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Harrington Rod and lower back pain
I'm new to this site and hoping someone can help. I received a Harrington Rod for scoliosis at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota in 1977. I have never had any issues with this at all. However, where my rod ends at L1, the L-2 thru L-5 have started to degenerate and I'm sure it is from the 39 years of that part of my back taking the jarring, twisting etc. Back in March I received a steroid injection in L2-L3 which helped. On December 1st I received two, 1 at L-4 and one at L-5. I know it's only been 30 hours since the shots, but I went to walk this evening and two minutes in, the pain was back. It feels like it's in my hip but my hip x-rays show my hip is fine(right hip only with pain). Has anyone else experienced this pain with a Harrington Rod in and have you had other medical treatments that helped with the pain. I just want to be able to walk and not be in pain. This all started 5 years ago when I had two bouts of pinched nerve, one affected my left side, the last one on my right and ever since I have never been right. Any suggestions would be helpful
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I have what you have. My Harrington Rod is 38 years old. Degeneration of disc, stenosis, sagittal imbalance, lots of pain. I’m exhausted
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1 ReactionI feel your pain, my pain management just cut me off two months ago
@recoverychris I had a fusion surgery on my back just last month at Mayo clinic at Rochester. It was a big surgery. I don't know if I had Harrington rods put in, but I have two rods one on each side of my spine. I had degeneration that cause scoliosis and the surgeon had to go from T-10 to L-5. I had stenosis at L-4 and 5, where I had nerves being pinched. So the surgeon had to do a lot of work to get the nerves not being pinched. My surgery was 9 hours long.
The surgery takes a long time to heal of course for me it has just been a little over a month. I wear a brace and can't bend, twist, or lift anything heavy. I still have pain, mainly in L-4 & 5. I walk every day and I just got off of Oxycodone and just on Tramadol, but I woke up really hurting today.. I am 68 years old. I hope you go back to the surgeon and let him know about the pain. By now you should not have pain.
@natesmawmaw It sounds to me you did to much. I had a back fusion surgery last month. I wear a brace and I cannot bend, twist, or lift anything heavy. My bones were soft so my surgeon told me I have to very careful. The surgery was 9 hours long, from T-10 to my pelvis. I do Tymlos, a injection with a small needle that I have to do every day in my stomach to increase my bone mass. I still have pain since it hasn't been long since my surgery. Got off of Oxycodone yesterday and just on Tramadol, but the surgeons wants me to get off of that too. I don't think I want to yet. Forgot to tell you, my surgeon told me if I wasn't careful and did too much I could pull out the screws and break the rods, which sounds like what has happened to you. Have you seen the surgeon again? I had my surgery at Mayo in Rochester, MN, which is 3 and1/2 hours from wear we live. I feel so bad for you, I know what pain is like. I hope I helped some but it may have been no help.
Hi There!! It's been 18 months since my revision surgery. My doctor replaced both rods and only a few screws. I am 69 years old, and resigned to just be grateful for the help I've received. My life is challenging but at least I am only taking tylenol or ibuprophen for pain now. My advice to you is to do exactly what your doctor told you to do. I was offered Tymlos, but the side effect of maybe losing teeth scared me off!!! Good luck to you and I hope you have a healthy future!!!
@recoverychris Are you still having nerve pain? If so I hope you see a surgeon and go over your history. If you still have pinched nerves (stenosis) you may be needing a surgery to get the nerves unpinched. Pain is so frustrating. I know, I just went through a 9 hour surgery on June 9th. It was for a degenerative back which caused a scoliosis, but my real pain was coming from my L-4, L-4 & S-1, where I had severe pinched nerves. The surgeon had to start at T-10 to my pelvis. It was a big surgery. I got off of the Oxycodone, but now they also want me off of Tramadol. I still hurt, but going to try and get off of it. I usually take 1 pill every 3 hours, today it will be every 4 hours. To answer you question, yes I do have pain, but it hasn't been that long since my surgery. I also have rods and screws.
@anonymous106697 Did any doctor want you to go on medicine to increase your bone mass. I am on Tymlos, which is an injection with a very small needle into my stomach. I have to give myself injections every day. May bones are soft, found out from the 9 hour surgery on June 9th. It was a fusion from T-10 to my pelvis. The big problems was in my L-4, L-5 and S1 where I had severe pinched nerves or (stenosis) My surgeon told my husband that my bones for soft, but not as soft as her expected and told him I must have been in a lot of pain.
Have you seen a good surgeon that treats your problem. My surgeon at Mayo clinic in Rochester, MN was great and knew how to do my surgery. He had many qualifications. I don't know where you live or if you could get referred to a Spine Center. But they would need to be checked out, not all of the have good surgeons for spine issues.
Before my surgery I did everything I could I started out with a trainer at the Y and ended up with an epidural in my spine, I tried Yoga and swimming with the same results, I did PT and had many epidurals. Had an ablation that worked for awhile, but the pain came back so that's when I knew I needed surgery. My primary care doctor and pain doctor at Mayo said I needed the surgery. I'm 68 and I was afraid if I didn't have the surgery it would just get worse and I was right. Best wishes to you. I hope this helps.
I think I am lucky. When I had both my lumbar and neck fusion, I was told I had “good bone”. I have a couple of falls where I could have broken bones and did not. I had one where none of the ER or other docs who saw me could not believe I didn’t break my (pick one or more) foot/ankle/any leg bones or hip! Turned ankle about 4 or 5 steps up on basement stairs, carrying full load of laundry. Went airborne, somehow kept balance wheeling my arms, and landed (quite a distance) from bottom step with all my weight, UPRIGHT, onto my R foot and immediately collapsed. They finally figured out (Sports Medicine doctor) that I ruptured my syndesmotic ligament holding my lower R leg bones together. Was non weight bearing for ? month, then toe touch crutches. Eventually a walking boot for another month or more. It healed without surgery. Now it seems I likely have arthritis in foot and ankle, no surprise. Aches esp with weather changes. But, as I said to my primary, cheerfully - “They said my bones must be great!” Gotta take the good with the bad! Six and a half years ago.
As you, I also had Harrington rods back in 1976 at Children's Memorial in Chicago. I have had neck pain since 1982 my lumbar started to give me fits when I reached around 40yrs. of age. I.ve been going to pain management for yrs. I just gave up on it because it's an endless circle of neck then low back. they cut me off on my pain meds so now I'm relying on Advil, which doesn't he4lp I guess I'll just live in pain. I refuse any surgeries because I have have had enough unless it's life threating NO SURGERY! I had T4/T10 at 48degree curve, I went through steroid shots, abulations I'm done. sorry your having problems just to let you know your not the only one in pain. good luck
Lisa7777, so sorry. Your description sounds miserable. This war on pain meds does NOT help the people who truly benefit from them and can have functional lives with them. Makes me very angry both as patient and retired RN that suddenly “one size fits all”. Grrr. Don’t you wish you could give your pain situation to one of those higher ups for a month or so and see how they feel then? I don’t know the specifics of your personal situation. Is it possible you are a candidate for implantation of a spinal cord stimulator or implantable pain pump? Both very minimal surgical type procedures, home within hours. I only ask because I also refused more back and neck surgery. I refused to give up and sought out other pain management options. This SCS has helped my back/leg pain to a significant degree. Had trial in late Dec and permanent implant later January. I am walking and doing garden work again! I wish you the best of luck going forward!
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