Need medical advice - what should I do about my back problems?

[BOK]

I've had back problems since my late teens (I'm now almost 30). I now have a herniated and degenerated disc in my lower lumbar (shows up black on an MRI, as opposed to white for a normal healthy disc). Was probably herniated about 10 years ago, and just recently degenerated. I cannot left my right leg straight up any higher than about 45 degrees without feeling pressure pain in my lower back and nerve pain all the way down the back of my leg down to my calf. I've always just lived with the pain. But now that I'm getting older, I want to fix this problem before I become crippled in my later years.

I've seen a back specialist already. He put me on 2 months of physical therapy where I did all sorts of stretching and strengthening for my back. But the pain is still there. He recommends surgery to remove the herniated portion of the disc. I'm hesitant about back surgery.

My other alternative is chiropractic. The problem is, I don't know how helpful (if at all) this would be. I went to see a chiropractor a few times in my late teens, and basically all I remember it to be is they crack your back for you. Is it more than that?

Has anyone else gone through back surgery? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[bunker]

I can tell you this much. My dad had a back operation about 9 years ago for a slipped disk and was on his back for 6 months. The first doc didn't do a good job so he had to have a second operation.

Back problems are the worst. Very hard to permanently get rid of them. His back still hurts if he stays in one position too long. It takes him about 10 minutes just to get out of bed in the morning. (He's 52 now)

 

[navyrn]

A lot of information is missing. Are you taking anti-inflammatories? Are you giving it a chance to heal...Are you into sports, have a labor job etc.. These type of back problems are degenerative in nature. It will more than likely get worse not better with time.

Some options: I have seen some pain clinics use a new cutting edge technique where a catheter is inserted into the culprit disk and threaded around it. Low voltage is fed to "heat" up the bulging disk. This will expand it and the hope is that it will contract back into place. I don't know if HMO's will go for that though. I am military so my health care is considered one of the reasons i dont make as much money...

A chiropractor lines up the spinal tract in hopes of decompressing a nerve. They are also wonderful a "releasing" muscle groups. I don't think that this will do much for a bulging disk.

Lastly, if you ask a surgeon how to fix something they are going to answer "Cut!" That is what they do. Not a bad answer but don't look for alternative forms of health care from a surgeon. It is not what they are encultured to do. Shop around for a pain clinic. I am VERY biased, nurse practitioners will give you the gambit on options.

Good luck.

 

[sciencetoy]

I fell off a trampoline in junior high school, a long time ago. I know lots about back problems.

What works for me is chiropracter and yoga.

Chiropractors - there are good ones and not so good ones. A good one will really help. A not so good one won't hurt much. By comparison, a good doctor might help, a not-great one will cripple you. (I speak from experience.)

I went thru the same back therapy, it sucked. Yoga is a thousand times better, and you work it at your own pace.

 

[ToBeMe]

Personally, I'm not real enthused by "pain management Clinics" though either...........I was sent to one a while back. They looked over my records, then proceeded to write me scripts for seven different meds on my first visit to help control my pain. Being a fool, I proceeded to take all as prescribed..........within three days they had me pretty much like a Zombie!

Of the meds. they had me on, 3 warned that they would cause drowsiness, one was a seizure controller, one was for my stomach and the other was 800mg of Motrin 4 times a day! My sister whom is an RN came over on my wifes request and checked me out...............I went to my family physician the next day and they took me off all but the Motrin, Vikadans, and Previced.............

I will never trust these "Psin Management" doctors again...............all they are IMHO is drug peddlers..........

 

[MustPost]

first thing you should do is not ask this question online.
go see a doc in person, get a second opinion if you want

 

[BOK]

I'm not taking any anti-inflammatories. I'm very careful with my back nowadays (maybe too little too late). I don't really play sports, although I'll go to the driving range, or play tennis. This is not very often (only a few times a year). I don't have a labor job. But I do have to lift things occasionally (computers, monitors).

What exactly is a "pain clinic"?

My disc is basically like a deflated tire at this point (that's how the back specialist described it to me).

 

[killface]

I broke my back on my 11th bday and the only things that have worked for me when it acts up are oxycontin, darvocet, hydrocodone, etc.

 

[ToBeMe]

<< What exactly is a "pain clinic"? >>


A "Pain Management Clinic" Attempts to modify your activties and anything else which bothers your back, and treats the pain and discomfort with an assortment of medications....................

 

[todpod]

I haven't had back surgery, I had surgery on my neck, twice. I have 4 heriated discs in my neck, they fixed 2 of them. If I was you I would get a
second opinion, from a surgeon. You may get a totally different opionion from them. Before my second surgery I had 1 doc give drug (davecet),
he felt that surgery wasn't an option. I really don't think that he belived me either. The other Doc, who was recommend by my family doc, and
several others, took alot of time looking at mri's and xrays before recommending surgery, the first guy a few minutes and never even put films on light
board. I had surgery in sept, and have went back to college.
The thing I did wrong after my 1st surgery was going back to manuel labor. Doctor said everything healed fine and there shouldn't be any problems,
as it turned out I just distergrated the work they did the first time. BTW, the first surgeon moved out of state so i couldn't see him again, I would have though.
Personally knowing what I know now, I would have had the first surgery sooner, and would have tried harder to have the second surgery to. The
anticipation was worse then the surgery I thought. I thought the neck surgery was a piece of cake, but I don't know how this relates to the back. I also had
cortisone injections right into my neck they thought it might help, It didn't do a thing for me, it helps some people I guess, at $500 a pop it should.
The thing you need to ask is whatever therapy going to help just the pain or help solve the problem. The cortisone shts would have been temporary
if they worked, but nobody knows for how long or even if they would work. If I was in you situation, I would have the surgery, everything else seems to
be along the lines of pain management so its a matter of how much pain or how many pills you want to take. I am 35, 33 at the time of my first surgery, I don't
regret the surgerys at all, Though I felt better after the first then the second, but if your half ways careful you won't need the second, I think it was the repartition of
what I was doing more then anything.

Hope this helps, probably just confuses the situation more, todd

 

[bacillus]

if the disc is causing spinal root compression in some positions which remains unresolved over the course of time then I suggest you get the discectomy!
I'm a little concerned that the disc is also degenerating as this does not bode well for the long term!

 

[ToBeMe]

Well, If we're gonna give our "resume" for warning you through our dealings...........

I've had two surgeries on L3,L4,L5,S1. They are all now fused and I also have two Titanium Rods and 8 Titanium Screws..........

I'll agree with todpod..........the epidural cortisone injections rarely do anyone much good.........as my current doctor said....."it's like taking an asprin for a gunshot wound.." I had 4 rounds of injections in a 24 day period..........my back felt great..........for about 2 weeks. Then I had surgery #1 a month or so later.

I don't know what to tell anyone at this point.......everything I do seems to work for a while, only to come back worse than before in time.......Like I said, I've had just about every treatment imaginable, but, find that lots of meds are what I like least and seem to give the least amount of relief. They are going to fuse two more disks and add longer rods this time, but, they've already told me my mobility after this surgery will be limited further and this I don't like at all as I'm already quite limited in movement. As was mentioned, degeneration is the thing you should really worry about.........I've been told it will become my worst enemy also.

You may as well get used to taking at least a few medications on a daily basis for the rest of your life........I switch between Darvocet, Vikeadan, and Narco for pain depending upon the severity, in addition to 800mg of Motrin 4 times a day, Prevacid (to help with stomach problems from the Motrin), Viox (anti-inflamitory), and now a sinus medicine......(I never had sinus problems before this, but the doctors tell me it is most likely a side afect of the anti-inflamitory.)

At any rate, I wish you the best of luck! I would get a doctor you absolutely trust and take his advice. Then follow his directions to the tee and hopefully you'll come out of this in pretty good shape! I hurt a LOT some days.......but other days are pretty good and the pain meds. help control things! Another hint......I hope you live in a warm climate because cold weather will make you want to sit in one place and not move!

GOOD LUCK!!!!