Nerve Root Block injection
Discussion
Hi all, looks like I'm lined up for one of these soon and I'm trying to set my expectations for it using the wealth of PH experience...
Had bouts of sciatica for about ten years, flaring up for a few weeks at a time at pain 11/10 then going away for 18 months or so.
It last flared up last October with around 7/10 pain and hasn't left me since. Pain is lower back and left leg, most noticable while standing or laying in bed, hence posting at 5am after yet another completely sleepless night exhausting Readers Cars.
Treatment so far has been 12x chiropractor sessions, a specialist consultant and an MRI all through my BUPA cover. Yesterday I saw an injection specialist who wants to see me in the next week or so.
The MRI showed a "large" disc bulge at L4/5, I've not seen it myself, not that I'd know what I'm looking at.
The specialists I've seen so far are all keen for me to avoid surgery but they're hardly hyping up this injection either... I'm doing 2x fitness sessions a week with a trainer which are nowadays focused on core and low impact stuff but my ability to participate is just getting worse. If the injection doesn't work, I'm really not sure what is next.
Any experience/expectations?
Had bouts of sciatica for about ten years, flaring up for a few weeks at a time at pain 11/10 then going away for 18 months or so.
It last flared up last October with around 7/10 pain and hasn't left me since. Pain is lower back and left leg, most noticable while standing or laying in bed, hence posting at 5am after yet another completely sleepless night exhausting Readers Cars.
Treatment so far has been 12x chiropractor sessions, a specialist consultant and an MRI all through my BUPA cover. Yesterday I saw an injection specialist who wants to see me in the next week or so.
The MRI showed a "large" disc bulge at L4/5, I've not seen it myself, not that I'd know what I'm looking at.
The specialists I've seen so far are all keen for me to avoid surgery but they're hardly hyping up this injection either... I'm doing 2x fitness sessions a week with a trainer which are nowadays focused on core and low impact stuff but my ability to participate is just getting worse. If the injection doesn't work, I'm really not sure what is next.
Any experience/expectations?
Hi
Yeh I've had a couple of injections for Sciatica / bulging disc. The first one they knocked me out and when I woke had immediate relief which probably lasted a couple of months. The second I stayed awake and had in July this year and I'm still ok so far, the injection was uncomfortable but over in seconds and far less painful than what Sciatica had been giving me.
You need to remember though the injections are not a cure and only supposed to relieve the pain. My pain didn't go completely but certainly took the edge of it, some people apparently have no relief so it's an individual thing. There's also no time frame of how long they last and the more injections you have the less effective they become.
I've been seeing a Chiropractor for treatment and he suggested it was a mistake to have the injections as they will now cause the bulging area of the disc to harden and be less likely to absorb / heal. I waited 8 months for it to heal naturally and it didn't so that's why I had a jab.
Hope that's of some help
Yeh I've had a couple of injections for Sciatica / bulging disc. The first one they knocked me out and when I woke had immediate relief which probably lasted a couple of months. The second I stayed awake and had in July this year and I'm still ok so far, the injection was uncomfortable but over in seconds and far less painful than what Sciatica had been giving me.
You need to remember though the injections are not a cure and only supposed to relieve the pain. My pain didn't go completely but certainly took the edge of it, some people apparently have no relief so it's an individual thing. There's also no time frame of how long they last and the more injections you have the less effective they become.
I've been seeing a Chiropractor for treatment and he suggested it was a mistake to have the injections as they will now cause the bulging area of the disc to harden and be less likely to absorb / heal. I waited 8 months for it to heal naturally and it didn't so that's why I had a jab.
Hope that's of some help
Thanks guys, appreciate the feedback. I'm booked in for the 26th as I can't make it on the 19th so fingers crossed.
I'm not going to just take this injection and consider it a victory if it works, I'm going to use the pain-downtime to push on with my fitness training and try to bulk my core out a bit before the injection wears off. Currently I'm unable to do anything "planky", any attempt to engage my core just spasms my back out and causes a lot of pain, so it's turning into a bit of a downwards spiral. If I can get my arse in gear fitness-wise, I'm hoping I'll stand a better chance when the injection wears off.
Of course, it might do bugger all for me - in which case back to square one
I've been advised to make and maintain a pain diary along with this injection, as it seems the quacks use this injection as a troubleshooting tool as much as anything else.
I'm not going to just take this injection and consider it a victory if it works, I'm going to use the pain-downtime to push on with my fitness training and try to bulk my core out a bit before the injection wears off. Currently I'm unable to do anything "planky", any attempt to engage my core just spasms my back out and causes a lot of pain, so it's turning into a bit of a downwards spiral. If I can get my arse in gear fitness-wise, I'm hoping I'll stand a better chance when the injection wears off.
Of course, it might do bugger all for me - in which case back to square one
I've been advised to make and maintain a pain diary along with this injection, as it seems the quacks use this injection as a troubleshooting tool as much as anything else.
Well injection day to day, and as posted in the needle phobia thread it was not pleasant!
That said, back and leg pain is already significantly reduced but it may just be the short term local aenathestic rather than the longer term effects so I'll see how it is tomorrow.
Not something I wish to repeat, so if I get a bit of mobility back I'll make it my absolute mission to build some core back up over the next few months.
That said, back and leg pain is already significantly reduced but it may just be the short term local aenathestic rather than the longer term effects so I'll see how it is tomorrow.
Not something I wish to repeat, so if I get a bit of mobility back I'll make it my absolute mission to build some core back up over the next few months.
OP, have you had the nerve cauterised or was it just anaesthetic/steroid injections?
I've had the pleasure of both and the injections were far more effective but very short lived and really no more than a diagnostic test to confirm that it was worth burning the nerves out.
The cauterising procedure has been about a 7/10 compared to the injections but was good enough that alongside the correct exercise I was able to go six years before I had to repeat the treatment.
I've had the pleasure of both and the injections were far more effective but very short lived and really no more than a diagnostic test to confirm that it was worth burning the nerves out.
The cauterising procedure has been about a 7/10 compared to the injections but was good enough that alongside the correct exercise I was able to go six years before I had to repeat the treatment.
Steve H said:
OP, have you had the nerve cauterised or was it just anaesthetic/steroid injections?
I've had the pleasure of both and the injections were far more effective but very short lived and really no more than a diagnostic test to confirm that it was worth burning the nerves out.
The cauterising procedure has been about a 7/10 compared to the injections but was good enough that alongside the correct exercise I was able to go six years before I had to repeat the treatment.
Hi Steve, it was just the injections. I've had the pleasure of both and the injections were far more effective but very short lived and really no more than a diagnostic test to confirm that it was worth burning the nerves out.
The cauterising procedure has been about a 7/10 compared to the injections but was good enough that alongside the correct exercise I was able to go six years before I had to repeat the treatment.
This has very much been advertised me as a diagnostics test too - so I'm under no illusion of it being a long term fix.
Got a reasonable night sleep last night despite being on PH at 1am... and woke up pretty much pain free this morning. Now that I've been up and about for a bit, I'm getting a bit of an ache in my left leg but there's really no edge on it - perfectly bearable.
I'm now booked in for 5 weeks of physiotherapy to go along with my 2x fitness sessions per week which are targetting low impact and core build up - so hopefully I can make some hay before the pain is back to form.
Long time sufferer here.
I got relief from chiropratering, but only from carrying around the £360 I won't get back.
I had your problem of not being able to lie on a bed and put a recliner armchair in the bedroom which I use when things get rough.
It's pain management in the main.
I have a back support which I use for short periods only or when things get a bit much. I respond to pain killers well but they dull everything else as well. I've got a Tens machine. I had one that switched off after 10 mins, so useless. The one I have now goes on for an hour. By that time I've either dozed off or have admitted it is one of those nights.
I had an excellent physio, from my rugby club, but she refused to treat me after seeing the scans as her insurance would not cover her. I went NHS and they gave me exercises which I ensure I do every day and they've proved effective.
I tried to work out what I did which aggravated the problem and this helped. Much of it was merely repetition of an action (no jokes, please). I've changed my mouse, and also have a trackball and Wacom pad - well worth the expense. I don't drive for long distances.
It's a real pain of course, in more ways than one.
I got relief from chiropratering, but only from carrying around the £360 I won't get back.
I had your problem of not being able to lie on a bed and put a recliner armchair in the bedroom which I use when things get rough.
It's pain management in the main.
I have a back support which I use for short periods only or when things get a bit much. I respond to pain killers well but they dull everything else as well. I've got a Tens machine. I had one that switched off after 10 mins, so useless. The one I have now goes on for an hour. By that time I've either dozed off or have admitted it is one of those nights.
I had an excellent physio, from my rugby club, but she refused to treat me after seeing the scans as her insurance would not cover her. I went NHS and they gave me exercises which I ensure I do every day and they've proved effective.
I tried to work out what I did which aggravated the problem and this helped. Much of it was merely repetition of an action (no jokes, please). I've changed my mouse, and also have a trackball and Wacom pad - well worth the expense. I don't drive for long distances.
It's a real pain of course, in more ways than one.
Derek Smith said:
Long time sufferer here.
I got relief from chiropratering, but only from carrying around the £360 I won't get back.
I had your problem of not being able to lie on a bed and put a recliner armchair in the bedroom which I use when things get rough.
It's pain management in the main.
I have a back support which I use for short periods only or when things get a bit much. I respond to pain killers well but they dull everything else as well. I've got a Tens machine. I had one that switched off after 10 mins, so useless. The one I have now goes on for an hour. By that time I've either dozed off or have admitted it is one of those nights.
I had an excellent physio, from my rugby club, but she refused to treat me after seeing the scans as her insurance would not cover her. I went NHS and they gave me exercises which I ensure I do every day and they've proved effective.
I tried to work out what I did which aggravated the problem and this helped. Much of it was merely repetition of an action (no jokes, please). I've changed my mouse, and also have a trackball and Wacom pad - well worth the expense. I don't drive for long distances.
It's a real pain of course, in more ways than one.
Thanks Derek, did you ever go for an injection or was it ever discussed? I'm on day #2 now and still no pain, had two pretty good nights sleep when not being disturbed by nightmares of the nurse putting that cannula back in!I got relief from chiropratering, but only from carrying around the £360 I won't get back.
I had your problem of not being able to lie on a bed and put a recliner armchair in the bedroom which I use when things get rough.
It's pain management in the main.
I have a back support which I use for short periods only or when things get a bit much. I respond to pain killers well but they dull everything else as well. I've got a Tens machine. I had one that switched off after 10 mins, so useless. The one I have now goes on for an hour. By that time I've either dozed off or have admitted it is one of those nights.
I had an excellent physio, from my rugby club, but she refused to treat me after seeing the scans as her insurance would not cover her. I went NHS and they gave me exercises which I ensure I do every day and they've proved effective.
I tried to work out what I did which aggravated the problem and this helped. Much of it was merely repetition of an action (no jokes, please). I've changed my mouse, and also have a trackball and Wacom pad - well worth the expense. I don't drive for long distances.
It's a real pain of course, in more ways than one.
I'm going to be really disciplined and do as much core build up and back stretching as I can manage until this wears off. Hopefully I can make some progress, though I am somewhat aware that what I'm currently feeling is "false" and I shouldn't do anything to cause extra damage... seems a fine line between getting fit and making it worse.
I had this Problem back in 16, Budging Disc on L5/S1, that was pressing on the Nerve. Did not want an OP, so looked at the injection route. But did not like the risks, along with it only has a 20% chance of success. So joined a Yoga Class to work on core and lower back Strength. Done all MRIs, Physio Stuff etc. Just aggravated the nerve and made the pain worse at the time.
But what made the biggest difference was using the services of someone that knows what they are doing with Aqupuncture. I went from not being able to walk more than 50 Mtrs to 80% Pain free after the first one Hr secession.
You have to let the disc heal first though. Took about 6 weeks and as many visits to get to 100% pain free.
But what made the biggest difference was using the services of someone that knows what they are doing with Aqupuncture. I went from not being able to walk more than 50 Mtrs to 80% Pain free after the first one Hr secession.
You have to let the disc heal first though. Took about 6 weeks and as many visits to get to 100% pain free.
Edited by APOLO1 on Thursday 29th November 10:34
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