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Reply With QuoteWow, this is great news. I'm glad that the TENS unit is providing you with much needed relief. Keep up that physical therapy and core strengthening!
This is a discussion on Had my follow up pain management appt. within the Pain Management forums, part of the General Spine Discussion Forums category; I met with pain management on Wednesday morning of this week for follow up since I started the Tens Unit ...
Had my follow up pain management appt. I met with pain management on Wednesday morning of this week for follow up since I started the Tens Unit about 3 weeks ago. I informed them how well it was helping me. I also told them I had weaned myself off all the Neurontin, and was down to 1 Oxycodone a day, which I could tell they were thrilled to hear. I still think they wonder if you're a junkie when you need so much pain medication, until suddenly you get relief like I have w/ this Tens Unit, and I, all on my own, start tapering off unnecessary drugs. In any event, they could never be as thrilled as I am! I don't know the long term with this Tens Unit, but am hoping while I am getting relief, my increased physical therapy and core strength training will push me to a new level of pain relief. My pt suggested I ask for a trigger point injection in my right psoas area, as my hip continues to be a culprit. I did ask and my pain doctor gave me one Wednesday that has really loosened up this tight right hip of mine. I still am concerned long term about this hip being an issue, but for now am taking it one day at a time. They released me from regular pain management follow-up (that was fast, huh?!) due to the benefit of the Tens Unit, but that's fine. I'm still under my SI joint fusion surgeon's care to increase my bone density and have that follow up in March, along with another Cat Scan.
• January 2000 MVA passenger, used jaws of life to retrieve me, neck injury and months of PT
• June 2001 Bicycle accident, 2 compression fractures at T12/L1, Vertebroplasty Sept. 2001
• April 2006 right hip, labral tear and repair
• April 2007 3 level ProDisc @ L3/4, L4/5 & L5/6✷ ✷Lumbosacral transitional vertebra; Dr. Rudolph Bertagnoli
• July 2, 2008 ALIF & Laminectomy @ L6/S1
• July 30, 2008 re-opened 28 days later to remove bone cement that had leaked onto S1 nerve root
• August 2008 Pulmonary embolism, double pneumonia, collapsed left lung, re-hospitalized 1 week
• March 10, 2009 Right SI Joint Fusion
• April 27, 2010 2nd right hip arthroscopy to remove adhesions and release psoas muscle
• September 30, 2010 lumbar facet rhizotomy
• December 9, 2010 12 bilateral lumbar trigger point and steroid injections
• December 23, 2010 12 more bilateral trigger point injections w/o steroid
• February 15, 2011 ESI bilaterally in lower lumbar...relief only for few days. Considering 1 more.
Did Spinal Cord Stimulator trial from 5/11/11-5/17/11 with excellent results; Spinal Cord Stimulator surgery is Monday,
July 18, 2011
Re: Had my follow up pain management appt. Wow, this is great news. I'm glad that the TENS unit is providing you with much needed relief. Keep up that physical therapy and core strengthening!
Justin Averna
Founder & President, Spine Patient Society™
www.SpinePatientSociety.org
A 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Nonprofit & Charitable Organization
I'm here to help.
- 1994: Football Injury, Severe Hyperextension
- 1997: Snow Skiing Injury
- 3/7/1997: Laminotomy L4/L5
- 1999 & 2003: Motor Vehicle Accidents (not at fault both times) --> Grade V Annular Tears L4/L5 & L5/L6
- 11/15/2003: 2-Level ProDisc® L4/L5 & L5/L6*, *lumbosacral transitional vertebra --> Dr. Rudolf Bertagnoli
- 4/2008: 4.5 years pain-free before "new" leg pain
- 5/14/2009: Dynamic Stabilization System L4/L5, Dr. Rudolf Bertagnoli
Questions? Suggestions? Need help with registering, creating a signature, etc.?
justin (at) spinepatientsociety.org
Disclosure: I have no financial relationships with any surgeons, spine clinics, device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, etc. -- the SPS Board of Directors serve without compensation.
Re: Had my follow up pain management appt. I don't know what happened to my post from a day or two ago, but it has obviously gone poof!
I just wanted to say congratulations to you for persevering, and am so glad that the TENS is working for you.It also must give you great satisfaction to have the 'powers that be' discover that they were wrong about you all along. No, you were not a 'druggie' wanting more medication just for the high of it
You needed it! And this proves it. To be able to show them that you are reducing it voluntarily really is terrific. Way to go girl!
I did have some success with the TENS when I first tried it almost two years ago, but you are having much better results. It just goes to show that there are options out there, if we can only get the doctors to work through the lists for us.
A very Happy New Year's to you!
Severe compression of spinal cord, flaval ligament, etc. at C4/5 & 5/6.
Herniation and compression, at L3/4 to L5/S1 plus spondylosis at the latter level. Severe allergy to most metals.
Three level surgery in Brazil with Dr. Luiz Pimenta on March 17/2010 using non-metal appliances. L5/S1-PEEK cage, ALIF; L4/5-PEEK cage, XLIF; C5/6-NuVasive NeoDisc. Three separate approaches, two minimally invasive. Currently minor residual back pain, from SI ligament and still overdoing things. Therapy and chiropractic treatments helping immensely. Gone from being almost bedridden to near normal activities including gardening. Life is gooooood!
Re: Had my follow up pain management appt. Cindy..
What a great way to ring in the New Year! You sure do deserve a break and it continues to reinforce the notion that all of this is a crap-shoot, one size does not fit all, and to exhaust all options before throwing in the towel. An overall recipe for hope.
I have my very first discogram this Thursday. I'm a little nervous. To think that most of us live in daily pain and we need to have a test that is painful to confirm the source of the pain that we're already in...
Another strange twist in the saga of the spinal column..
I hope your relief is permanent...
Patti
Laminectomy L4-5 1980
Fusion with instrumentation L4-5 2008
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