Ankylosing Spondylitis Support Group

Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a chronic form of arthritis--it is an inflammatory disease that causes joints, cartilage or other fibrous tissue (such as ligaments and tendons) to turn into bone. Ankylosing spondylitis is part of the group of rheumatic diseases. The disease is characterized by progressive stiffness, tenderness, and pain in joints. Pain can be episodic and...

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Fused lower spine, what does it feel like?

twyliah
twyliah
I have RA and think I may have AS. I used to have excruciating pain in my very lower back. Now when I lay flat on a hard surface I can feel some bony protrusion there. Is this what fusion of that area of the spine feels like? Any comments and information is appreciated!
cajunv2001
cajunv2001
hi,i had surgery on L4,L5,S1,so pins and bars to replace degenerated discs,am i sorry yes and no,pain was not relieved by the surgery,i now
have a medtronic stimulator attached to my spine,i still have daily pain,take pills,ahnd see pain managment,so my advice,keep your body core strong,suck it in(stomach)and tuck it in(hips) and the bony feeling could be spurs,good luck,and God bless
curvedliz
curvedliz
I get a similar feeling laying on a hard, flat surface. Things like doctor's exam beds/tables are impossible for me to lay flat on, hurts like a demon.

Had a CT scan done earlier this year and no, nothing's fused, just a lot of disc degeneration in L3-L6.

I've heard that the pain is most severe during the degeneration phase and that it is lessened after the fusion, but either that's not true or cajunv2001 is an exception.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Hi, I just came on this forum, so I'm a bit late with my answer. I don't think you necessarily experience a fusion. I'm not really an expert, but I can imagine you suffer just the usual pain. Did you have a flare lately?
I just come out of a 2 and a half moths flare and simply can't bend my lower spine. I will have to let it checked out, but I just can imagine that a long flare simply leads to temporary stiffness.
Sorry- can't be of more use for you! And I hope your post is outdated and it turned out to be fine for you!!!