Hi.

Without a doubt, your husband needs to see an Orthopedic Surgeon. Certain tests have to be done. X-RAYS, mri's whatever needs to be done to completely RULE OUT BACK PROBLEM, compressed nerves, discs, what have you.

Once the back is completely ruled out (like it was with my husband), and they still don't know why a person has PN, then they start doing the auto-immune testing. Spinal taps, special blood tests.

You'll get lots of informatiojn on these boards, but I have a hunch it's not YOU who needs the information, it's your husband. And from what you have written, he's not the best person to be talking about these things to.

He's probably having a very hard time dealing with the pain and depression.

Hopefully he can get a handle on his depression with the Zoloft (My husband takes it and it's a life-saver in that department). The pain issues, well, you need a good pain-management doctor for that one.j

So hopefully, you can get the back thing completely ruled out. See, when a person has PN and doesn't know why, they call it Idiopathic.

They have to RULE EVERYTHING OUT FIRST. Even then, many people never find out why they have PN. They just treat the symptoms.

Not an easy thing to hear, but I am trying to be honest.

But really!!! when you said this happened after he hurt his back, well, I went UH OH.

You really need to get him to see an orthopedist. That should be your next stop.