Epidural steroid injection for lower back pain

Gracie

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Feb 13, 2013
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So....I have been told I have degeneration of my spine due to the RA, which causes lower back pain to about kill me. If I stand too long, my left foot goes numb. Both feet tingle constantly but the left foot? The numbness is beginning to climb upwards to the back of my calf. That just started the past few days. And it hurts while being tingly-numb.

Doc said I am a candidate for "surgery" but I declined because one small slip of a scapel and I will wind up in a wheel chair. We did not dicuss what KIND of surgery because I said a resounding NO, so I guess he figured I was closed to any suggestions and dropped the subject.

I was chatting with a lady here at the apts and she said she had an injection. That they gave her a twilight sorta drug where she was aware but would not feel pain...just some "pressure". She said she is due for another shot, that the last one she had lasted her 8 months! So now I hafta talk to Doc some more about this. However, after googling, some websites (Mayo Clinic, etc) said there could be shooting pains the first few days after the injection and it lasts about 3 months.

Therefore, I turn to y'all and ask if you have had this done and what your experience was?

This keeps up and I am going to be in a wheelchair anyway...or mobility scooter. Oy. Growing old is NOT for sissies.
 
It works for a few months, but most doctors won't keep giving you the shots forever.

Ask you doctor if traction will help. If so, get the best in home traction kit you can find.
 
Never mind. I googled it. Um. I think I will pass on that. Looks like the stretchy Inquisition torture wheel, lol.
 
What is a traction kit?
It stretches the back.

Have you been to rehab/physical therapy? They have traction machines which work better than the at home kits. The problem is the therapists will only let you stay on the machine for a limited amount of time.
 
So....I have been told I have degeneration of my spine due to the RA, which causes lower back pain to about kill me. If I stand too long, my left foot goes numb. Both feet tingle constantly but the left foot? The numbness is beginning to climb upwards to the back of my calf. That just started the past few days. And it hurts while being tingly-numb.

Doc said I am a candidate for "surgery" but I declined because one small slip of a scapel and I will wind up in a wheel chair. We did not dicuss what KIND of surgery because I said a resounding NO, so I guess he figured I was closed to any suggestions and dropped the subject.

I was chatting with a lady here at the apts and she said she had an injection. That they gave her a twilight sorta drug where she was aware but would not feel pain...just some "pressure". She said she is due for another shot, that the last one she had lasted her 8 months! So now I hafta talk to Doc some more about this. However, after googling, some websites (Mayo Clinic, etc) said there could be shooting pains the first few days after the injection and it lasts about 3 months.

Therefore, I turn to y'all and ask if you have had this done and what your experience was?

This keeps up and I am going to be in a wheelchair anyway...or mobility scooter. Oy. Growing old is NOT for sissies.
My wife has RA. Did you ever try the methatrexate shots?

If you get the epidural, let me know how it works out, please. Thanks.
 
My wife has RA. Did you ever try the methatrexate shots?

If you get the epidural, let me know how it works out, please. Thanks.
One doc told me NOT to partake of anything methatrexate...his sister went blind from it. I take nothing for my RA. If my granny could handle it..so can I. But it sure hurts!

I will talk to the doc about the epidural...see what he says. And yes, I will let you know.
 
It stretches the back.

Have you been to rehab/physical therapy? They have traction machines which work better than the at home kits. The problem is the therapists will only let you stay on the machine for a limited amount of time.
They ignored my back and only wanted to show me hand exercizes. :rolleyes: So I left. Haven't been back there.
I have a great heating pad though. I don't do well with ice.
 
One doc told me NOT to partake of anything methatrexate...his sister went blind from it. I take nothing for my RA. If my granny could handle it..so can I. But it sure hurts!

I will talk to the doc about the epidural...see what he says. And yes, I will let you know.
My wife stopped taking methatrexate in 2008 after she suffered a TBI. Now she's on hydroxychloroquine. The same drug Trump told everyone cures Covid. When he did that, I had to call our prescriber to order us some extra before all the loonies caused a shortage. I did a run on the stuff before they could. :D

She used Celebrex for a while, but that did cause her to see a black spot in her vision.
 
I take nothing for my RA. If my granny could handle it..so can I. But it sure hurts!
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I didn't much like my mother...but she did give me at least one decent thing before she died. Her genes of a high tolerance for pain. So I deal with it with an advil in the morning and a vicodin at night so I can sleep pain free for awhile.

And now...I am googling for mobility scooters. I think I may need one sooner than I thought.
 
So....I have been told I have degeneration of my spine due to the RA, which causes lower back pain to about kill me. If I stand too long, my left foot goes numb. Both feet tingle constantly but the left foot? The numbness is beginning to climb upwards to the back of my calf. That just started the past few days. And it hurts while being tingly-numb.

Doc said I am a candidate for "surgery" but I declined because one small slip of a scapel and I will wind up in a wheel chair. We did not dicuss what KIND of surgery because I said a resounding NO, so I guess he figured I was closed to any suggestions and dropped the subject.

I was chatting with a lady here at the apts and she said she had an injection. That they gave her a twilight sorta drug where she was aware but would not feel pain...just some "pressure". She said she is due for another shot, that the last one she had lasted her 8 months! So now I hafta talk to Doc some more about this. However, after googling, some websites (Mayo Clinic, etc) said there could be shooting pains the first few days after the injection and it lasts about 3 months.

Therefore, I turn to y'all and ask if you have had this done and what your experience was?

This keeps up and I am going to be in a wheelchair anyway...or mobility scooter. Oy. Growing old is NOT for sissies.
My husband has pain in his upper neck cervical spine that radiates down his arm causing numbness and tingling. He also has degenerative disc disease. Oddly they say doing surgery on the upper neck going through the front of the neck to work on the spine has better results than lower spinal surgery. He's a chicken and didn't want the surgery so he has been getting the shots..........they don't get rid of all the pain but they help control it despite wearing off.

Yes, the patients go in and get the 1st shots for numbing and then they give the patient the shots for their spine..it takes a few days to get the shot to start working. You have to have someone drive you home....but lots of people swear by these shots. I see a lot of return customers to the surgical center that my husband goes to. He's had the shots 3 times now.
 
My husband has pain in his upper neck cervical spine that radiates down his arm causing numbness and tingling. He also has degenerative disc disease. Oddly they say doing surgery on the upper neck going through the front of the neck to work on the spine has better results than lower spinal surgery. He's a chicken and didn't want the surgery so he has been getting the shots..........they don't get rid of all the pain but they help control it despite wearing off.

Yes, the patients go in and get the 1st shots for numbing and then they give the patient the shots for their spine..it takes a few days to get the shot to start working. You have to have someone drive you home....but lots of people swear by these shots. I see a lot of return customers to the surgical center that my husband goes to. He's had the shots 3 times now.
Thats what the lady said I was chatting with. No pain at all during the procedure and it lasted a long time and boy did she feel better afterwards.

Will call my doc on Monday. Meanwhile...scooter time! But dang....expensive!! I want a small 3 wheeler. I just can't walk the grocery store any more without having to find a place to SIT for a few minutes due to the pain in my back and my foot going numb. It sucks. Totally.
 
I had one a couple years ago for Sciatica, but didn't help with the pain at all. I didn't go for surgery either.

For me, taking aspirin alternating with Tylenol took enough of the edge off that I could still function.. But taking 2 or 3 at a time, every few hours, every day for over a year was screwing with my liver & kidneys. I started digging for info too.

With arthritis, bone & joint degeneration, it's important to have strong core muscles to better support the spine & relieve some of that pressure that's causing the pain. Find some good exercises that target those areas that work for you. Doesn't mean to bust your ass trying to be Ms. body builder or anything, just put those muscles to work. Start small and build on that, and only do what you can do. It's not an overnight fix, but a few minutes here & there atleast once a day will help in the long run.


Just remember, if they can slip with the scalpel, they can slip with the needle too. Just sayin, but sometimes you have to trust their 'expertise' and experience too. But everyone is different, and they respond differently too, so whether you get the shot, or surgery or try exercise or something else altogether, that's your choice. Best of luck
 
Thats what the lady said I was chatting with. No pain at all during the procedure and it lasted a long time and boy did she feel better afterwards.

Will call my doc on Monday. Meanwhile...scooter time! But dang....expensive!! I want a small 3 wheeler. I just can't walk the grocery store any more without having to find a place to SIT for a few minutes due to the pain in my back and my foot going numb. It sucks. Totally.
Yes, it does. I'm sorry.
 
They ignored my back and only wanted to show me hand exercizes. :rolleyes: So I left. Haven't been back there.
I have a great heating pad though. I don't do well with ice.
Alternate the heat & ice, a few minutes each 2 or 3 times......it contracts/constricts the muscles........then keep the heat pad if you want.
 
I had one a couple years ago for Sciatica, but didn't help with the pain at all. I didn't go for surgery either.

For me, taking aspirin alternating with Tylenol took enough of the edge off that I could still function.. But taking 2 or 3 at a time, every few hours, every day for over a year was screwing with my liver & kidneys. I started digging for info too.

With arthritis, bone & joint degeneration, it's important to have strong core muscles to better support the spine & relieve some of that pressure that's causing the pain. Find some good exercises that target those areas that work for you. Doesn't mean to bust your ass trying to be Ms. body builder or anything, just put those muscles to work. Start small and build on that, and only do what you can do. It's not an overnight fix, but a few minutes here & there atleast once a day will help in the long run.


Just remember, if they can slip with the scalpel, they can slip with the needle too. Just sayin, but sometimes you have to trust their 'expertise' and experience too. But everyone is different, and they respond differently too, so whether you get the shot, or surgery or try exercise or something else altogether, that's your choice. Best of luck
They slipped with the needle when my wife had an epidural during childbirth. She was hospitalized for a month afterwards.
 
My husband has pain in his upper neck cervical spine that radiates down his arm causing numbness and tingling. He also has degenerative disc disease. Oddly they say doing surgery on the upper neck going through the front of the neck to work on the spine has better results than lower spinal surgery. He's a chicken and didn't want the surgery so he has been getting the shots..........they don't get rid of all the pain but they help control it despite wearing off.

Yes, the patients go in and get the 1st shots for numbing and then they give the patient the shots for their spine..it takes a few days to get the shot to start working. You have to have someone drive you home....but lots of people swear by these shots. I see a lot of return customers to the surgical center that my husband goes to. He's had the shots 3 times now.

I have alot of that too in my arms & hands. Feels like I smacked the funny bone kind of sensation of tingling, lose grip and can't feel anything. Thankfully it passes soon enough.
 

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