more pain :-(

[gayle]

im having the nerve pain in my left leg again that runs from my hip to my leg .it went away after i took the steriod pack my dr gave me but now its back and im wondering is there anything i can do to make it stop besides pain medication ???

[makaylasmom]

I feel for you!

I know that can be very bothersome at times. I too have sciatica probs. I take neurontin for it and it helps. I take it at bedtime so that I can sleep- walking also seems to help too- aquatherapy also works. Before my surgery I used to take aleve- that would help too.

[Cakedec]

This problem is a rough one with scoliosis

gAYLE,

I had trouble with this for years before my surgery. The things that worked were:

1. Gentle Traction of my lower back which was done by the chiropractor--possibly other drs. might be able to do it also; it stretches out the vertebrae in the lower back which are pinching and causing this. Usually they use ice/heat along with it.

2. Physical therapy --this is something that helps over a longer period of time taking 4-6 weeks of faithfully doing the stretches and exercises that a therapist prescribes for you. The first few times may feel like it is irritating it, but if you can keeep going through it, this will give relief. Ask your dr. or surgeon for a referral to a GOOD therapist experienced with scoliosis.

Deb

[bbest]

Trudy -

I hate to be the one to say it but, this might be something to contend with until you have surgery. Physical Therapy, traction, meds can all be very helpful but they will probably not completely rid you of the pain. As I have shared with you before, I endured a similar sounding pain for years myself. I was able to get some relief from the Medrol dose pack and other medications but ultimately surgery did the trick for me. Does your surgeon plan to perform a laminectomy? I believe you said that nerve impingement was the cause of your pain.

[gayle]

brandi whats a laminectomy?

i dont think im having a laminectomy done? dr never mentioned it .i do have kindof a bad disk at L5 that is causing me pain in my right hip and right part of my back but thats only in winter time .this pain on my left side has just started hurting and he thinks its the big lower curve that is pressing on a nerve ( what thePA said). im pretty sure like you said brandi that i will just have to wait till surgery to fix the problem but just had to ask if there was anything else possible to help :-)

[bbest]

A laminectomy is a surgical procedure done to relieve pressure on the nerves by "unroofing" the lamina (a part of the vertebrae) to make room for the nerve to exit out. I had one done because of nerve impingement at L5-S1 and have not had one incidence of pain in my leg since surgery.

Brandi

[Marcia]

Gayle, I just wanted to say I am sorry you are experiencing so much pain. It seems this type of siatic (sp?) nerve pain comes from several sources. It is the very thing that sent me to the doctor in the first place after living with scoliosis without seeing a doctor again. In my case it is spondyililosis. I am hoping surgery will be my answer to this pain. Pain on the left side would probably be more likely something like what I have as most of us have our bottom curve on the left.

[berta@aloha.net]

same pain!

I have the same pain, from lower back, mine left side, down thru my butt to my knee. I can't be on my legs for more than a short time and then it happens. Some days are worse than others, definitely related to being on my feet. On a bad day, it even hurts sitting down. I also get sort of a cramping at the inside of my left let socket or hip. I've been taking Celebrex (an arthritis med) and it help a little, I think. I also do pilates and some yoga stetches, but ultimately, I'm think surgery is going to be the solution, I hope!
I bought one of those lumbar back braces you can get at Long's, and when I have to be on my feet for longer, I wear it and it really helps! But I've been told not to wear it all the time as you become dependent on it.
I think it's that lumbar curve that causes the sciatica pain, pinching the nerve, so us with the worse curve there have it the most. By the evening, I feel like my spine can't hold up my body any longer!
I'm 57 and this pain has become consistant for 9 months. I can't stand it! Before that, it was just in short periods and would go away. I'm looking forward to surgery, believe it or not!