3 Level Disc Replacement in Germany and Still in Pain

jamie5136 · #1 (**permalink**) 12-14-2009, 10:56 PM

That is the 64,000 question. I just did your test and felt the glutes stretch, but it actually felt good to stretch like that, so my guess is that it is not the piriformis muscle. I oddly enough found an illustration of a nude woman from behind, brought that into a design program and circled the pain and where it was radiating, but I have not heard back from Dr. B. So, the only way I can describe it is as follows: Image where the tushie crack starts and go up about 3-4 inches or so. That is the main source of pain. That radiates into my buttocks, but rarely, if ever, in my legs. So, when I sit or put any pressure on that part or just sitting, it burns like fire and aches. I end of having to adjust myself by putting one leg under the other and sitting on my legs throughout the day. Even laying in bed with my knees up hurts because this is putting direct pressure on that spot. Dr. Gill and one MRI nurse said, "This is your lower back." So, I assume this means L5-S1. I had this pain before, but this surgery made it much worse, so I have to conclude that I had a pre-existing condition and that the discs did not help the sitting pain; it only aggravated it and it is not getting better. Sometimes it "feels" as though it is my tailbone, or around that area, but x-rays show it is not broken, so Dr. Gill in Dallas said it was not my tailbone. So, I am lost. My thought is that because I grew about 1/2 inch or so that my spine elongated and is pinched or impinging or pressing some type of nerve or joint. Does that make sense. My father seems to think that it is inflammation, like osteo arthritis and that the elongating of my spine could have caused a stress fracture, making it worse; I don't know. Obviously the surgery made it worse. The opinons or guesses I get are plentiful. I am going to get an EMG test here soon. Maybe that will help. Oh, I found that Stance chair, but it is 500.00 just for shipping! I wish I could catch a break sometimes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wilsonrob

Where exactly is your pain? Could it be piriformis syndrome?

dshobbies · #2 (**permalink**) 12-15-2009, 06:11 PM

I agree with Rob, that piriformis syndrome should also be investigated. My thinking, that you experience this same pain while lying with your knees up which puts very little pressure on your tailbone, says alot. It sounds like something is being stretched that doesn't want to stretch.

wilsonrob · #3 (**permalink**) 12-15-2009, 06:37 PM

1 of 3 things?

piriformis
SI joint
L5 or S1 nerve

Pain management should be able to diagnosis with injections or RF treatment.

If no leg pain it might be SI joint?

jamie5136 · #4 (**permalink**) 12-15-2009, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wilsonrob

1 of 3 things?

piriformis
SI joint
L5 or S1 nerve

Pain management should be able to diagnosis with injections or RF treatment.

If no leg pain it might be SI joint?

No pain managment doctor has mentioned anything other than it "could" be the Si joint. It feels like the L5S1 nerve, but I don't know what that is. I get an injection tomorrow in the S1 joint and the doctor does do RF if needed on the ganglion impar, but can RF be done on the S1 joint?

wilsonrob · #5 (**permalink**) 12-15-2009, 08:49 PM

yes. When they do the RF they should do the SI joint. Make sure they do if needed.

jamie5136 · #6 (**permalink**) 12-16-2009, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wilsonrob

yes. When they do the RF they should do the SI joint. Make sure they do if needed.

Well, I will see if the SI joint injection even helps tomorrow. If it does not, he might not do the RF. I don't know.

Maria · #7 (**permalink**) 12-17-2009, 06:45 PM

Jamie,
Hope you get some relief w/the injection and/or the pm will continue to try and figure out what the pain generator(s) is/are.

I was thinking about a work station I saw somewhere in a magazine a while back. It was a treadmill with a computerized workstation and I think that could easy enough to set up for yourself if you thought that might be helpful.

I had bought a great treadmill back when I was having the worse prob and wanted to walk inside and paid around $600 for it and it would have been easy to set a laptop up at it (don't know what it would take to connect it to a network).

My husband works setting up networks (LAN?/other?) I'm not really that into it just know that's his biz on the side or part of it at least for small companies and various private clientele. You and others here may know much more about this than me. I don't really have the aptitude for this type of thing.