Back procedure

Murrmurr

Murrmurr

SF VIP
Location
Sacramento, California
So I went and saw a nurse practitioner at the Pain Center today. She said my pain management team and my back surgeon went over my complaint and the images and they're reasonably certain that what's causing this new pain isn't even coming from a lower lumbar nerve, it's coming from a nerve higher up that runs down and passes through your hip socket; the cluneal nerve. So they're gonna do a nerve block instead of a caudel. It's the same medication, but it'll be delivered directly into my spine where the cluneal nerve root is. And we all get to watch it on a monitor.

The NP just did some things that basically verified that it's the cluneal nerve that's the problem; like digging her thumb as deep as possible into my left butt-dimple, and asking me for the 20th-freaking time about the "radiating pain" in my legs.

There is none! No radiating pain in my legs! Man, I'm sick of saying it. This isn't like the pain I had before. This pain just started about 4 or 5 months ago, and it's different. It's very localized but very debilitating. I can't do squat but sit.

So, anyway, they're gonna call me when they get it set up. The NP asked them to schedule ASAP, so I expect they'll call in about 10 or 12 days.
 

Murrmurr said:
So I went and saw a nurse practitioner at the Pain Center today. She said my pain management team and my back surgeon went over my complaint and the images and they're reasonably certain that what's causing this new pain isn't even coming from a lower lumbar nerve, it's coming from a nerve higher up that runs down and passes through your hip socket; the cluneal nerve. So they're gonna do a nerve block instead of a caudel. It's the same medication, but it'll be delivered directly into my spine where the cluneal nerve root is. And we all get to watch it on a monitor.

The NP just did some things that basically verified that it's the cluneal nerve that's the problem; like digging her thumb as deep as possible into my left butt-dimple, and asking me for the 20th-freaking time about the "radiating pain" in my legs.

There is none! No radiating pain in my legs! Man, I'm sick of saying it. This isn't like the pain I had before. This pain just started about 4 or 5 months ago, and it's different. It's very localized but very debilitating. I can't do squat but sit.

So, anyway, they're gonna call me when they get it set up. The NP asked them to schedule ASAP, so I expect they'll call in about 10 or 12 days.
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Keep us posted. I remember that today was they day you were going in for an assessment. Still wishing the best for you!
 

So, there is no radiating pain in your legs. Are they saying that is the pain that you should have from the cluneal nerve. Or is it the pain you do have is from that nerve. I am trying to understand, why do they keep asking about the radiating pain if there is none?

Are they giving you any kind confirmation the procedure will relieve the type of pain you do have? I just still worry they are throwing something at a wall to see if it sticks when they are sure.
 
Blessed said:
So, there is no radiating pain in your legs. Are they saying that is the pain that you should have from the cluneal nerve. Or is it the pain you do have is from that nerve. I am trying to understand, why do they keep asking about the radiating pain if there is none?

Are they giving you any kind confirmation the procedure will relieve the type of pain you do have? I just still worry they are throwing something at a wall to see if it sticks when they are sure.
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No guarantees, so it is pretty much throwing something at a wall to see if it sticks.

When there's no radiating leg pain, like I've been saying for months, then it's probably *not* a lumbar nerve root. The NP finally let it sink in that my leg issues aren't related to this pain; that's a separate thing, I know this for a fact. So she considered a nerve root higher up as the probable culprit, and making me howl by shoving her thumb into my butt-dimple was confirmation, apparently.
 
That makes sense but I just hate to see you go through another procedure that may or may not help. I really hope this helps!! If it does, will you have to repeat the procedue in the future?
 
Blessed said:
That makes sense but I just hate to see you go through another procedure that may or may not help. I really hope this helps!! If it does, will you have to repeat the procedue in the future?
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Yes, but I think you can only have this done 3 times before the nerve actually tries to create a new pathway, like they'll branch off and become kind of a mess, and sometimes that causes more pain. Not always, though. But medical insurance will rarely (if ever) approve a 4th treatment. Plus, you have to wait something like 6 months after a treatment wears off before you can get another.

The first time I had this done, I was pain-free for 9 months! It sucks that it's temporary, but if it helps get my energy back, and I get back to doing my walks and exercises and hobbies, then that would be a long-term benefit.
 
Frank as you know I also suffer with lower lumbar Pain.. it never goes away... and I too have had 3 procedures now and they won't do any more.. The last one was 2016, and recently the pain has become so bad again that I had no choice but to visit the doctor.. and again..like you.. I'm tired of saying I have no radiating pain down my legs.. ..but in her infinite wisdom, the locum doctor decided that Ibuprofen was the cure all for me.. :eek::eek:.. despite the fact I can't take Ibuprofen or aspirin due to having Stage 3 Kidney disease...

Your back problems are much worse than mine.. I feel for you so much, and know you're at the end of your tether with it.. so I pray for you that this time they'll be able to achieve some kind of pain resolution for you.. 🤗
 
hollydolly said:
Frank as you know I also suffer with lower lumbar Pain.. it never goes away... and I too have had 3 procedures now and they won't do any more.. The last one was 2016, and recently the pain has become so bad again that I had no choice but to visit the doctor.. and again..like you.. I'm tired of saying I have no radiating pain down my legs.. ..but in her infinite wisdom, the locum doctor decided that Ibuprofen was the cure all for me.. :eek::eek:.. despite the fact I can't take Ibuprofen or aspirin due to having Stage 3 Kidney disease...

Your back problems are much worse than mine.. I feel for you so much, and know you're at the end of your tether with it.. so I pray for you that this time they'll be able to achieve some kind of pain resolution for you.. 🤗
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When's the last time they took images of your lower back?
 
Pinky said:
@Murrmurr
I sincerely hope this procedure will bring you relief from pain.
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Man, me too. I remember how heavenly it was when it worked before. I felt 15 years younger, no kidding. But that only lasted about 9 months. Then they did it 2 more times but the result wasn't nearly as good. That was in 2016. The following year, I had major surgery and the doc put in some rods and wires and stuff, and all was well until recently.

I think the surgeon doesn't want to do another surgery, though. He hasn't done back surgery on anyone over 65. I looked it up. He's actually the university's top pediatric spine surgeon. Pediatric patients are fit, resilient, and heal quickly, and I think Dr J assumes all old people aren't and don't. I think his greatest fear is losing a patient during surgery.
 
hollydolly said:
2016...
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Good! Ok, so if they saw degenerative disk disease or slipped disk or disk pressing against a nerve, then I highly recommend a yoga position called Cow plus hanging head-down at at least a 45 degree angle for at least 10 minutes 2 or 3 times a day. Seriously, this helps with disk issues immensely and alleviates pain four hours.

You can hang off the edge of a bed if it's high enough to where your shoulders touch the floor (and if someone can hold your ankles), or off the back of an upholstered chair, or on a large slant-board.

For several years, I used an inversion table...
inversion.jpeg

And then, because my apartment is pretty small, I went to a lowered chin-bar. The bar works just as well and so does the slant-board - anything that allows your upper body weight to cause enough traction to stretch out your spine. When you stretch it by basically pulling on it (with your upper body weight), the disks open up, drawing in nutrients they're missing out on because they're squooshed, and it also sort of sucks the disks back toward the bone and away from and off of nerves.
 
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Murrmurr said:
Good! Ok, so if they saw degenerative disk disease or slipped disk or disk pressing against a nerve, then I highly recommend a yoga position called Cow plus hanging head-down at at least a 45 degree angle for at least 10 minutes 2 or 3 times a day. Seriously, this helps with disk issues immensely and alleviates pain four hours.
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A guy that just started up in our class at the gym was talking about wanting to do Yoga, as he has some kind of back problem. I printed this chart for him to follow:

yoga4back.jpg

My favorites are the Cow, Cat and Child's pose. Years ago when my doctor sent me to a physical therapist for my back, these 3 Yoga poses were what he recommended.
 

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