Re: nerve root block?

[Guest guest]

<snip>

First thing they are going to try is an

> injection or nerve root block.

<snip>

..Has anyone ever had a nerve block injection ?

> Is it risky? Did it help?What can I expect for relief and how long

> will it last?Will I be sore after getting the injection?

" Me! " <<Waving my hand in the air>> Yes, I have undergone this procedure.

First of all, my sympathies for all you are going through. I had a very

rough road post-op, and I read admiringly the stories here of the folks who

were able to get up and about relatively quickly. We all heal at our own

pace. Anyway, I had anterior/posterior fusion, and if he'd just gone in

through the back and fused my spine I'm sure I would have had a much quicker

recovery. It was the rib removal and resection that really did me in. My

surgery was in 1999, and in some ways I'm still recovering from that part of

it. I was on pain meds forever, and then I got addicted to them, and had a

difficult withdrawal (but I felt so much better and was SO glad I finally

got off them). I worked with a pain management specialist, Dr. Richman,

through the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC, for a long time. One of

the things he tried for the intractable rib pain was a nerve root block. It

was a number of years ago, but as I recall, this is done as a surgical

procedure, but you stay awake. I had to lay on the table, on my stomach,

which is nearly impossible for me to do, and very difficult post-op

(although I wasn't immediately post-op at that point). I believe I was

given some numbing agent, such as Lidocaine, at the site, and then the

doctor took x-rays to find the best spot in which to do the injection.

Actually I think there were several sites he injected. It was kind of

time-consuming, although I can't remember how long it took altogether--maybe

an hour on the table. I do remember crying, not sobbing but tears were

definitely coming out of my eyes and dripping down on the table. I had to

stay very still, so I tried to keep this on the down-low, but I do recall

that part. I don't tell you this to scare you--it was just my own reaction.

Anyway, I had to bring my mother with me to drive me home, b/c they don't

recommend trying to drive yourself right afterward. I was sore, but I did

manage to walk around and we went to visit my son at his dorm afterward (he

was in college at Columbia, which is clear across town from HSS--we didn't

walk there, tho', we went via car). I did get some relief, maybe for 2-3

weeks. But, I am still numb in my ribcage area, not " paralyzed " numb but a

painful numbness. This isn't from the nerve root block, though, it's from

the surgery. I have no idea how it will work for someone who hasn't had

surgery--maybe you'll get better results b/c you don't have the added trauma

to your body. If your doctor wants to try it, I would say listen to that

recommendation. The procedure is no day at the beach, but it sounds as

though you could use all the help you can get right about now. My best

wishes to you.

D.

[Guest guest]

> <snip>

> First thing they are going to try is an

> > injection or nerve root block.

> <snip>

> .Has anyone ever had a nerve block injection ?

> > Is it risky? Did it help?What can I expect for relief and how

long

> > will it last?Will I be sore after getting the injection?

>

>

> " Me! " <<Waving my hand in the air>> Yes, I have undergone this

procedure.

> First of all, my sympathies for all you are going through. I had

a very

> rough road post-op, and I read admiringly the stories here of the

folks who

> were able to get up and about relatively quickly. We all heal at

our own

> pace. Anyway, I had anterior/posterior fusion, and if he'd just

gone in

> through the back and fused my spine I'm sure I would have had a

much quicker

> recovery. It was the rib removal and resection that really did me

in. My

> surgery was in 1999, and in some ways I'm still recovering from

that part of

> it. I was on pain meds forever, and then I got addicted to them,

and had a

> difficult withdrawal (but I felt so much better and was SO glad I

finally

> got off them). I worked with a pain management specialist, Dr.

Richman,

> through the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC, for a long time.

One of

> the things he tried for the intractable rib pain was a nerve root

block. It

> was a number of years ago, but as I recall, this is done as a

surgical

> procedure, but you stay awake. I had to lay on the table, on my

stomach,

> which is nearly impossible for me to do, and very difficult post-op

> (although I wasn't immediately post-op at that point). I believe

I was

> given some numbing agent, such as Lidocaine, at the site, and then

the

> doctor took x-rays to find the best spot in which to do the

injection.

> Actually I think there were several sites he injected. It was

kind of

> time-consuming, although I can't remember how long it took

altogether--maybe

> an hour on the table. I do remember crying, not sobbing but tears

were

> definitely coming out of my eyes and dripping down on the table.

I had to

> stay very still, so I tried to keep this on the down-low, but I do

recall

> that part. I don't tell you this to scare you--it was just my own

reaction.

> Anyway, I had to bring my mother with me to drive me home, b/c

they don't

> recommend trying to drive yourself right afterward. I was sore,

but I did

> manage to walk around and we went to visit my son at his dorm

afterward (he

> was in college at Columbia, which is clear across town from HSS--

we didn't

> walk there, tho', we went via car). I did get some relief, maybe

for 2-3

> weeks. But, I am still numb in my ribcage area, not " paralyzed "

numb but a

> painful numbness. This isn't from the nerve root block, though,

it's from

> the surgery. I have no idea how it will work for someone who

hasn't had

> surgery--maybe you'll get better results b/c you don't have the

added trauma

> to your body. If your doctor wants to try it, I would say listen

to that

> recommendation. The procedure is no day at the beach, but it

sounds as

> though you could use all the help you can get right about now. My

best

> wishes to you.

>

> D.

Thanks for the insight to the experience you had. So how are you

doing now? Able to go about your day with minimal pain ?Do normal

activities?

[Guest guest]

> Thanks for the insight to the experience you had. So how are you

> doing now? Able to go about your day with minimal pain ?Do normal

> activities?

Ironically, once my back started feeling better, my knees went out in a

major way. It started out with " pre-arthritic changes " plus chondromalacia.

I have some other exercise-related problems with my knees, and I'm sure

everything just came together at once. I believe I now have full-fledged

arthritis in the knees, but I lost my coverage a couple of years ago so I

haven't been able to follow-up with the knee specialist or anyone else to

get the MRI's for a proper diagnosis. It's actually more debilitating than

my scoliosis ever was, which is saying a lot. I've been living with

scoliosis since childhood so I guess I got used to it. But I really miss my

knees, and it makes it difficult to do what I used to. The thing that

annoys me is that this is fixable, if only I had insurance. Not the

arthritis part, but the other stuff could be alleviated. So, the answer is,

my back has held steady since the surgery, with occasional pains in the

ribcage; but I never thought I'd go through all that surgery on my spine

only to be wind up even more debilitated by another condition.

D.

[Guest guest]

> > Thanks for the insight to the experience you had. So how are you

> > doing now? Able to go about your day with minimal pain ?Do normal

> > activities?

>

> Ironically, once my back started feeling better, my knees went out

in a

> major way. It started out with " pre-arthritic changes " plus

chondromalacia.

> I have some other exercise-related problems with my knees, and I'm

sure

> everything just came together at once. I believe I now have full-

fledged

> arthritis in the knees, but I lost my coverage a couple of years

ago so I

> haven't been able to follow-up with the knee specialist or anyone

else to

> get the MRI's for a proper diagnosis. It's actually more

debilitating than

> my scoliosis ever was, which is saying a lot. I've been living

with

> scoliosis since childhood so I guess I got used to it. But I

really miss my

> knees, and it makes it difficult to do what I used to. The thing

that

> annoys me is that this is fixable, if only I had insurance. Not

the

> arthritis part, but the other stuff could be alleviated. So, the

answer is,

> my back has held steady since the surgery, with occasional pains

in the

> ribcage; but I never thought I'd go through all that surgery on my

spine

> only to be wind up even more debilitated by another condition.

>

> D.

I am sorry to hear you are having pains and problems. Hope somehow

things get better for you.