Is it normal to have leg pain after Microdiscectomy?

Is It Normal To Have Leg Pain After Microdiscectomy? Typically, patients experience initial improvement in leg pain after a microdiscectomy. After this initial improvement, some degree of aching may occur as the nerve progressively heals and recovers from pre-operative compression and surgical manipulation.

How long does the pain last after a Microdiscectomy?

You can expect your back to feel stiff or sore after surgery. This should improve in the weeks after surgery. You may have relief from your symptoms right away, or you may get better over days or weeks. In the weeks after your surgery, it may be hard to sit or stand in one position for very long.

How long does inflammation last after Microdiscectomy?

Doctors expect the first signs of healing to show in the first 2-4 weeks. After 12 weeks, the patient should return to normal activities. After that period and the following months, the patient should experience improved pain and stiffness.

Is it normal to have leg pain after back surgery?

Sometimes patients experience good pain relief early on after their surgery, but as the scar tissue slowly forms, the pain relief diminishes, and leg and back pain recurs or increases. Occasionally the nerve damage from the original cause of the patient’s pain makes the nerve heal more slowly.

Is nerve pain common after Microdiscectomy?

After a microdiscectomy for a disc herniation, another disc may rupture and impinge again on the nerve root. This can happen anywhere from days to years after the surgery. The hallmark of this is pain that is gone initially after surgery, but then spontaneously returns.

How do you know if you have a Reherniation after Microdiscectomy?

The patients may complain of symptoms similar to the original complaints of disc herniation. The symptoms of disc herniation include radicular pain radiating in the thighs and the legs. The patients may also report numbness and tingling in the lower extremities. There may be a weakness in the lower extremity muscles.

Why do I still have pain after Microdiscectomy?

Recurrent pain after lumbar discectomy may be due to a variety of causes, including recurrent disc herniation involving the operated level, a new disc herniation at other spinal levels, epidural fibrosis or scarring, or other anatomical changes involving the spinal canal aside from the intervertebral disc1.

Why is my pain worse after discectomy?

However, for 10-20% of patients, the pain will continue until the nerve starts to heal. In some cases, the pain may even be worse for a while after the back surgery because operating around the nerve root creates some increased swelling and this leads to pain.

Can a disc Reherniation after Microdiscectomy?

However, like any surgery, it’s not without risks, and not all patients carry the same risk level. Reherniation is the most common complication after lumbar discectomy. In fact, 7-18 percent2 of discectomy patients experience recurrent disc herniation.

How long does it take to recover from microdiscectomy?

During the initial 2 weeks after a microdiscectomy surgery, the pain is most intense. Stronger painkillers, such as opioids, are typically used in combination with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Most patients are gradually weaned off opioids over a period of 1 to 2 weeks.

How do you treat pain after a microdiscectomy?

Pain Management After Microdiscectomy Surgery. Immediate post-operative pain can be managed with a combination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs) and a mild pain pill (e.g. Darvocet, Vicodin). The narcotic pain medications (Vicodin) are addictive and should only be used for a short period of time (less than two weeks).

What is a microdiscectomy?

A microdiscectomy is a procedure designed to relieve pain radiating down your arm (s), leg (s,) and/or back. A small incision is made midline (usually less than 2 inches); soft tissues are then gently pushed off to the side.

Does total knee arthroplasty cause postoperative pain?

Abstract Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is one of the most common surgeries performed to relieve joint pain in patients with end‐stage osteoarthritis or rheumatic arthritis of the knee. However, TKA is followed by moderate to severe postoperative pain that affects postoperative rehabilitation, patient satisfaction, and overall outcomes.