One of the most frustrating things about spinal fusion pain is finding a medical professional to help alleviate that pain without resorting to medicating you off your gourd. I said it here before, I don’t like pain medications. Frankly, they scare me. When I worked in the Emergency Room I saw WAY too many drug seekers or people with addiction problems. I completely understand why providers might be hesitant to tackle a problem like pain, especially when that pain has no clear source. On the other hand, I am in pain…and I’ve struggled to find help. Usually the answer is…deal with it. Or…let’s medicate you! Or…I don’t know; physical therapy?

Well, I’ve done a lot to manage my back pain. (See my list of drug-free ways to reduce pain and build strength.) Physical therapy? Yep, been there. Three times. Drugs? Unfortunately,  yes.

But nothing has gotten me to a level where I can stop constantly anticipating the pain. When I crawl into bed at night, I have to be careful lest shooting pain radiate through my back. When I bend over to light the oven (we have gas), I have to move slowly lest the pain prevent me from finishing cooking the meal. When I move after that softball…well…you get the idea, right?

Someone listened to me…whoa.

So, I say nothing stopped the pain…until a few weeks ago. I finally found a doctor willing to talk to me about what’s going on. He’s  a Physiatrist…and he figured it out!!! You see, a majority of my pain comes from the left lower side. Turns out, that’s my sacroiliac joint (SI Joint). Turns out, my L5-S1 fusion has caused Adjacent Segment Disease (ASD) of my SI Joint.

How do I know?

I finally broke down and consented to a steroid injection. He put the shot directly into my SI Joint. It hurt and my leg went completely numb for a half hour (I felt like I was walking in circles…heh).

But it was instant relief. Ahhhh…..

You know that feeling when you “pop” your back or another joint? That relieving of pressure sensation? It was like that, only more profound.

What does it mean?

This is good news…and bad news. Good news: we know that’s the biggest contributor to my pain! We know that steroid injections work! Bad news: we can only do 3 injections a year…and  only for a little while. The only thing that can fix this is a fusion of the SI Joint.

So, eventually…a LONG time down the road hopefully, I’ll need more surgery. But, in the meantime, I’ll enjoy the hell out of my pain-reduced lifestyle. Cross-country skiing for hours, running a half-marathon, new yoga poses…all within my grasp!

My advice:

Be Persistent! Don’t give up, even when someone with an advanced medical degree treats you like you’re an idiot seeking your next high. There’s a reason they do that. Have compassion for their side. Try not to use drugs. But never, never, never give up.

Prosit Neujahr!

I wish you all well in the coming year. Namaste, my friends.