@A MyChronicPainTeam Member, @A MyChronicPainTeam Member. Thank you for your responses. I am currently on Gabapentin, Indomethacin, Tramadol, and Tizanidine to name a few (there are more!). I recently had a cortisone shot in the hip as well as an epidural (my 3rd since March). They help, but not much and not for long. Although I will say having them within seven days apart has brought more relief than I've experienced in a while.

I just went through my second MRI and am scheduled to see my Orthopedic Surgeon, to discuss surgery, at the end of the month.

Blessings.

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A MyChron...

A MyChron...

@A MyChronicPainTeam Member now that they have the report you should be changing from epidural shots to foraminal injections. Those are targeted to the small joints of the back where you have the stenosis (narrowing of the joint space) and the steroid will be in a better place for helping you. If the foraminal injections are working for you, they can do a procedure that will kill the nerves for awhile. It is called a radio frequency ablation. This can give you relief for up to 6 months. They may also send you to an orthopedic surgeon or neurosurgeon to trial a spinal cord stimulator. This is an implanted device that allows you to turn it on and off, change the rate of percussions and the frequencies of the wave lengths, all designed to “shut off the pain signal” to the brain. I have one, and it got me out of a wheelchair and walking again. Watch the dvd that is available, make a list of questions and consider weather you can stand to have a buzzing in your body that I describe as standing on a train happening inside you while you are functioning during the day. Best wishes. Find me if you need more info!

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A MyChron...

I'm also on the Gabapentin/Tizanadine cocktail. 4- 400mg caps every 6 hours and 2-4mg tabs every 6 hours. You dont realize how much they help you until you run out or miss some doses and then you want them back pronto. @A MyChronicPainTeam Member is absolutely right about a pain journal. Dates, times, pain level, activity level prior, medications, if you didnt sleep well or not, anxiety level, anything that might adversely effect your pain. Wish you all the best and relief. Take gentle care.

You have impingement on your spinal cord canal mostly at L3-L4 with lesser constriction at the disk spaces above and below. Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of those spaces that the nerves that come out of the spine go through. It appears you suffer from that as well. I hope you have a pain doctor that believes in injections and is willing to set you up on a schedule every 3-4 months. Also analgesics and an opiod strong enough to give you relief. Hope this helps. Take gentle care all.

I am compression fractured injured L1 and 2. You are L3 and 4 affecting the adjacent spine both up and down. Your belt of pain must be awful and twice the size of mine.
I do take pills, use patches and get pain block shots (numbing) once a week but get best relief from epidurals. I am allowed three a year.
What treatment are you getting?