He greenbayfan1,

I've had a LP shunt with revisions and I've had severe back pain from where my shunt tubing was coiled up and was hitting a spinal nerve in my back, but it was ongoing sciatica pain. I've also had side and upper abdominal pain from my shunt tubing slightly moving that would eventually pass.

Even though it has been 3 months it still takes a while for all your muscles to truly heal. Is the place where your shunt is actually hurt (I'm assuming you have a programmable shunt)? Do you remember straining your back? Does your back hurt when you only do a certain movement(s)? If you are having sciatica then a nerve in your back is def. being affected.

I don't know the exact date of your surgery, but your aftercare with your surgeon is covered for 3 months, so if you have any concerns go see your NS since it is included as part of your surgery services.

Hope you are feeling better! Hugs, Jazzy

Hi Jazzy -

Thanks so much for your reply. My surgery in mid July was my 2nd LP shunt revision and recovery went well, with the exception of some lung issues post op. I've been feeling pretty good until a few days ago when the back pain started.

The back pain is pretty much constant and is about an inch or so below my shunt. It's really tender to the touch and the same when I touch my abdomen where my tubing is located. I have Fibromyalgia too, so I don't know if it could be that, so who knows?

Is it always tender when you touch where the tubing is located?

My NS is awesome, so I guess I could always leave a message for the nurse to ask him. What do you think?

Thanks again :-)

Hi greenbayfan1,
No, my tubing and my shunt valve was never tender to my touch, it actually felt better when I pressed on the area where I had pain from the tubing because it would kind of shift the tubing away from my abdominal nerves.

I asked my husband who is an O.R. nurse and he said that if it is tender to the touch you should go see you NS ASAP so your surgeon can make sure you don't have any other signs suggesting it might be an infection (not to freak you that it is an infection, but he said it is better to just go in and get it checked out since it is tender to the touch).

So I would make an appt. with your NS and tell them what is going on when you make the appt so they can get you in right away. It is always better to be on the safe side and if everything is all right then at least you know it's not your shunt!

Keep us updated.

Healing hugs, Jazzy

Hi greenbay, just checking in to see if you are feeling better. hope all is well! :) Jazzy

Hello Greenbayfan1,

I have a LP shunt and I have back pain every day. I have had two revisions because the tubing kept moving out of place. As of now, my shunt is working just fine but because of how it lays, it causes discomfort. Pain medicine and muscle relaxers help but I also find relief using lidocaine patches, heating pads and back massagers, yoga is also helpful. I did see a neurologist regarding the pain but he kept focusing on my weight. I did not have back pain before the shunt was placed so its pretty obvious what the problem is. I do have significant peripheral vision loss so the pros outweigh the cons in my situation. I hope this is helpful to you! Take care!