back pain following hysterectomy

I just had a total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy to include my cervix 3 days ago and while I expected to have abdominal discomfort, I was not told anything about this burning back pain in the lower lumbar region. It started yesterday afternoon and I am in agony. I am afraid to mention it to my doctor because 4 months ago I had to have tendon reconstruction on my left thumb and developed RSD in my left forearm [a form of chronic pain syndrome] and that surgeon told me there was nothing wrong with me, that it was in my head and I just couldn't deal with pain. I don't want to be told again there is nothing wrong with me because I am NOT imagining this horrible burning pain. I just googled "back pain after hysterectomy" and was amazed at all of the blogs and information on this topic but no where do I see what the "cause" is...just treatment of ice, heat, moist heat, ultrasound therapy, pain meds. spinal blocks, etc. I appreciate learning how to deal with it but I am one of those people who want to know the cause in addition to the treatment. The RSD I learned the cause, and NO I am NOT imagining it, it is real and not curable. I am now wondering if this is another form of it and my body is just reacting to the surgery and if that is the case I am terrified because the RSD is so uncomfortable.I have been going to Pain Management and am being treated with Cymbalta and opioid pain medication which has made so that it has become tolerable. Has anyone every heard of this burning back pain being a part of Chronic Pain Syndrome brought on by the actual surgery? I will be 50 in just over a month and I can't imagine having to live out the rest of my life in this kind of agony. I want to be an active part of my grandchildren's lives, not the old gratchity grandma. I had this surgery due to extreme endometriosis but have I traded one bad condition for something worse? I hope some one has some hope out there for me.

I had an abdominal hysterectomy 3 weeks ago. I asked my specialist why I am in so much lower back pain. My specialist informed me that inflamation can result after a hysterectomy which can cause pressure on the nerves in the back. I hope this information helps. He also informed me that it can take several weeks before the nerves in the lower back settle down after a hysterectomy. You will need to do some pain pacing and pain management to assist you to cope better with your pain. You can see a pain specialist or a psychologist that works in pain management to help you manage this pain if it persist. Hope this helps.
Michele Jackson Clinical psychologist :-D

Like everyone else, I too had to get out of bed tonight to research this severe lower back pain. I am 16 days post vaginal hysterectomy. The first week was merely a slight soreness to the lower abdominal area, Not pain as I would have expected. This week has been much different. I can not roll my hips or pick my butt up in bed to turn without feeling a horrible strain in my mid and lower back. I bought some Advil gelcaps today (still taking Lortab 10s as well), thinking the anti-inflammatory would help, but had minimal relief from 3 at a time. My chiropractor will love this!! The pillow between the legs laying on my side is no more comfortable than one under my legs while lying on my back. It hurts to sit up and to lean forward. I would never expect a doctor to believe this....not a male anyway! Ask your female friends, doctors and nurses. I am a nurse myself and will warn all my friends in the future!! I do believe it is positioning during the procedure though. 2 hours in any awkward, legs up position cant be good for anyone's back. I would suggest looking up some lower back strengthening exercises, start them in bed before you get out of it in the mornings. Good luck!! !

I knew I wasn't the only one! I had the robotic full hysterectomy on May 2th 2010 and never had a back problem in my life. I recovered quick, had energy, started running again at 5 weeks with the Doctors ok, but even with feeling better I noticed by my two week checkup that I constantly had lower back pain. Since August I couldn't handle it anymore and went to the chiro who cracked me, felt better for a day, then immediately would wake up in so much pain. One morning I couldn't even stand. The only thing that helps me is stretching. It hurts so bad to even stretch but until I do, the back pain is unbearable. The chiro is beside himself. They want to run tests, xrays and MRI's. No thanks. I'm not going to be someone's science experience to make things worse. If anyone has found a resolution as to why so many women are suffering lower back pain after a hysterectomy, please let me know! I'd like to finally know why I hurt all the time.

I had a vaginal hysterectomy done on the thirteenth of october and today I have a really sore back (mid back). I have also felt feverish at times and yet I have also had the chills. I have been walking as told and I am just wondering if maybe I am walking too much. Instead of being put to sleep for the surgery I tried the spinal freeze or whichever its called. Even though I could not feel, I could feel the pressure and my body was moving a bit which made me think that either he was butchering me or having a hard time. I am going to see how I feel tomorrow and if I am still very sore I will be getting checked out!

Well ladies, I had my vaginal hysterectomy 8, yes 8 years ago and I've had the worst pain with my back since then! I was never told b4 the surgery by the doctor that I would have this pain but he did warn my husband immediately after the surgery that I would probably suffer from it for the REST OF MY LIFE. (at least he was honest) He explained that during the surgery, my legs had to be bent over my head so I can only imagine what that does to the spine after hours of surgery in that position. To this day, not only does my lower back hurt, but my ENTIRE back hurts including my shoulders and neck. My shoulders bothered me so bad about a year ago that I thought I was going crazy. So, I went to my general doctor and expressed my concerns and all they keep saying is "oh you're just stressed!" I don't think so!! I constantly have to *crack* my shoulders to release some of the strain. I sleep in awkward positions trying to manage the pain but unfortunately, it never works because I wake up EVERY SINGLE MORNING with excruciating full back pain. I have to do odd little stretches every morning to relieve the pain. I can only bend for limited amounts of time or else I'm in trouble. Actually, right now, the left side of my upper back is in so much pain that I'm about to go lay down to see if it helps, or have my son to stand on it to massage it with his weight. I've always heard disaster stories about chiropractors like, "going to them makes it worse" but I am about to man up and take the chance and visit one to see if they can help minimize this mess. I wish all you luck in figuring this thing out. I'll let you know what the chiropractor suggests. :-(

I had a hysterectomy about 3 1/2 years ago. Ever since then....I get disabling lower back pain when i am on my feet for more than 10-15 minutes. I can't go shopping without finding a bench to rest on constantly. Housework is very difficult. Luckily I have a desk job. I have had x-rays and an MRI....all showed nothing wrong. I now see a chiropractor once a week and unfortunately after about 3 months now....it isn't helping either. I just don't know what to do. I am glad to see other women suffer from this. But I am tired of putting out money to doctors and such and not getting any results. I just simply can't even enjoy the things I used to....and have gained considerable weight from not being able to get out and do things. this is very discouraging. My doctor who did the surgery mentioned none of this to me. But I did find out from a brochure from my chiropractor that it is common in woman who have had hysterectomies.....but I need a cure for it....and nothing is helping. Good luck ladies.

It has been nearly four months after I had a hysterectomy and I am still in chronic pain in my lower back. I go for regular walks to try to keep of the weight even though I am in pain. I find that walking in the morning helps however after walking I find it difficult to go from the sitting position to the standing and walking positions. I go to the Physotherapist 3 times per week to assist with the lower back pain and I use heat packs at night along with cream for my lower back pain. I find that walking in the evening causes me to be in too much pain so I walk in the morning. I am not doing a lot of housework and depend on my husband and adult children to assist me. I do strechi and strengthening exercises to help relieve the build up of tension in my muscles and to help relieve pain. I am no longer able to dance and I get easily tired because of the chronic pain. I manage to work because I sit down all day due to the type of work I do. I do not believe that their is any solution to the chronic back pain. I do know that if you do not do anything about the problem it can get worse for example when I miss two days in a row of walking or if I miss my physio appointment the pain can become debilitating. To stop the pain from spreading from my lower back to other areas of your body you need to continue to do your exercises.
Take care and all the best for your recovery ladies. :-P

August 13th, 2010 I had a radical hysterectomy robotic assisted due to invasive cervical cancer. I was diagnosed July 22nd at the age of 29. This news was devastating! I had been 3 years without a pap. I began to have severe lower back pain so I went to my primary care to have my pap done. It came back abnormal then I was sent to a gynocologist where she did a leep procedure and it came back that it had invaded all 9 mm that she had taken in the procedure. She then sent me to an oncologist and he immediately scheduled a hysterectomy. The procedure seemed to go great! One week after, I was on a car lot buying a vehicle. The results came back great. It had not spread to the lymph nodes and the margins were clear. But, lately, 16 weeks after my surgery I have been experiencing extreme lower back pain, a swollen left leg, and bowel changes. I'm just worried about the cancer returning.

Hi

I had a partial hysterectomy done in March of 2009 and ever since I have been suffering from extreme lower back pain. At first I thought it was hip pain because it started in the left lower back side. I even got a top of the line tempurpedic bed and that didn't help. It got so bad that I went to a back specialist. I had steroid shots and that helped temporary. Then I had the nerves in my back ablated. That helped some but the pain is back just not as bad. What I discovered recently that has helped a lot is stomach crunches while in bed. The pain has not totally gone away but it has helped tremendously! I am now convinced that when they removed the uterus it destabilizes the stomach muscles and core that support your back. I am going to continue doing the stomach crunches because I truly believe that is the answer. I hope this helps and I will praying for you all!!

Has anyone ever got any answers to the lower back pain issue??? There seems to be no responses other than it just takes time to go away. Did anyone ever find out the cause?

Thanks

:(



I am so glad i found this post. Actually my daughter found this website for me. Thank goodness. I too had robotic assisted hysterectomy

with a mesh procedure around the outside of my vagina and also a sling to support everything. My uterus had prolapsed and my doctor said i would need the mesh to avoid coming back for additional surgery because my bladder could fall and my rectum could also prolapse, He also performed a bladder test in the office that determined my urethra needed to be mesh suspended also. I am in constant back and hip and pelvis pain. I had pain upon sitting for months prior to my prolapse and i just assumed it was my tailbone and that i must have injred it someway. I could not recall injuring it . It just seemed to start being painful to sit one day. After I had the prolapse 7 months later I asked all of my doctors and surgeon if the pack pain was from that. They only said it was possible and but it could also be from nerve damage at the base of my spine. I could have a slipped disc. My routine xrays showed no problem. I have not had an MRI.

After the davinci hysterectomy and 1 ovary removal due to a large ugly cyst, i ended up with more pelvic and hip pain then before. I also still had the pain when i tried to sit for longer than 20 mintes at a time. I went to an orthopedist who sent me to physical therapy and took prescription anti infalmmoratorys and then was sent to a pain management doctor. He did bilateral SI steroid injections and then a subsequent tailbone steroid injection all of which just gave short temporary relief. The hip, pelvic and low back pain and tailbone pain is still present . I still cannot sit for more than 20 minutes and cannot drive long distances. I have to be driven for long car rides so I can recline one my sides. I did not know your are practically put upside down for these procedures until I started reading this website. I too would like to find out what if anything I can do to get relief from this debilitating pain.???? It is so depressing and has changed my life considerably.

T

:-D I had a hysterectomy in Aug. 2010. I had several months of physiotherapy which helped me only a little. One day I really needed to paint the new door in my home. The bending and stretching helped me considerably over a period of a week. It was amazing. Then I went to a osteropath who worked on my stomach and back. She said that the scar tissue results in pulling everything down which causes back pain, pain within the pelvis etc. I am now completed healed. Raising your hands up and stretching upwards helps the most.

hi ladies i had a vag hysterectomy on 2/11/2011 i 2 am experiencing lower back pain side & pelvis pain.

hi, I just had the robotic total hysterectomy here in New York on March 4, 2011. I am experiencing really terrible severe upper, middle, and lower back pain. I am 52 years old but very physically fit and extremely active. I did NOT expect to have BACK pain! I was prepared for abdominal pain, but "back pain" was a big shock to me! I was told I was in an "upside down" position during the surgery, so maybe the back pain is from that???