NeuroTalk Forums

72daywmn · 01-10-2011, 04:11 PM

Hello all, and thanks for being here. I just found this board, and I hope just having an outlet maybe will help a bit.

I'm a 38 yo woman, injured at work, no specific diagnosis because of the work comp rigamarole, but have been told everything from 'slight disc bulge' or facet joint degeneration that would not cause my symptoms to severely 'bad disc' with a flat tire appearance at L5-S1; but the bottom line is moderate to excruciating pain in the lower back down my right leg every single day, and minimal sensation in my right foot. Occasionally, pain goes down the left leg as well, but it's not as intense or frequent. Before this injury, I worked as a custodian on my feet 9-12 hrs a day, lifting, bending, twisting, etc. with no problems at all- proud of my physical strength and endurance, and now I ache in pain and weep in frustration daily.
I'm not sure which specific condition forum to check out- spinal conditions, neuropathy, etc. Some friends have suggested that I may have fibromyalgia, but I'm wondering if fibro can be somehow triggered by an injury, as I said, before this, I never had these issues.
I'm here for emotional support, insight into the conditions, treatments, etc. so I welcome any info that can be given.
Thanks in advance!

Leesa · 01-10-2011, 04:44 PM

Hi ~ If you have pain going down your legs, then you have SOMETHING that's pressing on the sciatic nerve - and I would suspect that it's a disc. Sciatica is a very painful thing, and you need to see your doc about it.

So is this a recent MRI? Was it done with and without contrast material? If so they should be able to tell if it's a bulging or herniated disc or WHAT it is!! Or else you got a radiologist that was an IDIOT.

I wish you the very best. I hope someone comes up with the right diagnosis. But it sounds like sciatica to me. God bless. Hugs, Lee

72daywmn · 01-10-2011, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leesa

Hi ~ If you have pain going down your legs, then you have SOMETHING that's pressing on the sciatic nerve - and I would suspect that it's a disc. Sciatica is a very painful thing, and you need to see your doc about it.

So is this a recent MRI? Was it done with and without contrast material? If so they should be able to tell if it's a bulging or herniated disc or WHAT it is!! Or else you got a radiologist that was an IDIOT.

I wish you the very best. I hope someone comes up with the right diagnosis. But it sounds like sciatica to me. God bless. Hugs, Lee

Hi Leesa, thanks for your input.
I actually figured sciatica, and that's basically what I'm being given painkillers for, though not enough. Here's the gist of the story...
Sept 08 I was working when my foot slipped off a wet bleacher and I caught myself before falling but jerked pretty hard. I went home that night with my right calf swollen and tender- I figured pulled muscle, but it never got better only worse. So docs thought gastroc tear, and within about a month, the calf got a little better, but my back began hurting, worsening as time went on.
I've had MRI of the calf after it was already healing (that's work comp for ya, never do anything when you need it) which was normal, and eventually a lumbar MRI in March 09, which seems to have different interpretations depending on whose doctors review it. The wc docs say nothing there, my docs say serious herniation, but nobody does anything about anything.
I live in a small town with no specialists of any kind and a PA that prescribes my painkillers reluctantly. I've been on hydrocodone for 2 yrs and I'm limited to a specific number of pills each month, so if the pain is worse some days than others, which naturally it is, I know I'll have to do without at the end of the month because there are no early refills allowed.
I've had trigeminal neuralgia (unrelated) for almost 20 yrs so I know nerve pain when I feel it, and I keep telling everyone that I know that's what this is, but an EMG supposedly came up normal (again, according to the wc docs say) so it's just a back and forth fight for nothing but recognition of the pain I'm in.
The wc insurance is trying to get me to settle out of court, and I know I'm going to end up seeking treatment on my own, so I'm trying to find out more about things like TENS units, ultrasound therapy, inversion therapy and medications- ANYTHING that might possibly be able to help. Honestly, if someone told me that dancing naked covered in peanut butter holding a chicken head would relieve the pain,I might try it. LOL. I'm just SOOOOO
tired of hurting.

Darlene · 01-11-2011, 01:32 AM

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Happy to see you have come to be with us. Just let us know if we can be of any help.

There are great number and caring fellow members here to assist you. Our shoulders are here for support in many ways. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Check out the following forum:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum21.html

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around.

Darlene

72daywmn · 01-11-2011, 04:36 AM

Thanks for the welcome, Darlene.

I checked out that forum, and I can honestly say I don't think that's too similar to what I experience, except perhaps the intensity of the pain. Mine is a radiating, pinched nerve kinda pain, and though I had extreme tenderness and sensitivity to touch in my calf immediately after the injury, it doesn't hurt now to be touched- in fact, I think there's more a loss of sensation in the skin, most likely from sitting on heating pads every day for more than 2 yrs. :/

However, reading stories of RSD makes me realize how much worse things could be, so I genuinely sympathize with anyone struggling with it.