u/Occasionally_Sober1

Hello. I’m recovering from a badly compressed L3 nerve root that was so bad I was in a wheelchair for a few weeks in April. I’ve tried many things including steroid shots (no help,) meds and PT. I’m a lot better than I was but I still have a lot of nerve tingling and back pain that gets progressively worse the longer I stand. I’ve had no meaningful improvement since June but I’m at the point where I can function in my day to day life but I’m not living a full life, ie. Unable to go for walks, go to concerts or be places where I have to stand a while. What sucks is it doesn’t feel bad enough to have surgery but I also don’t want to live the rest of my life like this.

Anyway, I had my first acupuncture session today with electric stim. (Is that the right term?) The practitioner said she noticed inflammation. (I didn’t know because I can’t see my back!)

It’s been six hours and I feel like my back pain is actually worse than before. Is this common? Is there anything I should do tonight to make sure I maximize whatever benefit I may have gotten? I have another appointment in a week and I plan to go for a few more to give this a real chance of working. Or am I wasting my time?

Thanks in advance for responding.

I have a lumbar disc herniation with femoral nerve compression. PT and meds are helping to varying degrees but I’m still having significant back and leg pain. Is acupuncture likely to help with this kind of structural issue? Any experience with this as a patient or practitioner?

Can you recommend an acupuncturist? I’m specifically looking for relief from femoral nerve pain caused by a disc herniation.

I gotta knock on wood as I type this but I had a good day today. I’ve been doing my PT exercises more than I’d been.

I went poked around in a few shops and didn’t bring my walker. After a few minutes I thought it was a mistake but found a bench to rest and tried again. This time I walked longer before I needed a break, and then longer still. My pain was barely noticeable. (I did take my gabapentin and Robaxin before I went out.) I felt so good I stopped at the pet store and then for groceries on the way home. Pain still around 1-2. I can’t believe it.

I hope I don’t pay for this tomorrow but right now I am so optimistic!

This is my best day since I hurt myself mid April.

I hope this provides encouragement for someone else.

Background: Herniated L3/4, extruded L4/5, compressed femoral nerve. Three months ago I was unable to walk more than 10 or so steps!

I went for a neurosurgery consult this morning. He did not examine me at all whatsoever. No reflexes, checking strength, checking range of motion, checking my gait, nothing. Zero.

Is this normal?

Thanks.

I’m at the neurosurgeon office waiting for a consult. My appointment was at 8 a.m. It’s 8:50 right now and the medical assistant just told me the doc hasn’t shown up to work yet. I’m sure he hasn’t looked at my scans yet or the reports from my spine doc and physical therapist or the pages of paperwork they had me fill out before I got here. Either he’s going to rush through them or I’m gonna be here quite a while (which is preferable to him rushing through everything.)

Neither sloppiness nor tardiness seem like good qualities in a surgeon. I’m seeing another one next week for a second opinion.

I’m supposed to be at work at 9:30. Doesn’t look likely to happen.

Sorry I’m just feeling very whiny. My leg hurts (radiculopathy,) my cat is having a veterinary issue, I’m broke from medical and vet bills, I’m hungry because I skipped breakfast to get here on time, and on top of that my toilet overflowed last night. This is one more aggravation I don’t need.

L3/4 extrusion, foraminal narrowing and compressed femoral nerve root. I’ve been in pain since April. Tried PT and epidural steroid injections. They’ve helped some but I’ve had no meaningful improvement since May. I’m going for a surgical consult tomorrow.

If you’ve had lumbar surgery, are there things you wish you knew before the operation? What should I ask? I do have a list of questions but I want to make sure I’m not missing anything. Thanks.

Background: Long history of back trouble with occasional flares that I can handle with ice and rest. Two months ago I tweaked my back by twisting wrong, nothing unusual for me. But I couldn’t ice and rest as usual bc I was going on a cruise. Airport was chaotic and I ended up lugging heavy bags much farther than should have. Extreme pain. Spent the entire cruise in a wheelchair. Got back, when to ER and got admitted for four days to control pain. MRI showed severe compression of femoral nerve and my previously bulging/herniated disks were now herniated/extruded.

When I left the hospital I could walk about three minutes before pain got super bad. (As opposed to like 10 steps when I was on the ship.)

I’ve had a cortisone shot, got nerve meds and muscle relaxers, had PT including red light therapy, exercise and TENS unit. Now I can walk about five minutes before pain gets unbearable — or about 8 minutes if I use a rollator walker.

Also my left leg is visibly atrophied and much weaker than my right.

I’m bad at noticing changes in pan and I’m not actually sure if it hurts less or just that I’m getting used to the pain and pushing through it more.

I go back to the spine doc on Tuesday. I’m expecting him to refer me to neurosurgery.

But I understand sometimes these things get better on their own.

So, for those who’ve been here before:
- Did you have surgery?
- How long did you wait?
- Any regrets?
- If you don’t have surgery, did it improve on its own? How long did it take?

I’m interested in any and all thoughts about my MRI report. Has anyone here with a similar report avoided surgery? If you did have surgery, did it help or do you regret it?

My symptoms very much match the report findings. Bad nerve pain down the front of my leg. It’s been going on for 6-7 weeks. It started after lugging a heavy suitcase all over a

Treatment since then:
- meds: Three times a day: gabapentin, Robaxin (daytime), flexeril (night time), Advil. I also have an oxycodone prescription but I avoid taking it. In the six weeks I’ve taken it three times.
- epidural steroid injection. It didn’t help or possibly did help just a little.
- physical therapy including manual decompression, red light therapy and exercises. (I’m supposed to do them 5 times a day at home. Realistically, I do the 3-4 times a day. I could be better. But I’m not sure they help and I wonder if they actually harm.)
- ice and heat. Ice gives temporary relief
- TENS unit. Distracts from pain but doesn’t seem to have a long term effect

Ok here’s the report

1. Severe left foramen narrowing at L3-L4 with compression of the

 
exiting left L3 nerve root related to a foraminal extrusion and facet
 
joint arthropathy.  

 
2. Degenerative changes resulting in mild spinal canal narrowing and
 
moderate bilateral neural foraminal narrowing at L4-L5. Other mild
 
degenerative changes as described in the findings.  

 

 

 
Electronically signed by Ellen Hoeffner, MD on 4/27/2026 4:25 PM.
 
 
Narrative
 
MR SPINE LUMBAR WO CONTRAST, 4/27/2026 3:21 PM  

 
INDICATION: LLE weakness, unsteadiness, no red flag sx r/o
 
demyelination, disc herniation  

 
TECHNIQUE: Multisequence, multiplanar MRI of the lumbar spine is
 
performed without intravenous contrast.  

 
3D PROCESSING: None  

 
COMPARISON: None  

 
FINDINGS:
 
Mildly motion degraded exam.  

 
Numbering assumes 5 lumbar type vertebrae. The spine is imaged from the
 
mid T10 level through the mid S3 level. There is minimal retrolisthesis
 
of L4 on L5. The remaining visualized vertebrae are normally aligned.
 
The vertebral body heights are well-maintained. There are scattered
 
degenerative type I and type II endplate changes. The most prominent are
 
type II degenerative endplate changes at L4-L5. There are no aggressive
 
appearing marrow signal changes.  

 
Multilevel disc space narrowing in the lower lumbar spine most prominent
 
at L4-L5 where it is moderate to severe. There is an annular fissure
 
along the posterior margin of the L5-S1 disc near the midline. There is
 
additionally mild to moderate disc space narrowing in the lower thoracic
 
spine at T10-T11.  

 
Seen on sagittal images only is a shallow disc bulge at T10-T11 slightly
 
indenting the thecal sac with probable mild spinal canal narrowing.  

 
Level by level:  

 
T12-L1: No spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing.  

 
L1-L2: No spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing.  

 
L2-L3: Mild disc bulge and mild facet joint arthropathy with ligamentum
 
flavum thickening. No spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing.  

 
L3-L4: Mild disc bulge with more focal left foraminal extrusion. In
 
conjunction with mild to moderate facet joint arthropathy and ligamentum
 
flavum thickening there is severe left foramen narrowing with
 
compression of the exiting left L3 nerve root. There is minimal right
 
foramen narrowing. No significant spinal canal narrowing.  

 
L4-L5: Retrolisthesis, diffuse disc bulge and moderate facet joint
 
arthropathy with ligamentum flavum thickening. There is resultant mild
 
spinal canal narrowing and moderate bilateral neural foraminal
 
narrowing.  

 
L5-S1: Diffuse disc bulge largely confined to the ventral epidural fat.
 
Severe facet joint arthropathy with ligamentum flavum thickening. There
 
is no spinal canal narrowing. There is mild bilateral neural foraminal
 
narrowing.  

 
The visualized distal cord and conus are normal in signal, position and
 
morphology. The cauda equina nerve roots are unremarkable.

Can anyone recommend an excellent neurosurgeon at Michigan Medicine or St. Joe’s? Preferably someone with experience releasing femoral nerve compression.

Surgical skill is more important than bedside manner, but it sure would be great to have both.

I’ve been hurting for a month. I was hospitalized for four days to get the pain under control. It did get better but only slightly. I went from nothing able to stand more than 20-30 seconds to be able to stand two minutes (on a good day and with meds.) I had an epidural steroid injection almost two weeks ago and started PT this week and it hasn’t helped.
I’m feeling really discouraged.

I’m probably headed for surgery and that’s ok with me if it helps. I’m just worried that it won’t.

Either my back hurts or my leg and sometimes both at the same time. Meds help some but not enough. I have no quality of life. I have a walker but even with that I don’t last long outside my apartment.

I’m looking for some hope here. Who has recovered from this?

Edited to add: I’m also experiencing weakness and visible atrophy in my thigh and calf.

MRI report below for those who haven’t already stopped reading my tale of woe.

—————-

3. joint arthropathy.

 

 
2. Degenerative changes resulting in mild spinal canal narrowing and
 
moderate bilateral neural foraminal narrowing at L4-L5. Other mild
 
degenerative changes as described in the findings.  

 

 

 
Electronically signed by xxx, MD on 4/27/2026 4:25 PM.
 
 
Narrative
 
MR SPINE LUMBAR WO CONTRAST, 4/27/2026 3:21 PM  

 
INDICATION: LLE weakness, unsteadiness, no red flag sx r/o
 
demyelination, disc herniation  

 
TECHNIQUE: Multisequence, multiplanar MRI of the lumbar spine is
 
performed without intravenous contrast.  

 
3D PROCESSING: None  

 
COMPARISON: None  

 
FINDINGS:
 
Mildly motion degraded exam.  

 
Numbering assumes 5 lumbar type vertebrae. The spine is imaged from the
 
mid T10 level through the mid S3 level. There is minimal retrolisthesis
 
of L4 on L5. The remaining visualized vertebrae are normally aligned.
 
The vertebral body heights are well-maintained. There are scattered
 
degenerative type I and type II endplate changes. The most prominent are
 
type II degenerative endplate changes at L4-L5. There are no aggressive
 
appearing marrow signal changes.  

 
Multilevel disc space narrowing in the lower lumbar spine most prominent
 
at L4-L5 where it is moderate to severe. There is an annular fissure
 
along the posterior margin of the L5-S1 disc near the midline. There is
 
additionally mild to moderate disc space narrowing in the lower thoracic
 
spine at T10-T11.  

 
Seen on sagittal images only is a shallow disc bulge at T10-T11 slightly
 
indenting the thecal sac with probable mild spinal canal narrowing.  

 
Level by level:  

 
T12-L1: No spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing.  

 
L1-L2: No spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing.  

 
L2-L3: Mild disc bulge and mild facet joint arthropathy with ligamentum
 
flavum thickening. No spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing.  

 
L3-L4: Mild disc bulge with more focal left foraminal extrusion. In
 
conjunction with mild to moderate facet joint arthropathy and ligamentum
 
flavum thickening there is severe left foramen narrowing with
 
compression of the exiting left L3 nerve root. There is minimal right
 
foramen narrowing. No significant spinal canal narrowing.  

 
L4-L5: Retrolisthesis, diffuse disc bulge and moderate facet joint
 
arthropathy with ligamentum flavum thickening. There is resultant mild
 
spinal canal narrowing and moderate bilateral neural foraminal
 
narrowing.  

 
L5-S1: Diffuse disc bulge largely confined to the ventral epidural fat.
 
Severe facet joint arthropathy with ligamentum flavum thickening. There
 
is no spinal canal narrowing. There is mild bilateral neural foraminal
 
narrowing.  

 
The visualized distal cord and conus are normal in signal, position and
 
morphology. The cauda equina nerve roots are unremarkable.

I finally got a steroid shot into L3/4/5 this morning. It’s been an agonizing journey to get this far — physically as well as mentally since I’ve had to really push for every bit of medical help I’ve gotten on this journey.

When the big push of steroids went into the right spot it hurt like hell for about 10 seconds and teardrops formed I think from the pain. But once I let them out I was gushing and dripping snot all over the floor under my head. I’m not sure what it was all about. It could have been:

- stress relief after finally getting something that might work
- thinking about my poor nephew who is only 17 and has gone through this twice already. Bad backs run in our fam.
- something else?

Anyone with a similar experience? I feel so dumb for crying and I wonder if the provider see this often or not. (I’m think not because they had no tissue handy but did offer me some gauze squares for my nose.)