Quote:
Originally Posted by Dubious
Hi Steve,
The pathogenises of a spondy is repleat in the literature so I won't bore you with it. Yes, you have most assuredly had this your whole life short of a (very) traumatic injury.
Conservative treatment is strongly recommended and for good reason. The surgery is huge and wickedly brutal with about a 1 year recovery and frankly, the patients that I polled felt no better or worse after the surgery, thought it was a failed waste and wouldn't do it again. Activity modification and avoiding known precipitating events are essential with a mix of various pain management procedures like interlaminer epidurals, selective nerve root blocks, facet blocks, medial-branch blocks and pelvic traction/exercises in PT. You can try accupuncture or chiropractic as everyone has different success stories and may have something to offer. There is no good answer but I think you have some things to work with. You can also get a special lumbar elastic support that has a sleeve for which a plastic thermaform plate is contoured to your body and inserted into the sleeve. That gives some a lot of relief.
As a surgeon told me, you only do a fusion on a spondy when the patient is in prolonged intractable pain, crawling on thier hands and knees for awhile, all conservative efforts have failed and they are ready to shoot someone!
Good luck!
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Not sure where to start a post so Being that your statement is very thorough, I thought I would post under yours. I have a good friend that has just turned 80! she has kyphosis bent over but not at upper back.. she is bent from well, like in the pike position, but not so much a 90* as more 130*. She was hit by a pick up while crossing the road some @20 yrs ago. She got up and walked away and took herself to the local ER, they said since she walked in on her own she was fine and sent her home!!! BAD MEDICINE THAT! oh well. anyhow shes dealt for years using water arobics to keep moving. SUDDENLY shes got severe sciatic pain down her right side, having incontinence issues and is at the point she is in tears in the AM and barely makes it out of bed. I saw a 7 yr old MRI and her L4 is slipped over L5.( i cant imagine what it is now) She was one that said NEVER to back surgery but now is so desperate for pain relief shes even got her bags packed at her door!! I have taken her to ONE neurosurgeon and hes sent her for Standing MRI only because she cant get up once she lays down for it. He did take an Xray in the office. She is 5'5" , aprox. 220lbs. has some kidney issues but not on dialysis. Doc , was not interested in surgery , offered steroid but shes scared of them due to side effects of swelling. I told her what is a bit of swelling over the pain ? so shes now telling me 2 wks later shes more than ready for the Steroid as shes in such pain. We already have a second doctor appt with another to get a second opinion and have seen online a Bonati spinal place that will give you a review of MRI as well. She had been moving around and all fine, so mechanically she wasnt having issues, im assuming <cough cough> that the vertebrae arepressing on nerves now. I read that this wont help pain? just mechanical function? So would this be a useless avenue to persue? I wish she wouldnt do anything due to her age but shes in so much pain shes telling me if a doctor gave her a 50/50 chance shed take it. shes done no blocks/ no stimulators/shes told me when i mentioned block that "oh no they could paralzye you". UH? surgery????? wondering what other options are there?