Cortisone Shot

[leagle81]

I am getting ready to have a cortisone shot in my lower back and i was wondering if anyone else has had this before? I am not sure what to expect but the hopes are to be able to not have any back pain for at least a little while. Since last Sat my back has been hurting pretty bad kind of how it felt before I had my lower l5 S1 surgery last year in Aug so my worst fear is that i reherniated my disc but dont know how to figure out if i did or not as my pain management doctor will not give me another MRI he said that i do not need it.

My Rheumotolgist is going to be giving me the shot tomorrow morning and i am going to try to get him to do some other test while i am there, such as some back xrays and other things that were never done.

Any help.

[joannie1964]

hi sorry to hear you are in pain. I too herniated my lower disc about three years ago and had three facet joint injections. the first helped but then it came back after a road accident so the later two didn't help at all. My osteopath does this treatment called IDD therapy. you could google it but its not cheap at all. I had 20 sessions but it seemed to get rid of the pain. Having said that I have to very careful as it occasionally twinges. Its a shame its not available on the nhS . hope you find some relief.

Hugs

jo xx

[QueenV in reply to joannie1964]

Hi I live in the North East of England so is there an IDD therapy places in this area do you know? I've tried to research it but I can't find it in my area. Where did you go for your sessions & if you do t mind me asking how much approx was each session? Thank you. Vanessa

[joannie1964 in reply to QueenV]

Hi QueenV I live in brighton.It cost me around £1200 for 20 sessions so not cheap. I had a quick look online and it seems there are centres in Leeds and Sheffield , so don't know how near to you this is? It did really help me back but I know its very expensive. Luckily I was working at the time so could scrape the money together.

jo x

[QueenV in reply to joannie1964]

Hi did it cure your pain for good or have you been back for more sessions? Thank you for your reply. Hope you're having a good day. Vanessa

[joannie1964 in reply to QueenV]

Hi Vanessa yes so far so good. No sciatica nor lower back pain. But he did say I will always have to be careful with my back as it has a weakness. Good luck hun

Jo x

[Frances6969]

Hi leagle81,

I had 4 injections in the facet joints in my lower back and an injection in each hip joint- I have bulging discs that affect my nerves. I've had chronic back pain for a long time on top of a separate auto-immune disease pain.

I was told by the doctor who did the injections, he was the Director of an Imaging centre here in Australia.

His advice was that the injections lower inflammation in 80% of the population and they don't know why the other 20% don't respond. It takes up to a month to feel any relief as it takes a while for the inflammation to reduce.

This is exactly what happened to me. A month later I was pain free!! What a wonderful relief. He also said to work on my core strength to support my back muscles with my stomach muscles.

Five months later the pain returned. I went back for more injections and its now been about 7 months and my back is great still

I do need to work on my core strength, however, I study and sit too much and have had a cold virus for 3 months and have been really unwell. So, I am starting with walking and will build up to returning to a Pilates program I do from home.

I was also told that as the injection is localised you can have as many as you like, if it works for you. Here in Australia most people believe you can't, however, its a myth.

If all I have to do to have no back pain is a few injections a year, I'm going to do it. That will improve my quality of life and give me the opportunity to build strength.

BTW, my dear pain specialist thought it was a waste of time when I asked his opinion before trying the injections - lucky I tried it anyway. Apparently they don't like this treatment as much as its not seen as a 'permanent' fix. Its really up to you.

Good luck, it could be different in the UK. But it took a month for the pain to completely settle.

All the best

[QueenV in reply to Frances6969]

Hi

I'm waiting to have the injections in the facet joints. This will be my first time so I'm keen to try this. You say you have an autoimmune disease whic illness do you have if you don't mind me asking? I have SLE lupus, nerve damage in my ribs & degenerate disc disease. Thank you for your information. Vanessa

[Frances6969 in reply to QueenV]

Hi QueenV,

I have Crohns Disease. Which is generally well managed. My pain condition apparently comes from the drug, Infliximab/Remicade which I was given for the Crohns disease many years ago. It really helped the Crohns, however, the doctors believed it may have induced a rare secondary side affect - another inflammatory response in all my tendon sheaths. That was almost 10 years ago now.

The pain is everywhere but my head! Where there is a bone/muscle there is pain.

I have gotten better over the years dealing with it and finding the right pain team was a big breakthrough

I take medication which I am very slowly reducing and hope to have stopped by the end of the year. Fingers crossed.

I feel I can manage without it.

I'm sorry about your complex condition, it must be difficult and painful. Hang in there, I always think there is hope….somewhere, someday a really clever person will learn the 'key' to the immune system and the diseases many of us suffer will be something of the past.

Let me know ho you go with the injections if you get a chance.

Cheers,

Cheese01

(which is an odd username, but I couldn't think of anything else! I'm a 45 yr old female and live in Australia - I like my privacy. I should really change the stupid username…lol )

[Frances6969]

I'm now Frances6969……