Chronic leg pain

[Sidneyspaniel13]

when I was 17 I fell off my friends horse which caused me to have back pain and sciatic pain. After 6 months of going backward and forward to the GP saying time and time again that maximum dosage of gabapentin and naproxen wasn’t working for my pain i eventually got a MRI scan which showed I’d slipped a disc which was also causing leg pain a few months later I had a discectomy which cured the problem and I was back to full health within 6 weeks.

in 2022 at age 24 i suddenly woke up in the horrendous cramp like pains all over my body this eased slightly and then I just had horrendous leg pain constantly, went to my GP was given various pain relief which didn’t help at all so I had an MRI which showed I’d slipped the same disk again i tried a steroid injection which didn’t work and had physiotherapy, I was then out on waiting list for another discectomy I waited 2.5 years for the surgery which I finally had in November 2024. My leg pain hasn’t improved at all I’m still on pain relief gabapentin and naproxen. I had another steroid injection in May which hasn’t help the pain The consultant thinks I’ve now got permanent nerve damage in my leg due to waiting so long for the operation there’s not anything else they can do to help me. Apart from send me to a pain management clinic which I’m on the waiting list for.
I now can’t work or enjoy my life like I used to, I used to be a dog walker and trainer. Which gets me down a lot of time as I should have my whole life ahead of me. My relationship with my partner and family is starting to suffer as it all takes a toll on everyone else.

does anybody have any ideas on what else I could do to help with the pain?
has anyone on here had similar experience to me in their mid 20s?
how do people cope as being in pain feels so lonely.

also to add I was born 16 weeks premature so have a few other health issues the main ones being
chronic lung disease, Asthma and I suffered 2 brain bleeds at 2 weeks old which hasn’t help the left me with mild learning disabilities.

Be aware that the pain management clinic do not have magic wands. Also be prepared to be disappointed by pain management courses. Sorry for being negative, but I’ve been in pain for 20+ years.

I have similar issues as I have a leg that muscles spasms all the time and I have difficulty weight bearing on because the leg moves out of the joint . The leg problems have resulted in spinal degeneration because of the way I walk.

I have had lots of steroid injections.

Given your age, a referral for further physio may be a good option. I have daily exercises to try and keep me moving. If you are near a pool, walking in water is a good way to exercise with no pressure on your joints.

I am sorry that you are not able to work in your old job. I find working does help me as it is a good distraction. Could you find a different type of job or volunteer ? Lots of animal charities need help with stuff that is not too physical. Some dog rehomers offer phone support and with your training background you might be brilliant at that sort of role.

You are obviously an animal lover. Do you have a pet? They are a very good distraction and don't make you feel as isolated.

Is your weight on the low side? If not, trying to lose weight may ease the pressure on your back and leg . I understand that is not easy if you struggle to exercise.

If you are taking naproxen, have they given you medication to protect your stomach?

I am sorry there are no easy answers or solutions. Hopefully you will get more replies with other suggestions.

I’ve been through my own struggles with chronic pain, and I know how hard it can be. When my back pain turned into leg pain, I felt stuck in a cycle of ineffective treatments. It wasn’t until I explored options like yoga, stretching, and talking to others facing the same challenges that I started seeing some improvement. While it’s a long road, finding a support system through (leafease.co.uk )beyond just medication helped me cope.At LeafEase, I completely understand the struggle of living with chronic pain. I’ve been there myself feeling trapped by pain, going from one treatment to the next with little relief. It wasn’t until I sought out a combination of therapies like yoga and talking to others in similar situations that I started to find some balance.

I have constant nerve pain from one of my shins which was crushed in an accident 14 years ago. There is nothing they can do about nerve pain. It’s a dysfunction where the nerve is always on and sending pain signals to the brain.

Unlike you, I started with scans because the leg had been crushed. The top of the shin had been scraped down to the bone and the bone crushed. So it was a lot of healing and pain medication.

It took years, but I trained my mind to ignore that particular pain. Once I learned all the pain that was left was nerve pain and would always be turned on and stabbing me while the leg is actually fine and can be used normally, I started to walk despite the pain.

I focussed on physio to bring that leg up to same strength as the good leg. For too long I had been on crutches or favouring that leg. Over time that would have caused more knee, hip and back problems. Don’t get me wrong, I will never run again.

To ignore the pain, I had to first force myself to focus on other sensations like the feeling of the laced up shoe or socks on my foot.

Today, it takes effort for me to tune into that nerve pain. That’s the only thing I can suggest really.