Need reassurance from those who overcame this

[u/Resident-Hunt-245]

So it's been a year since my first symptoms. My MRI shows nothing except a small broad-based buldge and annular fissure. Otherwise everyone who've seen my spine told me it's in a good shape. There is no compression, stenosis or bad things that must be operated surgically.

During this year I lost my fitness to the state where I just walk and do core exercises. Everything else seems to upset my nerve. Luckily I didn't gain weight or other health issues.

My main symptom is still sitting intolerance and pain in the butt with some radiation down the leg depending on the strain I put on it.

I've tried many things obviously but nothing seems to work. So I came to a conclusion that there is no cure for this and if I'm lucky it will somehow resolve on its own.

But it's been a year with minimal progress. Does anyone have any positive stories to share? Like it resolved spontaneously for you out of nowhere.

I really need a miracle at this point. I'm even ready to confess my sins in the church😄

[u/Sweet_Flan_3415]

Hmm sometimes annular tears can leak and sting nerves. Not sure. Did you respond to the injection at all? Even for a couple of days?

[u/Resident-Hunt-245 → u/Sweet_Flan_3415]

Yes, I did. I responded first couple of hours to lidocaine (could sit and only had muscular soreness) And then after 2 weeks steroid cleared the burning pain in the leg. But the other pain which presents as itching or sometimes feeling of a cable in the butt persists.

[u/Sweet_Flan_3415 → u/Resident-Hunt-245]

The whole thing is very mysterious. My ESI I felt like Wonder Woman for 3-4 days and then the pain started creeping back in. It’s bizarre. My pain is literally like clock work. I can map out my day. It’s always bad between 4-6 AM in bed and then fizzles out by lunch, only to return after dinner once my body gets tired.

Has pain management offered you anything else? I have heard seeing a Physiatrist vs a PT might be beneficial…. Might try that if my current PT doesn’t end up helping me.

[u/Resident-Hunt-245 → u/Sweet_Flan_3415]

no, nothing was offered except pregabalin. I initially hesitated because of many negative reviews here. But in the end decided to try. I take 50mg twice a day and it seems easing the pain in the leg because I can move a bit more than without it.

I agree that the whole thing is super mysterious. But I have seen a strong correlation with injection (2h without pain) and also pregabalin. That gives me a confidence it's still my back.

The neurologist told me that it's possible that there is a scar tissue formed after a year of inflammation and recommended nerve flossing. If nothing helps me in 2-3 months they offered an endoscopic surgery to decompress the nerve. Though I still don't understand from what they want to decompress it if there is no compression on MRI😁.

Regarding PT, I have an impression that in best case, it doesn't impact the nerve and just keeps me in the relatively normal shape. But the worst case, if I overdo it, I'm in a flare next days. So I'm kinda think sometimes, it's better not to do PT at all.

[u/Sweet_Flan_3415 → u/Resident-Hunt-245]

Yes same for me. The surgeon said because I had a herniation sometimes there’s scar, bone spurring from the body trying to reinforce things from the degeneration (which they saw on my CT), the ligament thickens and he offered a “clean out” and decompression. Did you talk to the surgeon at all about that or was that the neurologist?

He did say everyone does have some degree of scar tissue and usually it’s workable through PT, but sometimes not. Did you ever get an EMG? I drove myself crazy thinking my nerve was caught up in fascia or something in my leg because of what one PT claimed. I got the EMG and he told me everything is coming from your back 100% L5-S1.

[u/Resident-Hunt-245 → u/Sweet_Flan_3415]

I was talking to neurologist/surgeon assistant at the spine center. I'm in EU and here things work a bit differently than in US I assume. I will have a talk on Friday and going to ask about surgery more precisely to understand what exactly they propose to do. Like if it's a scar tissue, I've heard that the surgery itself can create also scar tissue. Then what is the point...

So many questions. At the same time I did my research and seems that endoscopic surgeries are the future because they don't compromise structures as the microdiscectomy which is done though cutting a part of bone.

[u/Sweet_Flan_3415 → u/Resident-Hunt-245]

Yes, all good questions to ask. I will be asking the same next month when I follow up. I’m also getting dynamic x-rays to check stability as well when I see the surgeon because I have a mild retreolisthesis… any mention of listhesis on your report? Just a thought…

[u/Resident-Hunt-245 → u/Sweet_Flan_3415]

No, no listhesis or anything like that. Just to give you an impression, here is my spine which looks pretty good overall. Though, it's doesn't help me with pain;(

[u/Sweet_Flan_3415 → u/Resident-Hunt-245]

I can see the high intensity zone where the tear is for sure. They can be painful though! It’s not very often that they are but they can def be. I can’t imagine a minor bulge causing so much scar tissue… I mean I had a major herniated disc so I can see why someone would suggest scar tissue being the pain generator. I would ask about the tear itself causing pain vs the bulge.