Experience With Back Injections For Pain?

[Caramel]

Hi. I'm new here. Not sure where to post. I looked up pain clinics and it shot me into a few different topics. What I'm dealing with is an unknown cause of back pain (nothing significant showed on MRI) but chronic back pain for years. I work in the medical field and look where I end up going to for pain relief, to outside sources!! I've had 3 major work related injuries and have been in several MVA's , and dating back to first work injury where I slipped in water that's when pain started and never stopped. Of course all claims are closed and everyone says "you are better " hahaha . My primary Dr got to the point of prescribing nothing for pain except adjunctive meds: antidepressants, NSAIDS, anti seizure, etc. First pain dr recommended NO pain meds only injections. I got outta there fast. He obviously only wanted business for himself. Current pain Dr more varied with txs but is again suggesting injections. He does Rx me some PK 10's ( like I got a whopping 8 to last me 3 weeks this time). Ran out a few days ago. Now in worse pain than ever today /default_sad.png so dang frustrated with this health care system I work in!! I made an order down south and paying tomorrow so will get some relief soon. But jeez I don't know what to do with this dr. I haven't heard that injections do any more good than anything else I've tried and believe me I've tried it all...at least as far as non-invasive treatments. Any input those experienced with this???

 

[2earls]

I have had the injections and they were somewhat painful and did not relieve my symptoms at all. Not that this is typical of everyone, I have heard of some getting relief. Everyone's injuries are so different it makes sense that what works for some, does not for others. It is definitely a money making venture for some pain doctors. Why write a presription when you can charge a fortune for the injections? I would say if you are insured, it's worth trying.

I have had a neck injury for many years that produces nerve pain and I have tried it all!

 

[shaynagrl]

I am sorry for anyone having back problems.  I have had back pain myself for years, and I finally started getting treatment a few months ago.  I had 2 epidurals in Sept. and have another one scheduled in Nov.

I had some pain after the procedure the first time and none the second time.  Thankfully, I was under general anesthesia during the procedure so there was no fear during that I would move or jerk and something bad happen to my back.

I have had some relief but nowhere near what I would call full relief.  In my case, instead of having shooting pains down my legs and into my feet as well as back pain, now I just have the back pain.  I take Percocet and Zanaflex to manage the pain.

In my own case, I am glad that I gave these a try.  I am still optimistic that the 3rd one will be the turning point for me.  If not, I don't know what is next but I am assured there are more things to try on me other than surgery (which I fear).

 

[kiki0730]

Hey Caramel,  I have had multiple back injections over the last few years.   The epidurals and facet injections are hit and miss for me. They provide temporary relief but are not the cure by any means.  It really depends on what your issues are.  I had two herniated disks (L4-L5, L5-S1) and degenerative disk disease.  The injections helped the pain for me only in terms of reducing the inflammation and providing quick acting relief because of the numbing medication they inject with the shot.  

I finally made the decision to have back surgery but the two surgeries were failures.  I'm scheduled to have another round of injections next week just to help out until they can remove my internal cage.  

Depending what your issues are, most likely you will need injections with a supplement of ER PKs and IR PKs to manage the pain.  

Hope that helps!

 

[Guest]

Hey there, sorry to hear of your difficulties.. I had 2 blown discs, L4 & 5 & fractured endplate fragments in my sciatica nerve - had to eventually get steroid type injections. Didn't help sadly. Only thing that helped were Percs. Eventually I had surgery & am better but have chronic lumbar pain. I love Tr@ms for that. Currently trying to find a source for some here. Great group btw. Feel better, friend.

 

[babealcakes]

I also have discogenic back pain without anything significant on my MRI. I have had many rounds of injections both lumbar and facet joints and I think that for discogenic pain they aren't terribly effective. For me, I actually feel considerably worse after them for about five days after the numbing agent wears off, followed by a slow return to my normal rate of pain. No analgesic effect whatsoever. The great doctors I have seen in the past were fine with me saying I didn't want to do them after I had had four, but now it's all my docs want to do, and they refuse to even discuss changing my meds without me agreeing to undergo the injection, wait out my standard recovery time. And if you have an absent minded dr, make sure you are very clear about the reaction you had- keep a nifty pain journal to show them, if you want to get the most out of the ordeal. I made the mistake of saying that something else had been beneficial while I was discussing the results of my last injection, and when I told my dr this time that I didn't find the injections helpful he cocked an eyebrow and said 'well, you told us last time that they were helpful, I have it in my notes from your follow-up." 

Anecdotes aside, be prepared to feel worse before you feel better, and discuss this possibility with your doctor before hand. I have heard from many people on forums geared a bit differently that the injections work best for people with nerve compression, sciatica, etc. I haven't talked to anyone with strict discogenic pain that was particularly positive about the experience. It DOES sound like they are great for people with injuries in other joints, though, like knees and even further up in the cervical spine people seem to have good luck. 

I really hope that you can find some relief from them, I just know it's awful to have a dr pitch something to you like it's the cure for all the ailments on God's green earth only to feel even worse and much poorer after heeding the dr's wishes. Most pm docs make their money on injections, as I think someone has already said. Every one of them would probably tell you you should give the injections a try, and they are right- you never know and it's great to have noninvasive options open. But be very clear with them afterward what did and didn't work for you and scram out of there if they keep pushing the damned things on you in the event they are unhelpful!

On the plus side, they are not an unpleasant procedure. My doc said 80 percent of patients request twilight sedation but I have never been even one bit sedated and it hurts me worse just to have a doc press on my spine during routine exams! 

All this said, I really, really do hope that everyone out there finds the relief they seek in one way or another. We all deserve to be well and lead full lives! To a pain free New Year!

 

[buyer2015]

The shots are effective for some and not for others. I can tell you one thing I have learned and that is that the injections are kind of a litmus test doctors look to to see if you have legitimate pain or not and whether or not they will prescribe pk's or not. If you are really in pain you will try anything to get rid of it. If you go to a PM doc and they suggest you get injections and you don't, then they know the only reason you are there is to get pk's. If you have had the injections, they didn't work and your doctor will still not prescribe, then I suggest you see another, explain and have records showing you have tried injections with not much improvement and you should be able to find one that will.

I have seen A LOT of back doctors and the best one I have seen doesn't need to prescribe pk's. Most are Osteopathic doctors and they do things similar to a chiropractor only much different. Unlike a chiro my doctor appointments with the best doctor I have seen take an hour or more. They also prescribe a lot of manual therapy which is actual manipulation of your body and NOT physical therapy where they do not touch you and make you do exercises.

 

[Def_Starr]

yes i had injections done in 2013 and 2014 after 2 car accidents, i had facet joint injections for the neck injuries and lower back injections for the pain for my sciatic nerve, but the pain came back, its a temporary fix to reduce inflammation, if its for car accident lawsuit do what they say /default_biggrin.png ,

but imo the physical theraphy is what got my neck and lower back feeling better and i am back into the sports i enjoy surfing, working out, jumping over things that jumping over things, soo if you need the shots its a temp fix...........also dont let them make you think you constantly need shots , these shots are not really FDA approved, you sign a waiver every time you take the shot  /default_cool.png

 

[Silver Shadow]

Yeah the epidural shots can provide relief but my pm dr had me do 7 in a yr and a half and multiple trigger points because after the 6th epidural I started having severe thigh burning and my femoral nerve was totally pinched. He acted like he was so compassionate but after all the injections stopped my adrenal glands stopped functioning on its own. If the shots dont work by 3,4 more aren't gonna do it so this guy took advantage and should have referred me for surgery way earlier than I had it and I got ig bcuz I complained to my pcp and medical ins company. Long story short I had to go with conservative treatment first to get the surgery but my dr put me through 5 yrs of shots and bullshit and pain meds unecessarily. The surgery was unsuccessful and was a fusion and reconstruction bcuz of how bad it got over that amount of time , I know have to take corticosteroids bcuz of adrenal insufficiency which have caused weight gain an a slew of other lovely side effects and I am in no less pain than when I started, my problems with pain have multiplied and my now ex pm dr made a freakn bundle off of me. I guess my point is that you know the system and its your damn body. If the shots don't work let him know. If you're pain isn't being managed let him know. They are not allowed legally to let you suffer so if he is id recommend complaining to the ins company or his group and find someone else. Its about quality of life. Trying to find a good dr is not considered dr shopping. Good luck..

 

[bruce.]

I have had 2 steroid epidurals and they really worked for me! I have sciatica as well as degenerative disk disease and L4 and 5 discs have been ground to mush. I know it is hit and miss for some people. The only thing with the epidurals is that you can only get so many in a lifetime and they told me that going in, so as not to get one unless you really, really need it! True they do not cure anything but do provide relief for quite a while (for me).I do have opiate pain killer scripts for more immediate pain and that helps. 

 

[Jools]

I have had a chronic back problem for many years and have been referred to pain clinics. The irony was that they started with pain killers and then would give me a day where they would use ketamine, opioids and benzos in a mix and this wou,d be once a week. It certainly brightened my mood. I have been on longterm slow release morphine and diazepam for maybe 16 or more years but then not just my back but my legs started to shake, hurt so badly and would buckle. I had the epidural and facet joint injections but only ever gave me temporary relief but my legs were getting worse and it was making me nauseas too. 

Ive now had nerve block injections and can happily say that the leg pain is gone although back still hurts but I am grateful for the small mercy. They Inject me directly Into the nerve and under x Ray. I don't even feel the needle but just feel the legs tingle like crazy. This lasts 6-9 months 

I can highly recommend them if you have pain that radiates into your legs. Drugs used are Kenalog plus an local Anasthaetic  it really changes my outlook and everyone notices the grump is gone  I can be awful to be around when it is bad  a nickname I am not proud of is short fuse  

Good luck and God speed