I had an epidural injection Thursday in my back, they injected pain medication and steroid.
They are now talking about doing radio frequency ablation, which if I understand correctly, is to kill the nerves since I am walking around bone on bone.
While I understand that it will relieve my pain, I can't help but Wonder if I will just be doing more damage?
Does anyone have any experience with this procedure?
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I do have experience with it.
Back surgery in 2007, three level cervical fusion 2021, and lumbar surgery again in Nov 2021. Lots of football, dirt bike wrecks and crap like that.
First thing first. The steroid and medicine (caudal epidural) you just had need time to work. Sometimes they take a week plus depending on the patient and a host of variables. They’re also repeatable and most places will give you a series of three of those over a 90 day period.
Unfortunately you may be in a spot where you won’t find any relief from that procedure.
I had what you are talking about done in Orlando back in 2012. Absolutely incredible procedure. Other than steroids, which can’t be taken for long periods. It was the only thing that fixed my pain. Different docs refer to it as different things. From a nerve block to nerve freeze to burning of a nerve. I believe Brad nailed it earlier in this thread. The way it was explained to me was that it took the branches of the tree and cut them back or freezes / burns them off. This doesn’t bother the root of the nerve. Only the branches that are causing the pain. I had drop foot weakness in one of my feet. I was instantly relieved for many years.
What I believe I was told was that tree will branch again and that nerve will grow back. But not in the same way it was before. I had trouble finding anybody else that would do that nerve block / freeze for me again. It seemed like a one and done thing. Because the issue becomes that even though they burn the nerve off. You still have a jacked up back. People carry on and don’t feel the pain thus making the condition worse. You’re lifting much more weight than you should without feeling any warning. If you have this done more than once you can make your condition much worse than it already was. Causing need for a much more serious surgery.
I remember the doctor telling me that after she did it I still had back problems. I was not to lift more than 20 pounds. Lift with legs only. Do physical therapy and workout to specifically strengthen my core. I took it seriously for a month but I felt 18 again and pain free. You can’t tell a man not to lift more than 20 pounds. So I lived my life. Until I was back in the same predicament. It lasted for almost ten years before I broke down and had a second surgery.
Any questions feel free to dm or I’m sure you have my phone and email. Here to help in any way I can.
Biggest thing you can do right this minute imo…that could eventually provide you some relief is stretch. Those hamstrings need to be stretched big time. You have pain around that lower L4-S2. The muscle atrophy on top of that trauma back there itself is as bad as the degenerative disc / arthritic condition you got going on. If you can get that relived you can feel a little better. In theory.
Best of luck to you sir. Hate you’re going thru it, but there is light and it sounds like you’re on the right path.
Edited: I’m not a doctor…nor do I play one on cigarpass or cigar page
. Just a dude that’s lived through some back struggles.
