI should help narrow down the nerves affected. It would be good for you to read all of your past and new MRI reports to understand baseline and what has changed since the baseline and various surgeries.
I had a laminectomy and I had no feeling and drop foot in my right leg.i did PT and had to get a brace on my foot so I could walk.i did PT and had an amazing therapist that helped me to no longer need the brace .She worked with me to be able to walk without being able to feel my leg.unfortunately,the pain was still in my back.i did pain mgt and also tried a spinal stimulator trial that unfortunately failed.i decided to have a fusion surgery because I needed to get on with life.after surgery..I did PT again and there was a reduction in pain,but the feeling in my leg never returned.i was 36 when all of this was happening.i am now 53 and still dealing with pain.i go to pain mgt every 4 weeks and have found that nerve and muscle relaxers help me get thru my day.i am a le to drive with my left foot...I can walk..sometimes it's difficult..but I have learned to adapt.the feeling has never returned except for the top front of my thigh...I get burning feeling at times.i have had some weird lil lightening pains in my toes...calf...but not much.i did do the ekg tests thruout the years and unfortunately my nerves are too damaged.my drs were more concerned with my back and walking that the nerve damage just wasn't the priority. I was told after surgery to give it time...but it never returned.i wish you luck..but I also wanted you to know that you can live without feeling if that's unfortunately what happens.
@jp21
What were your symptoms when you were 36 and why was surgery recommended? What were you told the surgery would help in terms of relieving your symptoms? It seems some with just laminectomy have more problems than if decompression/fusion is done. I have spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease and neurogenic claudication. I also had one of my vertebrae slipping over the other (L4 over L5) which is spondylolisthesis. My surgeon recommended decompression, fusion and hardware from the beginning for both my C5-C6 and L3-L5 surgeries (lumbar spine surgery was 8/2/2024). I needed the stabilization of my spine to stop compressing my spinal cord/nerve roots/nerves and causing my pain, weakness and numbness symptoms.
I lifted something and popped out a disk L4 L5 and severed a nerve.I immediately lost the feeling and use of my right leg. I had the laminectomy surgery about 6 months later after PT did not work. After surgery...I did PT and pain mgt but I had to deal with the drop foot and regaining use of the leg function. Unfortunately..I just was in alot of pain and went for the fusion .I Unfortunately waited too long with the nerve issue..my drs were more concerned with regaining use of leg then feeling at the time.i was using crutches for a year and could not drive.after the fusion I did feel relief from pain and was using a cane.i went to several drs regarding the nerve damage in NYC and had numerous tests. unfortunately the feeling has never come back.i am able to walk...I had a child at 39 and I no longer use a cane.i have a hard time with cold damp weather and when it's humid out...my leg feels very heavy..if that makes sense.i did do a spinal stimulator trial after many injections but it did not work for me enough to have the device implanted permanently. I refused a morphine pump.i just do pain mgt every 4 weeks now and after many years of different prescriptions...I have found nerve and muscle relaxers that have worked for me.my suggestion is...do not wait.address the nerve damage early..that was my mistake.i listened to my drs and should have questioned the loss of feeling earlier...go for the 2nd and 3rd opinion.
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@kburt911
When they did your L1-L5 levels, did they fuse them? Or did they just clean up some bone growths/trim disc bulges? Do you have hardware in your spine? If they didn’t fuse, you may have instability which may be causing movement of vertebrae and compression of spinal cord/nerve roots/nerves.
I didn't have a lot of problems with my right leg before my operation. My chiropractor used to stretch my right leg. That helped a lot. I had my operation about 1 1/2 years ago. It's only recently that I have been experiencing problems with my right leg. Pulling, tiredness, etc.
I finally went to my family doctor last week and whined and sniffled about pain. There have been times that I would take two Tylenol every four hours. Then the pain would disappear, and I could work all night if I wanted to. Then it would be back the next day.
Before my operation I was taking two Tramadol and 2 Gabapentin four times a day. I was determined to get off the opioids. The doctors recommended Advil. They didn't warn me about taking it longer than 3 days at a time. My blood pressure went sky high. One doctor determined that I had a minor heart attack. The cardiologist said he doesn't consider it a heart attack until there is damage. Fortunately, there was none.
My family doctor ordered a new pain killer that is one step up from Tylenol with Tramadol in it. i was reluctant to take it. I finally did. I only took one pill even though the directions say take one or two. I am pleased to say, it's working! And I don't seem to need to take it every day. It's early days.
You are lucky that your doctor warned you that it takes time for the nerves to settle down. I wish someone had warned me and gave me better advice on pain control.
Everyone is different. My acupuncturist didn't have any of the lingering pain after her operation. She and my chiropractor trade monthly treatments!
Pain makes you desperate. My family doctor did not recommend PT for me after the operation. You may be doing what i did--trying to hard to get back to normal. Observe your body to see what works. Walking is one of the best exercises. If you don't have a dog. Get one. I have a "rescue." They are the best! They seem to know that you have saved them. You can take a mutt or if you want a specific breed, there are rescue organizations that specializes in certain breeds. I wanted a Bichon Frise because my last rescue was one. I ended up with a Bichon Frise/Poodle cross and a Shih Tzu. They came together. If I wanted one, I had to take the other. I took both. It was a great decision. I found them on Kijiji of all places! Good luck.
I didn't have any fusion or hardware.
It has been 18 months after surgery and I still can't walk without severe pain. I live on oxycodone every 6 hours, 5 Lyrica a day and Cymbalta. PT is too painful that the therapist didn't want to continue.
@kburt911
When was your last MRI/EMG/myelogram to narrow down the source of your pain and reason for not being able to walk? Were you told your surgeries failed or that a nerve was injured? Did they suggest using any hardware to stabilize your spine since so many levels were worked on? What has your surgeon said about options for next steps to help relieve you of the source of pain and not just mask it with medication?
I haven't had an MRI done for several months. I am going for an MRI next month at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago. My neurosurgeon said he wouldn't do another surgery until I had an EMG but I put it off because I heard it is quite painful. My surgeries were considered failed. Hardware was not discussed. I went the route of trying pain management instead of another surgery. The spinal stimulator is my last option with the pain doctor. I really like my neurosurgeon but after 18 months it's time to see if there are other options or if another surgery is the answer that's what I will do. I will be going from a neighborhood hospital to a leading edge hospital for spine surgeries. At least to have what they have to say.
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1 ReactionI had a laminectomy and I had no feeling and drop foot in my right leg.i did PT and had to get a brace on my foot so I could walk.i did PT and had an amazing therapist that helped me to no longer need the brace .She worked with me to be able to walk without being able to feel my leg.unfortunately,the pain was still in my back.i did pain mgt and also tried a spinal stimulator trial that unfortunately failed.i decided to have a fusion surgery because I needed to get on with life.after surgery..I did PT again and there was a reduction in pain,but the feeling in my leg never returned.i was 36 when all of this was happening.i am now 53 and still dealing with pain.i go to pain mgt every 4 weeks and have found that nerve and muscle relaxers help me get thru my day.i am a le to drive with my left foot...I can walk..sometimes it's difficult..but I have learned to adapt.the feeling has never returned except for the top front of my thigh...I get burning feeling at times.i have had some weird lil lightening pains in my toes...calf...but not much.i did do the ekg tests thruout the years and unfortunately my nerves are too damaged.my drs were more concerned with my back and walking that the nerve damage just wasn't the priority. I was told after surgery to give it time...but it never returned.i wish you luck..but I also wanted you to know that you can live without feeling if that's unfortunately what happens.
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3 Reactions@kburt911
In my opinion and experience, the EMGs are not that painful in comparison to the pain you experience in your spine. EMGs include probes/needles to test the signaling and health of nerves in arms/legs. It is a bit uncomfortable but a very short period of time to test each each.
What did your surgeon tell you that your surgeries would help in relieving symptoms? Why are they considered “failed?” If you don’t know, it would be good to talk to your surgeon to understand why, why hardware was not used in any of your surgeries and if decompression/fusion and hardware would help relieve pain and what levels are causing your current symptoms. A myelogram and updated MRI should help narrow down the nerves affected. It would be good for you to read all of your past and new MRI reports to understand baseline and what has changed since the baseline and various surgeries.
@jp21
What were your symptoms when you were 36 and why was surgery recommended? What were you told the surgery would help in terms of relieving your symptoms? It seems some with just laminectomy have more problems than if decompression/fusion is done. I have spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease and neurogenic claudication. I also had one of my vertebrae slipping over the other (L4 over L5) which is spondylolisthesis. My surgeon recommended decompression, fusion and hardware from the beginning for both my C5-C6 and L3-L5 surgeries (lumbar spine surgery was 8/2/2024). I needed the stabilization of my spine to stop compressing my spinal cord/nerve roots/nerves and causing my pain, weakness and numbness symptoms.
I lifted something and popped out a disk L4 L5 and severed a nerve.I immediately lost the feeling and use of my right leg. I had the laminectomy surgery about 6 months later after PT did not work. After surgery...I did PT and pain mgt but I had to deal with the drop foot and regaining use of the leg function. Unfortunately..I just was in alot of pain and went for the fusion .I Unfortunately waited too long with the nerve issue..my drs were more concerned with regaining use of leg then feeling at the time.i was using crutches for a year and could not drive.after the fusion I did feel relief from pain and was using a cane.i went to several drs regarding the nerve damage in NYC and had numerous tests. unfortunately the feeling has never come back.i am able to walk...I had a child at 39 and I no longer use a cane.i have a hard time with cold damp weather and when it's humid out...my leg feels very heavy..if that makes sense.i did do a spinal stimulator trial after many injections but it did not work for me enough to have the device implanted permanently. I refused a morphine pump.i just do pain mgt every 4 weeks now and after many years of different prescriptions...I have found nerve and muscle relaxers that have worked for me.my suggestion is...do not wait.address the nerve damage early..that was my mistake.i listened to my drs and should have questioned the loss of feeling earlier...go for the 2nd and 3rd opinion.