Back Pain Community

I would stay away from chiroporatc and seek out an orthopedic or nuerologists,
It sounds like youv've signifigant work and chiropractic scares me when your playing with serious vertabral injuries.
Tim

Sorry for the typo, I don't know what a chirporatic is...wacthing TV and typing on a dark keyboard is not great.

Thanks Tim. I agree.

With all your symptoms I think you need a good nueorologist. With as many painful symptoms as you describe so vividly (I know you're not making it up) I cringe at the thought of a chiro manipulating you. If you have a severe nerve impingment and he adjusts you wrong!!!!

My brother in law is a chiro and some are great guys. He's very knowledgable and embraces holistic healing, but spinal injuries can be game changers and you only get one chance to fix your back. The numbers for successful treatment get obismal once you've damaged your spine and are working on additional treatments. I forgot the actual percentages, but for surguries it something in the order of single digits for successfull pain relief on second surgical procedures.
Of course the chiro will say that's why you shouldn't have surgery and he's partially correct. Spine surgery is indeed a last resort.
I would think a physiatrist or neurologist would be a good place to start.

Of course this is only my opinion, but you can't be too careful with your spine! Please be careful!!

Tim

Hi Tim. Thanks again for your reply and advise. I had my follow-up this afternoon with treating physician (this was 2 wk follow-up to last ESI). There has been some mild improvement since last week. I say mild, as in pain is manageable for the first part of the day, but by mid-day I am in significant pain if I am doing anything at all. This could be as minimal as sitting, minimal walking, and driving (driving or riding in a car very quickly increases my pain). I work full-time, but am fortunate that I can sometimes do my work from home. Today was not one of those fortunate days, so by the time of my appointment (2:30pm), I was again at a solid 7 and increasing, on a 1-10 scale. Treating physician is an anethesiologist and intervential spine specialist. He has recommended a 3rd ESI (scheduled for 4/3), as he feels that I was getting some benefit from the ESI until last week's traction, which is true. He agrees that the motorized traction should be stopped and that I need to decide how I am feeling in regard to manual traction. He indicated that he doesn't think that the traction would have caused the buldge to herniate or the herniation or tear to get worse. He said that it is possible that during the traction, the spinal nerve may have gotten hit in the area where there is already stenosis.

My chiro appointment is tomorrow (chiro is within same practice as treating physician) afternoon. At this time, my thought is that I will allow the more "passive" therapies like electrical stim and ultrasound, but that is about it. I don't want them to do anything that has any potential of causing any additional inflamation. Right now, I have pain across lower back (lt & rt), rt leg pain is front and back down into knee cap, lt leg pain is all the way down into foot (with almost constant charlie horse feeling in calf), both buttocks, hips, and groin--still predominant pain is on left.

Have you (or anyone else reading this) had any positive response to acupuncture or massage therapy? I had a little non-professional massage on trigger points in buttocks and legs, but the muscles seem to spasm again very quickly.
I know the saying, "getting old sucks," but this is ridiculous and I don't think I am THAT OLD.

Thanks again
Lauren

hello, I too suffer chronic back pain. At 21 I suffered my first back injury. Not so much an injury as i woke one morning unable to walk or move. I had an x ray done and they told me i had 2 herniated discs and had mild degenerative disc disease. They sent me to PT where they did some strange manipulations which only made things worse. By the time my college semester had ended and i moved back home i had leg pain and had developed drop foot. I ended up finding a good dr and went thru 12 weeks of aqua therapy and 4 more weeks of land therapy. One day i woke up and wasnt in pain anymore. 4 years later i was working as a pre k teacher and assisting a child with a diaper i leaned forward and went to sit back up and a horrible wave of pain shot thru my back and into my legs.

sorry it submitted early...After an mri i was diagnosed with 3 disc herniation, spinal stenosis, rapidly progressive degenerative disc diseas and nerve impingement in several areas. That was over two years ago. i have now gone thru 3 12 week land therapy sessions, 3 ESIs, 2 SI joint injections a 2 level microdiscectomy and laminotomy a 8 week aqua therapy session and now use a TENS unit along with various medications to control pain. i am 27 years old. Even after surgical intervention I have no pain relief. they are now trying one last thing...lumbar traction, ultrasound and electrical stim along with a few stretches. my first session was ok. it was very uncomfortable and for 4 days after i suffered horrible spasms and pain. today i was on the machine for only a few minutes when i felt horrible pressure and pain travel from my tail bone up thru my spine. i wanted to scream it hurt so bad they immediately took me off and ended the session. if I do not continue pt i am headed for spinal fusion and most likely a stimulator implant beacuse I have permanent nerve damge in my leg along with drop foot and neuropathy around my 4 inch inciscion. the scar tissue in addition is causing all sorts of problems. i am hoping this traction didnt worsen things but you cant be too careful. i would stick to only passive therapy until you see a doctor they say traction should never hurt. good luck i wish you the best and no you are not too old! i always get to hear you are too young for this! we just have to keep our heads up in the face of pain and truck on to help others while we silently suffer. dont wait back pain is too serious and can easily be forever!

Hi Shastwell1216 - welcome to the support group -

I feel ur pain, as we all do and am sorry you are in so much of it and have had so much done being so young.

I had a single fusion (L5-S1) done 2/08 hoping that it would take care of my back pains etc., however my pains are worse now than before the surgery. Don't get me wrong, I had to have it done as my disc had splintered with part on the right nerve root and the other on the left nerve root - so nerve damage in both legs (left is worse - drop foot)

I don't want this to sound discouraging but please note that fusions are done to stabilize the spine with little emphasis on pain reduction. During my first 3 months post op I was doing great - reducing pain meds as my pain diminished then all of a sudden my pains were worse than before - scar tissue along with damaged tissue is part of the reason but I am seeing the effects of the domino where the rest of my spine is feeling the impact of the fusion - as they say the discs above/below will start showing the effects.

please do a lot of research - look up FAILED BACK SURGERY SYNDROME - even though this is a terminology that is incorrect it is put on a lot of patients diagnosis when all parts of the surgery do not come out 100%.

I hope the SCS implant will be tried first on you as there are some members that have seen up to 40% pain reduction - and this needs reviewed too as there are some that have had bad problems with the implants.

please keep us posted how you are doing - take care~~

Hi! I'm so sorry to hear all that you have been through and that you are still in pain. I had my 3rd ESI about a week and a half ago.....still in pain! I have decided not to get any additional ESI's, as they do not seem to be helping. I will see the Dr. on Wednesday for a follow-up and see what he has to say. My plan, at this time, is to get another opinion and to see a neurosurgeon for an eval. It has been suggested that I look into teaching hospitals, as there are some things that they will do that private physicians will not. I'm not really sure about anything else. I elected to stop all chiro, as the traction (both motorized and manual) seemed to be making me worse. I can use ice/heat and do electrical stim at home (without paying $55 co-pays multiple times per week). I hope you find relief soon. Best wishes!

Hi Bj1208-
You are absolutely correct. I have read and heard very good and very bad outcomes for surgery and the SCS implant (as well as the ESI). I think we all get to the point of grasping at straws for any relief, but we need to try to think more long-term. As you may have read in my recent reply to Shastwell, I will choose not to have any additional ESI's. I've had 3 since mid-February and they do not seem to be working. It was only after this last one, that I really starting reading about the long-term effects of continued ESI's. I know I should have done my research beforehand, but like I said, grasping at straws. When it was first suggested, I was in so much pain that my legs would start shaking and I would break down in tears in the doctor's office. I couldn't stand to be driving or riding in a car for more than 15 minutes without significant pain. I am trying to avoid surgery at all costs. I have heard some people say that it was a "miracle" for them and other's say that it was the worst thing they ever did and it can't be undone. That's it for now. I wish you the best. Keep us posted on how you are doing.