Life Anyone ever had an epidural steroid injection? - Page 3

**OnTheWarpath15** · 10-11-2011, 10:33 AM

I have two degenerative and bulging disks between L4-L5-S1 in my back that is causing significant sciatic nerve pain down my left leg. I've been going to PT for 3 weeks with no relief. Doc says this is the next step.

Anyone had this done and care to share their experience?

TIA.

**OnTheWarpath15** · 10-11-2011, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Damn dude, that sucks. How has this impacted your golf game?

I have a fair amount of sciatica, but it's actually due to inflammation in my left sacroiliac (hip) joint. Docs diagnosed me w/ piriformis syndrome and gave me a bunch of stretches to do, which has helped a little.

My personal experience with a decade of back pain has taught me that you can't stretch your psoas and quadratus lumborum enough. YMMV.

Golf game?

Haven't played since June.

'Hamas' Jenkins · 10-11-2011, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aturnis

I'm having a lot of problems with my sciatic nerve right now also. Really started Saturday, and I've been pretty well crippled since. Went to my Chiro, and they adjusted me(this was last Thursday, before my crippling) and I felt fine, then out of nowhere boom, crippled. Then when to work yesterday, grin and bear it, try to get into my chiro again, but only one guy in have to wait 'til today. Went to an urgent care last night, and got muscle relaxers and pain meds, neither of which have afforded me any relief as of yet. Took today off, and go to the chiro at 2:20pm. Hope they can do something for me...

I've had chronic lower back problems since highschool, so 10-12 years, and have mostly tolerated the constant dull achy pain.

Question for you guys with the same problems. Does this affect the way you feel as a whole? I'm asking b/c I come home most every night and have pain in all of my joints. Mostly my ankles, wrists and neck to go along with my back. The knees and elbows too, but their less noticeable. Will getting my back, back in wack, help with these problems?

Has not for me. Pain in multiple joints all over sounds like a warning sign for rheumatoid arthritis. You should probably talk to a doctor about that.

aturnis · 10-11-2011, 11:17 AM

WilliamTheIrish · 10-11-2011, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Damn dude, that sucks. How has this impacted your golf game?

I have a fair amount of sciatica, but it's actually due to inflammation in my left sacroiliac (hip) joint. Docs diagnosed me w/ piriformis syndrome and gave me a bunch of stretches to do, which has helped a little.

My personal experience with a decade of back pain has taught me that you can't stretch your psoas and quadratus lumborum enough. YMMV.

**** in-A. The psoas muscle originates deep in the L1-L5 spinal column. When that muscle gets tightened down it causes an absurd amount of pain.

**OnTheWarpath15** · 10-11-2011, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Have you ever considered seeing an Osteopath? Particularly if you don't want to go the surgical route, they can provide PT exercises, write you prescriptions for pain meds, but they can also manipulate joints if they are also out of whack, plus they are actually doctors.

Saw an OSS, who diagnosed the bulging/degeneration via MRI. Seeing a PT'ist now who specializes in spinal injury. I'm getting everything I'd get from a Osteopath, minus the drugs. Prefer not to take them. I'll occasionally pop a Hydrocodone and muscle relaxer (leftovers from knee surgery) before bed on bad days just to get a good night's sleep.

Otherwise, I'm just trying to deal with the pain. Some days are better than others.

KCUnited · 10-11-2011, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aturnis

I'm having a lot of problems with my sciatic nerve right now also. Really started Saturday, and I've been pretty well crippled since. Went to my Chiro, and they adjusted me(this was last Thursday, before my crippling) and I felt fine, then out of nowhere boom, crippled. Then when to work yesterday, grin and bear it, try to get into my chiro again, but only one guy in have to wait 'til today. Went to an urgent care last night, and got muscle relaxers and pain meds, neither of which have afforded me any relief as of yet. Took today off, and go to the chiro at 2:20pm. Hope they can do something for me...

I've had chronic lower back problems since highschool, so 10-12 years, and have mostly tolerated the constant dull achy pain.

Question for you guys with the same problems. Does this affect the way you feel as a whole? I'm asking b/c I come home most every night and have pain in all of my joints. Mostly my ankles, wrists and neck to go along with my back. The knees and elbows too, but their less noticeable. Will getting my back, back in wack, help with these problems?

You might a chat with your doc regarding arthritis. There are types of arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis being one of them, that are housed in your spine that distribute arthritic pain to various points of the body, shoulders, knees, low back, neck. It can also fuse your SI joints.

FAX · 10-11-2011, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aturnis

I'm having a lot of problems with my sciatic nerve right now also. Really started Saturday, and I've been pretty well crippled since. Went to my Chiro, and they adjusted me(this was last Thursday, before my crippling) and I felt fine, then out of nowhere boom, crippled. Then when to work yesterday, grin and bear it, try to get into my chiro again, but only one guy in have to wait 'til today. Went to an urgent care last night, and got muscle relaxers and pain meds, neither of which have afforded me any relief as of yet. Took today off, and go to the chiro at 2:20pm. Hope they can do something for me...

I've had chronic lower back problems since highschool, so 10-12 years, and have mostly tolerated the constant dull achy pain.

Question for you guys with the same problems. Does this affect the way you feel as a whole? I'm asking b/c I come home most every night and have pain in all of my joints. Mostly my ankles, wrists and neck to go along with my back. The knees and elbows too, but their less noticeable. Will getting my back, back in wack, help with these problems?

After the car accident (which wasn't my fault, by the way), I didn't feel bad or different at all for a long time. As time wore on, though, the back started aching. Then, I noticed strange symptoms in my legs and shoulders ... occasional numbness, tingling, shooting pain, etc.

Then, all hell broke loose as the back deteriorated further ... unreal pain, no sleep, couldn't sit, couldn't stand. That's when I finally discovered that my back was broken.

I think it's different with every person, frankly ... symptom-wise, I mean. I will say this; I had an employee (young guy) who used to complain about back pain all the friggin' time. I even bought him a special chair to try and quiet him down. At the time, I thought, "Back pain. Pshaw and Patooie. What a pussy." ... I don't think that anymore.

FAX

aturnis · 10-11-2011, 11:20 AM

Sucks that I am generally not a "whiner" and just deal with it, and I have an unsympathetic fiance who doesn't understand the way I feel every night when I get home from work. Not to mention today I'm getting calls asking what I'm doing, which is nothing of course and she's pissy about it. I had to remind her that I had to call her for help getting from the couch to bed last night(a call she didn't hear), I have trouble getting out of bed, or picking up my boy, but I do it all anyway. Then, I can't even get the pizza I cooked for lunch out of the stove. Man, wish she could just feel the pain for one day, not just the back, but the joint pain also.

FAX · 10-11-2011, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aturnis

Sucks that I am generally not a "whiner" and just deal with it, and I have an unsympathetic fiance who doesn't understand the way I feel every night when I get home from work. Not to mention today I'm getting calls asking what I'm doing, which is nothing of course and she's pissy about it. I had to remind her that I had to call her for help getting from the couch to bed last night(a call she didn't hear), I have trouble getting out of bed, or picking up my boy, but I do it all anyway. Then, I can't even get the pizza I cooked for lunch out of the stove. Man, wish she could just feel the pain for one day, not just the back, but the joint pain also.

Your fiance needs an education. Take her to the doctor with you and let him explain that what you're experiencing is no joke.

FAX

**luv** · 10-11-2011, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

I have two degenerative and bulging disks between L4-L5-S1 in my back that is causing significant sciatic nerve pain down my left leg. I've been going to PT for 3 weeks with no relief. Doc says this is the next step.

Anyone had this done and care to share their experience?

TIA.

Mine was the exact same thing, only my pain was shooting down my right leg instead of my left. I did the decompression therapy, which helped very little. I was scheduled for three ESI's. Doc said that each dose was slightly more than the one before. He said that I should stop after any that completely helped my back. I ended up only needing two. I opted for the sedation. I actually slept through the first one. I was awake for the second one, but didn't feel a thing.

Brock · 10-11-2011, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aturnis

Sucks that I am generally not a "whiner" and just deal with it, and I have an unsympathetic fiance who doesn't understand the way I feel every night when I get home from work. Not to mention today I'm getting calls asking what I'm doing, which is nothing of course and she's pissy about it. I had to remind her that I had to call her for help getting from the couch to bed last night(a call she didn't hear), I have trouble getting out of bed, or picking up my boy, but I do it all anyway. Then, I can't even get the pizza I cooked for lunch out of the stove. Man, wish she could just feel the pain for one day, not just the back, but the joint pain also.

She sounds like a real catch.

**OnTheWarpath15** · 10-11-2011, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FAX

Your fiance needs an education. Take her to the doctor with you and let him explain that what you're experiencing is no joke.

FAX

This.

My wife knows me well enough that if I'm complaining about pain, I'm pretty miserable.

But when she saw the MRI, any doubts she had were erased.

aturnis · 10-11-2011, 11:30 AM

So who do I go see? Where do I start? I don't have a family practitioner b/c I don't generally care for docs. Most I've dealt with shove me out the door with a pill. Not what I want to say the least.

Do I start at a family doctor or can I bypass him and go directly to a specialist? If I can bypass, will my insurance cover it without a recommendation? I live 30 minutes from the U of I and would really prefer to be there, I just get a better feeling from that place than I do from a general doctor here in Cedar Rapids. Don't know why.

I guess I've always thought a doctor should listen to what I tell them, then to everything they can to solve the mystery of what ails me. Never had that treatment though. Your advice is MUCH appreciated. It would be great to feel great when I get home from the daily grind. I've got a 1 yr. old boy, and want to be a big, active part of his life, and teach him that's it's not okay to just sit and fester your life away. So being active myself seems like the first step of course. Nothing more important to me than being a good dad, I know I can do it with the pain the same way I always have(grin and bear it), but it sure would be easier to be active without all the pain.

**luv** · 10-11-2011, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

This.

My wife knows me well enough that if I'm complaining about pain, I'm pretty miserable.

But when she saw the MRI, any doubts she had were erased.

My mom went to my MRI with me. Mostly because I'd never gotten one. She had, and I didn't want to wait by myself...lol.

Back pain is no joke. And it can happen to anyone. Also, no one truly understands it until they experience it. It was the most disabilitating (sp?) thing I've ever experienced. Some mornings, I could hardly get out of bed, bend over to put pants on, and forget socks or tying my shoes.

FAX · 10-11-2011, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aturnis

So who do I go see? Where do I start? I don't have a family practitioner b/c I don't generally care for docs. Most I've dealt with shove me out the door with a pill. Not what I want to say the least.

Do I start at a family doctor or can I bypass him and go directly to a specialist? If I can bypass, will my insurance cover it without a recommendation? I live 30 minutes from the U of I and would really prefer to be there, I just get a better feeling from that place than I do from a general doctor here in Cedar Rapids. Don't know why.

I guess I've always thought a doctor should listen to what I tell them, then to everything they can to solve the mystery of what ails me. Never had that treatment though. Your advice is MUCH appreciated. It would be great to feel great when I get home from the daily grind. I've got a 1 yr. old boy, and want to be a big, active part of his life, and teach him that's it's not okay to just sit and fester your life away. So being active myself seems like the first step of course. Nothing more important to me than being a good dad, I know I can do it with the pain the same way I always have(grin and bear it), but it sure would be easier to be active without all the pain.

Who is your insurance carrier?

FAX

10-11-2011, 10:33 AM
OnTheWarpath15 MVP Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $4881115	Anyone ever had an epidural steroid injection? I have two degenerative and bulging disks between L4-L5-S1 in my back that is causing significant sciatic nerve pain down my left leg. I've been going to PT for 3 weeks with no relief. Doc says this is the next step. Anyone had this done and care to share their experience? TIA.
Posts: 60,265

10-11-2011, 11:17 AM	#33
aturnis MVP Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Iowa Casino cash: $9975811	FML.
Posts: 13,873

10-11-2011, 11:20 AM	#38
aturnis MVP Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Iowa Casino cash: $9975811	Sucks that I am generally not a "whiner" and just deal with it, and I have an unsympathetic fiance who doesn't understand the way I feel every night when I get home from work. Not to mention today I'm getting calls asking what I'm doing, which is nothing of course and she's pissy about it. I had to remind her that I had to call her for help getting from the couch to bed last night(a call she didn't hear), I have trouble getting out of bed, or picking up my boy, but I do it all anyway. Then, I can't even get the pizza I cooked for lunch out of the stove. Man, wish she could just feel the pain for one day, not just the back, but the joint pain also.
Posts: 13,873

10-11-2011, 11:30 AM	#43
aturnis MVP Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Iowa Casino cash: $9975811	So who do I go see? Where do I start? I don't have a family practitioner b/c I don't generally care for docs. Most I've dealt with shove me out the door with a pill. Not what I want to say the least. Do I start at a family doctor or can I bypass him and go directly to a specialist? If I can bypass, will my insurance cover it without a recommendation? I live 30 minutes from the U of I and would really prefer to be there, I just get a better feeling from that place than I do from a general doctor here in Cedar Rapids. Don't know why. I guess I've always thought a doctor should listen to what I tell them, then to everything they can to solve the mystery of what ails me. Never had that treatment though. Your advice is MUCH appreciated. It would be great to feel great when I get home from the daily grind. I've got a 1 yr. old boy, and want to be a big, active part of his life, and teach him that's it's not okay to just sit and fester your life away. So being active myself seems like the first step of course. Nothing more important to me than being a good dad, I know I can do it with the pain the same way I always have(grin and bear it), but it sure would be easier to be active without all the pain.
Posts: 13,873