I am going on 2 years lowerback injury. Lowerback pain radiating down my buttocks and legs to my feet, mostly left side, numbness and tingling from knee down. Sitting, walking or standing to long causes pain and discomfort.

Tried many (if not all) meds, ultram ER, zanaflex, lyrica, opana, nucynta, hydrocone 5/500, 7.5/200, kadian 20, ryzolt ER 100, gabapentin, fentanyl 25 patch, lidoderm patch, lidocain 5% ointment and I,m sure I missed a few. Had MRI 7-09 and did EMG test which was +.

Did PT for 7 months. I had 2 ipidural steroid injections a month apart that did give me some tolerable relief along with 5 months of chiro, had another EMG was -.
Was able to return to work lighter duty for 8 months before pain started to get worse again, then dr sent me another MRI 11-10, back to chiro and another ipidural steriod injection. after injection felt good for 2-3 weeks then pain came back worse, and been getting worse since, also started to ge a pain in my grion area.

PM dr told me no more injections, sent me to see a well know nuerosurgeon, my dr did another EMG which was + again, and he agreed, both saying nothing more they could do, need a surgical opinion. Went to see nuero yesterday get there and end up seeing a nurse practitioner" she did not give me a chance to say a word, asked a few questions, tested strengh in my neck, arms legs and feet, made me walk on my toes(which hurt but did it) and heels which I could not do on my left foot. Told me I had no stregnth and weakness in my left leg and foot. Told me to go for new MRI and come back.

Here is what my last MRI says done only 4 mounths ago;
Again, there is the presumption of a partially lumbarized S1 segment.
At the L3-L4 level, there is mild hypertrophy of the facet joints and ligamentum flavum.
At the L-4L5 level, there is posterior disc buldge. There is a probable small shallow left foraminal disc protrusion. There is mildleft foraminal narrowing. There is hypertrophyof the facet joints and ligamentum flavum.

At the level designated as L5-S1, there is a disc desiccation and posterior disc buldge. There is moderate or mild to moderate right foraminal narrowing. There is moderate to marked left foraminal narrowing, with flattening and deformity of the exiting left L5 nerve root. There is hypertrophy of the facet joints and ligamentum flavum. There is a tiny shallow right foraminal protrusion.
The conus medullaris is grossly unremarkable.
The disc space imaged on series 5 image 11 is designated as L5-S1.
At the L5-S1 level, there is left greater than right shallow foraminal protrusions, with moderate to marked left foraminal narrowing and relatively mild right foraminal narrowing.
When correlated with the examination of July 09, left foraminal narrowing may have progressed very slightly at theat the L5-S1 level. Otherwise, there does not appear to be significant interval change when allowing for patient motion.
Sorry so long" I have 2 ver good Dr,s but just wondering if someone has or knows something that could help me" ThankYou

I was pain free for nearly 10 years, with egoscue technique ( not a five minute cure) try to go to an egoscue clinic and you may get a postural assessment. (pain free by pete egoscue his book) this will determine what kind of posture you have and they will give you postural stretching, nothing to do with traditional physical therapy. I am suffering from three bulging disk and neck pain, and that technique has helped me tremendously. I am right now with egoscue, testing intensive isometrics core strenghtening. so far, I have overall less pain, but still some sciatica, I just started this 3 weeks ago. so too early to tell. you can also try ( if you have some scoliosis symptoms one shoulder higher then the other is usually a good indication that you may have "acquired" scoliosis) ( versus congenital scoliosis) yoga for scoliosis by miller, I use egoscue and her book, and isometrics.
I can't take much drugs and Iam not considering surgery of any kind.
hope this help virginie

It sounds like you have been through alot with your back. I have cervical issues and surgery twice C3-7. I did every thing that you did including in jections and fussions. Did you get a pain specialist? My pain specialist not my Neuro surgeon told me to get this big surgery done. He just could not give me good pain control and I had been on opiates for 6 in-intween years. I think if you are to that point, and have done everything else, then maybe you really should think about surgery. Are you looking up all the words in your medical diagnosis? By the time I had surgery, I was prepared because of this list. More will come on line to help you with the language of you report. I do wish you all the best. It is a hard decision anytime you are faced with something like this. I had good results, and I hope your pain level can be helped soon. Ginnie