Nerve block injections in spine...

[JayneR]

I've had RA for over 25 yrs,which is managed but recently had a problem with my spine and trapped nerves down the left leg...I've been waiting for 4 mths to have spinal injections on NHS, but it's too bad now and had to pay for them privately...Have others had these injections and do they provide any relief...?

[Hidden]

Hi Jayne

I had my first one last November. I was warned beforehand that the amount of relief they bring can vary and I think this has been the experience of others on this site.

I had 2 weeks of total bliss after the injection and it was like having a wonderful holiday. The pain did return eventually but not to the same degree. I'm due another one in April which I'm about to start chasing up now to make sure that it happens..

Have you had yours yet? What it a help?

Judy

[earthwitch]

I get combined anaesthetic/steroid injections into my spine and that does some of the same job of dampening down nerves as well as addressing inflammation. I get that done through the NHS pain clinic. you might have more luck with pain clinic than with any other specialists.

[JayneR]

I'm having mine done on Wednesday, so fingers crossed...x

[fastball]

I've had these and the last one i had lasted not long on telling consultant she sent me to pain clinic . They listened and said i had tried everything they could offer me, the only thing left was Gabapentin starting with 100gm and now on 300gm three times a day. These help till i do something and then i get pain and have to sit down. The latest thing is pain shooting down my legs. So we will see what she says next time . The steroid injections i had worked for a bit and when i asked about the nerve block i was told it is not suitable for my trouble.

Hope it helps you sending hugs XXX

Chris

[antibes]

hi Jayne sorry to hear about your back i haven't had a spinal injection myself but my 20 year old son had one last week and is feeling a lot better , he had it done under a general he had an l5 fracture 4 years ago and has a small pole and 2 screws and then at the beginning of the year got a pro;apse disc and aggravated disc due to lifting too many weights !! BOYS . Just wanted to give you some history incase it helps you , still the injection has worked well and he is pain free. he had some pain for a few days later but is feeling the benefits now wishing you well xx

[Deejojo]

I'm having injections in spine on 28th April I'm dreading it as never had anything like this before I think it's under sedation hope u feel better when it's done can u let me know what's it like and I hope u get some relief lv dee x

[JayneR]

The injections are ok, uncomfortable and nervous for a few minutes while it's being done, and a dead leg for a day or so after...but mine didn't work actually I have worse pain and was housebound for weeks.probably because I have RA..the consultant was very disappointed..now I've been put on the NHS waiting list for spinal surgery, unless I can come up with £17k to have it done privately next month...unfortunately, I haven't got that sort of money so will have to wait until October, that's the earliest date for surgery...I'm likely to lose my job unless I can get into a less painful condition to return to work, in the meantime...but I've now got pain and a burning sensation in my left foot which is typical of nerve damage as well as the leg being stone cold to the touch...not feeling very happy at the moment. Sorry all....

[Victorial]

Hello I had non Hodgkins lymphomia stage four six years ago, three tumours. After seven months in hospital with the first chemo too strong, so nearly died, I had thirteen sessions of radiotherapy daily. Could not walk for six months. Then went to a different hospital, they started me very slowly on chemo for over a year and managed to cure two tumours round groin. However the main primary was left in my see rum with continuous pain. As a result my wonderful haemolologist/oncologist sent me to a Cancer spine and bone Orthopoedic surgeon. He put into my spine under surgery twice cement to strengthen my spine. I continued to have pain. As a result, all under the NHS I have when possible, three to four monthly depending on the waiting time in radiology, steroid injections into four different facet joint. This helps sometimes very good sometimes just a little, but it does give relief as well as take 60mg Oxynorm every six hours. However, I had been falling a lot due to peripheral neuropathy in my left foot and left calf which I have had for six years before my Cancer! I tried Gabapentin for three years 900 mg daily but no help so Dr. Weaned me off it. Had a neurological brain scan and hand electrical scan but I was told they could not help at a Neurological Hospital. Then on the 10th August 2014 whilst with friends up North I fell again getting up from the kitchen table. I had emergency surgery, under a wonderful surgeon NHS who managed so save me from Hip Replacement. I had a four hour operation as I had fractured my Fema with four breaks. I spent over two weeks in hospital, with a pin and plate from the top of my right hip to the side of my right knee and was then transferred to a hospital by ambulance down south. I had hardly any physio, I have a left knee prosthesis from eight years ago, so had to follow right hip excercises from a booklet for the three weeks I was in the second hospital. I was then sent home with six weeks of carers and wore surgical stockings for the whole time daily, but not at night. I was only allowed physiotherapist to visit me once a week in my flat to instruct me what excercises to do. Again from a book myself, as they are not allowed to treat me in my home and the first appointment I can get at a physiotherapy unit for a first consultation is in March, 2015! My

Oncologist, with the help of my Insurance, wanted me to have a full rest to help me as I was in a lot of pain, however, no longer needed a zimmer or crutches, through utter hard work on my part! Allowed me to travel for seven weeks to rest in the warmth and with the full help of wheelchair assistance at both airports. I was only now using one walking stick and I had my facet joint injections two weeks before leaving for my very first proper break in six years. I was doing really well and spent the most of my time sitting in an upright chair reading for about two to three hours from 11am. Then going to bed for a rest with friends and family coming to see me every day. However, I still follow my book doing all the correct excercises, but although with my walking stick, I can managed to negotiate four stairs slowly at a time with the help of a hand rail and a friend, I am again in a great deal of pain. I see my Ocologist/Haemotologist again on the 21st January and hopefully my Orthopoedic Cancer Surgeon by February. I am waiting to see if I have to be re-assessed by a Hip Surgeon down South. This Surgeon works together with my Orthopoedic Back Cancer Surgeon and with my Oncologist/ Haemotologist. All three work together with their Cancer Patients. I have been stable now for just over two and a half years. But, these last three weeks, I really walk very slowly and with a great deal of pain, but grit my teeth to walk with this really terrible pain! This is not easy but I try very hard to persevere and I am hoping they can help me as I DO NOT wish to go through any further operations!! I am praying with all my heart that they have a solution that allows me to get through all this pain without any further operations!!

I find it hard to believe that I am in worse pain now than I was in before I had my operation at the beginning of August!! Have any of you been through this amount of pain after an operation to repair a four fractured Fema? I spoke to a friend in Bogota, Columbia, whose husband went through a two way fracture of his Fema fifteen months ago! He could drive after two months, however, he is still in huge pain after walking only nine holes after playing just a little golf, he too has tremendous pain and his Surgeon told him his pain will never go. He was told that now he is 75 he will always be in pain and not to expect any more relief at his time of life. I am only 72 in February and feel quite unhappy, although very relieved that I am able to negotiate getting in and out of a wheelchair to have been able to travel to have a rest at last to spend some valuable and precious time to have a holiday to travel to some warm weather to have some warmth on my bones, to help with my Osteoporosis!! Please do you have any further suggestions which may be of help to me? Yesterday my son and daughter in law came to take me out for some lunch.

They were just too wonderful for words, however very shocked and upset in the deterioration I have gone through in the last four weeks. They could see the way I hobbled, how much pain I was experiencing, even I do not understand how much better I was walking before my large operation, than the way I am now walking in such tremendous pain!! Do any of you have any suggestions as to what questions I should be asking? I feel something else must be wrong! Why on earth should I be going through such awful pain after nearly six months after the operation! I am hoping that another operation will NOT be necessary! I do not feel that I have the strength to go through yet another procedure! This cannot be necessary!! However, it was explained to me in August that by NOT having a HIP Replacement. I should be fine!! Well to be going through such tremendous pain even now is a huge worry and I just feel something is really wrong!! Do you have any opinions on such subjects? Even though you are not bone cancer Consultants yourselves? Having gone through all the long Cancer treatment, plus infusions for my Osteoporosis Pamedronate treatment intravenously every three months, resulting in the loss of teeth by surgery in the Maxifacial Department and now all this, I am a disaster area!!.

I really do not think that I am asking the correct questions and being a widow now for over nine years, I have no one to help me ask the correct questions! I am in a catch 22 scenario. I have no one to turn to, no brothers or sisters and feel very fortunate to have found this website! It was an old school friend who suggested I use this site to try blogging! She uses this site to ask for help regarding problems she has with her partner who has a condition which is different to mine, but one which I do not wish to mention as a matter of privacy! I was told in confidence and do not wish to divulge, as it would not be appropriate to do so at this present moment in time!

I apologise for writing such a very long e mail, but there was no way to keep this letter short with such a long procedure and history to explain! Also I wanted to give out as much detail as appropriate at this moment in time, especially, as I appear to be getting worse and return tomE gland I just a few more weeks!!

I hope someone has a suggestion! My email is [e-mail]

I also do have a confidential private e mail address too but prefer to pass that out to you if you request it in confidence should it be necessary with a private phone number if so required in due course eventually.

I look forward to hearing from you when you have had the time to read and to think about all my questions! This is not an easy list of complicated questions with a difficult history, keeping in mind all I have experienced these last six years!!

With best wishes and warm regards. I hope all I have written to you has not made you totally exhausted? I have not written to you my full name, so my sincere apologies. I have just signed to you my hotmail address.

[e-mail]

[Hidden in reply to Victorial]

What a difficult time you have had. I am so sorry to not have any helpful suggestions based on experience. If you are in pain you should go seek the advice of your GP. He may well have ideas following examination of what would help.

I wish you improved health and a break from your pain.

[hawker955]

JayneR; I had a lumbar nerve block in spring 2015 and it was hugely successful within 24 hours. I felt very bruised afterwards following the deep injections. Now two and a half years later, I have had no further problems in my lower back.