Impingement at L3

[BiteyDelano]

Hi all, I'm new here - 71 year old male from Herts. Some history:

I 'slipped a disk (L5)' some 45 years ago which resulted in extreme pain behind left knee when sitting. I had surgery which was successful.

3 years ago I was dx'd with polymyalgia and given steroids (currently on 6mg/day).

But a couple of months ago I twisted my back (taking a dog for a walk) which resulted in a lot of pain centred mostly in my right knee.

The (private) MRIs followed which showed nerve impingement from L3.

The pain is now extreme and I can barely walk a few paces even stoked up with gabapentin, cocodamol etc. and have been bed-bound for a week.

My consultant is suggesting injections but I wonder if surgery would be more appropriate.

Can anyone comment? Thanks

[Qualipop]

I'd try the less invasive treatment first with injections. If they don't work you can go for surgery. Just beware, the steroid they use , Kenalog ( Triamcinolone) can have some extremely nasty side effects in some people. I was once given an injection without warning or consent and spent 3 weeks of extreme dizziness and two weeks on anti emetics to stop the vomiting. They are required to keep you there at least half an hour to check for side effects. My pain consultant didn't and sent me to drive home. I was so ill I ended up miles away from home completely lost. There is an alternative they can use. IT doesn't happen to everyone. I was just unlucky.

[BiteyDelano in reply to Qualipop]

Wow, thanks for that. I will ask full details about what surgeon intends to inject. Incidentally, when I had my last MRI I was in so much pain I nearly passed out. I drove home in a daze and nearly had an accident. It took some hours to normalise ...

[Qualipop in reply to BiteyDelano]

Any procedure that requires you to stay in one position leave s me in agony. I just had to postpone a cataract op because they want you to lie flat for half an hour and I'm in a massive flare up. I always get someone t o drive me there now. I have several problems that I believe no need surgery. I can barely walk from room to room since last June but keep getting fobbed off; this time instead of the promised neuro surgeon, it's back to yet another physio which is totally useless. Been fighting for treatment for 20 years.