Nerve Pain is Back

[gem]

Hi Everyone,

Feeling a bit frustrated again. At 4 months post op (2 level ProDisc) I had burning and tingling in both feet. That went away at about 5 months and I was starting to feel a lot better.

I've been back at work in the office 4 days a week and working 1 day a week at home. I've been sitting a lot for the past month but am breaking up the sitting during the day with a lot of walking and stretching breaks. I've also continued to be careful with posture, lifting, twisting, etc.

Last week my old nerve pain, which I haven't had since surgery, came back. The pain starts in the back and wraps around my hip and down the front of my thighs ending right above my knees. This is the same pain I had before surgery and I'm very discouraged since it's been gone for almost 7 months.

Any ideas what could cause this? Could it be facet inflammation? I called my surgeon and was told to take advil for a couple of weeks to see if it helps with inflammation. If it doesn't, then schedule a visit.

The only meds I'm on right now are Baclofen 10 mg a day and now 2 advil every 4 to six hours.

Thanks for any input.

Gem

[gem]

Also - forgot to add, got my xray reports and all reports starting 6 weeks post op say there is remarkably more movement with the ADR at L4/5 on flexion, extension, than there is at L3/4.

This seems a little strange to me, so I'm curious if anyone else has had a difference in the degree of movement from one level to another?

Thanks,

Gem

[Harrison]

Gem, I am sorry to hear this. I hope you can at least figure out what is causing your pain. In the meantime, do you have an appt with your doc scheduled? And sorry, I am a bit confused about the movement you refer to...can you embellish a bit?

This happens so often after ADR, in varying degrees, I am 99% convinced this is not due to a structural problem or new injury. It has something to do with sensitized nerves, too much interrupted blood flow, Im not sure. BUt this is happening to enough patients, in a manner that seems not to follow a predictable worsening course. Im still working on my problem but this is not a disk and given its brought on by extensive sitting, its not likely facets.

[cervie queen]

Hi: I'm curious: what was the condition of the facet joints prior to ADR surgery? Is that why you suspect problems with the facets?

[Mariaa]

Gem,
This sounds a lot like the nerve pain I started having with my L4 injury tho I wonder as I've read that you had L3/4 done and L4 if sometimes there isn't a lapsing over of referred pain area into dermatomes (which I read on www.chirogeek.com 's website there can be) and that you may be experiencing some L5 type of irritation from sitting or just the area you've had worked on is telling you that you are sitting to much right now and you must revise your schedule a bit to continue to improve and live with your new discs...

[gem]

Hi Harrison:

The movement I was referring to is the range of motion of the ProDisc during flex, ext and lateral bending. The Xray reports say normal to excellent movement of the prosthesis at L4/5, significantly more than at L3/4. So if I've got the same implant at both levels, why would one have a better range of motion than the other?

Or could it just be due to muscle stiffness? The PT said that level was always tight and would act like it was locking up when I would go in for PT.

I don't have an appt scheduled yet, the Dr. wanted me to try the Advil for at least a week or two to see if it helped.

Thanks,

Gem

[gem]

Hi PStewart,

I should have mentioned that if I stand in one place too long without walking around I have a similar problem, but sitting by far makes it worse. Have you found anything that helps sitting be more tolerable for you?

Gem

[gem]

Hi Cervie Queen,

Prior to surgery my facets were ok as far as I know, but before I was diagnosed with disc problems a former doctor had diagnosed me with facet arthropathy. No one has since, everyone I've seen recently has said it was disc related.

Gem

[gem]

Hi Maria,

I'm probably sitting too much, but I don't quite know what I can do as far as work. Right now I'm working at home one day a week which splits my week in half nicely and let's me lay down during the middle of the week to get a break.

When I'm actually in the ofice I have to do a lot of work on the computer. I've tried setting up a workstation that I can stand and work on, but I get the same irritation if I stand too long.

When the burning in my feet started at 4 mo post op, there was concern that I had done something to the L5/S1 level. But since it went away, the Dr. said it was probably irritation and inflammation.

I guess I'm just complaining, I can handle the achy bone and muscle pains, but the nerve pain really gets to me :-(

Gem