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Chronic low back pain
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eleanor61 posted:
Hi, I have been suffering low back pain for about 20 years , I cannot stand on my feet longer then 30 seconds and I get extreme pain in my low back into my thigh hip area. I had a MRI done about 5 years ago it showed I had 3 bulging discs and degenerative discs . I had another MRI done 2 weeks ago and it shows a normal range of fatty tissues and nothing else. But my back has gotten worse and I get tingle pins and needles mostly on the right leg sometimes in both and a lot of leg pain. I stand and it feels like my back is going to split in half from my spin to my hips. I have to lean against something to get rid of it. I see a back surgeon tomorrow for the first time. My family doctor will not write me out prescriptions for pain relief because I had cirrhosis of the liver , so I have to suffer with the pain. It is getting extremely hard to deal with this pain and i cannot do anything anymore. I really hope they can find something and fix it. I do not know why one MRI would show bulging discs and degenerative discs and this one showed nothing . I also was recently diagnosed with osteoporosis .
3 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:Chronic low back painHi, I have been suffering low back pain for about 20 years , I cannot stand on my feet longer then 30 seconds and I get extreme pain in my low back into my thigh hip area. I had a MRI done about 5 years ago it showed I had 3 bulging discs and degenerative discs . I had another MRI done 2 weeks ago and it shows a normal range of fatty tissues and nothing else. But my back has gotten worse and I get tingle pins and needles mostly on the right leg sometimes in both and a lot of leg pain. I stand and it feels like my back is going to split in half from my spin to my hips. I have to lean against something to get rid of it. I see a back surgeon tomorrow for the first time. My family doctor will not write me out prescriptions for pain relief because I had cirrhosis of the liver , so I have to suffer with the pain. It is getting extremely hard to deal with this pain and i cannot do anything anymore. I really hope they can find something and fix it. I do not know why one MRI would show bulging discs and degenerative discs and this one showed nothing . I also was recently diagnosed with osteoporosis .
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bj1208 responded:
Hi Eleanor61 - welcome to the support group -

most primary care physicians will not give out pain medications as the FDA is cracking down on abuse and they are not set up to monitor chronic pains.


You really should see either a Orthopedic Spine Specialist or Neurosurgeon Spine Specialist and have them read the film results of your MRI - they are the only ones that can properly read films and give you an accurate diagnosis and offer treatment plans.

Seeing a good pain management specialist is good to as they can monitor your pains and give you treatment options.I see a PHYSIATRIST Pain Management Specialist and they treat my pains very well

http://www.spineuniverse.com/treatments/what-physiatrist

The Spine Specialist and/or your primary care physician can refer you to see a PHYSIATRIST Pain Management Specialist.

the reason for the difference in the MRI reports has to do with who is reading them. Even the Radiologists cannot read film reports accurately as sometimes they do not know what they are looking for. And if your primary doctor is trying to read the films he/she most likely is going off the written report and those may not be accurate. You really need to be referred to a Spine Specialist to have the films read and a proper diagnosis given followed by a treatment plan.

Please keep us posted what you find out.
~~ Click on my name or picture and read my story ~~

Take care ~~ God Bless ~~

~~ Joy ~~
Report This| Share this:Chronic low back painHi Eleanor61 - welcome to the support group -<br /><br />most primary care physicians will not give out pain medications as the FDA is cracking down on abuse and they are not set up to monitor chronic pains.<br /><br /><br />You really should see either a Orthopedic Spine Specialist or Neurosurgeon Spine Specialist and have them read the film results of your MRI - they are the only ones that can properly read films and give you an accurate diagnosis and offer treatment plans.<br /><br />Seeing a good pain management specialist is good to as they can monitor your pains and give you treatment options.I see a PHYSIATRIST Pain Management Specialist and they treat my pains very well<br /><br /><a href="http://www.spineuniverse.com/treatments/what-physiatrist">http://www.spineuniverse.com/treatments/what-physiatrist</a><br /><br />The Spine Specialist and/or your primary care physician can refer you to see a PHYSIATRIST Pain Management Specialist.<br /><br />the reason for the difference in the MRI reports has to do with who is reading them. Even the Radiologists cannot read film reports accurately as sometimes they do not know what they are looking for. And if your primary doctor is trying to read the films he/she most likely is going off the written report and those may not be accurate. You really need to be referred to a Spine Specialist to have the films read and a proper diagnosis given followed by a treatment plan.<br /><br />Please keep us posted what you find out.
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eleanor61 replied to bj1208's response:
Hi and thank you for replying to me . I saw a spine specialist the day after I had written this and he had said while I was not able to move much when I was healing from my 3 bulging discs my MRI shows that since I was not able to move around much all my muscles in my lower back are gone . He showed me were they are all suppose to be solid black and there not and in parts there are no muscle at all . So he had said that is why my lower back feels like it is going to break in half from my hips to my spin is because there is no muscle there to hold my spine up.
He had told me I need physiotherapy to try and build my muscle back up. I hope to be walking soon without my back feeling like it is going to split in half.
Report This| Share this:Chronic low back painHi and thank you for replying to me . I saw a spine specialist the day after I had written this and he had said while I was not able to move much when I was healing from my 3 bulging discs my MRI shows that since I was not able to move around much all my muscles in my lower back are gone . He showed me were they are all suppose to be solid black and there not and in parts there are no muscle at all . So he had said that is why my lower back feels like it is going to break in half from my hips to my spin is because there is no muscle there to hold my spine up. <br /> He had told me I need physiotherapy to try and build my muscle back up. I hope to be walking soon without my back feeling like it is going to split in half.
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TRS1960 replied to eleanor61's response:
Makes sense, but MRI are not like being able to take a picture of tissues. It's amazingnwhatnthey can diagnose with them, but you also have to keep in mind what they can't see. In one of my books it talks about 50% of people with MRIs that show bulging discs feel no pain while 50% of people reporting back pain show normal MRIs.

I totally agree that weakened muscles can cause tremendous pain ans muscles have large amounts of nerve endings so when they get angry they will really tell you!

Sounds like the PT is needed, but that doesn't mean you need to suffer through it. If you're hurting make sure you tell them so they can help you work through the pain to build muscle strength.

Best of luck and I hope it improves.

Tim
Report This| Share this:Chronic low back painMakes sense, but MRI are not like being able to take a picture of tissues. It's amazingnwhatnthey can diagnose with them, but you also have to keep in mind what they can't see. In one of my books it talks about 50% of people with MRIs that show bulging discs feel no pain while 50% of people reporting back pain show normal MRIs. <br><br>I totally agree that weakened muscles can cause tremendous pain ans muscles have large amounts of nerve endings so when they get angry they will really tell you!<br><br>Sounds like the PT is needed, but that doesn't mean you need to suffer through it. If you're hurting make sure you tell them so they can help you work through the pain to build muscle strength.<br><br>Best of luck and I hope it improves.<br><br>Tim
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