3 years post decompression surgery

[Lex1]

I just wondered if anyone knows for how long after surgery I can expect to see improvement in my pain?
I ask as it has now been just over 3 years since my surgery, and although there was some reduction in my pain at around the 9-12 month stage I haven't experienced any further improvement since. I am still very restricted as to sitting etc and have to spend a lot of time lying down. I have accepted I may never be pain free and may have to consider Pain Management now. None the less having a timeframe for recovery would be useful. Most of the articles and the surgeon said 6-24 months.

Thanks Lex1

[Violet M]

Hi Lex. I'm sorry things aren't improving for you so far. Most of my improvement was in the first 3 years after surgery. I've continued having some improvement over the last 10 years but I think part of that is because I've been able to work into an exercise program and really improve muscle strength.

You might want to read Ezer's posts on this forum and check out the mindbody approach for pain relief. It's been shown that even after a nerve heals, you can continue to have a memory of pain and that the signals to your brain need to be retrained away from the pain pathways. I don't believe the mindbody approach is a solution for everyone but it's one option to consider. You also have other pain relief options such as neuromodulation or intrathecal pain pump. You could also check out Cora's posts on suboxone. I hope you can find something that works for you.

Violet