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Is It Normal To Have Continued Pain After Spinal Fusion?
spinal fusion. I had my s1 l5 l4 fused in Sept and I have not had a day with no pain is that normal I feel like once the Dr did surgery I get no help from their office and lately my pain had been so bad I almost went to er the other night. should I get another MRI or is this normal? also I have a lump that is 12 cm side to Side and 7 cm up and down next to my insion on my stomach had cat scan ultra sound and laperscopic surgery and had six Dr look at it and not know what it is. please help me.
posted on
Fri, 14 Mar 2014
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Tue, 16 Apr 2019
Answered on
Thu, 18 Apr 2019
Last reviewed on
Hi,
Sorry, you are in such pain. I don't know that the word "normal" is correct for what you're talking but I can certainly tell you that it is common to hear patients say that following surgery of fusion or other manipulations with the spinal column, nerve roots, or spinal cord that pain continues to be persist...or even develop.
It does not necessarily mean that another MRI is necessary. In fact, most of the time...imaging studies are not revealing at all. Pain is a commonly encountered symptom following surgery.
You may wish to ask your primary doctor to either contact the surgeon on your behalf but most likely what you will need to do is follow up with some type of pain management specialist since the surgery is now over....what remains is the chronic treatment of pain.
This could eventually get better as you get a bit farther away from when you were surgerized but more robust pain relief may come from medications or devices that pain management specialists only are able to offer.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Dariush Saghafi, Neurologist
Sorry, you are in such pain. I don't know that the word "normal" is correct for what you're talking but I can certainly tell you that it is common to hear patients say that following surgery of fusion or other manipulations with the spinal column, nerve roots, or spinal cord that pain continues to be persist...or even develop.
It does not necessarily mean that another MRI is necessary. In fact, most of the time...imaging studies are not revealing at all. Pain is a commonly encountered symptom following surgery.
You may wish to ask your primary doctor to either contact the surgeon on your behalf but most likely what you will need to do is follow up with some type of pain management specialist since the surgery is now over....what remains is the chronic treatment of pain.
This could eventually get better as you get a bit farther away from when you were surgerized but more robust pain relief may come from medications or devices that pain management specialists only are able to offer.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Dariush Saghafi, Neurologist
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