I am 52 and had fusion surgery on a pinched nerve that I had on the L5 of the spine in 2012. I had no problems in 2013. This year, 2014, about a month ago, I started getting a numbness, tingling, pins & needles feeling on my left leg and right foot big toe. I have osteoarthritis and had fusion surgery in May on my right foot big toe that goes numb. The pain would start in my hip/buttock area on the left side and would go down to my outer shin area. After about 2 weeks of this, I went to my osteo doc., and he sent me for an MRI. This last Tuesday I had two MRI's one with and one without contrast. My doc. gave me an injection in my hip prior to the MRI thinking it was bursitis. It did not help. He also put me on a 5.325 mg pain pill, which sort of helped every four hours. I called for my MRI results today as my pain is getting worse and will not subside or go away. He said I have a protruding disc, and maybe one that is slipping and I have nerve root issues and he referred me to a neurologist. I cannot get in to this doc.'s for 13 days. My doc.also put me on a 10 mg muscle relaxer today, which does not really help. I cannot sleep, and I cannot take this pain. I read somewhere that physical therapy or doing my own back strengthening exercises is helpful. I just want to have a good night sleep without the constant throbbing, aching pain. This is the 20th century and I feel so barbaric. I know there are people out there with chronic pain, and that they know how to manage it or get rid of it with or without surgery. Does anyone have any advise for me.
Sleepless in misery, Missouri.