2Months Post-op L5/S1 Fusion Nerve Issues

[cls]

Karin,
I don't know how you get through a whole day of work. I simply cannot sit for more than an hour without pain. Next week I will be 3 months post-op and it seems like I am about a month behind everyone else who has had L5/S1 fusions. My pain is no where near my incision it is lower back and bum. I think I have a big problem with inflammation as my lower back muscles are tender to the touch. I think I will just have to wait this out and continue with Advil, icing and PT. I am so sorry about your incision site pain. I know what that is like with two previous surgeries. It took me a whole year before those nerves calmed down/regenerated. I sure hope this will not be the case for you. I know it is unpleasant but my previous PT said to gently massage this area to keep the scar tissue from forming plus it gets your nerves used to touch and then your jeans, etc. will not bother you as much. When is your big move day? You must be excited to leave the cold NE? If you can't get a workout in at home then at least go for a walk after work. As tired as you must be it will reinvigorate you

[Nairek]

CLS,

I won't lie, some days are better than others. It has been very rainy in NY for the past 2 weeks. I don't usually do well when it rains since the surgery. Weird thing was that I was hurting this morning & the sun was out. I guess there's no rhyme or reason sometimes.

I'm sorry to hear that you are still dealing with so much pain & discomfort. You mention how your lower back muscles are tender to the touch. I STILL have that problem. I've had that for well over 10 years now. As time has passed it has gotten progressively worse. I wish I knew the cause of this. I had prayed that the surgery would end it & am sad that it hasn't. Unfortunately OTC pain relievers don't work for me anymore. I've built up a tolerance due to 20 years of migraines

I'll try massaging the incision site to see if this helps the nerves. I don't think it would hurt to see if it helps ease my pain at this point.

We are looking to move at the end of June. We are pretty excited & I am of course nervous about moving away from my doctors so soon after surgery. I have to see if I can get referrals to doctors in SW Florida. The interesting part will be seeing who will accept NYS Worker's Comp as payment.

It may seem that you are not healing as quickly as you would like. I know that you know this, each person heals at a different rate. Some faster than others. I think a lot of it depends on how bad things were before the surgery. If I recall correctly, you had more severe issues than I did. This may be why you are recovering more slowly.

I've been told that it takes time to heal. I'm impatient. I want results now, not later LOL. It will all work out. If it means that it will take a little longer, then so be it. Just hang in there. We'll get thru the tough times!

[Michelle Maree]

YES!!!! The elliptical trainer had a lot to do with my flare up that never ended. I guess my disc or facets werent healthy enough to handle the force or something. But i will not use another one as long as I live......God i miss the Gym though

[cls]

In just the last two weeks I have noticed some very nice improvements in my nerve pain and leg weakness. My right leg has significantly improved and I am now cane free! My activity level has increased dramatically but along with this I still get episodes of numbness and and nerve pain. The nerve pain and numbness comes on at the end of the day or an hour after a long walk or after sitting or standing for too long. The first few hours of each day are generally pain free and without nerve flare ups. I'm hoping that as I progress through the healing process, I will have fewer episodes of nerve issues.

[dshobbies]

CLS,

You have every reason to believe your nerve pain will just get better and better. What did your doctor say?

BTW, B vitamins, esp B12 are beneficial with nerve issues.

My fingers are crossed, Dale

[Eastex]

It seems we are going through the same nerve issues! I started a new thread about this issue before I read this. I hope everything is steadily getting better for you.