Spinal Stenosis

hELLO  , 18 months after the end of my treatment  by radiotherapy, i   felt deep pains at the level of the sacrum and of the left hip. After many examinations to evict possible metastases, it has proved that it was multiple fracture of fatigue at the level of the pond owed to the radiotherapy and osteoporis. Everything is strengthened buti suffer even to day and i keep a boiterie  of the left leg. I am followed by a rhumatologist.   GOOD DAY TO YOU.

Hi islandgirl,

I have the same thing. Mine is spinal stenosis in two directions. I had a two month hospital stay due to a blood disorder from the mitomycin four months after finishing treatment and then two months at home unable to do much. When I finally got back to work I noticed I couldn't walk very far without having real bad weakness and pain. I thought I could just 'walk through it' - that it would resolve after getting back into life, but it didn't.

I did two rounds of physical therapy, which helped a lot with flexibility but didn't touch the walking/weakness issue. I had an MRI and saw two spine specialists. One told me what he thinks happened is that a pre-existing minor spinal stenosis condition was worsened by the hospital stay and long recuperation. No one said it was related to the radiation, but I feel it's possible that the radiation was part of it. Should mention that back problems are common in my family -both my mom and my sister also have spinal stenosis.

What are you doing about it? They offered me steroid shots but my mom gets them and I know from her experience that you can only get them for so long. I want to save that treatment for the future. I'm planning to see an acupuncturist and/or a sports physical therapist as soon as the weather gets better (I'm in Massachusetts and we've been buried with snowstorm after snowstorm). Both were suggested as possible things that won't fix the issue but may help with pain and weakness. I'm also going to talk to my doctor when I see him in April and ask if I can have a scan to detect any fractures.

RoseC

islandgirlculebra said:

Thanks Lilou, Martha and RoseC for your input!

Having a bone scan tomorrow to make sure this isn't something bad (i.e., cancer). Talked to my General Practitioner/Osteopathic Physician today about this. He doesn't seem to think this is a big deal and I need to stay away from orthopedic surgeons cuz all they want to do is cut on you. I've heard horror stories about back surgery so that's not something I would want to jump into either.......He doesn't think my hip pain has anything to do with the stenosis in my back. ?????  Don't know what to think of that.........  I've had osteopathic problems/fibromyalgia like symptoms for years, so maybe the radiation just made it a little worse............Had an Osteopathic Adjustment and am feeling somewhat better this evening. He said we'll see what the bone scan shows and then do an xray to try to see what's going on in the hip.  He said he can give steroid shots to help relieve pain.  This hip pain is beginning to have an effect on my quality of life so I need to do something! Other than that, and the usual side effects from treatment (not able to tolerate heavy fats or real high fiber in my diet without resultant "issues", and the inflexible vagina tissue we all must deal with), I'm doing very well and thankful to be alive!!!! I don't come on here very often cuz i try to push thoughts of cancer to the back of my brain, but I think there are a lot of wonderful people on this sight and I wish you all well!!!!!

 

Thanks for the update, islandgirl. If you could let us know how things turn out, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!