Studies done so far-

The injury occurred on 9/12/08, and we did an MRI on my right calf in Oct 08 -at the time, the calf was the painful area, not my back. The calf MRI was normal, but an orthopedic specialist said it could have been a partial tear of the gastroc muscle that had already healed by the time they got around to doing an MRI.

About a month later (Nov. 08) my back began to hurt, and the original thought was that it was simply from my altered gait (limping and dragging my leg) from the calf injury.

Then in March 09, a lumbar MRI was done, showing "slight disc bulge at l5-s1" and degeneration in the facet joints at l4-l5-s1(?). The radiologist indicated that while this could cause some discomfort associated with aging (at the time I was 36) but should not cause my intense symptoms.

In April 09, I was examined by a spine specialist, who did only x-rays and said my discs at l4-l5 and l5-s1 looked "like flat tires". but that I was not a candidate for surgery. He asked if I was open to steroid shots, which I agreed I would be, but then they were never done, mainly because with WC, there's not a "regular" provider to provide ongoing treatment, and when we went back to court, the judge sent me somewhere else entirely.

So Nov. 2009 I have an EMG with a Doc hired by the ins co., she says it's 'normal' and shows nothing, but the official report received by my lawyer says that there is some nerve damage or issues on the left leg. (The right leg is the problem )

Nothing else getting done....until, Spring 2010, we go back to court, and I protest to my lawyer that there has to be SOMETHING that can be done, so my lawyer sends me to a physiatrist/pain management dr for evaluation. (In WC eval. means he can't treat me, just tell the court what I need, and then we hope the court makes the ins. co pay to get me that treatment somewhere else.) This physiatrist says I have a "severely bad disc", recommends ongoing chronic pain management and consideration of a SCS implant, a discograph, and possible spinal fusion surgery dependent on results of discograph.

So then the ins co sends me to another dr hired by them to say the opposite of what my lawyer's dr says...this guy, formerly with NASA, says I may have "post polio syndrome" ( I have NEVER had polio) or something else that would not be related to work injury. Thats what it all comes down to for them, not whether I'm hurt, but whether they can say it wasn't their problem. (which, I was FINE before 9/12/08, worked as a custodian 10 hrs/day 6 days a week, lifting tables over my head! and on my feet all day every day!)

So then, back to court we go! A few months ago we went back to court, and the judge ordered that my local PA, who wasn't the 'authorized treating provider' for WC, but who had been refilling my scripts for 2 yrs, is now 'authorized to continue pain management'. So now they'll actually pay him for what he's done for 2 years, but, as far as I know, no discograph or further investigative tests or whatever. I think we're at a stand still.

Which is again, why I'm here. If the PA is finally authorized to provide pain management, I'm pretty sure he'll do whatever I ask him to try, so I just wanted some ideas to throw at him for things that may help and eventually get me back to normal, or at least off meds?