Herniated disc and cortisone injection....anyone been down this road?

[trails4u]

Not necessarily a 'Chapel' subject....but seemed like as good a fit as any. I had a hip 'tune up' surgery back in Feb., and then a set back in rehab toward the end of March. It was diagnosed as a bad piriformis muscle...so we treated it as such for a couple more months. No gains....so ordered a MRI. Ended up being a herniated disc at L4-L5, putting pressure on a nerve root.

Just had my first cortisone injection today....went well, no pain, I can still feel and move everything. They said 7-10 days I should see a difference.

Anyone else had this done? Any advice? Success? Failure?


I appreciate any input I can get....I REALLY need to get back on my feet, but trying to manage my optimism.

Thanks! Chris.

[jcren]

My wife herniated a disc. Doctors were saying surgery or lifetime pain management. We got her an inversion table and after a few months, she rarely has any pain 6 years later.

[Preacher Jim]

I had problems chiropractor did the strech table and pain gone. Had about 50 folks praying for my healing which I give the credit for the healing.

[2thepoint]

In October of 2012 I experienced a significant herniation of L4/L5 with extensive damage to the nerve root of my right leg. Dragging my right foot resulted in tearing the meniscus in my right knee. The first couple months were no fun. High doses of percocet was the only thing that allowed me to sleep or function. There were times the perc's barely relieved the pain. Prior to this, I wouldn't take an aspirin! Anyway I had three epidural injections under fluoroscope with no relief. Some folks get instant relief, I wasn't that fortunate. Months later, after a spinal manipulation or two the pain started to subside and I weaned myself off the percocet. I went to a couple different physical therapists which sometimes caused more pain than the disc or knee. Not sure whether I would do the PT again...just saying. Stretching exercises, using a strap did help with the nerve pain and a little with the spine. Last year I had an arthroscope clean out of the knee which went well. According to an EMG done about 8 months ago, I still have nerve damage of my right leg. The L4/L5 herniation has improved. I'm not 100% pain free, but it's tolerable. Every once in a while I may take a couple ibuprofen if the back starts nagging.
I guess my advice would be to research your injury as much as you can. Make sure you have open dialogue with your treatment team i.e. ortho doc, physical therapists, etc. Ensure that they're all on the same page as far as your treatment plan. Don't be reluctant to ask questions, challenge, and get 2nd opinions. Especially if you encounter any set-backs!! Listen to your body. If it doesn't feel right, let them know and ask what other options you have. My ex-primary doc got insulted because my ortho doc was calling the shots. My primary was informed, but not involved. He suggested that I consider surgery -a laminectomy(sp). That's one of the reasons he became my EX.
Good Luck Chris! I hope the cortisone shot did the trick and you're heading toward healing. One last thing....when you're feeling better, be careful of overdoing it!!

Phil

[Vopie]

I had the injections in the spine, really helped. Every four months I was back in for the injections. This went on for a couple years until I retired. Funny how taking that duty belt off and getting away from the B.S. greatly improved my back.

[trails4u]

Thanks for the feedback guys! I've been doing a lot of research on my own, as well as getting advice from my primary ortho (hip), my physical therapist, and the anesthesiologist that did the injection today. He recommended inversion therapy, but was reluctant to support chiropractic. I think I'll be looking into an inversion table!

BTW -- Since we're in the Chapel here....I'll take all the prayers I can get. This has been a yearlong saga of pain and inability to perform my duties at work and home to my fullest extent. I'm not wired well for 'failure'....and those thoughts, however misguided, are starting to creep in. I'm not one to ask for much of anything.....but lift me up, if you feel compelled.

God Speed!

Chris.

[Hogtamer]

2the point, I feel your pain brother. Herniated same disc about 8 yrs ago. The old neurosurgeon I saw told me that if I could walk don't do surgery...too many variables. The cortisone worked for me, injected and oral. Not the prednisone type. Gave me a "lifetime pass" out of yard work. I have a breaking point that I had to learn to respect....bending over, lifting and the like, that if I ignore I'm down. Play within those limits and I'm good, just had to learn to tell myself and others sometimes, "no."

[jcren]

Prayers sent

[Moleman-]

I've had the shots and nerve blocks starting back about 2004 for L4-5 herniated disk and have had 4 back surgeries so far. Had no back pain initially, just my leg went left numb. Started hurting a few days later. There was/is several other issues with my back which is why the shots didn't keep me from surgery, but hey did delay it for a while and help keep me moving. My advise to you is to only get the shots from someone who uses a fluoroscope to guide the injection and make sure at no point do they ever use a mesh patch to repair your disk if you ever have surgery.

[bubba.50]

herniated disk, yes. cortisone shots, no. I know too many people who've suffered permanent nerve damage from the shots & I already have enough of that now. they(doctors) say "it's a one-in-a-million chance we nick a nerve when givin' these shots". funny thing that 'tween me & the wife & a couple of her friends we know about 20 millions worth of those people draggin' their off hind leg around from nerve damage. and whenever I expressed my concerns about possible nerve damage, they're a mask not a cure, and the cortisone leaches yer bones over time they were never able to refute my reasonin'. so, I passed on the shots.

the Neurontin I took for nerve pain helped a lot but, when the "pain management specialist" kept uppin' the dosage it got to where it made me sick. after I self regulated it back to around 400 milligrams it was okay again.

luck to ya & have a good'en, bubba.

[bangerjim]

Wife could not even get out of bed or hardly walk. Went to a "pain specialist" and had spinal injections of "something", a series of 3, and after the 1st one she was 80% better. 2nd one back to 95% and she stopped at 2. 3rd one not needed per doctor. VERY expensive but it DOES work! Amazing stuff.....NOT cort! Cort does not last very long....mabe a few months from what friend have told me.....and can cause other related problems as said above.

It has been 5 years since her shots and she is still pain free 99%.

Go to a "pain specialist"........ not an MD.

banger

[trails4u]

Thanks banger;

The guy that did the injection yesterday is just that, a pain specialist. I was referred to him by my hip specialist (ortho). I suppose he is technically an anesthesiologist by training/degree, but he is the head of the pain management group associated with my orthos. Supposedly one of the good ones....I guess we'll see. I've heard of bone marrow/stem cell injections being very successful, but there are no clinics/specialists anywhere near me that offer those treatments. I'm very happy to hear that your wife had success, both for her/you, and me on a more selfish note. I'm very much enjoying the success stories here......I do love some hope.

[MaryB]

Been there, done that, ended with a 5 inch long scar in my lower back to remove shredded disc and bone spurs... shots did nothing for me. Doc suggested them for my neck and I flat out said I am not dealing with the cost($50 copay every time + $45 for a driver) and the pain form that hack digging in my spine with a needle. They do not work on me, but everyone reacts different to different meds!

[smokeywolf]

It can always be worse. Was seeing a internist, a pain management doctor and a neurosurgeon for several months after rupturing a lumbar disc. Neurosurgeon said he shies away from the epidurals. Usually don't last long and sometimes cause more problems. He said back surgery will often fix one malady and trigger 2 others. Said as long as I can tolerate the pain without loading up on the opiates, best to avoid the back surgery.
So, I take the 800 mg Ibuprofens; sometimes 3 or 4 in a week, but usually less than that in a month. Alternate with OTC aspirin and Ibuprofen when in less pain. The Mrs. massages my back and left leg at night and sometimes in the morning too.
I'm used to the pain. What's funny is, frequently when I lay down on the bed at night, a lot of the pain that I'd been ignoring all day suddenly flows out of my back and the sensation is so profound I start laughing as though I'd just heard a really funny joke.

I'm thinking that sometime in the not so distant future I might try the spinal decompression.

[rondog]

Main thing to remember about back problems - every single one is different in every person. What's ailing one may seem similar to what's ailing another, and they may be....or they may be two completely different problems, with totally different treatments.

The way I look at it, next time you're butchering a deer or a hog, try to imagine you're looking for a pinched nerve or damaged disc or other problem on that carcass and you're trying to fix it - without causing ANY other damage! Kinda puts things in a different perspective.

And be careful with inversion tables! I have one, and it helps, but it's very easy to freak out your back muscles that are already unhappy and at the ragged edge. You change things around suddenly as far as gravity and the way your body is used to operating, and you can have several muscles go into severe spasms while trying to protect you from damage. And spasms/cramps in back/core muscles are NO fun!

BTDT.

[6bg6ga]

Herniated disk and had surgery as it was my only option.

[w5pv]

Had the same but ended up with surgery any how,my Doc told me it was a case of the insurance co wasting money,This was in 96 and been doing fine since then.

[Pine Baron]

Praying for you, Chris, May God bring you healing and strength. Amen

[Windwalker 45acp]

I have them every 3 months. I have two ruptured (completely gone, vertebrae on vertebrae discs, s1, L4, L5) and several herniated in the mid thoracic. Diagnosed with Disc Degenerative Disease at age 28 and i've had injections since then ( in my 40's now).

So yep, have lot's of experience with them. What do you want to know?

[Blackwater]

Some excellent advice given above, but I think Rondog gave the best overall. I've fought this since '81 when I reinjured old football injuries very badly. Have had 3 sureries on neck and back, and the whole spinal column has been a near constant (and sometimes litereally constant) "challenge." A chiropractor helped me immensely for about 20 years, and this was the least "invasive" treatment I could have had.

But let me tell you about chiropractors! I just lucked into a real savant, apparently, because none since him have really done much to help me after he closed his office here and moved to Atlanta. But while he was here, a friend was having similar problems, and he called me at work one day asking me to take him there for a treatment. I left work, and had to help him to the truck and get him in to take him. There were tears in his eyes, even though he was very stoic, normally. I helped him into the office for treatment, and Ralph helped him back to the treatment room, did his magic, and darned if he didn't strut out like a proud bantam rooster! So, that's what sold me on chiropractors, and my experience with Ralph was much the same. Haven't found another anything like Ralph, though. Many tend to want to get you onto a regular cycle, and that was simply more time and less effective than Ralph had always been, so I quit them. And I think I tried 4 more - all there were in town at the time, but none did anything near what Ralph had done for me. So when it comes to chiropractors, they DO vary very WIDELY in what they do and how they do it. IF you can fine ONE really good one, they can really be a tremendous help. IF you can't find one that works for you, you'll probably conclude they're all "quacks." But it's not necessisarily so. And in my experience, it's hard to find one that "clicks" with whatever condition one has.

Finally, after many told me "You'll know when it's time for surgery," I DID find that true, and had back surgery - a trim job on the disc. That worked for about a year, but the disc was too far gone, and a year later, it completely disintegrated, and put me in the worst pain I could ever bear, I think. Morphine wouldn't touch it!!! So I had another surgery and a great neurosurgeon fused the disc. Believe it or not, I didn't take ANY pain meds after the surgery except a couple of tylenol the afternoon after the surgery!

So that's why I say Rondog gave the best advice. Each case is different, because there are so many ways and degrees these things can be caused by. I had the shots, but they never worked well for me, but that was just one case, and I know others for whom they DID work.

This is just one of those things where there is NO "one cure fixes all" type things available. Only advice I can give, really, is if you get surgery, I'll always trust a neruosurgeon for back operations moreso than I will ever trust orthopoedists. Overall, and through the years, they've just tended to yield the best results overall. Much depends on the patient, too, of course, and whether they follow the docs' recommendations and advice strictly or not. It's a very complex question, with no pat answers, and has to be dealt with on a "one case at a time" basis, in my experience. For over 20 years I questioned everyone I knew about back problems and operations, and this is what I found pretty consistently through all that pre-op investigation years.

I'll be praying for you. Only those who've been through this and suffered can know how debilitating it can be. And one last piece of advice: If it comes to needing surgery, go ahead on and don't keep reinjuring it by putting it off. That can work AGAINST you! And for many years, they were really learning more and more how to do these things, and why, and all the ins and outs and particulars, and now, they're awfully good at it. And when they tell you how to conduct yourself after the surgery, DO IT! I can't emphasize that enough! How you treat yourself while the healing is going on CAN and likely WILL determine how well it works for you. Don't be hard-headed! Just resign yourself to being rather wimpy until it's healed fully, and you'll in all liklihood be grateful to yourself for it. What you do while it's healing up really, really matters!