Lower back pain and sciatica

[hunter44a]

Hey y'all. Ive been suffering with lower back pain for several years. Ive done therapy and its helped. So far 3 Drs have recommended surgery. 3 laminectomies and putting a screw in a slipped disc basically is what they're saying . The one thing these Drs say is the surgery will not guarantee no back pain. What has been y'alls experience for those who've had the surgery and did it help with the pain? TIA

 

[Railroader]

I have never heard a single person say that getting back surgery was the best thing they ever did.

I have known a dozen guys that say they wish they'd never done it, and I see a lot of back issues at the railroad.

In fact I'm starting down that road myself, with six years to go to retire...

 

[georgia_home]

I got nothing specific for ya. between wife and I, her pinched nerves and my arthritis… it’s tough getting old.

they’re talking about some sort of op for her to widen the space and reduce pinch on mrs nerve. When they pinch it runs down her leg, left, and hurts. Hydro helps a little she says.

she does stretching which she also says helps a little. I take her word for it.

I mention the following, not related to surgery, but because it helps track the pain.

arthritis, I have developed and index of what kinda day ima gonna have . The bad word index (cleaned up for gon)

first time you stand up in the morning, you count…

one bad word
two bad words
three bad words…

ok! Back straight and relatively pain free. The index for today is 3! Bad words

use to be the index would be somewhere between a 2 and 3 bad words most days. A while back, it started hitting 4 or 5 some days. Last week, I probably hit about 50… just could not get straight for about a minute or three without some serious pain. And laying across the railing at the top of the stairs.

maybe stretching helps some. Finding “the right position” helps relieve some pressure. On the 50 morning, it took about another 30m to get things aligned to move reasonably.

finally back to a 3-4 index recently.

getting old is not for the weak or timid!

 

[hopper]

Back Surgery will have to be for when I absolutely can't move or stand the pain. I'm sure their may be many that say it helps but I've known many that wish they never would went down that road. Good luck what ever you choose.

 

[leroy]

I have never heard a single person say that getting back surgery was the best thing they ever did.

I have known a dozen guys that say they wish they'd never done it, and I see a lot of back issues at the railroad.

In fact I'm starting down that road myself, with six years to go to retire...

My mom had back surgery around 20 yrs ago and soon as she woke up in the room she said I can tell it's better now and never had much trouble afterwards.

 

[GeorgiaBob]

My wife has had two laminectomies, the second cost her two months in traction and six months "bed rest." Neither resolved her lower back pain or resolved the sciatica. What DID work was injections of some kind of numbing juice directly against the nerve sheath of her spinal cord. It was for us a last effort to postpone her getting her back fused. She walked out of the doctor's office completely pain free.

That was twenty five years ago. The first shot left her pain free (back pain) for over ten years. A second injection also worked very well for about seven more years. She has had a third injection and no repeat of the lower back pain or sciatic pains for the last eight years.

The shot won't work for everyone. I have a pair of damaged discs and a twisted vertebrae that occasionally gives me fits. The pain management guy agrees with the ortho guy - the shot will not do me any good long term. (Insert very sad face here.)

Before you schedule surgery, go see a pain management doc ( they are usually certified anesthesiologists with extra neuro and ortho training). Ask them if you are a candidate for that kind of treatment. It is absolutely faster, less expensive, and less time consuming than surgery. And if you try the shot and it doesn't work, it won't affect your ortho surgeon.

 

[georgiabound]

Have you thought about seeing a chiropractor? Check out 'ring dinger' on YT. Never know.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

I’ve been thru it, so has my wife. Step #1 is to make sure you are seeing a Neurologist, not an orthopedic. Back surgery is not the same as it was 20 years ago. Used to a guy had back surgery and his good times were pretty much over, a life of pills, more surgery, a cane or wheelchair. There are several things you can do to put off surgery, they work for some but not all people. Go to a chiropractor and see if he can give you relief. They helped me for several years, check out decompression therapy , it works for most. I bought my own inversion table, just laying on it for 2 minutes a day at a slight downward angle opens the joint and relieves a lot of pain. They also have artificial disc that can be implanted on some patients. That kept me off the surgery table for a couple more years.

I had degenerative discs (L4-L5-S1) and arthritis . When I found the right surgeon …..he told me he could help me. When I woke up I knew I was fixed. 12 years later and I still don’t even take an aspirin. 2 rods, 6 screws and 2 cages. The same surgeon operated on my wife twice and fixed her back, she is also pain free now. RR said it correctly, some wish they ever had it done, but as technology advances, the results improve. I would have my surgery again tonight if I needed it, so would my wife. Getting married, buying a house and back surgery are three huge decision’s in a man’s life. Try everything else first. Here’s a picture of my lower back, and I’m still pain free. It’s not near as strong as before, but that’s expected.

 

[basstrkr]

I had back surgery 7 years ago. I had no choice pain was High! Everybody's problem is different. My back pain now is minimal but my right foot and lower leg stings like its asleep. Surgery should be last resort.

When I have flare ups injections have helped. 7 day steroid packs have helped. Physical therapy has helped. Be careful taking any pain or inflamation meds daily as they are bad on kidneys.

A new thing I've been reading about is libation. Burning the nerves just to prevent pain.

 

[trad bow]

Everyone is different and have different results from treatment and surgery. Wait to long and you’ll have irreversible nerve damage. Sleep on your side with a pillow between my legs helps me sleep without having any pain but I’ve had multiple back surgeries and most of my pain is gone. Go to a physical therapist and get a program setup for yourself before you have any surgery as it will help you and if you have a surgery it will help you to recover quicker.

 

[Mars]

I've had 2 spinal surgeries, both in my neck. A couple years out from my last one and I can't say I've noticed a big improvement. I'm definitely no worse but it would be a stretch to say I'm alot better. Like others have said, try everything else first and make surgery the last resort.

Fusion at C6-C7 and artificial disc at C4-C5

 

[Redbow]

My Mom had back surgery years ago her pain got so bad she had no choice. Her results were not exactly pain free for the rest of her life but she could live with it. I have back pain as well I worked for the RR for 35 years and most guys that I worked with had or have the same issues. Many RR men had back surgery back in the days of my employment with them, some it helped some it didn't do much good. You decide.

 

[TJay]

I had a laminectomy a few years ago and it helped somewhat. I just had the procedure no "hardware" in my back. Sciatica started coming back and I started seeing a chiropractor again, he recommended a foam roller and some exercises to stretch the pira formis muscle in my butt. That has helped a lot. With the combination of all that I've done I am much better than I was.

 

[pjciii]

Epidural on each side of spine next to sciatic nerve has worked best for me vs surgery which would not guarantee pain free.
Have herniated disk between L4 and L5. Several years of dealing with this. But it has somewhat healed as long as I don't get stupid with my movements. I just don't work as long in the yard. Limited activities if I can't be sure of my footing. I have worked up to a year between Epidurals.

I refuse to undergo a surgery that does not guarantee a better outcome and can even make it worse.

 

[flynlow]

I’ve been thru it, so has my wife. Step #1 is to make sure you are seeing a Neurologist, not an orthopedic. Back surgery is not the same as it was 20 years ago. Used to a guy had back surgery and his good times were pretty much over, a life of pills, more surgery, a cane or wheelchair. There are several things you can do to put off surgery, they work for some but not all people. Go to a chiropractor and see if he can give you relief. They helped me for several years, check out decompression therapy , it works for most. I bought my own inversion table, just laying on it for 2 minutes a day at a slight downward angle opens the joint and relieves a lot of pain. They also have artificial disc that can be implanted on some patients. That kept me off the surgery table for a couple more years.

I had degenerative discs (L4-L5-S1) and arthritis . When I found the right surgeon …..he told me he could help me. When I woke up I knew I was fixed. 12 years later and I still don’t even take an aspirin. 2 rods, 6 screws and 2 cages. The same surgeon operated on my wife twice and fixed her back, she is also pain free now. RR said it correctly, some wish they ever had it done, but as technology advances, the results improve. I would have my surgery again tonight if I needed it, so would my wife. Getting married, buying a house and back surgery are three huge decision’s in a man’s life. Try everything else first. Here’s a picture of my lower back, and I’m still pain free. It’s not near as strong as before, but that’s expected.View attachment 1302679

Best advice right here. See a Neurosurgeon, not a orthosurgeon. I had almost identical surgery as you hillbilly except mine was L3, L4, L5, S1 all tied together with rods/screws in a cage configuration same as you. At the time, I was facing permanent nerve damage and possible wheelchair confinement eventually. The pain was so bad I didn't care what they did. That was almost 11 years ago and while I am not pain free, I am working and living a mostly normal life with the exception of lifting heavy objects. Good luck to the OP. Oh, and my doctor was none other than Dr. Peter Holliday in Macon. At the time he was ranked #2 in the state behind some other doctor in Columbus. Do your research in advance!

 

[hunter44a]

Wow such a wealth of information here! Thanks guys!
Ive had the nerve"burning" thing partially done but stopped it cuz them Drs were crooks. Ran up my insurance to 90k.
Im currently doing therapy and it did help some but I still get bouts of severe pain and the pain killers just aint working.
Judging from the MRI pics and the report I have SEVERE nerve compression and it'll really light me up if I make a wrong move.
I'd l Iike to make my decision before its too late and I miss deer season. That right there might actually kill me lol.

 

[hunter44a]

My wife has had two laminectomies, the second cost her two months in traction and six months "bed rest." Neither resolved her lower back pain or resolved the sciatica. What DID work was injections of some kind of numbing juice directly against the nerve sheath of her spinal cord. It was for us a last effort to postpone her getting her back fused. She walked out of the doctor's office completely pain free.

That was twenty five years ago. The first shot left her pain free (back pain) for over ten years. A second injection also worked very well for about seven more years. She has had a third injection and no repeat of the lower back pain or sciatic pains for the last eight years.

The shot won't work for everyone. I have a pair of damaged discs and a twisted vertebrae that occasionally gives me fits. The pain management guy agrees with the ortho guy - the shot will not do me any good long term. (Insert very sad face here.)

Before you schedule surgery, go see a pain management doc ( they are usually certified anesthesiologists with extra neuro and ortho training). Ask them if you are a candidate for that kind of treatment. It is absolutely faster, less expensive, and less time consuming than surgery. And if you try the shot and it doesn't work, it won't affect your ortho surgeon.

My pain management guy agrees with the Drs that Ill probably need surgery

 

[hunter44a]

Have you thought about seeing a chiropractor? Check out 'ring dinger' on YT. Never know.

Yes, I have and sometimes it helps sometimes its worse.

 

[poohbear]

Well my take on this matter is my wife just went through this and we have had one hellish year she spent a year laying on the sofa with leg on the back of sofa . Was the only place to get relief if she got up to go to bathroom she would be in tears. We would go to emergency room and they would treat us like pill poppers and send us home. We finally got in with neuro surgeon in Athens he performed 2 surgeries with no relief and basically said go to pain clinic that was all he could do. Wife didn’t want to except this so we heard of a great surgeon in gainsville so we seeked her out. It took us a while to get in to see her but she said my wife would need 2 more surgeries one from the front and then next day from the back to fix her problem. My wife agreed to this took us another couple months to get through schedule but when it was done she is pain free. She definitely was a God send. If any one wants to look her up her name is Dr. Betsy Grunch she is in gainsville Ga. And she is Board certified very important. She also has videos on YouTube under ladyspinedoc. She cuts up on some of these videos having fun and you would think she’s not much of a doctor but I asure you she is Top notch. She has patients come to her from all over the country. But one thing we learned in this ordeal is your dr. Needs to be Board Certified and all of them are not. Our first one was not. They have to do 125 or so surgeries with high success rate and maintain that to be certified. Pray all find a pain relief soon.

 

[mrs. hornet22]

My son had back surgery a few years ago. He his now off of all pain meds.