My L4 was quite mangled. I lost my right knee jerk reflex and sense of pain on the inside of my right calf (although I can still feel touch). Your injury might resolve itself eventually as your soft tissue adapts itself to your new shape. It's hard with injuries like yours, as you never know how much it's going to improve with time.
Once I left hospital my pain was bearable without taking pain killers. However, I remember the first few days being really bad. I had a skull fracture, so they didn't give me any pain killers in case it masked head injury symptoms. I can remember sneezing and passing out, as the pain caused by the slight pressure on my spine was so intense!
