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Hello everyone, I too am new to this post. For about A year now, I have been experiencing severe pain in my R leg and low back. Pain radiates mostly in a L5-S1 dermatomal pattern and is typically 8-9 without the hydrocodone 10/325 5-6 times a day.
I am fortunate to have excellent pain mgt doc and excellent neurosurgeon who has done a hemi-laminotomy and partial foraminotomy at that level. Now I find out that I have DDD from L3-4 through L5-S1. I am in daily pain, sometimes very severe. The pain is about 50/50 low back and right leg pain (it feels like someone has my big toe in a vise--very painful, with "dead" areas on the ball of my right foot). Now, pain is increasing in my left foot.
My doc wants to install a SNS soon. I understand that the SNS works only on the radiating pain in my leg/foot, and will do nothing for my low back pain. That won't help me much if it is effective.
I am wondering if the intrathecal pump would do me more good. For some reason, I feel like the SNS is more risky and less likely to provide the relief I am hoping for. I'd rather not go through the SNS placement unless absolutely necessary.
I have a great pain mgt doc and neurosurgeon who know that I am not a drug seeker or malingerer.
What do ya'll think? Any recommendations or advice? If anyone is aware of things that I have not considered, or can offer advise/experiences, please share with me.
Lost, worried and at the mercy of docs....
Posts: 2 | Location: East Texas | Registered: 04-27-2009
Welcome to ChronicPainConnection, Thomas. I haven't used either the pain pump or neurostimulator, so I can't share any personal experiences, but we have a great thread here in the forum that deals with the intrathecal pain pump. In fact, it's where everyone on this site gathers to ask questions or share their experiences with the pump. You may find someone there who has tried both the pump and the neurostiumlator and could give you their opinion on both. Or at least you can ask questions and find out how the pump has helped (or not helped) people with problems similar to yours. Although it's a very long thread with lots of pages, rest assured anything you post will be seen and answered as it's monitored regularly by the gentleman who started the thread. Here's a link to that thread: Intrathecal Pain Pump Discussion
We also have a thread for the neurostimulator. It's a very new thread, but there's a lady there who is willing to share her experiences. Here's that link: Neurostimulator Discussion
I hope you're able to get some helpful information here.
