Medial branch neurotomy

Anyone here get this procedure done?

I had a test novocaine injection that seemed to work so I am probably going to try it. The effectiveness of facet joint injections hasn’t lasted more than a handful of months and I no longer get meaningful relief from injections to the disc area for more than a handful of weeks. My L5-s1 and L4-L5 aren’t great but my nerve pain seems to be most connected to arthritis issues now vs the discs as it was around 10-12 years ago when these issues first came up.

This should give me a longer relief period and a more predictable pain cycle when the treatment begins wearing off. Lately when the facet joint treatments have been wearing off I can suddenly get acute with no real warning signs. It’s freaking awful when it happens and I’m outside and a fair distance from the car or trying to trudge through an airport with some bags or whatever.

I had it done. I have spinal stenosis and they decided to give it a try to see if it would help with my back pain, although I have (or had) classic sciatica as well. It didn't help, didn't hurt. Of course my case is probably nothing like yours so I wouldn't go by my expereience. I wound up having 4 I think epidural steroid injections and between those and losing about a year of strenuous activity between a broken back (thoracic) and heart surgery my pain is dramatically improved. Weak legs and numb feet not so much.

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Originally Posted by old goat

I had it done. I have spinal stenosis and they decided to give it a try to see if it would help with my back pain, although I have (or had) classic sciatica as well. It didn't help, didn't hurt. Of course my case is probably nothing like yours so I wouldn't go by my expereience. I wound up having 4 I think epidural steroid injections and between those and losing about a year of strenuous activity between a broken back (thoracic) and heart surgery my pain is dramatically improved. Weak legs and numb feet not so much.

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The long period of no strenuous/dynamic activity i went thru was the turning point for me as well. I just did my pt at home with light stretching so i did't have a spasm/mis alignment and restretch the tendons. Ive been told it takes tendons up to 2 yrs to shrink back to normal after being stetched, like skiers thumb. That gave me a lot of extra support.
Im f'd atm as of 4 days ago. I was dehydrated, riding several days in a row, caught a small cold, went out on a ride and with no warm up started tugging on the bars of my 55lb bike hopping over city scape obstacles and pulled something. Light hammy, quad and glute stretches and about to have another long hot shower to limber up before i try a walk to realign this. Skipping my cats and dogs until i get a little more muscle healing on the lower back and realigned. Small building blocks for confidence.
Im down to every 1-3 yrs now when i overdue it. Im very aware at this point and i know better. I f'd up


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