Sciatica

Posted by liz223 @liz223, Mar 26, 2019

I'm still fighting Sciatica. I had my last spinal injection 3/11. This one did not work well as the two before did. I developed a steroid headache and my blood pressure went dangerously high. I spent two different nights in the ER. I still have the pain as well as weakness in my leg. I have fallen a number of times and now using a walker. I plan to call for an appointment with a neurosurgeon this morning. I'm hoping there is an answer other than surgery because I am 87 years old and do not want to face surgery. A physical therapist is coming to my home today and I am looking forward to whatever he has to suggest. I can find no medication to stop this pain. Any suggestions?

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Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | Oct 16, 2023

In reply to @marieltha "Thanks for the info. Could you please describe what decompression surgery entails?" + (show)

@marieltha Decompression is just taking the pressure off and many spine procedures fit the description. In my case, may spinal cord was getting squeezed.

Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | Oct 16, 2023

In reply to @justclintdavis "THANK YOU very much, Jennifer. I have read the EXACT article from the Medical Journal link..." + (show)

@justclintdavis
Clint, are you able to change insurance to another that would have Mayo in their network? If not, look for a spine surgeon in your insurance plan and when you go for a consultation, give them the medical literature and ask if your case is like this in the literature right from the start. Mayo does have links to various hospitals across the US where doctors can consult Mayo specialists and you receive care locally. It’s called the Mayo Clinic Care Network. Doctors can also independently consult Mayo, but may not think they need to do it. It took me 6 opinions before I found a surgeon who understood this connection and that was at Mayo. I know how frustrating this is and you’re right. Surgeons don’t want to take a chance when they don’t understand the problem, and they worry about other complications. You have to keep searching for the best specialist you can find covered by your insurance. You can also call your insurance company for names of their best recognized surgeons.

Jennifer

Justin McClanahan, Moderator | @JustinMcClanahan | Oct 16, 2023

In reply to @jenniferhunter "@justclintdavis Clint, are you able to change insurance to another that would have Mayo in their..." + (show)

@jenniferhunter @justclintdavis - Here is a link to the Mayo Clinic Care Network that Jennifer mentioned: https://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic/care-network/network-members.

justclintdavis | @justclintdavis | Oct 16, 2023

In reply to @jenniferhunter "@justclintdavis Clint, are you able to change insurance to another that would have Mayo in their..." + (show)

Thank you @jenniferhunter and @JustinMcClanahan
I am located in Tulsa, Oklahoma and have a private HMO. I could potentially switch to BCBS, but I would have to look into it. It is made so hard for the recipients to get responses and answers, because i personally feel that they think we are making up the pain. It is not just an ache and pain, it is a neurological pain which is TOTALLY different.
I share my story and pain with everyone I know, hopeful to find an answer. This BLOG site has been the best thing so far..... I wish I had the personal funds to come to MAYO, or I would have been there yesterday...

cctoo. Catherine Crowley | @cctoo | Oct 16, 2023

In reply to @jacqueline1961 "Boy do I feel your pain!!!! I have the same and more. Everything with an S..." + (show)

@jacqueline1961

Boy do I feel your pain!!!! I have the same and more. Everything with an S I have, I had lower laminectomy with fusions L3,4,5 ?? not sure but think he should have done more, and a lot of arthritis removed. I was OK , for a bit. I am thin so my spine sticks out of my back and has shifted to the right side with a huge curve. Not attractive and can even be seen through a shirt , I can not sit back on anything without a cushion,, standing , sitting all will trigger the sciatic nerve from the back, a major spot that is a large bulge , which is the major source of pain, my Dr still has never told me what it is, scans just show major anatomical changes. I had a choice from Ortho Drs, to do a full on spinal surgery with rods, poles, cages etc,, I said no and my neurosurgeon agreed to do what he did that would be the least invasive.. He is a great Dr, and I did feel like a real person again,, but now I am much worse, I used to be able to walk 20 miles a day, hike up mountains, walk through an airport for hours,. I refuse to let this get me so I still do my treadmill 2 hours a night. granted not the speed I used to or incline,, I walk through the sciatica pain , if it gets bad, I stop , take the right leg and pick it uo with the left hand and stretch it all the way over to the other side,. it feels good and will break the cycle,, until the next time.. I started to do on the floor PT .. laying flat on my back, lifting one leg at a time and stretching,, then knee bends,, then crossovers,. If I can make a habit of this it helps.. On a normal day I work I am on my feet all day and I still have to smile through the pain,, there are times I have to just sit at my desk and put my legs up,. have a roller device I now use to roll on the thigh ,, it helps... What made me respond to you was your desire for the stimulaor. Please seriously think about this,,. My Mom had 2 failed back surgeries plus I am sure she never did much for PT, as she is lazy... so she opted for the St. Jude one when it first came out, the thing never worked,, eventually they removed it. We all begged her not to get another but she opted for that quick fix,,, well that quick fix ended up nearly costing her her life and it has sucked the life out of me.. after about 5 years with that in her, again never really worked as she was always whining about her back pain and on pain relievers , and then spending more and more time in bed.. One day her back was wet.. I looked and she had a gaping hole in her spine the size of a quarter, that was beyond anything I have seen,, I had my dad take her to the Dr right away,, very poor medical here, she was being treated for wound care but it wasnt until the right Dr, looked at her , which was my spinal surgeon,. said the box was visible in the hole and full of bacteria and he did the surgery to remove it,, Dr,. stated the leads were loose or disconnected , those are wires in your body,, foreign substances... he said the box became contaminated , who knows for how long , inside or her that eventually it ate away through her skin,, there is much more to this story but I gave you enough,,, I do not know have statistics to say how many people it has helped or what the infection rate is.. but please ask. My back is severe and I would never put one in,, I have looked into these belts you can wear that have the stimulator on the outside on the back.. ask your Dr about that , a cousin of mine got one,, a company neuro med makes a pad you affix to your spine I am researching,, I am sched, for another MRI to find out what happened , You are not alone,, . and about the neck,, yes the neck is part of the spine, But i do not believe it controls the part that causes sciatica .. I had cervical 3 levels 3 years ago,, horrible surgery, still have pain at night, but I do exercises before bed to loosen them up and wear a collar at night,, I will tell you stress is the #1 reason on top of all of the other life issues that rears its ugly head when we least expect it,, I am a stage 4 metastatic double cancer survivor with 15 months of chemo,,that was hell but I will tell you living with chronic pain on a daily basis has been a lot harder and it can really get you down,I wish you well and to receive some relief from this way under researched phenomena of spinal pain,, Carry on!! Jacquie

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I have the awful pain from. bulging disc and two friends had band aid surgery. minimal invasive surgery , which can be outpatient. Immediate pain relief! calling dr today. Dr Mioni in Dayton ohio

Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | Oct 16, 2023

In reply to @justclintdavis "Thank you @jenniferhunter and @JustinMcClanahan I am located in Tulsa, Oklahoma and have a private HMO...." + (show)

@justclintdavis I had Blue Cross when I had my spine surgery at Mayo. The problem with HMO insurance is you are so limited in who you can see. I encourage you to call the Mayo billing insurance office listed on the website and ask them which of the Blue Cross insurance offerings they accept. That may be your answer and you could get an appointment next year in a couple months. You would wait that long anyway for a consultation with a good surgeon. My surgeon, Jeremy Fogelson, at the Mayo Rochester campus understands funicular pain. Dr. Fogelson also did not wait for more damage to happen before operating which is why I had great results. I think BCBS as a PPO plan is a much better option. Spine surgery is so expensive, you need to be in network.
What do you think?

Jennifer

justclintdavis | @justclintdavis | Oct 17, 2023

In reply to @denman55 "I have just recently been hit with sided sciatica. The pain down my butt and leg..." + (show)

I know you are not a doctor, but I hope that someone can give there opinion on this report

This is the report that interprets my MRI :

* At C3-4 there is mild, broad-based posterior disc bulging and bilateral uncinate proliferation.
This results in severe bilateral foraminal stenosis, right greater than left.
* At C4-5 there is minor left-sided uncinate proliferation with mild left foraminal stenosis.
* At C6-7 there is right-sided uncinate proliferation with mild to moderate foraminal stenosis.
* No other significant extradural defects or stenosis.
* The cervical spinal cord is unremarkable with no evidence of flattening, enlargement, or abnormal
signal intensity.
* No abnormal enhancement is demonstrated.
* The bony structures are within normal limits.

Impression:
1. Posterior disc bulging and spondylosis at C3-4, with severe bilateral foraminal stenosis, right
greater than left.
2. Mild left foraminal stenosis at C4-5.
3. Mild/moderate right foraminal stenosis at C6-7.

Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | Oct 17, 2023

In reply to @justclintdavis "I know you are not a doctor, but I hope that someone can give there opinion..." + (show)

@justclintdavis Your report says there is no spinal cord compression, but it does indicate that at C3-C4 there can be slipping of the vertebrae because the disc isn’t holding the vertebrae in line. Do you know how much it slips? That might be measured on x-ray with flexion and extension images. There is a posterior disc bulge at that level and it potentially may be able to slip and touch the spinal cord. A doctor needs to answer on if that is happening. I was working with a physical therapist before spine surgery and when my vertebrae slipped, I had an uneven gait and some bladder symptoms; those resolved completely when my physical therapist was getting my vertebrae realigned again until the next muscle spasm threw it out again. My movement was about 2 mm. You may have some instability at that level that could cause intermittent pressure on the spinal cord. Your report also indicates issues at nerve roots. Those are very predictable as to where you’ll feel pain which you can look up on a dermatome map. Touching or compressing the spinal cord can cause various symptoms that can change with different neck positions. If I bent my neck forward, I could send an electric shock down my entire body. It may be hard to tell if the cervical spine or lumbar spine is causing your leg symptoms. Of course the fusion at C5/C6 resolved it all for me.

Jennifer

marieltha | @marieltha | Oct 17, 2023

In reply to @jenniferhunter "@marieltha Decompression is just taking the pressure off and many spine procedures fit the description. In..." + (show)

So, what did the surgeon do on your spine to relieve the pressure?
We all learn from the sharing of such details, but I understand if you don’t want to share specifics.

Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | Oct 17, 2023

In reply to @marieltha "So, what did the surgeon do on your spine to relieve the pressure? We all learn..." + (show)

@marieltha My spinal cord compression was caused by a disc that had herniated and collapsed into the central spinal canal and it grew bone spurs next to it because of the inflammation. That is called a disc osteophyte complex. When the bad disc was removed during surgery, it took the pressure off the spinal cord, that space where the disc was got a bone disc spacer. The vertebrae bone above and below that fuses as it all grows together.

Do you have a spine condition that is being diagnosed?