OT - Severe Sciatica - Update

LSAT · Post by **LSAT** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 7:59 am

My wife has had problem with pain down her right leg....we attributed it to sciatica which she has had before. In the past it went away with rest and moderate exercise. Further testing and MRI revealed some pressure on the L5 nerve. She recently had an epidural shot that has given her partial relief. (Not trying to give advice...just relating experience).

TASmart · Post by **TASmart** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 9:34 am

after getting courious, I checked out coolief's website(
https://www.mycoolief.com/). Much to my surprise, when I looked at their references, I found this:
Abstract

Background. The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) complex has been identified as a common source of chronic low back pain. Radiofrequency (RF) neurotomy has been investigated in recent years as a minimally invasive treatment option for SIJ-mediated low back pain. A number of RF neurotomy methodologies have been investigated, including the use of cooled RF.

Objective. To retrospectively evaluate the use of cooled RF lateral branch neurotomy (LBN) to treat chronic SIJ-mediated low back pain in a large European study population.

Study Design. The electronic records of 126 patients with chronic low back pain who underwent treatment with cooled RF LBN were identified. Subjects were selected for treatment based on physical examination and positive response (50% pain relief) to an intra-articular SIJ block. Cooled RF LBN involved lesioning the L5 dorsal ramus and lateral to the S1, S2, and S3 posterior sacral foraminal apertures. Visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, quality of life, medication usage, and satisfaction were collected before the procedure, at 3–4 weeks postprocedure (N = 97), and once again between 4 and 20 months post-procedure (N = 105).

Results. When stratified by time to final follow-up (4–6, 6–12, and >12 months, respectively): 86%, 71%, and 48% of subjects experienced 50% reduction in VAS pain scores, 96%, 93%, and 85% reported their quality of life as much improved or improved, and 100%, 62%, and 67% of opioid users stopped or decreased use of opioids.

Conclusions. The current results show promising, durable improvements in pain, quality of life, and medication usage in a large European study population, with benefits persisting in some subjects at 20 months after treatment. These results are consistent with previous study findings on the use of cooled RF to treat SIJ-mediated low back pain.

Key Words. Chronic Pain; Sacroiliac Joint; Cooled Radiofrequency; Intra-articular SIJ Block; L5 Dorsal Ramus (L5DR); Low Back Pain; S1-S3 Dorsal Rami

So we can conclude that at best, within the first 6 months after treatment, about 86% of patients will have 50% or more of their pain relieved. The numbers decline after that.

Hardly a 100% guarantee offered up by our most detested genius. Perhaps in his spare time, xx boy has re-engineered the process and is getting 100% pain relief in his backdoor clinic?

Cpapian · Post by **Cpapian** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 9:55 am

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 10:37 am

You're an idiot Period.

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 10:41 am

Madalot · Post by **Madalot** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 10:44 am

Julie wrote:You're an idiot Period.

Yep! He is what he is. Some of his comments/statements are just so out there - like "Even the Mayo Clinic has a physician that does coolief" (or something to that effect). I would EXPECT a place like the Mayo Clinic to have something like that, as opposed to the country area where I live which has NONE!

Gotta just do an eyeroll and move on.

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 10:56 am

xxyzx, I don't think anyone is saying this procedure is not a viable option, just that its predictabilty for success is not an absolute, as you at first stated. As with any treatment we have seen work, we can be enthused proponents or even crusaders. I'm that way about using TENS therapy for my PLMD, because it has enabled me to stay off meds for it. But I have to accept that not everyone will get the same results - I've been told by several it did not work for them. I personally am glad to now hear about coolief and your wife's success with it. Another weapon in the arsenal. My mention of it not being a guarantee does not negate its potential benefit.

Madalot · Post by **Madalot** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 11:03 am

kteague wrote:xxyzx, I don't think anyone is saying this procedure is not a viable option, just that its predictabilty for success is not an absolute, as you at first stated. As with any treatment we have seen work, we can be enthused proponents or even crusaders. I'm that way about using TENS therapy for my PLMD, because it has enabled me to stay off meds for it. But I have to accept that not everyone will get the same results - I've been told by several it did not work for them. I personally am glad to now hear about coolief and your wife's success with it. Another weapon in the arsenal. My mention of it not being a guarantee does not negate its potential benefit.

I agree with you, Kteague. Without a doubt. My issue is the blanket statement "get coolief" like I could go to the store and buy it. All of us know that especially with initial diagnoses, there is no way on earth the doctors will START with that. If it turns out this is sciatica, my doctors will try medication FIRST. And I don't have the option of DEMANDING a certain treatment, especially where I live where doctors are minimal and I cannot afford to piss them off by demanding a specific treatment.

Will I eventually end up with it? Maybe. But there's no guarantee MY doctors will agree that it will be beneficial, plus with my other issues, it might be contraindicated. Who knows?

It's his blanket statement "get it and you'll be cured!" that is irritating everyone. I'm happy it worked for his wife, but even he says "one size fits nobody" meaning what is good/works for one may not work for another. Yet, he proclaims that because it worked for his wife, it will cure me.

So which is it? What works for one will certainly work for everyone OR one size fits nobody? You can't have it both ways....

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 11:12 am

It must be Sunday... otherwise you two would not seriously be trying to reason with him... you both have way too much sense for that!

skylark40 · Post by **skylark40** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 11:32 am

Madalot wrote:Man, if I thought my sleep was disturbed before...

I'm hypothesizing that what is happening is sciatica, but I have not sought medical attention (yet). The problems started several weeks ago with muscle pain in my thigh. Aggravating, but not horrible.

About 5 days ago, I noticed the pain starting in my left, lower back, radiating down my butt, into my thigh, knee and sometimes foot. It would become excruciating at times, but would lessen within a minute or so and I could still function (slowly).

Let me interject something before I continue - I am 95% wheelchair bound due to a rare Muscular Dystrophy. The other 5% of the time I CAN and do walk with a rollator (walker with wheels so it can be pushed - I cannot lift a regular walker enough to use).

The pain has worsened over the last few days with certain movements causing EXCRUCIATING pain. For example, after sitting down in my wheelchair, the motion of trying to slide back fully into it would be very painful. But it would only last a few seconds and then I could move on.

Last night while laying/sitting in bed, my cats were after a bug on the floor. But they weren't catching it so I got up, grabbed a slipper and waited for the bug and when I saw him, tried to kill him, using my RIGHT foot in the slipper. But he wouldn't die so I bent down and kept trying to smash him. I finally did but when I tried to stand upright again? OMG - excruciating doesn't begin to cover the pain. I couldn't move at all. I couldn't put any weight at all on my left leg. After a minute or so, I could move, barely.

I finally got myself back into bed, but it wasn't easy and I was in tears (yes, it hurt that badly). When time came to go to sleep, I slowly sat up and put my legs over the side of the bed and reached for my mask - and there we went again. EXCRUCIATING pain from my lower back down my leg. I did manage to get my mask on, then turned on the Trilogy/Humidifier, but getting laid down took me forever. I finally fell asleep on my right side and slept a couple hours before waking up. Everything felt a bit better so I decided to try to turn over onto my left side. Good news is I made it, but the bad news was excruciating pain started again. Took me forever to get flipped back, but I finally did and dozed on/off the rest of the night.

Okay - now that we have the history - does anybody have any suggestions for alleviating this pain that I can do? Some of the stretching exercises I've seen online are not doable for me because of my physical limitations. Any suggestions, however, will be greatly appreciated.

Oh, boy, do I hear you!

I have pretty severe scoliosis and have been pretty blessed to live my first 50 years relatively easily pain-wise. About 10 years ago, I started getting pain as you described. What is involved here are the nerves that run through L3-L4 vertebrae in your lower back. I've had several epidural cortisone injections, and they do help.

It was finally determined I have Periformis Syndrome and is caused by the periformis muscle compressing the sciatic nerve. There are back and pelvic stretches to help with this. Speak with your doctor and they can show you which exercises may help. Good luck!

skylark40 · Post by **skylark40** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 11:36 am

WearyOne wrote:
kteague wrote:
xxyzx wrote: you should triple check my advice then take it..coolief will fix your problem permanently
That is an absolute statement. You can't possibly know that. You could say that you highly recommend coolief and I would have checked it out for possible use myself. There is no treatment out there that can be guaranteed to "fix your problem permanently" 100% of the time, especially when we don't even know for sure the exact origin of her pain. And this is not the time for petty digs.
You're right, he absolutely does not know that. Just because it worked for his wife--as he mentioned--doesn't mean it's going to work for everyone else. Period. Recommending something that's helped you or someone you know and suggesting it might help someone else is wonderful. Making a blanket statement that "this with fix your problem permanently" is ridiculous.

Fully agree with you. Those kind of statements should never be taken seriously and should probably be deleted.

LSAT · Post by **LSAT** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 11:45 am

Should that be considered "spam"?

skylark40 · Post by **skylark40** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 11:58 am

LSAT wrote:Should that be considered "spam"?

In that it's worthless info, yes

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 12:00 pm

Why can't you understand that your wife is ONE patient among thousands? Just because it worked for her does NOT mean it'll work for anyone else. Ever again. At all.

skylark40 · Post by **skylark40** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 12:02 pm

The "number of locations" is not a statement or validation of the efficacy of the treatment. There are many strip mall LASIK shops, too, but I wouldn't trust them with my eyesight.

OT - Severe Sciatica - Update

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