Health Organization for Pudendal Education

Well, I like your proactive attitude. I'm pretty much the same way -- try it and pray that you don't get worse! But you can sure get burned out going through the process so please stay strong, and I wish you all the best with this procedure.

Violet

Thank you so much! Please keep your fingers crossed! I've done so much in less than a year. But my gut is telling me to go for it.

Hope

Thanks for that summary, Violet. So, when considering nerves on the spine, does distal always mean lower down? If so, then it seem like they could start the blocks low and move up. For example, if they did a block at, say, L5-S1 and there was no change in the pain but then did one at L3-L4, and the pain did go away, the doctors could conclude the problem area was either L3-L4 or L4-L5 but not lower because the L5-S1 block didn't work. But then, as you note, there may be other factors that make it difficult to draw clear conclusions (e.g., if the injected medication travels around).

Hope, my fingers and toes are tightly crossed for you!!

April

Right, except they might not be willing to inject in the sacral/lumbar area as a diagnostic tool if an MRI doesn't show abnormalities.

Violet

I see. So that would be how it would work. That is good to know. My lumbar MRIs (from 2013 and 2015) show abnormalities in three areas (L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1), so it might make sense to try that diagnostic injection procedure.

Thanks,
April