Pain started 23 years ago. No injury, one day just started hurting in the right kidney area. Needless to say, the kidneys have been checked to death. Had the pain on and off for 13 years. Tried doctors, physio's - nothing worked. One ortho basically told me I've got back pain - deal with it (free consult in Australia - he was earning $50 every 2 minutes). The pain would go away for a year, then come back. The last time I'd seen a GP, he just gave me some pain killers (I was 35 at the time). I remember thinking what were the instructions going to be "Take 2 every 4 hours for the next 40 years"? Took myself to see a chiropractor. He found my sacram out of alignment, and promptly aligned it. Had a few treatments, and after about 6 weeks, the pain went away. I thought I was cured. 10 years later, and it started to come back, and the chiro's adjustments were not helping. Back on pain killers again - and this time the pain was worse. A LOT worse. Pain killers started getting stronger. From over the counter paracetamol and ibuprofen + codeine, to prescription paracetamol + codeine, to oxycodin, to 25ug fentanyl patch, to 50ug fentanyl patch, to alternating 50 and 75ug fentanyl patch. Without the patches now, I can't even get out of bed. Asked my GP for referrals to pain specialist and neurosurgeon. Have had CT and MRI, and according the neurosurgeon, a very well respected physician, not only is there no abnormality, my spine looks very healthy. Pain specialist started sending me for diagnostic injections. So far have had local anasthetic/cortical steroid injections in the following:-
Right SI joint.
L5/S1 Epidural
T12/L1 Epidural x 2
T12/L1 right facet joint
T12/L1 right periradicular nerve
L1/L2 right periradicular nerve x 2
L2/L3 right periradicular nerve
L3/L4 right periradicular nerve
L1/L2 right periradicular nerve local only
L2/L3 right periradicular nerve local only
L1/L2 right facet joint
L2/L3 right facet joint
The first L1/L2 periradicular injection actually gave me a couple of days of relief, before the pain came back. After all these, the pain specialist said he didn't have anything more for me. But one of his colleagues with whom I'd had a single consult, referred me on to their physiotherapist. He is treating me in the area of L1/L2. The disc is tender to press on. On the one time he used the therapeutic ultrasound on the area, it caused so much pain (referred along the periradicular nerve) that I could barely walk for a week. We've determined that L1/L2 is without question the cause of the pain, but nothing shows in scans. How the hell can I get some effective treatment, if we can't diagnose what's wrong? Can it be caused by compression that's not showing in any scans? I intend to get another CT on it next week (I'm in Australia - I can get that for free).
Back2Life was a scam that almost crippled me. I've got a borrowed nubax at the moment. I've only had it for 3 days, and am using it regularly.