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Back pain worse after recent lumbar traction

Hello All, I am new to this community. While I have had lower back pain and sciatica for a...

Posted by Jgnmom

Hello All,
I am new to this community. While I have had lower back pain and sciatica for a long time, I have been dealing with this most recent episode for 3 months now, after I "overdid" it with a home improvement project. It took over a month to finally get a doctor to order an MRI. Results showed L4-L5 buldge, L5-S1 herniation with annular tear and spinal stenosis. Additionally, there was facet deterioration and scoliosis. Pain was lower back, buttocks, and radiating leg pain. Initially, right side was worse than the left, but left quickly caught up. First ESI was done about 1 month ago and directed toward the right due to pain. I was immediately started on chiropractic care (motorized lumbar traction, electrical stim with heat or ice, and ultrasound). I am prescribed Vicodin 7.5 and Flexeril. Had some relief following first ESI (although first couple of days after there was increased pain). A couple of weeks after pain increased again, so a second ESI was done about 1.5 weeks ago (this time directed to the left, as left side pain had become predominant). I was feeling some improvement until chiropractic appointment yesterday. Before appointment, right side pain was barely there. Left side hurt, but was manageable. When traction started, I was in immediate severe pain all across lower back and down both legs (front and back). I let chiropractor know about the pain. He suggested that we change to manual traction next time. Last night I was in so much pain that even max dosage of Vicodin (1.5 pills) instructed by treating MD didn't help in the slightest. Today I have again had significant pain in lower back, buttocks, both legs down into knees and calf (on one side). At times, the slightest movement or no movement at all sends a jolt of pain that nearly brings tears to my eyes. At this point, I am hesistant to even allow manual traction, as I am afraid that something happened on that machine yesterday (i.e. buldging disc herniated or herniated disc got worse???). Has anyone else expericenced this kind of severe pain during and after motorized traction? Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated. I am 42 years old and in fairly good physical shape.View Thread

Posted byJgnmom

10 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Back pain worse after recent lumbar traction Hello All, I am new to this community. While I have had lower back pain and sciatica for a...

Reply: Back pain worse after recent lumbar traction

Hi Bj1208- You are absolutely correct. I have read and heard very good and very bad outcomes...

Posted by Jgnmom

10 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Back pain worse after recent lumbar traction Hi Bj1208- You are absolutely correct. I have read and heard very good and very bad outcomes...

Reply: Back pain worse after recent lumbar traction

Hi! I'm so sorry to hear all that you have been through and that you are still in pain. I...

Posted by Jgnmom

10 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Back pain worse after recent lumbar traction Hi! I'm so sorry to hear all that you have been through and that you are still in pain. I...

Reply: Back pain worse after recent lumbar traction

Hi Tim. Thanks again for your reply and advise. I had my follow-up this afternoon with...

Posted by Jgnmom

Hi Tim. Thanks again for your reply and advise. I had my follow-up this afternoon with treating physician (this was 2 wk follow-up to last ESI). There has been some mild improvement since last week. I say mild, as in pain is manageable for the first part of the day, but by mid-day I am in significant pain if I am doing anything at all. This could be as minimal as sitting, minimal walking, and driving (driving or riding in a car very quickly increases my pain). I work full-time, but am fortunate that I can sometimes do my work from home. Today was not one of those fortunate days, so by the time of my appointment (2:30pm), I was again at a solid 7 and increasing, on a 1-10 scale. Treating physician is an anethesiologist and intervential spine specialist. He has recommended a 3rd ESI (scheduled for 4/3), as he feels that I was getting some benefit from the ESI until last week's traction, which is true. He agrees that the motorized traction should be stopped and that I need to decide how I am feeling in regard to manual traction. He indicated that he doesn't think that the traction would have caused the buldge to herniate or the herniation or tear to get worse. He said that it is possible that during the traction, the spinal nerve may have gotten hit in the area where there is already stenosis.

My chiro appointment is tomorrow (chiro is within same practice as treating physician) afternoon. At this time, my thought is that I will allow the more "passive" therapies like electrical stim and ultrasound, but that is about it. I don't want them to do anything that has any potential of causing any additional inflamation. Right now, I have pain across lower back (lt & rt), rt leg pain is front and back down into knee cap, lt leg pain is all the way down into foot (with almost constant charlie horse feeling in calf), both buttocks, hips, and groin--still predominant pain is on left.

Have you (or anyone else reading this) had any positive response to acupuncture or massage therapy? I had a little non-professional massage on trigger points in buttocks and legs, but the muscles seem to spasm again very quickly.
I know the saying, "getting old sucks," but this is ridiculous and I don't think I am THAT OLD.

Thanks again
LaurenView Thread

Posted byJgnmom

10 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Back pain worse after recent lumbar traction Hi Tim. Thanks again for your reply and advise. I had my follow-up this afternoon with...

Reply: Back pain worse after recent lumbar traction

Thanks Tim. I agree.

Posted by Jgnmom

10 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Back pain worse after recent lumbar traction Thanks Tim. I agree.

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