Spinal Injections

[tooboocoo]

My spine Doc gave me the choice of surgery (not happening) or Selective Nerve Root Block (SNRB) injections.  Anybody have any experience with these?  Did they work?

[geneinnc]

Both. If your insurance pays all, go for the epidural. Im talking fluro dye under x ray injection done by a Pain Management clinic, not an orthopedic dr.

It helped me, but not at 300 copay every 3 months.

I had to do neck surgery. Neck had 3 vertebrae smashed flat. I couldn't use my left arm.

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[Mike Cork]

I've had a lot of back work done, several fused discs, lots of injections and a couple of nerve burns. Do the injections work, yes, it's a matter of how long. I always have immediate relief, but that's because they use a numbing agent before they start in with the steroids and other cocktails. So for a day or two, I always feel amazing. They take away the pain in my legs and back. However, sometimes they only last as long as the numbing agent. Most times I get the pain back in my legs rather quickly but it's to what level. Sometimes it's livable and I can stay off the cane, sometimes it's not and I don't get to put the cane down until we try again in three months.

The question of whether to have surgery or not is totally up to you, but make sure you're completely informed before you say no. There are several different surgeries, some of them relatively minor. While any surgery is intrusive there are through the stomach procedures that are very helpful. Everyone I know that has had a procedure through the gut, has been back to work in two weeks. Some doing military pt within a month.

When I'm asked if I would do my surgeries again I reply that it's not a fair question. My first surgery was about 15 years ago, I've had three more since. As with anything in the medical fields, technology advances very fast and the spine is no different, maybe even advancing faster than most things. The back is one of the highest causes of lost work, disability claims, and drug seekers. Finding ways to fix the back will solve all the worlds problems, well maybe not but back nerves get their fair share of research dollars. So would I do the first surgery again? Probably, it was just a blown disk and they tried to shave it and reduce it enough so it wouldn't touch the nerve anymore. Discectomies are really pretty common now and becoming very successful. Now if you're having stenosis problems, again it might be okay to have the surgery. After all my experience with surgeries, I tell people to find out how big will the hole be that he needs to cut. The more muscle tissue they have to cut through, the more difficult the recovery and the more likely there will be scar tissue.

Lots to look at, but definitely do the injections first. How much pain relief you get, how long it lasts, and if the injections cause any changes in pain location are all things that will help you determine what a surgeon might do.

Sorry for the long answer, but it's not cut and dry and when people say surgery is absolutely out I like to point out that information is key and there are a lot of advancements in the last few years that should be researched. 

[tooboocoo]

My pain doesn't travel down my legs so they say that the epidural injections wouldn't help much.  These
SNRB injections are suppose to be more suited to my pain.
I have severe stenosis and a condition called "flat back syndrome".  Surgery would involve 2 surgeons, two anesthesiologists, 8-10 hours in the OR  and a ton of hardware.  And would require an incision from T4 to L5.  After 6 weeks I'd have to go back for a second round of surgery. 
I'm just getting back to normal from a cancer surgery last September.  At 69, no more surgery for me.
I think I will go ahead with the injections and hope for the best.  Thanks for your replies.

[Mike Cork]

I'll admit I have no experience with flat back syndrome, never heard of it until just now.

Wouldn't expect all that surgery for pain traveling into your legs, I reckon you have a lot more going on than I've ever had. I've had leg pain and numbness for 15 years and never have I been cut from my thoracic levels to my Lumbar.

I'd definitely wait on a surgery like that, but if the injections don't work then you have to decide if you want to hurt the rest of your life. I've got all kinds of disc disease, stenosis, burrs, and hardware; when the pain gets bad enough I go for the injections, but I promise when it stops helping I won't hesitate to let them dig in again.

Like I mentioned in the early post I've had all the different injections and they are just fancy names on how serious they want to get. The SNRB is actually one of the more painful, they stick the needle in and poke around and when they hit the nerve that you tell them is the right one they hit it with the medication. However, it doesn't hold a candle to the nerve burn, that one hurt so bad it made me pass out. Of course, they wake you up and tell you to stay awake so they know they are burning the correct nerve.

Please keep us posted on how it helps you and what your overall opinion is of the procedure.

[Oldfart9999]

I'm having another bout of trouble with my back, it started with pain in my right hip, saw the Doc, had the x-rays and twisting and what not, it was coming from my back. The Doc gave me a scrip for therapy, the therapist asked me a bunch of questions and do some movements, she thought it might be stenosis, she had me bend back and I almost passed out. I have 3 exercises to do twice a day to start, their stretching, only 11 more weeks to go. I'm hoping this takes care of it but I've done this over the last 13 years for degenerative disc disease and that's becoming less effective, both diagnoses came at the same time, I'm beginning to think it may be a slice and dice situation, at 73, I'm really getting tired of the pain and the Doc says surgery, it'll be surgery, it's helped my shoulders when therapy stopped working so I'm comfortable with it, don't like it but am comfortable with it, they've made great progress over the years.
Rodney

[Deadeye]

Back issues run in my Family. At age 80 my Mom decided she had dealt with it enough and had surgery done. That started her journey of just about every 2 years needing another surgery, as the area above where they fused now was bad. The last one left her unable to walk.

She has now at age 88 in December had to move into an Assisted Living Center and uses a Walker or Wheelchair depending on how she feels.

Me? Well mine started years ago but age age 50 my back pain got so bad I couldn't walk or stand anymore. I saw Chiropractors, Family Dr, and a Neurosurgeon. The Neuro told me and I quote "I do Back Surgery and I won't have Back Surgery until I've lost control of my bodily functions, I'm peeing on myself, and I can't walk."

Instead he sent me to a Pain Management Specialist and through the use of Pills, Nerve Injections, Nerve Burnings, and Therapy I was back to being able to walk again in about 6 months and have been able to keep living a good life the last 5-6 years.

It took getting Injections Once a Week for 3 Weeks before I felt any relief but when it hit I felt like a new man. I usually get them about every 3 months now and they are still working.

I did have to have my Neurosurgeon do a surgery on my Neck when the Arthritis got so bad in it I couldn't turn my head to the left anymore and was using the use of my left arm. Been 2 years and I'm starting to feel some issues returning with it.

Each person needs to make their own decision. For Me I'm following my Surgeons advice. I won't do any back surgery until I have any other choice.