Hi,

I've just joined. Three weeks ago I was diagnosed with moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, but nearly everything I have read about it talks about pain. I do not have pain (thanks be!). What I have is intense pins and needles all the way up and down (and on all sides of) my right leg (right up into buttocks and groin) and both feet. The fact that both sides are affected seems to puzzle health practitioners. Anti-inflammatories don't have any effect. I've had two physio appointments so far and am doing the prescribed exercises faithfully, but no position offers relief. I have another appointment with the doctor and will ask for more diagnostic imaging and treatment options, but in the meantime I'm wondering if anybody else has these symptoms and has found anything that helps relieve them. I'm kind of scared because the extent of the numbness seems to indicate that nerves from a whole bunch of lumbar and sacral vertebrae are affected. I don't know if surgery is indicated or not, and will find out.

Benedicta