What is it like?

[Butterfly Child]

This probably sounds silly coming from me after i gave birth to a 10lb baby naturally but do spinal blocks hurt?..

I Have a back injury l4 l5 and s1 slipped discs which is compressing on a my sciatic nerve causing weakness in my right lef it happened from wen i birthed DD the neurosurgen thinks that surgery will be the next step if this doesnt work unfortuntly so im crossing my fingers

But has anyone who has had a spinal block for spinal cord injurys or even without could they tell me how they found it?

[Arimeh]

I had a spinal block when I had a csection with Miss M - and I have the same damage to my back as you (well same place, not exactly the same problem anyway)

Yup it hurt - but only for a second I'm not sure exactly what a spinal block would do for a sore back though, I'm a bit lost there..... but I'm not a doctor.

[Butterfly Child]

Thanks Arimeh Its a pain having back issues.
apparently it numbs the pain im getting, someone told me it worked for them and stopped the back issues for them for up to a year.. but then ive heard stories that it hasnt helped at all. im hoping it works

[AnyDream]

I had a spinal for my caesar and was scared about how painful it might be, but it wasn't really. The local anaesthetic was about as painful as a local you'd have anywhere (actually I've had one in my toe which felt much worse) and after that there wasn't really any sensation much. Didnt' have any issues with my back or anything afterwards so all good there too.

[~*lilla*~]

It hurt a bit. The local was a bit painful, but I found with both my spinals that I still had some sensation when they actually put the big needle in. It did hurt and I felt a lot of pressure. I'm not sure if they didn't wait long enough between the local and spinal (it was a matter of 5 secs) or whether it was just me.

I know it's probably not what you wanted to hear, but I wanted to be honest so you know what to expect.

[*Infinity*]

I had a spinal for my c-section with DS. I didn't feel a thing which surprised me. But that may have more to do with the fact that I went to my 'happy place' when we were getting rushed in for the emerg c/s and everything is a bit of a blur

I'm sorry to hear youre in pain. I don't know your situation or what treatment you've had already up to this point, but a block to take away the pain only really does just that.....it doesn't really address the cause of the problem. Have your doctors suggested any exercise or rehab options to resolve the disc problems? I'm training in pilates and we help a lot of people with some pretty serious disc injuries.

If you haven't already seen a physio, maybe see what other options you have before going a spinal. The problem when you mask the pain is that you might continue to exaserbate the injury without even knowing it IYKWIM?

Good luck, back pain can be terrible and so debiliating.

[Butterfly Child]

OH I finally found the name of what im having done its a nerve block and im having itt done 2 days b4 xmas scary hopefuly it works and im ok for xmas fingers crossed

[Lulu]

Oh hun, have you tried manipulation? ExH had a bad back problem but a very good (and gentle) chiropractor help it and he never needed surgery in the end. Not had a problem since.

xoxoxo

[Butterfly Child]

Thanks beautiful,
no ive been advised by my neurosurgen that the nerve blocks my only other chance at hopefully making it better not necessarily fixing it as the slipped discs have collapsed on my sciatic nerves in my right leg and hes scared if i try any other alternaatives that he hasnt recomended that it can cause permenant damage. it sux im trying to be as pro active as i can but theres only so much i can do. thanks for the suggestion hunny xx

[Janie]

Hi hun, I am certainly no expert, but is there any chance you could get a second opinion? Just that with your specialist being a surgeon, they are often not 'open' to many other possibilities. Not saying that he's wrong, just that he may not necessarily be aware of other ways of helping you, or even if he is aware, not be knowledgeable enough about them to be able to refer you on.

Back surgery, especially at your age, is a MASSIVE undertaking, you would want to be very very sure that it is absolutely your last resort. It does sound as though you are quite aware of that, but sometimes a second (or third!) opinion is just what is needed. If you have two or three specialists saying the same thing, then you'll feel absolutely confident that you have made the right choice.

I am sorry that you are enduring such a debilitating injury, particularly while caring for your little one. I can't imagine how painful it must be

[Lulu]

I totally agree with Janie.

It is a massive undertaking, but exH had someone INSIST he must have surgery and he didn't need it.

Please get a 2nd opinion (I am no medical expert either), then one from a chiro as well xoxoxoxo

[Butterfly Child]

Janie- the surgen is trying this nerve block which is a needle that goes in the spine kind of like an epidural apparently that could help me with the pain as it numbs it etc he said sometimes it can works for long periods of time like a year or so, hes not wanting me to get the surgery untill ive tried that to, id love to get another opinion, but im on the public system and on a waiting list to even see this one

to be honest i dont think ill need the surgery it has improved alot from where i was a few months ago, where i couldnt even walk bexause the weakness in my right leg was so bad, but hes wanting me to try the nerve block to see if that helps with the rest th for the suggestions ill try and see if theres any way of seeing one of the othe other surgens xx

[Butterfly Child]

Thx lulu ill see what i can do being on the public system x thanks guys xx

[mako]

Butterfly Child May I ask who your surgeon is? I used to see a Pain Management Specialist in Newcastle( I see you're up the coast a bit) and he was going to try a course of 3 nerve blocks on my back( same disc issues as you but from a different experience). Anyway he did 1 and he didn't get the results he was hoping for so we didn't go for anymore. I also saw 2 other surgeons 1 who wanted me to have surgery and 1 who didn't want to operate and did heaps and heaps of physiotherapy. I still haven't opted for the surgery. I'm basically doing hydrotherapy 4 times a week as I teach kids to swim in a heated pool. I find my back is sooooo much worse when I'm on school hols so obviously the water helps me a lot.

I hope you get the results you are hoping for

[GoingtobebiginAsia]

Hi Butterfly Child, I had an epidural procedure a few years ago. I had a ruptured L4/5 disc that was causing me incredible pain.
I think it's the same spinal block thing you're talking about. It didn't hurt very much. I had a local before they put the needle in. They put painkiller and an anti-inflammatory in there and it was so nice to be free of pain for a while. However, it didn't reduce the size of the mass enough and once the painkiller wore off I was in agony again. The drive across Melbourne after the procedure was a nightmare.
I ended up having a discectomy to remove the mass and an artificial disc inserted. The neurosurgeon said I could have the surgery and seven weeks off work, or I could wait for my body to absorb the mass, which could take 12 months or more, then deal with a very deflated shock absorber in this very vital L4/5 area. I am so glad I chose the surgery.
So, if things are not improving for you, don't be scared of the surgery. The recovery took several months but I've never looked back. I resumed an active lifestyle, which is going to get even more active in a week or so when my first baby arrives.