RVing with Spinal Stenosis

If you just starting this process you have a ways before surgery.Have you tried any pt or a tens unit?check your pm

MY wife went to Laser spine institute and they really helped her. I recommend you send a copy of your latest MRI to them \. They review it and call you. They said they could help my wife and they did. Two people we referred were turned down as unable to be helped by their technique.
Expensive and NOT covered by medicare but worth it.

THREE hours after surgery she was better. Within a week she was excellent.
Gabapetin is usually for nerve pain. Have you spinal cord injury as well?
What is your daily dose?

newman fulltimer wrote:
If you just starting this process you have a ways before surgery.Have you tried any pt or a tens unit?check your pm

Thanks for the PM. I guess I need to be patient. The doctor that gave me the injection said that it could take five or more days for the shot to take effect. The numbing agent was 100 percent effective which means that the cortisone injection was in the right place.

I'm anxious to get back on the road. We are signed up for the FMCA rally in Coos Bay, OR in June. I don't know if we can make it.

I haven't tried or heard of a tens unit.

I'm on my fourth round of PT. Two through my civilian doctor and I'm on my second round of PT through the VA.

Thanks for your reply. JD

I have degenerative disc disease stemming from back injury 25 yrs ago. After lamenectomy, had L5S1 fused about 7 yrs ago and no issues since then, except some stiffness I can live with. No more sciatica. I lived with pain for 20 yrs.
I highly recommend fusion if your health is good and you can get a good surgeon.

darsben wrote:
MY wife went to Laser spine institute and they really helped her. I recommend you send a copy of your latest MRI to them \. They review it and call you. They said they could help my wife and they did. Two people we referred were turned down as unable to be helped by their technique.
Expensive and NOT covered by medicare but worth it.

THREE hours after surgery she was better. Within a week she was excellent.
Gabapetin is usually for nerve pain. Have you spinal cord injury as well?
What is your daily dose?

Hi.

The Laser Spine Institute advertises on our local TV stations. Perhaps I should followup.

I am seeing a neurosurgeon. He isn't in a hurry to do surgery.

No, fortunately I do not have a spinal cord injury.

I started with three, three-hundred mg capsules per day. At first it worked great. At some point I became tolerant to Gabapentin. Currently I am on twenty-seven-hundred mg. To get relief from pain I have to take four capsules in the morning, then two capsules in the afternoon, and finally three capsules at bed time. Today I tried three, three, three and my pain did not go down to a level where I could comfortably drive until an hour after my afternoon dose.

My VA doctor told me that there are other medications that might work for me if Gabapentin fails to work.

I don't know if, or when, my neurosurgeon will decide to do surgery.

Safe travels. JD

therink wrote:
I have degenerative disc disease stemming from back injury 25 yrs ago. After lamenectomy, had L5S1 fused about 7 yrs ago and no issues since then, except some stiffness I can live with. No more sciatica. I lived with pain for 20 yrs.
I highly recommend fusion if your health is good and you can get a good surgeon.

Thanks.

I was in a helicopter crash in Vietnam that has left me with a back that goes out on me from time to time. This last time that my back went out I have not recovered from the pain. I have been in pain for about eight months except for the relief I get from Gabapentin.

I read that spinal surgery is only effective sixty to seventy percent of the time and can leave a person in more pain. Not great odds but better than constant pain. As long as medication, not narcotic medications, can eliminate pain I will hold off on surgery.

Safe travels. JD

I have spinal stenosis with 2 biologic fusions.... have been in a lot of pain at times.

The one thing that has worked for me is a daily dose of 15 mg Mobic, PLUS diligently doing all the exercises DAILY as recommended by the physical therapist. It's critical to keep ALL the muscles in your lower back, buttocks, hamstrings and calves stretched out. The physical therapist explained to me that the stenosis causes pressure on the nerves, which causes the muscles to tighten, which increases the pressure on the spine, and it's a vicious downward spiral. The only way to interrupt that spiral is to stretch the muscles, to keep them loosened up.

I had seen 2 surgeons and 3 physical therapists---this last physical therapists was the only one who ever explained it to me, and worked with me to get a resolution.

Talk to your physical therapist about that and see what he/she says.

The daily exercise is a chore, but it beats being in pain. Occasionally I have some pain resulting from a long day on my feet, or doing too much lifting, but it's not too bad, and quickly resolves with rest.

Just had surgery for Spinal Stenoisis in Feb.
Have a great doctor in Nashville. Operated on in the morning and home same day. Was up walking an hour after surgery.

Only you can tell when it is time to get it fixed the right way.

I had Spinal Stenosis and finally after several years, tried the shots and several other things but nothing helped until I had surgery. When I woke up in the hospital the pain was gone and I have been pain free for about 8 years now. Best decision I ever made.
I was to the place where I had to crawl from family room to the bedroom. Always seemed worse at night, I would sleep on the floor with my feet and legs up in the chair in order to get any help at all. Surgery is a big decision because you hear all kinds of horror stories. But if I had not did it today I would not be alive.

Be careful of going to higher doses of Gabapentin as you could develope a tremor. Do not rush to surgery but it may be that surgery is the only way you will get relief. Perhaps a second opinion is warranted. Typically if the injection is going to help you should have a noticeable difference in 3-5 days. Good Luck!