I have a pinched nerve in my lower back. no more burning sensation??!
Question:
I have a pinched nerve in my lower back. no more burning sensation??
I have a pinched nerve at the L5/S1. I have weakness in my left leg and tingling and numbness too. I used to get these burning sensations that ran down my leg to my foot and now I don't get them anymore. I don't know what this means. It's been 8 months and no treatment yet from the Army. Can someone explain this to me and tell me what I should do next? I have already had 3 months physical therapy and 3 back injections. I don't know what else I could get done other than surgery.
Answers:
If the burning sensation has subsided, that may be good news...progressive pain and burning is usually indicative of nerve entrapement which can usually only be relieved by surgery. The fact that your pain has subsided somewhat may be indicative that this problem has potential to change for the better.
Remember that with PT (as with medicine), there are many different approaches to treatment. If you have not already, I suggest you follow up with a PT with MDT experience. The goal of this treatment is to teach you self management exercises which are aimed at restoring a normal postion of the joint (the disc). It is an entirely different approach than the standard "heat massage and ultrasound" which consistently is shown by the research to be completely INEFFECTIVE. It is also different than the approach of "stabilization" exercises.
If you have had the MDT approach and have failed, you probably are a good candidate for surgery if your pain is mechanical in origin (ie, you do not have a lot of emotional involvement in your pain, or have a history of depression, anxiety or other psychosocial limitations). However, this would definetely require the opinion of a surgeon. If your PT does not practice MDT, I would go to http://www.mckenziemdt.org to find one that is. (and a good MDT therapist will be able to tell you within 3-7 visits whether you are a responder or weather your need an entirely different approach...it certainly should not take 3 months to find out that something isn't working!)