I had a hysterectomy in Feb 2012 and had a general anaesthetic and epidural and I have suffered from severe chronic lower back pain which radiates through my pelvis, buttocks and both legs. I have severe burning and cold sensations down the front of my thighs with tingling to my lower limbs and feet. I constantly feel nauseous and anxious. I have had CT and MRI scans which show no cause for my pain . Have been attending physio for 8 months, acupuncture and have tried Pregabalin, gabapentin and amitryptilline but cannot tolerate the side effects. I am unabke to sit or stand for any length of time and have been unable to work since my operation but have to get back to work soon or will have my contract terminated.
I suspect some damage was done to my nerves with the epidural but cannot think what else I can do to help my situation. I have been referred to Neurology but the waiting list is extremely long so don't know when that will come through and when it does have no idea what they will do.
Any feedback would be gratefully received.
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Many years ago I was told by my sister that long term back pain was a side effect of epidurals. She had an epidural when her daughter was born. She discussed her problem with other women who had had epidurals during labour.
CT and MRI will not show a cause for pain that may be muscular in origin. Physiotherapy often does not help for certain pain conditions because of the way physiotherapists work in the UK.
It is possible for faulty muscular usage to apply pressure on nerves. An MRI or CT scan will not pick up slight vertrabrete misalignments. I have learnt over the course of a number of years that when I bruise a nerve it take a little while to settle down. You can bruise a nerve while using your muscles. When the MRI looks at your body it cannot see a bruised nerve.
Reading what you have written it appears you have not tried Alexander Technique or Chiropractic.
Give this a try. Neither of these techniques may cure your condition. However they will help you control your condition better.
I recieve chiropractic treatment on the NHS. I recieve a treatment once every six weeks.
Thanks for your reply Johnsmith.
I have had many weeks of chiropracty but was told not to continue as it was doing no good.
I have not tried the Alexander Technique but I certainly will investigate that option.
Many thanks again.
Thanks for the reply. You have eliminated an external spinal problem. What you now need to do is to risk studying yourself. This option will take quite some time. A good method of study is Mindfulness. This can take years and is full of pitfalls as you learn to use it effectively. It will not take away the pain. What it can do when you learn how to use it is to change your mental attitude to pain and discomfort so that it moves from totally debilitating to a minor irritation. I do Mindfulness and meditation under the buddhist tradition of Ajahn Chah (Thai Forest Tradition).
The Buddhist Society,
58 Eccleston Square,
London SW1V 1PH
tel: 020 7834 5858 fax: 020 7976 5238
email: info@thebuddhistsociety.org
can give you more information on the various buddhist sects and their contact details. The advantage is that in the Buddhist tradition mindfulness and meditation is taught for free with donations if you want to give. The same from Pyschology practitioners will be very expensive.