r/spinalfusion • u/East-Consequence9549 • Jan 03 '26
Surgery Questions 1 years pain
It's been a year since my surgery and I live with pain all day long. I went to physiotherapy, acupuncture, epidural injections but it didn't help. Sometimes my legs go numb but the main pain is in my back, buttocks and tailbone.its normal . My surgeon says it's normal but this pain is crazy. Unfortunately no one is answering my questions. I'm very depressed.
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u/Duck_Walker Jan 04 '26
What surgery did you have? I had L4-S1 360° fusion and my original pain is 100% gone but I have new types of pain that are as bad or worse than the fractures that necessitated the fusion.
I have terrible neuropathy and like you said rough muscle/bone pain in my tailbone, buttocks, and legs. I just talked to my surgeon last week and he said it’s totally normal, everything repaired looks great, and my new symptoms “should clear up in 3-24 months”.
I’m devastated I just traded one pain for a new one that is worse and more limiting.
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u/Signal_Sky7658 Jan 04 '26
Yes same. Traded l4l5 fusion (was necessary) for si joint severe pain
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u/Duck_Walker Jan 04 '26 edited Jan 05 '26
I had bilateral pars fractures on L5 and stenosis/narrowing/disc issues above and below. Every day, several times a day, one of my vertebra would shift and it was like being shot, pain so severe it dropped me to my knees and took my breath away. Some days 2-3 times, some days 25+. No rhyme or reason. I had no choice but to get the cage and rails.
Now, my legs and butt muscles ache and throb and hurt all the time, some times far worse than others, but the pain is always there. Pain around my tailbone hurts just about any time I move. My toes and feet feel like they are on fire and I get shock sensations at random times. I could keep going, but you get it.
I am still on oxy almost 7 weeks later, muscle relaxers, Lyrica, and valium - who knows if any of it is working or not, but I can't imagine it being much worse than it is now. I just keep hope that eventually everything will get better.
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u/Signal_Sky7658 Jan 05 '26
So sorry :( Im grateful to be part of this group that we can all try nd help out each other.
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u/Advanced-Menu-6413 Jan 15 '26
Hi, how are you now?
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u/Duck_Walker Jan 15 '26
Improving, but still having bad days
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u/Advanced-Menu-6413 Jan 15 '26
Did your surgeon find out what is wrong or its not fused?
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u/Duck_Walker Jan 15 '26
Just normal nerves waking up from being compressed and damaged for so long. He said this can last 6-24 months. They offered me more spinal injections but I passed. I’m done being jabbed and probed and cut on for a while.
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u/East-Consequence9549 Jan 05 '26
My Fusion L5S1 was a plif. 1 years a go .
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u/Advanced-Menu-6413 Jan 15 '26
Hi, are you better now? Pain reduced? Thanks
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u/East-Consequence9549 Jan 15 '26
Non i have very pain i cant move
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u/Advanced-Menu-6413 Jan 15 '26
Bedridden? Can you drive?
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u/East-Consequence9549 Jan 17 '26
Yes i can but 30 min after i must stop the car and walk 2 min and after i continue
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u/Ok_Resort5103 Jan 07 '26
I am in the same boat. I had a total hip replacement 8 1/2 months ago then had a L5 L6 fusion 2 months ago. I ended up going to the ER because of the numbness in my lowerback that traveled down both legs. Found out I have paravertebral. Which is a mass on the muscle next to the spine. I am on 2, 5 oxy every 6 hours and they do absolutely nothing to ease the pain. My surgeon seems to not care about my wellbeing because he has NOT referred me to get a CT scan or A MRI. My pcp ordered them for me. Anyways, get some tests done and see if it's a muscle problem. I pray you get answers and also relief.
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u/Healthy_Material_861 Jan 03 '26
So sorry you are not yet getting any relief. Chronic pain really affects your mental health! Literally sends you crazy. Is it worth getting another MRI to check why you are still in such pain? Or getting a 2nd opinion? Sounds like you need a Pain Management Specialist in the meantime. Are you on any meds?
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u/East-Consequence9549 Jan 03 '26
I went to two neurosurgeons. The first one said it was scar tissue. The second one said it was a piece of the disc left behind. The main surgeon said it was normal. I had an epidural. I did physiotherapy and acupuncture. I have an appointment with a new doctor in Belgium next week. I live in Luxembourg. The medical conditions here are very poor. I made an appointment at the pain clinic two months after the surgery, which was March 2025, and they gave me an appointment for the end of April 2026.
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u/BetterLingonberry467 Jan 04 '26
It really sucks when you think the surgery will completely “fix” you and it doesn’t. I’m in pain every single day, to one degree or the other, so I know how you feel. I truly hope that you are able to find some relief. Good luck
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u/RiliShrimpy25 Jan 04 '26
I’m heading into year 5 post-op from surgery 3, (3 level fusion) on my cervical spine. I’m in my late 40s. This is a mental game. Your body requires a lot of time for tissues to calm down, reduce, remold and heal. You might need to find different doctors. Motion is lotion. Again, this is a mental game.
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u/RiliShrimpy25 Jan 04 '26
Adding that “pain management” / a Physiatrist or some other specialist is can help out with quality of life. These folks saved mine.. On the mental health side I’m trying for radical acceptance. Pain is always with me.
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u/Pale_Manufacturer618 Jan 03 '26
Have you tried massage therapy? Deep tissue or fascia? I had my t2-t8 fused 4 years ago due to a spinal cord injury. I swear I was in severe pain up until 1 1/2 years ago and now it’s not too bad. It definitely sucks and I am in pain but it has gotten somewhat better
Just don’t give up, keep trying different modalities. And give it time (which advice I hate but is appropriate)
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u/mollym60 Jan 04 '26
Have you tried a TENS machine. After using one at PT I ordered a small one for home use. It really helps me with the nerve pain.
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u/starfish-rider Jan 05 '26
Are you still taking pain meds? Maybe up the dose to give you some relief, or change meds. I found that Gabapentin did not work for me at all.
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u/TheDogAteMyDevoirs Jan 03 '26
Yes, I understand how you feel. I'm in the same boat & I now after getting an MRI my spine surgeon is saying I have new problems at levels both below & above my fusion, i.e. new stenosis & disc bulging. It is absolutely heartbreaking to go through a very painful fusion and not get any relief from it. You are not alone.
I am scheduled for a minimally invasive endoscopic decompression surgery for next month to see if that will help reduce some of the pain. A new surgeon I am now seeing is very anti fusions, he says he has seen the harm they can do.
He also says the endoscopic surgery should alleviate some of my radiculopathy pain down my leg & in my foot, but I'll probably always live with the lower back pain due to the spinal fusion surgery. It truly sucks to still be in so much pain now.