severe pain

        

               I`am 45 yrs old and been suffering with sacral iliac pain which over the time

of my injury caused a disk problem in the the lower back, i have had years in rehabilitation ,core strengthening, physio, injections of cortisone and so on. This is been going on for some 21 years,still to this day i have no permanent cure or resolution  to my problem.i still go to work in a lot of pain and discomfort,some days i can`t even walk. does anyone know if nerve deadening is OK on this area of the body or is to risky to do.

Welcome Steven. I echo what White Beard just said. Also, getting a referral to a pain management specialist is a terrific suggestion. I see one and she has helped me tremendously over the years. Please give this idea some thought.

Welcome to the Chronic Pain Forum of Healing Well. We are so glad that you posted. This is a group of pretty amazing people who all have experience and compassion, who are willing to help in any way they can. Please don't hesitate to ask.

Keep posting and let us get to know you, Steven. And God bless.

Lindaloo

Hi Steven,

Let me add my welcome to the pain forum.
You asked about nerve deadening procedures. While I am not a doctor and cannot give you medical advice (as none of us can) I can share my experiences with you.

I have chronic pain from mid-back down to the SI joints from a combination of degenerative disc disease and injury. Been through 4 surgeries and fusions L1-S1.

I have tried RF ablation, chemical deadening (CNL), facet joint blocks, and ligament blocks. Again, this is only my experience, but the RF procedure was very painful and not long lasting (about a year). All of the nerve blocks short of nerve killing, have some lifetime to their benefit. For me, the CNL or chemical killing of the nerve, seem to work best for long term relief. However, the agent use (phenol) has potentially harmful effects if not administered in a precisely controlled manner. So there is an element of risk involved. If the wrong nerves are killed you can imagine the irreversible damage that could result. That said, in the right hands this can be a powerful weapon in the war on pain. It only works for nerves in certain areas. You need to talk to a really good PM specialist about this. But for me, it has really helped when all else failed. But, everyone is different. Talk to your docs. It has not completely cured my CP as I am on oxycodone 30 mgs 12 times a day.

Good luck. We are all here to offer support and share our common experiences with you.
Modelmaker

Steven,

Hi. Hope you stay around. I call this Chronic Pain Forum the elite place for
those seeking solutions.

I've had Intractible Pain for almost 8 years. (No opiods help very much) And
I just can't get around. A family dinner is a nightmare. I just sit all huddled
up while waiting and am afraid to move my muscles because I WANT to make it. On
Easter I had to leave half way through.

I've had maybe two years of physical therapy. It was painful and not once
did I get any relief from it. Sometimes the therapist would try to do
maneuvers with my neck and I had to holler "NO!" My doctors no longer
suggest that I go. I can't even go in the water because it bothers my
nerve roots (or some darn thing)

What really does help is Opiod medication. I take Methadone. You didn't
mention if you take anything for pain relief. If you dont, you might
consider asking your doctor for something to try.

I broke my tail bone and, of course, arthritis set in. Sometimes I can't
sit. When I use the computer, I perch.

I don't know if any of what I said applies to you. What i mainly want to
say is "Welcome To The Family"

Pamela Neckpain

Do you live in the U.S.?

Post Edited (Pamela Neckpain) : 4/20/2009 6:29:31 PM (GMT-6)

Pamela Neckpain <Sorry i live in Canada,Province of British Columbia.

Steven,
Everyone is different. ModelMaker shared his experience with RF. Mine was quite different. I had RF just 8 weeks ago on my low back at L5 & S1. They burned 10 lesions: 6 at S1 & 4 at L5. It was not painful at all during the procedure, but afterward it really hurt for a day or so -- I needed to ice it constantly & my PM gave me some extra meds to take for 72 hours post-op (he would have given me up to a week's worth, but I didn't need them). Now I feel much, much better. Pre-op I was bed-ridden most of the time & literally could not even get up to use the washroom. 8 weeks out I am able to sit at a computer for 4 hours at a time up to 8 hours a day. I can fix meals for myself, walk a few blocks at a time, do 30 minutes of strength training & 15 minutes of light cardio each day. It has really be a game-changer for me. I had RF done on my neck (8 lesions at C1 & C2) about 8 years ago. It lasted for almost 7 and a half years with significant improvement for the whole time. I am hoping to have that procedure repeated again in a few months. I've been told that most people don't get relief for quite that long, but honestly I wouldn't still been very happy even with only 6 months of relief I was so miserable. I've been told RF benefits typically last between 18 and 36 months. If you tend to heal quickly, it could be shorter. If you're like me & tend to take a long time to heal from just about anything, it could take quite some time for the affected nerves to heal up & start sending pain signals again.

It doesn't work for everybody & even for those for whom it does work it will mean significant amounts of PT post-op to re-build lost strength & flexibility, but it made a huge difference for me & I know others at the pain clinic I go to who have also be really helped a lot by RF procedures. Anyways, it's at least worth a discussion with your PM. Like PALady said, if your own PM doesn't do it, you can look for an interventionalist PM -- you can also look for a full-service pain clinic that would offer both medication management and surgical care -- or some neurosurgeons will do RF procedures.

Good luck finding something that will work for you!
frances