Hello, I'd welcome and appreciate any advice. I'll try to keep it concise.

I'm female 51, prolapsed L5 22 years ago, no treatment, I was told to go home and lie flat for at least 3 weeks. Over the years I had sciatica and stiffness on and off. I managed with the odd referral to physio otherwise I just worked around the pain and lived with it.

Two years ago I started to have muscle spasms under my (r) shoulder blade, coupled with alot of pain in my left leg and terrible stiffness. I also have a pronounced stoop and waddled when I walked! I finally convinced a GP to send me for an Wikipedia reference-linkMRI last August and was referred to a neuro surgeon. She diagnosised Spondylothesis at L 3/4 Grade 1, there was also stenosis at L4/5 but not as bad .She also said I had prolapsed L4 and L 3 was partially prolapsed or to use her words" poking it's nose through"

I had surgery mid March, the day after the op (apart from alot of surgical pain) I could stand upright, stoop was gone and so was the pain in my leg. Unfortunately I had problems with the wound, discovered to have MRSA in it, 3 lots of antibiotics seemed to have shifted it.

I started to get pain back in my left leg as well as my right leg and back ache. I was under the impression I would get intensive physio, this turned out to be wrong. I have had 6 sessions in 17 weeks, 3 included actual treatment, which included cycling on a bike for 10 mins twice and sitting on a gym ball raising alternate arms and legs. I have continued on my own buying a wobbleboard gym ball etc and getting a hold of a dvd for pelvic and core exercises.

I still have a fair bit of pain after walking for 10 minutes. Occup Doc suggested I may have failed back surgery! I now have to wait till Sept to see the surgeon for the first follow up after the surgery.

My questions are...is it a bit early for someone to be suggesting failed back surgery? Any suggestions what else I could do to further my recovery? I managed to see a letter detailing what surgery was done.............L3 and L 4 lamina were removed along the thickened ligamentum flavum at the L2/3 L3/4 and L4/5 interspaces. Facet bones were undercut.
I'm willing to try anything acupunture, tamars also pilates which the surgeon recommended before the op.

Any advice would be most welcomed. I was looking forward to a new pain free life and I'm beginning to think I'm never going to be pain free. I was told this op wouldn t do anything for back pain, however I wasn t bother very much it, it was the leg pain that was debilating. thank you

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