Hello,

I posted on this forum five years ago after I'd had surgery and received good advice. Unfortunately after lot of physiotherapy, hydro therapy my back isn't any better. I was finally told I had Failed Back Surgery. I have been diligent as a patient and have followed all the advice and exercises that I was given. I now suffer from chronic pain, I get injections twice a year, epidural, the last injection also included neuro thermy . The injections last anywhere from 3-7 weeks. I use a variety of painkillers and had avoided opiates so far, although I requested medication in order to sleep and was given Oramorph for night time, I try to use this no more than 3-4 times a week.

I suffer from chronic neuropathy in the left leg from thigh to foot, it never goes away,( lessened by injections) low back pain , after just a few minutes walking, muscle spasms. The muscles in the front of my thighs are very stiff, there is nearly a 1 inch discrepancy on my right side ( I use orthotics), a pronounced stoop, I've lost quite a few inches in height.

I was sent to a chronic pain clinic, however I didn't find it very helpful, I'd already tried most of the thing's they suggested, relaxation, meditation etc. I was berated for being " a permanent alternative therapy seeker", which included deep tissue massage for hamstrings, a couple of chiropratic sessions and 2 Bowen therapy sessions. I wasn't looking for a cure I'm very aware I have DDD and there is no cure.

Is there anything else I can do? This has altered my life drastically and left me quite depressed, although I have some fight left in me!

Another question if I may, when I do ask Dr's etc, I usually get a shrug of the shoulder's .... I have had problems with incontinence for a long time, I can tie it in with the start of the leg pain that took me to my GP in the first place. I have asked if my back could be the problem, again shrugged shoulder's .... I have a copy of my original scan, which I recently re read, it has the following, " anterior listhesis of L3 L4 combines with some minor posterior disc bulging and fairly florid facet joint hypertrophy to cause significant central canal narrowing and crowding of the cauda equina roots. At theL4-L5 level a posterior disc bulge causes narrowing of the canal compressing the thecal sac with some crowding of the equina roots but no frank central cauda equine compression. There is displacement CSF space amongst the roots suggesting significant central cauda equine root compression". Could this be the cause of my incontinence problems?

Thank you for taking time to read this, it has been my experience that once you have chronic pain , the medical profession wipes their hands of you and you're left to struggle on.

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