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I had back surgery in 2006 that left me with compromised nerve root endings that cause pain in my entire right leg and ankle. I had a nerve root destuction procedure about a year ago but now I need another. How safe is this procedure and how many can I have? Will this pain ever go away completely?
Gender: FemaleAge: 65 Already Tried: Nerve root destruction and pain meds. Percoset 5mg-325mg releived the pain, ultram er - did not work at all, aquatics, pt
Hello Butchie,
The neuroablative procedures do destroy the neural tissues using chemicals or thermal lesions.This provide some control over chronic pain & regional sympathetic activity.Several adverse effects are possible due to such treatment but reported rarely.Reported adverse effects include motor & sensory & autonomic dysfunction like loss of sphincter control or impotence,paralysis,regeneration pain or neuralgia's.The neuroablative procedures are used only as a last resort to control the pain when other approaches falls to relieve the pain.If you are having relief with the drugs then i will advice you to first continue on that .You may also use exercises & meditation & local application of neurogesics.
Hope this will be helpful.
Regards.
Thank you for your quick response. My pain specialist has advised me to do normal activities around the house and not do exercises as the more I do, the more pain I'm in. I can only walk a short distance, 25ft. without bringing on pain that last for days. He also will not give me the percoset. The prescription I had was from thee years ago 30 pills and I only took them when I really needed them but now I'm out. I don't believe 30 pills in 3 years is excessive. Is there another pill I could try? I use Stop Pain rub on for mild days, but it doesn"t work when I have serious pain for days.
Sorry Butchie,
I was off line due to some reasons.
Yes 30 pills for three years are not an excessive .If you are having such a good tolrence capacity then you may try for other medications which should be used only under medical supervision,these include-
Gabapentin,pregabalin,some antiseizure medicine ,ike carbamazepine,lamotrigine,phenytoin,valproic acid,Opiod like ananlgesic & various others.
Thank you again, I don't believe you answered my question about if this is a life long pain or something that will go away.
The presence of pain depends upon which level of the injury you have in neurtmesis where there is complete transaction of nerve is there one may have loss of sensation with loss of power in the affected area while if there is a continuous compression over the nerve either with fibrosis or bone or disc then until unless the causative factor is not removed one may have the pain.But if there is only mild crushing of the nerve where there are chances of nerve recovery then one may gradually improve from the pain.All this can be confirmed by having NCV OR EMG studies.
DOCTOR.
M.B.B.S.,M.S.
Please tell me what ncv and emg stand for. Thank You, D. SANSING
Hello Sansing, The NCV is known as nerve conduction velocity & EMG is electromyography study.The NCV is an electrical test done to check the condition of the nerves.In this electrodes are placed over the skin as like in the EKG & mild currents are passed which are recorded else where by other electrodes on the skin.The amplitude & delay of the electric activity recorded at other electrode is a measure of the condition of the nerve..In the same way the EMG is done by small piercing electrodes which measure the action potentional in the muscles & tell about the problem at the neuromuscular junction or at the muscle fibers it self. You may find a good information in this reference at following site-http://www.hmc.psu.edu/healthinfo/e/emg.htmHope this will be helpful.