Are spinal nerve block injections effective for chronic, debilitating sciatica?

[Marcasite7]

Lower lumbar bulging disc causing chronic and debilitating sciatica.

[Konagirl60]

Here in Canada if PT and injections don’t work they do surgery.

[Emma2017]

I had a herniated disc. Nerve block did not help then. Had an operation. Had 3 more operations. After the last one they did an MRI and all seemed well (apart from the facet joint) but the sciatic nerve was painful and very horrible crawly. They did a spinal block again for that which had a better effect then (about 3 months ago). So it might well work for you. The reason it initially did not work for me was the disc material had extruded and irritated the nerve. If it does nothing you can always look into surgery.

[Marcasite7 in reply to Emma2017]

That's really helpful Emma. Thank you for taking the time to respond .... especially as it's Christmas eve.

I hope you are recovering well now. I have had chronic sciatica for almost a year and at times the throbbing pain through my leg has been unbearable. I eventually had a spinal nerve block three days ago and it has reduced the pain a little but I was expecting a better result. I have been told that it can take 2-3 weeks for the full effect so I'm still hopeful.

Would you recommend the surgery which I presume is to cut out the protruding disc? It sounds very invasive.

Regards, M

[Emma2017 in reply to Marcasite7]

Hi, difficult to say wether or not I would recommend the surgery. I had slow onset CE and had not too much choice really. It extruded 3 more times, same disc. I had it fused earlier this year so it cannot happen again. It’s unusual for that to happen. Most people have it happen once. I had large discs which in this instance was not good. Hmm on the whole if it really does not help at all I would most likely go for the operation. In most instances it’s an overnight stay and then it takes 3 to 6 months to get back to your old self. The fusion is a far more invasive operation and it takes well over a year to get back to normal so I would not advice that lightly at all. In your case however if it’s a bulging disc it most likely is a laminectomy, if extruded a microdiscetomy , both take 3 to 6 months.Give it a bit longer though, you never know the spinal injection might help, if it does not after 2 weeks then it prob won’t. Good luck, let me know by pm what you decide. Enjoy Christmas as well as you can.

I finished the present wrapping an hour ago and am shattered and my back is killing but I am looking forward to tomorrow x

[Marcasite7 in reply to Emma2017]

Thanks again for your response Emma ... it's very reassuring to have the benefit of advice from someone with related spinal disc problems.

I'll persevere with regular daily exercise and I'll give the spinal nerve block a few weeks to kick in. If it fails, I will probably opt for the surgery, but time will tell.

Hope you have a lovely Christmas Emma and I wish you improved good health in the New Year.

Kind regards,

M

[Toui]

Hi there, like Emma2017 had surgery 3 years ago for sciatica that was present in both legs as well as other issues such as bladder and bowel problems due to slow onset Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES). However, the pain is still there, although not as bad, and I now have numbness in my feet and lower legs - the reason is due to adhesive arachnoiditis which can happen when there is scarring near and on the spinal cord due injections into the cord, surgery and as Emma suggest with constant irritation which creates neurological flare ups of the arachnoid membrane. Please check out arachnoiditishope.com which I found to be the most helpful website around for this condition which is not well understood here in the UK. I hope you can start to see light at the end of the tunnel, but ours is not an easy journey. Take care and hope you had a good Christmas after all.

[abellemed in reply to Toui]

Sadly, your link to arachconditishope only showed a brief public announcement and the names of all the committee members. Is there another more informative website you can give me a link to, please?

[Toui in reply to abellemed]

Good morning. When you click on the above link, you will be redirected to the web page with a sea view with a sun set. There is a box above the picture with home, the disease 2020, etc.. if you click on bulletins it will take you to 39 different links which explains the condition. I hope this helps, if not try arachnoiditis.co.uk in your web browser - it is more user friendly. Take care

[abellemed in reply to Toui]

Thank you for your swift response! However last night when I clicked on the link it only showed the pretty picture at the top but definitely nothing like a box above it! If there had been I would have certainly clicked on any of them, as I am computer literate, an NHS medical secretary. Therefore thinking I must have missed them last night I tried it again this morning, absolutely nothing above the picture.However, I then went onto arachnoiditis.co.uk which, as you say, was more informative. Thank you once again.