Epidural and Botox Injections for the Treatment of Chronic Pain

For those many of us out there that suffer from chronic back pain, you know that it is very hard to explain the pain to someone who has never had to live with it. It is one of those things that is present at all times. It holds us back. It drains our energy and our creativity. It stifles the ability to be active and creates health problems right and left. There is nothing good about it. This is what becomes of those of us with this pain. I spent years and so much money trying to find relief. I have found some measure now, I hope. I can only offer you a glimpse into my last 3 months of hot pursuit to end the debilitating pain and discomfort.

First of all, I have had neck and upper back pain for as long as I can remember. The lower back problems only came later, after holding down a desk job after years of more active employment. It could have begun from a car trauma; it could be hereditary. We will never know the origin of the pain. Only that once it begins, it takes over your life.

In 2002 my pain had gotten to a point that I could sometimes not even get out of bed. The muscles in my neck and back would conscript until it was just a mass of corded muscle that sent shooting pains through me. I spent thousands of dollars going to a chiropractor and getting massages. I tried acupuncture. I tried meditation. I tried muscle relaxers and pain killers. There wasn't much I hadn't tried or wouldn't try. Out of these, the chiropractor was able to come to my rescue in extreme cases to at least help me be able to move about. At this time I had a very demanding, very physical job and the times it was affecting me became more frequent. A million doctors must have told me that my pain stemmed from stress. I do believe that stress is a powerful trigger. I do not, however, believe that the pain I experienced was in my head. The same doctors never did more than prescribe pain killers and muscle relaxers. When I came back with the same complaints, they just prescribed more powerful ones. I had to knock myself out, in essence, if I wanted relief. And it was always very short-lived.

In the past year, a friend of mine was going to school to train as a surgical technician. She called me up one day to tell me about an experimental procedure which involved injecting Botox into the muscles which would paralyze the muscles and reduce the spasms. I looked into this procedure and thought that it might work for me. I had gotten it authorized by my insurance company and was scheduled for the injection. Through a series of complications with scheduling, it was put off. I'm glad it was. During the process of preparing for the injections, I spoke to many people about the whole procedure. While Botox for chronic pain has been used since 2004, there were no clear cut results to evaluate the success of the treatment. The more I heard, the more I became concerned with the whole thing. The thought of the injection missing its mark or not working kept me wary.

I then started researching Epidural Injections for back pain. I discovered that this procedure is much safer and has a very good track record for success. I spoke to relatives and co workers who had tried it and 97% of them were extremely happy with the results. At this point, I began redirecting my focus. I had an MRI, which I had not done in the past. I wish I would have. I learned that this test revealed the origins of the pain that to date no doctor could identify. Had I had this image test done earlier, I may have had a bit of a head start on the treatment of this pain. At any rate, I headed to another neurologist and got yet another opinion. He highly recommended the epidural injections. He said that while he had administered Botox injections in the past, he would really only recommend them if nothing else had working, including the epidural. I was happy with the opinion and scheduled right away for the injections.

The entire procedure was painless. I was put into a "twilight" sleep (they called it a "nap") and awoke with the procedure completed. I guess I was hoping for a complete cure, but I have to say that the improvement is quite noticeable. I found myself with more energy, less pain, more mobility; all in all, a successful process. There are often a series of 3 injections, done consecutively over a month-long period. I learned, however, that there may be no need of a third or for that matter a second, injection.

Time will tell. I feel that I took a safe route and that this has been the most effective treatment of a life-long pain. I recommend that everyone do research and try to get more than one opinion. I also strongly recommend an MRI. They are expensive, depending on your insurance plan. However, it is the best indicator of the origin of the recurring pain.

Though the epidural injections are not guaranteed, there is a high success rate among those that suffer. There is no way to know exactly what extent of relief will occur or how long it will last. Typically, it is estimated at 3 to 6 months. There will be a follow up article to let readers know a little more about the pain levels a few months in.

If you decide to try the Botox, first do your homework and try to exhaust other avenues first.