[KB32]

#35316

Hi Dr. Corenman,

I’m a 33 year old active female. I have asked you a few questions in the past and i appreciated your response and opinion. I am 9 months post revision microdiscectomy on my L4/L5 disc. My last surgery was in December 2021 and the first surgery was April 2021. Overall, this second time around, recovery has been going pretty well except for persistent central lower back pain around the L4/L5 region. If all went well with the surgery, do most patients continue to have persistent lower back pain? I have not had any imagery done since surgery, so I do not know for sure if it was 100% successful. The surgery did relieve my nerve pain in my left leg. Would you recommend this persistent back pain is something I should revisit with my surgeon about?

Look forward to hearing back from you

[Donald Corenman, MD, DC]

#35317

Lower back pain (LBP) after microdiscectomy is somewhat common for about 6-12 weeks post surgery. LBP can last up to 6 months after surgery and 10% of patients can develop permanent LBP. There is a small percentage of patients that can have a low grade infection causing LBP. It might be worth getting labs to look for infection or even a new MRI.

Dr. Corenman

PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
 
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.

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