[sugarboo]

Good morning

I know this forum could use some life born into it so I decided to come on over and try to bring you lurkers out. I'm at about the end of trying non-envasive procedures and exercise to get relief from my low back pain.

THe steroid injection lasted a week or so (that was a quick $1500), 7 weeks of Physical Therepy that made me worse not better. I've been on the DRX-9000 where I walked in and crawled out. Tried the tens unit that just made my spasms worse.

That leaves me with drugs. Vicodin, Zanaflx, Celebrex and Lidocaine patches. I'm contacting my doctor to do a Discogram this week. Apprently this is a painful procedure but will make my problem visable after the MRI did not show enough to be agressive initially. I look at those pictures and it looks like a jagged mess.....maybe these doctors are trained to make us suffer to prove we hurt? I dunno...

If anyone is out there, would love to make a friend
J

[sugarboo]

PS: After doing a great deal of reseach yesterday, I think I may have identified my soruce: Discogenic pain from an annular tear. I remember doing an unsual twisting motion about 4 years ago, and the pain has been constant since. I didn't have my MRI with contrast, so maybe thats why they don't see it. I did tell my doctor I thought I'd broken something...but now with this information, I think a 'TEAR" makes more sense and the only way to find it is to do the Discogram.

Tell me your story

[sugarboo]

I suppose I could point out now that the reason I post in my regular forum is because no one is here

[Curious]

i haven't had much time online...sorry gj.

my back condition is different than yours. mine progressed when my life did. lack of working out daily weakened my core muscles. thus...the ole back just couldn't stay in place. that and gaining 20 lbs over 3 1/2 years.

i bet we can get this forum going. guess we need to look at the times that people do post. the spinal forum has been seeing more action than this one.

have you posted there? some smart cookies there.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum22.html

[sugarboo]

Hmmm...I figured that was for spinal disorders like Scoliosis and stuff....I'll check it out. I was thinking about trying Accupuncture next instead of the discogram.....can't hurt and not 'too' invasive LOL!!!

[Curious]

anything to do with the back..even just aches and pains.

i'm going to copy this thread over there.

[Bobbi]

Was fluoroscope - which is also called a C-Arm or live-guided X-ray - used during your minimally invasive procedures?

Oftentimes, those films can detect things that may not display on customary radiographic imaging (X-rays, MRI, etc.) - such as if the facets are also affected by arthritis or degeneration. Those li'l facets are what mobilize the spine or make mobility possible .

[ceegee]

I was just reading some of the older posts and I was curious to see what happened with you. I too would like to find a friend or two to commiserate with.
I was wondering if you had the discogram done? I had mine on 4/24 and I found it surprisingly tolerable..not to say pain free but in comparison to some of the pain I have already had..it was just more pain..lol. The best thing was hearing the Dr. telling me "we found it Carolyn"!!!!! , as I was on the table.
But back to the beginning I guess. I have had lots of DDD and joint problems, I am 49 now but had my neck fusion done in my thirties because of degenerative changes and bone spurs. I had the MRI one day and was scheduled for surgery the next because apparently there so little spinal fluid that could even flow through the mess. Shortly after that, I started growing a large bone spur on the top of my left foot and in the joints of my foot which led to surgery and pinning of my foot together. That one is still kinda painful. When I started having extreme back pain in my lower back I told my Dr. that I wasa afraid it might be bone spurs again but I was also having muscle spasms everywhere in my body and they wanted to rule out MS so I had a brain, cervical and lumbar MRI all at once. Neck was still pretty stable, brain was clear (yay!), and lumber showed a herniated and collapsed L5 -S1 and other suspect looking discs because or arthritis. I was scheduled for surgery six weeks out. Pain was awful but by two days before the surgery, the pain shifted to the right side and disappeared on the left! I was confused but my Dr. was even more confused and he canceled he surgery, sent me to disc decompression therapy, to have nerve conductions studies and the discogram. I was devastated because I was tired of the pain and the studies seemed to be pain invoking tests. I had no idea what to tell my work because I was all set for the surgery. So I just decided to work through the pain and try to deal with it on my own. It has affected me, my job performance. my social life, my relationship with my husband..sigh.., well it got tot the point where I can barely feel my leg and it is very weak. I finally decided to quit being stubborn and had the tests done. The nerve conduction study showed significant nerve damage in my right leg and foot and the discogram shows a herniation that shifted to the right or was pushed to the right with a large bone spur! It never showed up on MRI's but the discogram or the following CT scan caught it. I will be scheduling for a minimally invasive procedure ..a fusion of some sort.
Anyway, Hello, I hope to hear from you and others. Hope all is well or at least better.
ceegee

[Kathi49]

Greejeans,

I agree with Bobbi. And I would NOT be asking for a discogram. I had a CT scan done of my neck (have had two fusions) and that showed exactly where the problems were without having to endure a discogram. And what Bobbi said about the facets is correct. I have had one ESI for the lumbar which did not work. But the facet injections and a subsequent RF did. Anyway, you could also ask for an MRI WITH contrast. I guess I am just saying try everything you can before resorting to a discogram.