Walking With Arthritis, Stenosis And Synovial Cysts
Mar 24, 2014
One of my great loves is walking. I love walking and love walking my dogs and not only that they expect a walk every day! However, I have along with all my spine issues (arthritis, stenosis), I also have three synovial cysts at the L3/4 level. I have a very consistent pattern, I start out the walk great, but by the end of the walk I am in such pain and with very painful spasms.
I am be followed by my pain management specialist who has been doing regular epidural injections, unfortunately there is so much scar tissue it is difficult to give me the injection on one side of the lumbar spine and I am finding the injections are lasting less and less time. The other problem I have is with my left knee and and am seeing an orthopedic specialist for this and just received a Synvisc injection. I am still dealing with a lot of pain in my knee - sometimes I feel like I am falling apart!
The problem I have is I know my basically my next steps would surgery for my spine to remove the cysts and surgery on my knee (not sure what procedure my orthopedic surgeon has in mind). Maybe, I'm just over thinking this - it is just awful to have multiple pain issues. I am just wondering how I would prioritize. At this time it would seem like the lumber spine is the priority, because sometimes I can't even roll over in bed without my husband helping. I am worried what I will like in 15 years - it is a scary thought. :sad: BTW - One thing both of my Doctors have suggested is a stationary bike and I understand that for exercise and it takes the pressure off the knee and spine, however I love getting out and walking with my dogs it is one of pleasures that I don't want to lose - even if I have to crawl home at the end of the walk.
Addition (Added 3/25/14) - Also, I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions to keep me walking - I understand my Doctor's viewpoint that other exercise options are easier on the spine (eg, stationary bike), however I just don't want to give up my daily walk. I am just wondering if there is anything that might help stop the spasms or reduce them.
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I am 22 years old. I have just read all the symptoms of Osteoarthritis and it matches to what i have been facing from 3 years. I have a consistent pain in my Right Hip joint it is felt when I move my leg. Im facing Limited range of motions in joint and my joint have also become weak i don't have strength in right leg to lift any weight with that joint.
I have been diagnosed with all possible lab blood tests including (T spot and TB gold test) , Xrays, Mri and Bone scan.
The report of MRI tell that there is some Synovial Effusion found in the joint and the open biopsy is recommended. Furthermore from X Rays and MRI its clear that there is no damage happened to the Hip Joint so far.
I want to get to know if there is no damage happens to Joint if its possible that its osteoartritis?
If no what could be possible disease I could have with the same Symtoms like ie limited range of motion of hip, Loss of strength in the leg, Pain when you move it.
Doctor thinks it could be tuberculosis but the blood tests (TB gold, T spot) to check TB are clear. Bone scan is clear. Lungs X rays are also clear.
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I have 2 sebaceous cysts on my bikini line area near my rear end. They have both gotten infected and I put ice on them to bring down the inflammation. When the infection was gone, I put hot compresses on them to help get them to form a head and when they started to drain, I helped by squeezing them. I have been using antibacterial soap in that area and they haven't come back so far.
When I was first diagnosed that these were sebaceous cysts, my OB GYN had said that it was best to not have surgery because of their location. She had prescribed antibiotics - which didn't help.
I didn't see a lot of comments about cysts by females in the bikini line region, so I wanted to share my experience in case someone else has them in that area of their body. I wish there was an easier and less painful way to get these suckers off of me, but I have yet to find a way.
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After multiple tests (ultrasound, ct scan and MRI) I was told I have complex ovarian cysts 5×4 cm on both ovaries and pancreatic cyst that is over 1 cm . I have 2 questions. 1. Since I very much refuse and will be refusing contraceptives , how else naturally can I cure ovarian cysts? 2. Can acidic taste in my mouth with coating on my tongue and lower back pain be due to pancreatic cyst?
My symptoms:-
-Gassy pain after eating
-Very painful menstrual periods with lots of large clots (can't go without strong painkillers, sleepless nights due to pain)
-I do feel the right ovarian cyst even when I'm not on my period (when stretching or laying on my back)
-Lower back pain
-acidic taste in my mouth with whitish/yellowish coating on my tongue
-I'm tired often. Hard to get up in the morning.
Optional Information:-
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My mother has spinal stenosis and next month she will go to surgery. But, she has terrible pains. Her doctor prescribed her Codeine, but this drug does not help her. Is there some other drug which will help her to get rid of these pains?
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I have Tracheal Stenosis (narrowing of the windpipe) and I'm hoping to get an operation called a resection wherein the narrowed section of windpipe is removed and then rejoined again....
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Posting on behalf of my father. He is 48 years old and developed severe back pain and leg pain from Feb this year. We've been to a spine surgeon specialist and have been getting some advice. We have been given a nerve root block (steroid injection) and we tried conservative treatment (swimming + physiotheraphy) for 6-7 weeks but the condition has not improved. It is looking like we need to take surgical action as I can't image what type of pain he goes through every day. He is currently off work and on Lyrica 25mg + panadeine forte (basically tylenol a bit of codeine).
Here are the MRI findings for his lumbar back summarised:
* L2/3 - mild broad based disc bulge, minimal impingement on thecal sac.
* L3/4 - mild broad based disc bulge, minimal impingement on thecal sac. Mild narrowing of neural exit foramina on the left.
* L4/5 - broad based disc bulge, right para foraminal bilateral annular tear. Bilateral facet joint hypertrophy noted. Mild narrowing of the neural exit foramina bilaterally with potential irritation on exiting L4 nerve root weight bearing.
* L5/S1 - broad based disc bulge with facet joint hypertrophy causing mild impingement on the thecal sac. Narrowing neural exit foramina on left with potential impingement on left L5 nerve root. Mild narrowing on the right with potential impingement of exiting L5 nerve root weight bearing.
The surgeon has told us that it is basically bilateral foraminal stenosis on L5/S1 due to the disc degeneration on the L5/S1 level that is causing the back pain and the sciatica. He wishes to fuse L5/S1 anterior and posterior. There will be instrumentation (rods, screws, wedge). I was wondering if there was anyone out there with similar problems who elected for surgery. If so, how did it go and how much of the pain went away.
Also concerned if the 1 level fusion is actually sufficient upon reading some posts on this forum and the internet. I'm quite scared at this stage and my father even more so. However, the pain is really getting to him and I understand that we are left with no choice.
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What does "mild foraminal narrowing" mean on an MRI result? VA clinic denies that my husband's MRI results show any abnormalities, yet MRI results list cervical foraminal narrowing and thoracic osteophytes Doesn't foraminal narrowing MEAN spinal stenosis of some degree? Why does the clinic insist they see nothing wrong on the MRI? Thank you for your help, this back pain battle is 4 years in the running now
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I had stenosis/stricture urethra (N35) and some urinary infection because of it during a period of 2 years while doctors didn't give me right diagnosis.
Consequence is low testosterone and erectile dysfunction.
At the end they managed to discover the true problem and performed uretrotomia etc.
I still have erectile dysfunction and low testosterone and I am getting treatment because of it.
Is this condition curable and how long will it take me to recover testosterone and be cured of erectile dysfunction?
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After MRI my diagnosis was "Lots of mileage left, another 10 years, at least!" (I am 75)! Good to hear but still have to be careful going DOWN stairs! Not too bad going up! Some pain now and again. BUT I sometimes get a strange feeling on upper left thigh, (the worst knee), as if it is wet but when I touch the skin it is totally dry! Happens after I have been standing for a couple of hours.Also, sometimes the skin feels sore, but there is no evidence to show. Has anyone had similar feelings?.
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I've been suffering with pains in my hips, causing problems with walking and standing. On a bad day the stairs are difficult to climb. This has been going on for about a year now. In the last 6 months or so I have developed a sciatic like pain, only happening when standing up and walking to far. The last few days it's been getting worse and I now have pins and needles in my legs and feet. Sometimes both legs but mostly my left. The sciatic pain is only ever in the left side of my buttock. When I try to stand, I am simply unable to put any weight onto my left leg for a while. I'm 31 years old and a mother to 4 plus work. The doctors keep brushing me off because of my age but I'm sure what I am experiencing isn't right.
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About 15 months ago I started noticing a strange feeling in my right leg. I could not cross my right foot onto my left knee one day without a strain. A couple of months later I noticed that I was constantly flexing my quad muscles. Shortly after that, my knee would be slightly swollen and not look or feel right after normal daily activities.
This went on for several months with relatively no change and no pain. In time I developed a small limp, but was still not experiencing any pain. Just a limp with some motion limitations.
I finally went to a doctor and was told I strained my IT Band and to stretch and to walk regularly to help it to heal. This was not my issue and neither walking nor stretching helped or worsened the condition (that I know of).
About 5 months ago my limp was very noticeable and I could not even jog. But still no pain. Just limited motion. Although if I forced myself to run, it was painful, but I did not experience any pain day to day.
I went to an orthopedist and had an MRI done and was then diagnosed with synovial osteochondromatosis in the hip. It seemed very strange because any discomfort I was experiencing was in the knee. But the doctor explained it was referred pain for the issue in my hip.
The plan was set to get surgery, but due to family and work obligations I put it off for 5 months. During that time my condition rapidly accelerated. After a month I began experiencing pain in my knee daily. After a couple of months the pain became much worse and I was constantly having using ice and IBU to manage it. In time I could no longer walk without a cane. In the last weeks leading up to my surgery I could no longer use a cane and was only waking when absolutely necessary and only with crutches. I had to take the last 3 week off of work from my desk job because sitting was unbearable.
I have never experienced this type of pain before. I could not sit, stand, walk or even lie down without terrible pain or at best being very uncomfortable. I didn't sleep more than an hour at a time in the last month.
3 days ago I finally got the surgery. They removed hundreds of loose bodies from my hip, some fairly large. I'm not sure on the count or size just yet but will learn that at my next appointment.
Obviously it is too early to really know how successful the surgery was. But I do feel a great deal better on day 3 after the surgery than I did going into the surgery. I actually have less pain today and more movement than I did the day before the procedure! I can bend my knee straight out to about a 60 degree angle. Before surgery I could barley make it up a step and was in serious pain with each stair.
I don't want to get ahead of myself and say that I have been fixed. There is still a lot of motions that I cannot do and I am still very sore from the surgery. Right now it is hard to tell if the limited motion and soreness I am experiencing is from the surgery or not. The doctors say that because things had gotten so bad, I will likely be in physical therapy for up to one year retraining the muscles to function properly again. They also said that there didn't seem to be much damage done to the joint and it does not look like I will need a hip replacement because of it.
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I am a 65 year old female soon to have a L4/L5 Laminectomy with resection of Synovial Cyst (L4/L5) I need more information about the surgery, and what to expect as far as recovery time, etc.
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In January 2013 I started having left leg pains and started taking ibuprofens or store brand pain killers. Over the last 3 months the pain has become chronic, numbness in my big toe and foot, tingling, and pain in my buttock. This is only happening in my left leg. To make a LONG story short. The MRI showed a cyst pressing against my spine causing the pain. Initially my chiropractor thought is was a disc issue causing my sciatic nerve issues. My neurologist suggested a laminectomy Surgery however his concern was if I need fusion. I had an x-ray done that indicated there is some slipping. The neurologist gave me his best guestimation of how long that area of my back would last without the fusion. If he could have given me a high % that the fusion is necessary I would be at peace with it. Decisions, decisions. I was told the recovery is about 4 -6 weeks and longer with the fusion Do you have any knowledge on either procedure?
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Hello,
I'm new on this board. On October 1st 2015 I had decompression surgery (L2-L4), a laminectomy and removal of a synovial cyst that was very high up on the spine (L2)- it was compressing the cauda equina in a bad way. Since then I have had a lot of nerve pain in my groin (both sides), hamstrings, plus sciatica down my right leg from the hip to the toes (according to the neurosurgeon, this is a 'small hernia' due to stenosis and a trapped nerve on S1/L5/L4 that he will operate on when the pain gets too much for me). Not sure if the sciatica is related to the cauda equina syndrome, but imo the cause of both is spinal stenosis. The nerve pain got less throughout the months (except for the sciatica) but the last weeks it's returning again more, on both sides. I had an MRI done two months ago for the sciatic pain and the doctor saw 'something' on the L2 facet joint that could be a new synovial cyst, or else it's scar tissue, he wasn't sure. My gut feeling is that the cyst is growing back and pressing on the cauda equina again- or could it be that i'm still recovering from the first surgery (now 6 months ago)? I sure hope it's the latter, as it was a big operation and the surgeon said that fusion may be next, as the facet joints move too much and in this way the liquid will keep forming new cysts. Ugh. Mid August I will have a new MRI to see whether the synovial cyst is back or not.
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Impression: Moderate L4/5 disc bulge and a left medial synovial cyst. Significantly compressing the left thecal sac and contributing to moderate central canal and left greater than right lateral stenosis.
I have had progressively worsening low back pain and upper leg and butt pain.
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I had a laminectomy with removal of a synovial cyst exactly 17 days now and feel wonderful. Last weeks follow up visit actually was an eye opener because i found out I was doing too much, like bending for example, and I am really suppose to take it easy so the scar tissue can form a strong bond.
My cyst was large and sitting on the nerve root. As soon as it was removed the compressed nerve popped right back up, all good news.
I am wondering how soon before i can start doing other things besides resting and walking. I understand the golf is not happening for at least another 6 weeks and that's ok, but can I swim or when can i ride a bike?
I have basically no pain aside from a little muscle spasms.
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I have sever back pain and haven't been able to work since August. I am unable to stand, sit or walk for long periods of time. It hurts to sneeze, cough, bend or pick anything up. The pain is constant, stabbing at times and it feels like I have a rock in my spine. They have done facet and epidural injections. I take an anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxer and Norco (3 times a day). They tried to put me on Neurontin but it made me too sick. I have had every test done imaginable and basically what I have is degenerative disk disease with mild broad-base bulge. Bilateral facet arthropathy and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy. Indentation of the thecal sac in L4-L5. L5-S1 bilateral arthropathy. L3-L4 bilateral ligamentum flavum hypertrophy and a left nerve sleeve cyst (synovial cyst).
My surgeon wants to do a foraminotomy because I have radiculopathy on L4-L5 and then do a spinal cord stimulator for the pain. He isn't worried about the cyst...said it isn't the reason for my sever back pain. From what I have been reading, all of my symptoms sound like its the cyst causing at least some of the pain. Am I wrong to second guess his opinion? I just don't want to have these surgeries done and then later down the road turn around and have to have the cyst removed.
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I'm scheduled for surgery next month to remove a synovial cyst in my lower spine. The pain is present only when standing and walking for long periods, but debilitating when it occurs. I've read so much on this site, I thought I would get some of your views.
My neurosurgeon plans to do a laminectomy to reach the cyst which he says is quite large. We debated about whether a fusion is necessary to prevent the cyst from recurring. There is a difference of opinion among surgeons. Two that I've had review my X-rays say I have some degeneration in the disk and should have a fusion. A third says to take the risk and avoid the fusion. Eventually my surgeon convinced me I should have this done in order to return to an active life vs sitting on the couch. He does minimally invasive surgery and does not use a cage or pedicle (sp?) screws as he believes they put too much stress on other disks. Instead he showed me a very simple clamp he has used successfully. Has anyone heard of this - alternative?
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i am having a posterior lumbar 4-5 laminectomy with synovial cyst removal on August 27,2015. I have a 5 day trip to Germany planned 6 &1/2 weeks later.
I now know the recovery to be longer than the one week I had thought. I know it is at least 6 weeks, after my pre surgery intake with the wonderful nurse I have. Does anyone have feedback about a 8 hour plane ride to Europe with only 6 weeks recovery time? Thanks
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I was diagnosed as having a synovial cyst by a neuropsychiatrist. I had a procedure where he went in and drained the cyst along with that I had a steroid injection. Apparently he did not get much out of the cyst. The pathology report came back negative on what he did manage to get out.
On day two post procedure the pain starting coming back. Each day the pain level increased to where I am now a level 8 and sometime 9 and can barely stand the pain. My lower right back just above the buttock feels like there is pressure and is very achy. The deep achy pain goes into my right buttock and wraps around the lower groin area. The achy pain goes down my right leg and into my foot. It is a pulsating deep ache and I can hardly stand it. It also feels numb at times and I get pins and needle tingling. When I get up from laying down or sometimes sitting (when I can sit) I get this sharp excruciating pain in my right groin that doubles me over. I have to stay still in the doubled over position to let it subside before I can straighten up and walk. Sometimes the groin pain just hits me out of nowhere when I am standing.
On my follow up visit with my physiatrist he recommended I have a consult with a neuro spine surgeon. My appointment with the surgeon is in a couple of days. I feel very fortunate to get into see this surgeon who is very hard to get in to see. He is rated as "one of the best" in a very large healthcare system where I work.
I am taking 1500mg of gabapentin along with 6 ibuprofen a day. I am also taking hydrocodone. I fight the pain and only take on the average one pain pill a day because I don't like the groggy feeling.
My question is, has anyone else with a synovial cyst had all of these symptoms? Is the groin pain related to the compression on the nerve from the cyst. I appreciate any feedback and would love to hear from someone who has had these symptoms.
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