HEAVEN! Pain relief from facet injection

**raising4daughters** · 02-21-2012, 10:41 PM

I had my 3rd injection yesterday, but this one was in the L5/S1 facet joint rather than targeting the disc like the first two.

About 3-4 hours after the injection, I started noticing great pain relief that continued all day today. I had my best day pain-wise since last August. My pinpointed knifing pain is 75-80% gone as is the pain that radiated from there down the left leg. I feel wonderful.

The docs told me that relief like this would indicate I'd be a good candidate for RF ablation.

To me, it also confirms that my 1st surgeon's recommendation for discectomy/foraminotomy would be insufficient and that minimally-invasive TLIF with facetectomy recommended by my 3rd surgeon is likely a better option.

Either way, I'm elated for having found the real pain generator and finally have hopes that something, even if TLIF, will get most of my life back.

**ajj1001** · 02-22-2012, 02:47 AM

That's such good news, hope that you get a good long break from the pain.

**trkdoc714** · 02-22-2012, 06:10 AM

Great news! I hope this prevents you from a more intrusive surgery in the short and long term.

**Justin** · 02-22-2012, 06:17 AM

Congratulations, Scott!

This is great news.

**Kimberly** · 02-22-2012, 09:36 AM

That is GREAT news!

So glad to hear it. Hope it lasts a good long time.

Kimberly

**raising4daughters** · 02-25-2012, 09:47 PM

All - thanks. The effect of the steroid has pretty much worn off, unfortunately. Sat through a 6-hour gymnastics meet today on a hard gymnasium seat....torture. But, the more I read, the more I'm convinced my problem is the facet joint. First, the leg pain is almost entirely upper leg and, second, the 2+ days of pain-free living after the injection. I guess my question is "OK, what next". I assume it's going to be RF Ablation and, short of that working longer-term that the injection, I guess I'm looking at min invasive TLIF recommended by the 3rd surgeon I saw (and see next week).

I've concluded from my reading that single-level TLIF is the least bad of the fusion options, but I take it that it's no picnic.

How can I learn enough about the likely outcome of MIS TLIF surgery to (1) convince myself that the pain is worth the potential benefit and (2) understand the recovery time so that I can plan surgery timing relative to my job. We're slow in July, and that would be an ideal time for me to be off.

**raising4daughters** · 03-14-2012, 10:28 PM

Can't wait for the RF Ablation....missed appointment on Monday as my PM Doc had to reschedule me to next Thursday. Ugh, that was unfortunate as my leg pain has moved around to the hips down through the groin. This is BY FAR the most pain I've experienced with the back, so I called the PM Doc and he thankfully called me back.

He said that my description sounds very much in line with the pattern of facet joint pain and that he's optimistic that the RFA will help. I hope so.

I asked about the pain now going to the right side, and he explained that it's probably starting to wear out from carrying the load for the degenerated left side. Seems plausible to me.

Anyway, I'm hopeful this will work, but am comforted knowing (as well as possible) that we've isolated the problem and that the neurosurgeon's recommendation for MIS TLIF is the right solution if/when it's necessary.

In reading about back surgery, it seems like many of the failures come from operating on the wrong thing. I'm thankful for all of you that advised putting the brakes on and really finding the pain generator(s).