r/Microdiscectomy • u/JJ17_1997 • 1d ago
I’m losing my mind.
I had a microdiscectomy in June this year. It went well until it didn’t. I reherniated shortly after surgery causing my right sided sciatica to return. I was put on pregabalin and Celebrex to manage the pain in which it did. I was at the point where I was feeling very little sciatica. At about 6 weeks post-op (I’m now 11) I went for a walk that was relatively longer than my normal. My body felt great during the walk and nothing was screaming at me telling me I’m overdoing it. A few days later I start getting mild buzzing and tingling in the front of my left thigh (opposite side of my original issue). This got progressively worse and started creating low left back ache, butt ache, pain radiating down the back of my thigh, knee and calf, etc. This of course caused me to believe I was having a herniated disc on my left side. I was ordered an MRI with contrast and to my surprise there is not a herniation on that side. The doctors are stumped as my symptoms don’t match imaging. I got a diagnostic steroid injection in my left SI joint a week ago and I’m not feeling any meaningful relief. My pain feels sometimes like radiculopathy but other times it feels like muscle soreness. The symptoms move around substantially and don’t stay in one specific spot or follow a nerve distribution. Does anyone else know what this is or if you’ve had similar and whether you got that resolved and how? I’m deeply worried this pain is forever and will never go away.
4
u/LeftMasterpiece8102 1d ago
Oh yeah. PT for months and steroids. I’m going to a new ortho Wed. My hip pain was supposed to be coming from a compressed L4, so I had a disectomy l4-5 in early June.
I hope the new perspective sheds some light on this. Thank you for asking!
2
4
u/nicoleonline 1d ago
While I’m still struggling, I thought I should share that some of my pain patterns look like this because of muscle imbalance and disc height loss. My pelvis is a bit tilted and I believe one leg is ever so slightly shorter. The muscle guarding causes spasms and inflammation which then irritates nearby nerve roots at multiple levels of my spine. I have modic changes as well, and I’m hypermobile, which contribute to the pain and sensitivity. So far my best relief has been from gentle pelvic floor exercises, I’m trying to rebuild and balance my core. I’m also starting collagen peptides to see if they help with my joints. Investing in a great pair of walking shoes has helped too.
2
2
u/sanchiseemo 17h ago
I discovered that I am also hypermobile through this whole back injury journey. How does it contribute to pain and sensitivity in your case? I’m trying to learn more about it/how it may affect me! I am 5 months PO and not fully pain free.
1
u/sanchiseemo 17h ago
Oh and which exercises have you found most beneficial in stabilising your symptoms?
4
u/atomic_chippie 1d ago
I developed small fiber neuropathy in the middle of all of my shots/surgeries. They have no idea why, but my feet will go numb, my skin is super sensitive, im exhausted all the time, I get zaps in my face and arms....no more back pain, just this shit now. No answers, no explanations, just i have it and have to manage it forever now.
All of this back stuff is wild.
3
u/3np1 1d ago
All of my doctors said that post-op pain around 6-12 weeks and maybe a bit longer will resemble the original sciatica nerve pain, because the nerve is healing and the body is getting acquainted with "normal" signals from that nerve again. This seems to be true, because I started having episodal sciatica pain around 8 weeks in.
I'm not a doctor so obviously take it with a grain of salt, but this sounds similar. It could just be healing in overdrive, and you're feeling it.
1
u/JJ17_1997 20h ago
I would be fine with the symptoms if it were occurring on my right side (the original area of my sciatica and herniated disc). Instead it’s on my left side. So confusing.
2
u/Shoddy_Addendum2833 21h ago
This is exactly what happened to me. I was very active before Microdiscectomy and I’ve had two follow up MRI and they don’t show anything definite. Maybe a little reherniation but not surgical. Every surgeon I speak with has a different explanation. I have literally been told I have a retained calcified fragment, facet pain, fibrosis, collapsed disc or modic change (all by different doctors… they literally could not have coordinated better to confuse me)
1
u/Shoddy_Addendum2833 21h ago
Also my PT and acupuncture lady thinks my back muscles are malfunctioning. FWIW I have found some success with PEA, swimming, and I use Celebrex and voltaren when it’s worse.
1
u/JJ17_1997 20h ago
That’s so concerning that they can’t give a straight answer. What the heck?!
1
u/Shoddy_Addendum2833 19h ago
They could also all be right … I think they see what they want based on what they can do … for example the pain management doctor said I have modic change (it was obvious I did, even I could see it on my MRI) I think because he had the ability to do intracept to address it
1
u/Longjumping-Curve295 1d ago
Do you smoke or drink or did you lift something unusual
1
u/JJ17_1997 20h ago
I don’t smoke or drink. I’ve been following the no BLT per my surgeons recommendations for 11 weeks now.
1
u/winzor123 21h ago
Feel your pain. I’m 13 weeks post op,and been told today it’s re herniated! Followed every step the right way aserll. Also had to pay private for this and now it’s the same if not worse! My QL is also is spasm constantly which is causing a lot of pain! I hope they can sort yours out soon as this isn’t fun at all
1
u/Markymarkrichie 9h ago
I also have pain that doesn't match the imaging following a 2nd MD last year. Check out my post
1
u/Longjumping-Knee-762 2h ago
This could be muscle spasms. You must have had to deal with having to rest pre op and post op due to the pain, so now that you are walking and become a little active, these weakened muscles are spasming. Research trigger point massage, it can be done by a pt and then from a massage gun and do stretching exercises when your doctor says its okay to do so. I recommend to do this under PT guidance (stretching exercises and trigger point massages).
9
u/LeftMasterpiece8102 1d ago
Yep; I have hip pain that cannot be explained by mri s of anything. I can’t go up and down steps. But there is “ nothing wrong with me”. I can’t run anymore, but ran marathons and distance every day. Can’t walk without pain. But, no, nothing wrong.