OP On back help

wendylou
wendylou Member Posts: 88
edited 31. Jul 2010, 07:27 in Living with Arthritis archive
:wink: Hi all i am wondering if any off you have gone through the same thing, you see I have OA in both hips and knees but i also have got sciatica and have a trapped nerve in my lower spine, My GP sent me for a assesment on my spine, went on Monday had a good examination and was told my left leg is shorter than my right,which she said that it might be the OA thats the cause when she finished she told me there is nothing they can do only surgery on my spine to release the nerve as she said physio whould not work so she left it up to me if i want that, i had a word with my GP and he recommend that i have it as i cannot sleep on my sides because of arther so have to lie on my back then i get the tingeling and my leg goes dead, so what i am asking has any of you gone through the same thing and had the op, I whould be greatfull for some fed back. Wendylou

Comments

  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Wendylou

    I am sorry to read your latest posting. What are they actually going to do in this op that has been suggested to you? I had sciatica for about one year and had a dorsal root ganglion block x 2 at L4 and L5. Touching wood, I have been sciatica free since that day which was 3 December 2009 to date. These were injections under sedation and xray direction.

    Look after yourself,

    Elna x
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • wendylou
    wendylou Member Posts: 88
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    elnafinn wrote:
    Hi Wendylou

    I am sorry to read your latest posting. What are they actually going to do in this op that has been suggested to you? I had sciatica for about one year and had a dorsal root ganglion block x 2 at L4 and L5. Touching wood, I have been sciatica free since that day which was 3 December 2009 to date. These were injections under sedation and xray direction.

    Look after yourself,

    Elna x
    Hi Elna i have got to have a MRI Scan she told me mine is about L2and L3 she tod me about what you had but said it could happen again and that surgery is the only other option,so i am waiting for my MRI appontment and i get the results in 8 weeks she also said i might have a touch of Arther there which i hope not, so when i go back in 8 weeks they are going to take it from there, so we will see. Wendylou, take care.
  • lavenderlady
    lavenderlady Member Posts: 409
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hi Wendy lou sorry to hear about your back op, I have spondelothesis on L5 and other back problems inc arthritis and my coccyx was snapped years ago in fact 21 years ago when my large son was born too quickly he weighed 9lb 8 oz I still get grief from it , in fact when I had scans and xrays for my SMA they said you are aware your back is a bit of a mess !!!!!!
    they did say I might need a rod alongside the damage to my vertabrae, having these problems for so long I've adapted to how i sit lie and stand knowing when to move etc, I have always been a coward as far as having anything done to my back, :oops: but I know sooner or later I will have to be brave :shock: and sort it out so good luck I hope it gets sorted out for you as i know how having a bad back can make you go down hill in your mood so quickly ,
  • oneday
    oneday Member Posts: 1,434
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    this is a hard decision. i was offered back surgery but researched it and wasnt happy, also discovered long term benefits werent high. i decided to leave it incase surgery went wrong,cos bound to be me the way my health luck goes! i will only have it if end up cant walk at all.
    Research the op, then ask questions. i asked my consultant how many of type of my propsed ops he had done. That was ok. i spoke to gp after who i thought would say go ahead butshe didnt as one of her pateints had itand is now incontience,sorry if i wory u but suggest u look into it 1st.
    p,s i have 1 leg shorter and have insol with a raise, hav u seen podiatrist?
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Mmmmm....

    Good news is I HAVE had back surgery and am still standing :D

    dah daaah!! :)

    Mine kept going - getting better - going - getting better- and so on.

    One day (I was in Forida) it went proper :shock: I turned over in bed. Tgher actually WAS a click and a buzzing started in my rt little toes (had ceasarian with epidural so I knew I was loosing feeling) kept going all the way up to my bum :shock:

    Couldnt feel it at all :( could have stabbed my leg and I wouldnt have known. No tingles - just dead.

    Investigations in america, but was due home next day - came home and had surgey here three weeks later (after initial inflamation had gone down). I am ok still cant feel a wee bit of rt foot a bit behind knee and a bit of rt bum cheek :oops:

    What I WILL say is that the surgeon found more than a 'trapped nerve' which I had always been palmed off with by GPs, I had discs poking out and worn vertibrae and a bit of bone sheared off and floating about, (this he had only ever seen once feore in 20 years of surgery), all damaging those nerves.

    Finally he said taht if I had jad the surgery 2 years before - he could have saved the nerve damage.

    My davice to you for what it's worth is....

    Get the results and discuss thoroughtly all your options with the surgeon and see what advice you are given.

    There may be other options available. My friend had a disc fixed through keyhole a few years ago and never looked back. It might be a disc trapping your nerve - if it is - is tHIS an option??

    Sorry I have gone on and on - anything else you think I can help plese do ask :)

    Love

    Toni xx
  • denpen
    denpen Member Posts: 389
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Wendylou
    My husband had a decompression (to release the trapped nerve) on his back last year because he had the tingling down his legs the op went ok but some of the bone grew back and his legs go numb when he is walking so he had another op a dual procedure a decompression and a discetomy again this year. Like any op you have to be carefull and take it easy with your recovery, but if it eases the problem its worthwhile having it done.
    As for any op they warn you of what could go wrong which is the worst part of it I think.
    But dont forget these surgeons do these operations all the time to them its nothing and they are very good at what they do.
    Denise.