TENS units

[LostNPain]

It was a couple sentences about back implants but no link.
I’m still in pain but I think the steroids are kicking in or something. There is a pain sharpness that has been dulled. DPT says I have symptoms from both ilioinguinal and genitofemoral nerves.
The exercises I can’t tell if they are working yet but I keep doing them.

[Chaunce1234]

How has physical therapy progressed so far? Any adjustments or changes to how you feel?

Your prior post may have been blocked if it included a link, I have noticed any post with a link is automatically discarded for whatever reason, probably to reduce spam.

[LostNPain]

Ok. One of my post got blocked. It says unapproved. Weird.

I was asking about implants in the back to block pain.

[LostNPain]

I am also wondering if anyone here has any experience with having an implant in their back for pain blocking? I forgot what they called the procedure.

[LostNPain]

After examining me, she gave me exercises to help the ilioinguinal and genitofemoral nerves. She explained that the nerves can get stuck inside fascia (sp?). I’m scheduled for weekly appointments with her.
I was told that this (two nerves instead of one) might explain why only part of my pain was relieved from the injection.
I am back to work and still feeling lots of pain but I feel like we are moving in the right direction so it keeps me going. Lots of appointments in my calendar.
Ill keep this updated.

[LostNPain]

I’m not sure why I felt the stabbing during the procedure, she did use ultrasound and I could see what she was doing on the screen. The nurses and other doctors were rubbing my arms and trying to comfort me during the stabbing. In the beginning I could also see my intestines moving around on the bottom of the screen.

[LostNPain]

Hello.

It was an ilioinguinal block with steroid, guided by ultrasound.

A couple minutes after the doctor removed the needle I noticed a sudden heavy feeling rush into my upper leg.

After the procedure I was moved into a different room to get dressed.

I stood for a few moments to feel my body. There was a change with the pain but not in the way I expected.

It felt like one part of my pain was completely numb but another part still remained(but lesser) . I had difficulty picking a number for my pain level because of this.

I left the hospital and as the hours passed one side of the pain slowly increased until it was worse than before the procedure, and the other side remained numb.

2 days after procedure I still felt the pain but it seems to be very sporadic.

I can’t say that I’m pain free, or that the injection doesn’t work. But I do notice a change.

As each day goes by I feel like my pain is getting worse on one part but greatly decreasing on another.

Before the procedure I was able to control some of the pain by avoiding certain physical activities. Now, After the procedure I seem to have lost that control, as I’ll have moments of numbness followed by intense pain “flare ups” even while resting.

On the other hand, certain positions that used to cause severe stabbing pain no longer give me pain feedback.

It’s really confusing to me.

Before the procedure the doctor who gave me the injection sent me to their physical therapist. After examining me and having me do movements and tests, She showed me some strengthening exercises and mentioned something about nerve entrapment. She said that I had shut off some muscle activations due to prolonged fear of the pain and so parts of my body were disengaged and this caused great weakness in my glutes.

She sent me to a different physical therapist at the hospital who specializes in nerve entrapment and hernias. I am scheduled for weekly visits with this therapist.

We will not know for sure what exactly is causing the pain until I see the new doctor. I’ve never met him but I hear he is skilled with mesh complications and i have seen an abundance of positive feedback about him. I’ve been waiting for a while and still won’t see him until mid april.

My first visit at the pain clinic had me crying in relief. The doctor spent an hour with me explaining everything, answering my questions, examining me, taking notes, and offered various treatment plans. One option involves an implant in my back to block pain signals. (This was the first time I had ever heard of such a thing). She helped me get an appointment with one of their surgeons. She also didn’t try to pressure me into taking drugs which I really liked.

I felt genuinely cared for and that my pain was treated like a real thing.

So I don’t mind the wait because I feel like I’m in good hands.

[Jnomesh]

Lost N pain: did they do the nerve block using ultrasound guidance? Using ultrasound guidance they can get close to the nerve without hitting it or any other unintended areas.

[Chaunce1234]

I’m sorry to hear you’re uncomfortable after the nerve block, how do you feel now a few days later? Any different?

Do you know if they targeted a specific nerve with the block (ilioinguinal, iliohypogastric, genitofemoral), or was it generalized in the inguinal region? Was the nerve block guided by ultrasound?

Did the nerve block alleviate the pain while it was in effect and the numbing sensation persisted? Or did it still hurt even when numb?

I have read and heard reports about nerve blocks causing an increase in pain for some people either immediately or as they wear off. I think it is insightful information to take with you to future appointments, as it may be helpful data for clinicians to work with.

How has physical therapy gone so far? Have you tried other treatments with any luck?

Stay positive, and keep us updated on your progress and decision making.

[LostNPain]

Received a nerve block with steroid. Having physical therapy and counseling.
At first the procedure wasn’t painful but as the doctor shifted the needle I felt incredible stabbing sharp burning pain. It took all of my mental strength to hold still and to not push her hands off of me. I didn’t expect it to be so painful!
It didn’t last long though and I was out of there quickly, thankfully.

I am very sore where the needle went in. I have bruising and feel tender. The doctor and nurses were nice.

Ive been keeping a pain diary, as instructed. The first few hours I felt numb and heavy. Was told not to drive for the rest of the day. The pain gradually returned and now I feel more pain. I’m surprised that the block would do this. Is this normal?
It seems as though I have more than one source of pain and the block only works on one of them? It sounds strange but I can’t describe it any other way.

I’ll update as I continue treatment.

[LostNPain]

So far
ilioinguinal neuralgia. More investigation is expected to take place soon.

Will update if/when I get more info from the new surgeon.

[Chaunce1234]

Have you tried some of the other options for pain treatment or management?

Let us know how your appointment at the pain clinic goes, and if you try the nerve block injections and to what effect they have.

[LostNPain]

I haven’t done much with my unit lately, it’s relaxing but I feel sore after and it kind of kills the point.

Regarding the fold. I was very close to losing my job due to pain and i begged my doctor to help me. My doctor suggested exploratory laparoscopy to check for a recurrent hernia. On our next visit I was told that the mesh looked perfect and to power through the pain.
I went home and read my medical report for the exploratory laparoscopy and my doctor wrote that my mesh was folded.
I asked for an MRI and was given a sports pelvic Mri and was told everything’s fine.

I will be going to a pain clinic soon. This whole experience has me feeling apprehensive though. I am expecting to be told for the hundredth time that there’s nothing found and nothing to be done.

This pain has been stretched out and ignored for so long that I am mentally and emotionally falling apart, I’m on the brink of losing my job and ready to give up on everything.

[Beenthere]

I tired teh tens unit with no luck at that time. In fact tried everything and no luck. Found out 2 years after my surgery I had a femoral hernia, when that was fixed the pain went away until a few months ago.

[Chaunce1234]

I would recommend just experimenting with the TENS unit, placement, and strength. I don’t know if there’s an exact science to it, perhaps because targeting a particular nerve can be challenging and every person is slightly different depending on body composition. You might try looking at nerve pathway charts (google them) of pelvis, groin, lower abdomen, and back, to try and figure out ideas of what/where to target. Sometimes aiming higher or lower on a nerve path can produce very different results. It may be helpful to visit a Pain Management clinic to get advice since they (should) have thorough knowledge of anatomy and nerve pathways.

Just out of curiosity, when they did an exploratory surgery and found the folded mesh, did they correct that? It may be worth getting a second opinion from a hernia expert that has extensive experience with post-op pain and re-do surgery. Just a thought.

Best of luck and keep us updated on your progress.

[Jnomesh]

Oh regarding the nerve blocks. First go to a place that does ultrasound guided nerve blocks so they can better locate the specific nerve. Based on your symptoms they inject the nerve with a local anesthetic and sometime also a steroid. The block is meant to be more diagnostic ie if the pain goes away then the have determined which nerve is affected and then they can offer something called pulsed radio frequency ablation which for some people can cure the pain or last for upnto a year and then it is repeated. For some people I’ve read that repeated nerve blocks 2 or 3 over a 2 or 3 week slam can reduce the pain and be somewhat therapeutic. The nerve blocks for dis not hurt st all-it was hard to tell how well they worked Bc you are lying down for the procedure and I have no pain when lying down it number the are pretty good though and I think overall helped me but deep down I knew something was wrong and it was more than just nerve related but I believe between the nerve medicine Gabapentin and the shots and the tens machine all got me to be able to get through the work day and spend time with my wife and kids instead of writing in pain in bed all day. I was all set to to do the pulsed radio frequency ablation when I set up an appointment with a surgeon in NYC who I found other people who had their mesh removed by him. I gave him all my scans and he listened to my whole story and sat with my wife and I for over and hour and after he reviewed my MRI he looked st me and my wife and said he believed the mesh had moved-he was the first surgeon to admit it was the mesh.
However, I just wanted to get another opinion and that’s when I sent all my scans to dr, Belyanski and definitively said he saw the mesh had shifted and folded on the cat scan. I made the decisions to go with dr. Belyanski for removal. He was able to remove the mesh while preserving all my inguinal nerves.
if you google him he has posted videos of his mesh removal online and he has quite a few of them posted which gave me more confidence to use him. He does the removal robotically if the mesh was placed laparoscopically which issues a high definition camera and gives more clarity to all the structures. Since my surgery I’ve corresponded with 5 other people who have had their mesh removed by him and all are happy with their choice. Some had their mesh removed openly with him.
its a tough choice and brutal journey. Dontons if research and make the best informed decision you can.
If I had found dr. Belyanski earlier and had my mesh removed earlier for example before last FEB when the debilitating pain started I continually wonder if I would if avoided the severe pain and possible permanent damage that the mesh further did.

[Jnomesh]

Hi. So I had the bard 3D maxx mesh put in laparoscopically. This mesh is named 3D Bc it is concave and is/was supposed to betttrr fit the inguinal region. But from my research there are a little issues with it one of them being that it tends to fold over or clam shell on itself. My was mich worse as it had actually become a waded ball.
after years of tests and visiting surgeons everyone said everything f looked fine.
You need to find a surgeon who specializes in mesh removal to get an honest answer and who will listen to your complaints. A few of them read the scans themselves and no what to look for.unfkrtunately touvwill most likely have to travel.
dr. Igor Belyanski in MD saw on my cat scan that the mesh was folded and had also shifted-for me this is the asnswer I was so relieved to hear it explained to me why I had been in so much discomfort over the years. I had no doubt in my mind that it had to come out-it was killing me since last Feb and my stomach felt all twisted and I just felt sick all this in addition To the burning pain I had when sitting. I didn’t want the mesh to continue to more bodily harm. The surgeon advised on removing the mesh and putting a new mesh back in but I declined Bc of what happened to me with the mesh. It was a 3 1/2 hour surgery to remove the mesh and to illustrate how much damage this stuff can do it had attached to my bladder, spermatic cord, illiac vein and artery and other stuff.
I’m 6 months post up and am taking it slow. I don’t feel sick like I did from the mesh balling up on me and am moving around fine. The feeling of having a brick in me is gone. But I still have some discomfort when sitting and still feel some irritation on my upper thigh. I’m not sure if what took place last FEb will be permanent or if the area will continue to heal.
I never advise people to have their mesh removed as everyone is different and there is no telling for sure how someone will do lost removal so many factors.
however if you mesh is folded and I think you mentioned yours was/is-I personally think it has to come out especially if you are in pain. There is a good chance it can get worse. You mentioned your surgeon found the mesh to be folded did he/she remove it? Or leave it in you?
the top hernia mesh removal surgeons I felt comfortable with after doing my research was dr. Bruce Ramshaw, dr. Towfigh, and dr. Igor Belyanski. Dr. Peterson is another surgeon but he only removed mesh openly and I had mine put in laparoscopically.
I feel like I could exercise but am going to take it slow and let the area fully heal.

[LostNPain]

Also, how long did the nerve blocks last? What did it feel like?

[LostNPain]

Jnomesh thank you for sharing your story.
Hearing your story makes me feel not so alone with this, your experience sounds so similar to mine.
How did they decide to remove the mesh? Did you ask to have it done and they agreed to ? I can’t seem to get a path to resolvement.
After mesh removal are you able to exercise? Do do you believe that mesh removal improves the situation, makes it worse, or does it not change anything?

Do you know what causes a mesh to fold?
Lots of questions, my apologies. I have a lot to learn.

Thank you

[Jnomesh]

Hi. My mesh was folded and balled up and I had it removed this last summer after being in for 6 years. For about 5 years I felt a heaviness feeling like something was in there especially when sitting and had occasional flare ups but they would only last a short time and I was otherwise functioning ok in life. Then last feb I felt pain line I never felt before burning in the groin and all over my left leg. Couldn’t work for about 4 weeks. Anyways on my journey to figure out what was wrong and try and function while I did this-I did three things besides seeing surgeons and getting every scan imaginable:
1) I got a tens machine. Like you found very little I nod where to put the electrodes. I tried in the inguinal region but like you it felt good while the machine was kn but when I turned the machines off the nerves would flare up. So I ended up putting the two electrodes on my lower back on each side and I found this helped to make the lain for example while I was driving or sitting-like you walking from me was much better than sitting. This helped mask the nerve pain and when I stopped the machine I didn’t have any flare ups afterwards. Anyways I don’t know if this method is therapeutic but it helped me get back to work and mask the burning pain.
2) I also went to pain management Bc I was desperate. We did neve blocks of different nerves I don’t know how much this helped but it seemed to help a little as we focused in on the ilkioguinal nerve and lateral femoral cutaneous nerve
3) the pain mangent doctor prescribed gabapentin
I started all this in early April about 6 weeks. After the burning pain started. By May I was able to function ie back to work-sitting was still hard though.
Anyways in June I sent all my scans to a surgeon and found the mesh was folded and had the mesh removed. The balled up heavy feeling in my lower stomach is gone but the issues that started last Feb are still there but no where as bad as they were in Feb.
i feel like there is some scar tissue or something f in there that compressed the nerves when I sit. Some chairs are fine others are a nightmare.
walkinfg is fine.
hope this helps