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iSpine Discuss Post-rhizotomy pain? in the Main forums forums; Originally Posted by henry4956 I had a rhizotomy in Nov 2011, a few months after my awful low back pain ... |
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I'm really happy for you, nonetheless. I'm scheduled for my first medial nerve block (as a diagnostic indicator for lumbar rhizotomy) in two weeks. I'm investing a lot of anticipatory emotion in this. My four-year-old MRI showed mild to moderate facet disease at multiple levels, the worst of which was between L4-L5, so the preliminary diagnosis would seem to indicate the procedure. I can't imagine why it would NOT work.....but I've been wrong before. |
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Lance, welcome to the forum.
You said that your four year-old MRI shows...... Do you have more current imaging? I'd be cautious about moving towards procedures that destroy tissue or ablate nerves without having an updated look at how things are now. Does your pain syndrome present with mostly facet type issues? All the best, Mark
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1997 MVA 2000 L4-5 Microdiscectomy/laminotomy 2001 L5-S1 Micro-d/lami 2002 L4-S1 Charite' ADR - SUCCESS! 2009 C3-C4, C5-C6-C7, T1-T2 ProDisc-C Nova Summer 2009, more bad thoracic discs! Life After Surgery Website President: Global Patient Network, Inc. Founder: www.iSpine.org |
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Yes, the MRI is my most recent imaging. I had a CT scan a year or two before that which diagnosed osteophytosis in the lumbar spine. Also, the MRI identified some central canal stenosis at L4-L5. My pain is in the lower left lumbar and is most acute when bending forward and reaching toward my feet and exceeding a specific range of motion. In fact, it was a similar motion eight or nine years ago that was the precipitating incident of my current problems, although I had had some prior symptoms that I now realize were preliminary evidence of a developing chronic lumbar issue(s). Apart from the range of motion issue, a dull, aching pain is present upon a very few minutes of standing or walking which becomes unbearable after twenty-minutes or so. This duration can be extended somewhat by wearing a compression belt. My pain is usually fully mitigated upon sitting down. I have no referred pain in the buttocks or down the sciatic nerve. Two neurosurgeons (the most recent being a year ago) have declined me as a surgical candidate. I was hoping my problems could be addressed by a mechanical interspinuous spacer, like the X-stop, but I guess not. Epidural series and four different rounds of PT and two chiropractors have been to no avail. The procedure I'll have on the 21st is a diagnostic medial nerve block on both sides of the lumbar spine and at multiple levels to see if, and to what extent, the pain is reduced by anesthesia and thus indicative of a successful ablation at a follow-up appointment. I don't know how to distinguish my pain from a facet vs. stenosis origin, but I suppose if I walk around with a "numbed up lumbar" for four or five hours and still have the same physiological demand to sit my butt down after twenty minutes we'll know that the facet joints are not my primary problem. And if that happens, I'll be one sad, depressed puppy because I don't know what we do after that. |
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Lance, ive been a back pain sufferer for many years.
I also have that constant dull ache in my lower right side through L4-S1. Long story short i had a successful facet joint block right side only at L4-L5 and L5-S1. Relief was instant and lasted almost 3 weeks. I just called to have my second set of shots. If these work also, i'll schedule the ablation. I have moderate arthritis at L4-L5 right side.
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43 yrs old 1995-Hurt LB at work 1996-MRI Right disc fragment L4-L5 had discectomy On/off back pain, no serious leg pain till 2007 2007-MRI Right herniation L5-S1, recurrent small herniation at L4-L5 Leg pain unbearable 2008-June had discectomy L5-S1 Cymbalta 60 mg since 2012, occasional aleve, refuse opiates Present-LB pain not debilitating but chronic, muscles always tight/stiff, back burns while sitting, better standing, exercising and always moving helps Last edited by pittpete; 07-07-2014 at 10:00 PM. |
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Reporting back in after diagnostic bilateral medial nerve blocks (S1-L3).
Relief was immediate and dramatic upon leaving physicians office. Range of motion did not seem to improve substantially, but I attribute much of that to lack of exercise due to the presence of pain. I believe that to be somewhat reversible if upcoming rhizotomy is effective. Most notable was the increased stamina for walking and standing. Did a mall walk and window shop of at least 25-30 minutes without batting an eye. I could also squat down to pick up dropped objects rather easily and quickly. Previously, I had to stand there and plot out a strategy for descent and ascent. Anesthetic lasted about 24 hours, and then I turned back into a pumpkin. But it was a very, very good day. Rhizotomy scheduled for first week in September. I am extremely excited. |
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Reporting back five weeks post lumbar rhizotomy performed on Sep. 3 and 4.
Results have been rather disappointing compared to what I experienced immediately following the medial nerve block diagnostic procedure. Whereas the nerve block resulted in immediate relief in the range of 80% to 90% pain reduction, the rhizotomy procedure itself has so far been effective only to about 50% at most -- probably less, to be honest. I'd like to maintain some degree of optimism, but everything I've read online indicates I am already at the post-op point where increasing passage of time would be expected to produce less, if any, improvement. If that turns out to be the case, I'm not sure what options I would realistically have for the future. Any ideas? |
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