Nerve block....

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inkjunkie

inkjunkie

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Anybody have, or know someone that had one done? With the pain ramping up dramatically in my back I am thinking about talking to my doc about it.
 
Only a temporary relief from the pain. I had two 10 years a go and they lasted maybe 2 weeks.
 
I THINK it is like a epidural sorta. I know it's temporary. I had a friend that had one and it didn't work at all, but they give them a lot so they must work for some folks.
 
I had quite a few of them years ago. I was in a car wreck in 1988 when a car ran a red light and t-boned me. Needless to say my GLH Turbo didn't do too well against a Cordoba doing 40 mph. The cop at the scene told me when I told him I was ok that in the morning I would feel it...and I did then the back started acting up a few weeks later. After finding a good specialist I had 2-3 injections a year until 1998 when the injections quit working then the dr. said it was time for surgery. They worked for me for almost 10 years until I had to have my back operated on.
 
My Wife has had 6 spinal surgeries. She holds off as long as she can then gets the blocks.Sometimes it lasts 4 or 5 months sometimes 2 or 3 weeks. She says any relief is better than none.
 
This is something I don't know anything about Doug, but our thoughts are with you for a good solution to your pain.
 
I would try acupressure first. It is done at similar points to acupuncture, but with finger pressure. The results are immediate, if it works for you. My wife and I took classes to learn Jin Shin Do, it changed my life. Being able to press a few points to relieve muscle spasms is a huge help at my age.
 
Might talk to my doc about it right before I go to AZ later this year. I don't fly...and I have gotten to the point that anything over an hour is excruciating..23 hours in the seat over two days would probably make me want to put a gun to my head :banghead:....

When the wife gets home from her upcoming trip I am going to talk to her about the accupressure gig.
 
You know, I wonder about this, I go in today for lower body artery blockage testing. I have known nerve damage in my feet, NOT Diabetic Neuropathy, or is at all related too, And I'm on Gabapentin, for it, I wonder if that nerve pain you have could be helped that way?

OR if what your having done would be something I ought to consider? Hmmmm

As for today, I'm going in for more blockage testing, in my legs, to see if there are more, as I'm having issues with my legs and even my feet with numbness, and tiring out quickly.... and they changed my meds to see if they were causing it and nothing changed with the med change.

Then after that test today, their going to do the upper one in my neck to check for blockages there too as those arteries are the ones that cause strokes........So...atthis point, getting old......sucks!!!! And guess what? I'm really not that old. Not 35!!!!!!!!
 
67 Power Wagon said:
You know, I wonder about this, I go in today for lower body artery blockage testing. I have known nerve damage in my feet, NOT Diabetic Neuropathy, or is at all related too, And I'm on Gabapentin, for it, I wonder if that nerve pain you have could be helped that way?

OR if what your having done would be something I ought to consider? Hmmmm

As for today, I'm going in for more blockage testing, in my legs, to see if there are more, as I'm having issues with my legs and even my feet with numbness, and tiring out quickly.... and they changed my meds to see if they were causing it and nothing changed with the med change.

Then after that test today, their going to do the upper one in my neck to check for blockages there too as those arteries are the ones that cause strokes........So...atthis point, getting old......sucks!!!! And guess what? I'm really not that old. Not 35!!!!!!!!
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My Dad had the roto-rooter down. Shortly afterwards my mother went to wake him. He did not wake up, more startled awake. Mouth distorted and could not speak. He ended up in a hospital in NY, it was the closes to us in NJ that could do the arterial bypass in his head. Came thru the surgery with no problem. Was in a room with a guy that was a roofer, my Dad did roof and gutter work so they had plenty to talk about. Joe had fallen off of a roof. He was in this torture looking device. Dad went into convulsions. No response when Joe hit the call button, he wiggled out of traction and took off looking for a nurse. Dad ended up back in the OR. He had developed some sort of staph infection. His head had never been unwrapped, other than for bandage changes. The infection had turned 1/4 of his skull into goo. And somehow causes clots to break free....he had 5 strokes. Surgeon said he was not going to make it thru the night. Went in to see him and he was convulsing violently. He fought like a sumofabich. Doc that was in charge of his pt told us that my Dad would walk out of there. Sure enough, a month later when he was being wheeled out he told his favorite nurse to stop. He got up and walked out of the hospital on his own two feet.
Sorry for the rambling....
My doc has told me that he was wondering when the pain level in my back was going to increase. Have lumbar spinal stenosis, started out as deg. disc disease. He said that, based off my last imagery that was done I have deg. disc disease in pretty much every quadrant of my back....and that it is all going to turn into stenosis at some point. He said couple that with all the arthritis and I am going to get progressively worse. I have a fair amount of swelling going on on the lower right area of my back, which is right where the pain has increased. It is what it is....
The aging process.....not for the timid.
 
Ink, I havent myself had anything like this done. Being in Orthopedics i see some patients with out of control pain. R.S.D is a common cause as well as others. We send our patients to a anthestist for nerve blocks , usually a series of 2 to 4 injections work. Its not a 100% but many do get relief. Gabapentin is noted on here and that is a med alot of the ortho Docs recommend especially regarding nerve pain. BTW, what and were are your symptoms? How long has it been ? Sorry not much help for you. Just info i know. Best of luck
 
Also suffered 6 months with the REAL bad back pain last winter. I still get mild sciatica at times as well the back tires out easy and reminds me to back off. So far ok, there is something im looking into after my next CatScan if its not better its called Nerve decompression. Your disc space is narrowed causing pain and sciatica. They inject a material that expands the disc space releasing the preasure in the space effected, thus giving you space,decreasing sciatica and mainly pain.
 
Nite Moves said:
Ink, I havent myself had anything like this done. Being in Orthopedics i see some patients with out of control pain. R.S.D is a common cause as well as others. We send our patients to a anthestist for nerve blocks , usually a series of 2 to 4 injections work. Its not a 100% but many do get relief. Gabapentin is noted on here and that is a med alot of the ortho Docs recommend especially regarding nerve pain. BTW, what and were are your symptoms? How long has it been ? Sorry not much help for you. Just info i know. Best of luck
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Symptoms...chronic lower back pain. Started when I was 17 or so, went to lift something off the floor. I just turned 48. Pain level was no to bad until I turned 40 or so. CT scans/MRI/Xrays....all show degenerative disc disease pretty much up my entire spine. Seen a orthopedic specialist awhile back. He said the discs have collapsed enough to give me lumbar spinal stenosis. He told me that right now it is just in one area but it will spread as the discs collapse more.

Month or so ago existing pain level increased....and new pain has developed. This is on the right side of my back, just above/below the waist area. Noticeably swollen. Seen the doc for a couple of shots of a high strength ibuprofen type of drug...started with a t but can't remember what it is called...and a steroid injection. Helped a bit for a day or so....

If the house is quiet my wife can hear my back clunking. Pick my left foot up and turn it a bit, say when I am taking off my shorts to go to bed, and a very distinct clunk can be heard. Put a hand on my back and you can feel it.

Specialist I seen at one point told me that I need to be extremely careful form this point out. He said with the amount of bound up nerves I have, and the amount of damage I have in my spine that I am one fall away from a wheel chair. He told me to avoid high impact exercises. To limit down hill walking etc. Sad to say but I have gotten "adjusted" to the new level of pain and don't really notice it all to much....til the end of the day. Or first thing in the morning. Really dread what is coming, Ernie will be gone for a few days. That slight forward cant, from leaning over the sink to wash the dishes....brings tears to my eyes....
 
Wife go's in for cortisone injections ever 6 mths, she gets temporary relief for up to 3 to 4 mths.
She says it hurts like hell getting them but it's worth it.
 
...regular narcotic pain killers will not work....you have to go to a beta blocker.

As Night mentioned, gabbapentin is probably the best. Mx dose is 3800mg /day ( I think). I was on 5600 per day for three years.

There are some side effects but the darn stuff does work. When ever my spine shifts and my sciatic nerve s get pinched, I go straight for the gabbapentin.

Not sure about the injections. I have heard good and bad.

Good luck. I know where you are coming from.

Ian.
 
grassy said:
...regular narcotic pain killers will not work....you have to go to a beta blocker.

As Night mentioned, gabbapentin is probably the best. Mx dose is 3800mg /day ( I think). I was on 5600 per day for three years.

There are some side effects but the darn stuff does work. When ever my spine shifts and my sciatic nerve s get pinched, I go straight for the gabbapentin.

Not sure about the injections. I have heard good and bad.

Good luck. I know where you are coming from.

Ian.
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Interesting statement....up until last year I was taking myself off the narcotics at least once a year, just to give myself a break. When I attempted to get off of the narcotics last year the pain was bad enough to keep me from standing up straight.....that tells me that they are doing something. Last visit with the doc he had told me that all the swelling I have right now is from the muscles in my back. He also had mentioned that he thinks the sudden increase in pain level is related to the amount of arthritis I have in my spine.....My regular doc is on vacation, will be seeing one of his associates tomorrow....will bring up gabbapentin. In the past when we have spoken about trying something else he has been very hesitant in suggesting anything. I don't do well on a lot of different meds....tend to be bothered by the side effects....especially if they are mental health related....but I am going to ask....
 
That is ok....they are not as bad as what methadone gifted me :)

I , and many other who use gabbapentin, complain of short term memory issues...and some difficulties with mental dexterity. You may have seen this in my earlier posts. I have been off it for a couple of years and I still have problems with complex instructions. But I will trade that off with nerve pain any day.

The other thing I did to get off the meds was to go to an ostiopath. I still do, every second week.

Ian.
 
Well, I'm home after a boatload of ****, feeling from the tests I had done yesterday due to a bad reaction to the crap they put into you, for "seeing" the arteries open and luckily, I'm clear from about my Heart to the lower side of my brain. So, no stroke worry, but have found that I got a partial blockage on my left leg, that's not so worry-some, as its only 30% blocked, right now and they don't want to do a lot with it as its not "life-threatening" so......And I'm still healing from the full-fledged open heart I went through just over a year ago.....That with how that was done, I'm still said to be healing from as they didn't use the veins from my legs, but more so, from inside my chest, as I am and have been Diabetic for a very long time, or what seems my whole life (Been Diabetic since I was 2) so.....

Long story short, I guess I got a bit of healing yet to do, plus some other work yet to be done....BUT, I got no big issues as far as strokes, and or heart attack to worry about, as of yet, BUT I'm not able to return to work so.....

One for certain thing, is the meds I'm on, aren't going to be lessoned or taken off of, so.......

Funny how a day of simple tests turns into a whole freakin 2 days worth.....almost 3.....

Also funny is how 3 days worth of ****, is more invasive at 35 then what it used to be just over a year ago, I wouldnt've cared....you know?
 
Thanks 451, Not sure if you were pointing the inversion table to me or others here but, with coping, it is difficult at times but me and my "hobby" skills with model building helps a bit, and keeps not only my mind occupied, but my hands too as they used to build retail stores and in the summer time do lawn care or landscaping that I can't do now.....

Outside of that, I think I cope pretty good, its all those compound angles health tosses out at ya, you know?
 
Was responding to OP, but applies to anyone with back probs

I have back problems myself, and used to have anything from a dull ache to shooting pains all my waking hours. Plus it would be hard to fall asleep or stay asleep many nights...so on top of pain I had insomnia.

Once I started using the table I've reduced the pain and it gives me a few completely pain-free days. I still have my back injury, but it definitely helps. I guess instead of "cope" I should have said "reduce the pain".

Something to consider...
 
My brother in law loves his...but my ostoiopath doesn't like them...and my spine is fairly damaged...
 
Ink, one of the problems of long term narcotic use is your body gets so accoustom to it it stops working like it should. Has any of the Docs mentioned a fusion?
 
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