electric tug down leg

[Heretolearn65]

Hi, I have just had another back surgery, fusing L5 to S1 and pelvis for nerve pain that is going down the back of my leg , front of knee and top of foot. It feels like someone has an electric cattle prod and running it up and down the back of my leg, it is horrendous. The op did nothing to relieve it. Has anyone had success with nerve blocks ? It is really hard to live with, I'm nearly at the end, 5 years of this , getting fusions hoping they will work and nothing.

[Collywobbles64]

hi, I have had a spinal fusion at s1/l5. It did help initially but now I have more or less constant pain. My bone density has reduced to -5 in the spine. The only advise I can offer is to keep moving as after 4 years I am in a bit of a mess. I do press ups now to strengthen my back but the shaking and burning causes problems for me.

[Heretolearn65 in reply to Collywobbles64]

I'm getting continual electric zaps down the back of my leg, I don't have the burning.......it is driving me insane...literally

[mariootsi]

My nerve block lasted just 3 hours!!! But everyone is different.

[Mitch48]

Hi there,

I’m sorry that you are suffering & I can empathise.

Having had emergency surgery for impending cauda equina & spondylolisthesis of 2 vertebrae, a posterior lumbar interbody fusion from L3 to L5 along with 3 foraminotomies & 3 laminectomies, I was left with numerous permanent symptoms, including what I call “lightening electric shock” nerve pain which I believe may be the same symptom you describe as it is not the regular burning nerve pain many people can describe. My symptom used to affect both of my legs from under my buttocks to my ankles and at differing times in both feet, nowadays 3 & a half years post surgery I’m affect below knee and both feet and it is the most severe pain that I have felt in 20 years of having spinal injuries (even when I have hours of cervicogenic head pain!). I discovered that this pain is from the nerves that are attempting to recover & regenerate. I do not know how long my 2 nerves were compressed for of course but I began to have some cauda equina symptoms 3 years before surgery (I had the slow version) but the overall degeneration of my lumbar spine could have been over a period of 17 years after my cervical spine was initially damaged in a road traffic collision, especially with the amount of damage that I had in my lumbar spine.

You have nothing to lose trying pain clinic treatments as anything that helps with this terrible pain is a bonus! There may be time restrictions on when you can have the more complicated procedures post surgery but your pain clinician can help with that.

Kind Regards,

Mitch.