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Had Back Surgery. Pain In Back, Arms, Fingers And Leg. Herniated Disc In Neck, Treated For Pain Management

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Posted on Mon, 27 May 2013
Question: Hello..I am 39 years old and female and have had lower back surgery and still have severe pain in my lower back and severs shooting pain down the back side of my right leg. I also have herniateed discs in my neck with a sharp shooting pain in my right arn and down thru my middle fingers.I am being treated for pain management for these issues but the pain is getting alot worse ov er the last 2 years that feels more like in my bones and thru my nerves more than anything else. I am very nervous that I might have bone cancer like my mother did at my age that she died from a ,month after she turned 4o. I need to kinow if there is a particular test that I can do to find out if I have any type of cancers ..expecially bone cancer. My pain management doc will not answer these questions for me so I am at a complette loss on what to fo from here .Can you advise me on this please?
Thank you, XXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Rohan Khandelwal (2 hours later)
Dear Ma'am,

Sorry to hear about your problem. The shooting pain which you have described is due to the herniated discs. It typically causes this type of pain and it can be corrected by surgery. If not corrected, it can progress and lead to severe spasms and excruciating pain.
Considering your history of melanoma and a family history of bone cancer, there is no harm in ruling that out. You can get a MRI and that will reveal whether there is a tumor present or not.

Hoping for the best. Please feel free to clarify any other query.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Rohan Khandelwal (15 hours later)
Thank you for your response. I had the back surgery that was supposed to fix the problem with the herniated discs in my back but the pain only worsened, expecially down my right leg. They say that it has to do with my sciatic nerve being pinched but I was told the problems with my discs being herniated and pinching the nerve was fixed but apparently it wasn't. What can I do to help this situation? I have had nerve blocks, epidurals and facet blocks done for years now but they haven't seemed to work.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Rohan Khandelwal (7 hours later)
Dear ma'am,

Sorry to hear about your problem. The pinching of the nerve is due to the herniated discs only and if this problem is persisting, it can be corrected by surgery only. Back strengthening exercises and physiotherapy can also help but surgery is the long term solution. Sometimes surgery cannot be done if the nerve is already injured, which can be found out by nerve conduction studies. In that case blocks are the only solution.
You should consult a good neurosurgeon and let him explain the options to you after examination.
Hoping for the best. Please feel free to clarify any other query.
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Rohan Khandelwal

Oncologist, Surgical

Practicing since :2008

Answered : 576 Questions

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Had Back Surgery. Pain In Back, Arms, Fingers And Leg. Herniated Disc In Neck, Treated For Pain Management

Dear Ma'am,

Sorry to hear about your problem. The shooting pain which you have described is due to the herniated discs. It typically causes this type of pain and it can be corrected by surgery. If not corrected, it can progress and lead to severe spasms and excruciating pain.
Considering your history of melanoma and a family history of bone cancer, there is no harm in ruling that out. You can get a MRI and that will reveal whether there is a tumor present or not.

Hoping for the best. Please feel free to clarify any other query.