Hi.I have had a bad back for a very long time. Recently my back pain has gotten much worse. I have had an MRI that shows spinal stenosis at L5, S1. Without medication I'm in so much pain that I cannot put any weight on my left leg. I'm taking Gabapentin and it is helping but I'm becoming tolerant to it and I have to take more to get relief from pain. Five days ago I received a spinal steroid injection. I don't think the injection has given me much relief.Has anyone else tried back surgery? If so how did surgery work for you?Safe travels. JD

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 pmThanks 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

RVing with Spinal Stenosis | Good Sam Community

23 Replies

Yellowboat_
Explorer
May 20, 2015
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
darsben
Explorer II
May 20, 2015
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_fulltime
Explorer II
May 20, 2015
If you just starting this process you have a ways before surgery.Have you tried any pt or a tens unit?check your pm

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RVing with Spinal Stenosis

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