Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests Medical Question - Back Pain

im really banking on there being light at the end of this tunnel... or at least an svt

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That's 6 3.5" screws in my spine. I have lots to share with you. Starting with a micro laminectomy to a Laminotomy to full blown reconstruction/fusion and instrumentation. More later. Start now by finding at lest two more orthopeadic surgoens who specialize in Spinal Reconstruction. Get their opinions and weigh them against each other and the one you currently have. It's important to have 100% confidence in whoever you decide to begin the process with. Why? The unfortunate odds are you'll be on the table under his or her hands again.

You should start with the least invasive procedures.

Epidural Steroid injections (2 or 3 treatments) help a percentage of people. If they don't work you can try a caudal ; beware it is a very painful procedure. But nothing like being opened up!

If those don't work, then micro surgeries are the next line. Depending on what you have done it can be out patient and a couple of days to recover or a three day stay and a few weeks down time.

Then you move to more invasive surgeries like a laminotomy. If you're still having problems, after exhausting 6 months to 2 years you'll be facing fusion. Tough road. Really tough. The real kicker is that you may nevery fully recover.

Perhaps you are a candidate for an artificial disc. The technology was to new for my tastes and I needed to get up and walking again so I went with the titanium rods and screws.

What ever surgeon you end up with, make sure he pursues all non invasive tracts first, then the lesser proceedures and finally drastic measures. Your age will help, so will being as fit as you can before hand. Recovery can take more than a year.

PT should be a major part of you life, now and after any medical proceedures you have.

Good luck and post up or pm with any specific questions.

Mark

My take on back pain, I've lived with osteoarthritis in two lower discs since 1988 when I had a bike accident. It was there before but got real bad after. I've tried everything. Painkillers, muscle relaxors, anti inflammatories, you name it. All that crap does is mask the pain. The only thing that has had long lasting results is massage/physical therapies. And recently (one year) I have been trying acupuncture. Seems to work for me. One week after an acupuncture visit for kidney stones, I peed one out that you would NOT believe could come out pain free, but it did. About 3/16' long! This one I had over a year. It was not coming out on it's own. Even my urologist cannot believe it came out pain free. I've had six before and they hurt like you would not believe! This one went "ploop" and fell out. I'm a believer in acupunture now. I'm not sure of you're personal injuries but I do know to try anything before surgery when it comes to you're back.

Jim T.

My wife has been batteling back pain for years now. She started with a discectomy when she had a buldged disc (that was when she was about 21), but then ended up needing a fusion a year later.

The difference before the fusion are night and day. Before she could not sit/stand for more than a half hour, driving in the car required many stops to stretch and walk around. She can't run and still cannont lift more than 15lbs, but she is only into 13 monthes of recovery since the surgery.

If the disc is that bad a discectomy will likely not solve the pain.She will be needing another fusion in the near future, but for now she is doing good with just the one. After a lot of researcha nd talking to many specialists we felt that a replacement, though an option, isn't right for her. The technology isn't quite there yet, and the surgeons said they would have gone with a replacement if she had been above 50,but being that she was 24, disc's have not been studied that long.

Alot depends on which part of your back this is occurring. I am assuming its in the lumbar which is where my wife's is. She did all the injection/PT/micro surgeries she could have and the only thing that worked was the fusion. Her case is hopefully more drastic than yours, she was born with degenerative disc disease so this will be a life long battle.

Good luck, and as many have said get many many opinions before anyone opens you up!