My doctor is recommending the trial stimulator, and work comp is also wanting me to do the trial before we decide where to go from here.
I guess I could give you a little background on me. I wrecked an ATV last August. I landed on my back and the ATV rolled on top of me and the handle bar jabbed me in the stomach. I fractured my L-3 and have a herniated disc at S-1. The fracture healed, with the exception that it is enlarged in the area of the fracture. The problem has been the dibilitating leg pain. I have had 3 epidural steroids, which gave me relief for a month or so, a nerve root block, which put me in more pain, and I tried different meds. I have gone through all the tests. Multiple MRI's, XRay, CT Scans, and a CT Myleogram. The Doctor said that it doesn't appear that the nerve is being affected by anything pushing on it. He came up with the conclusion that when I wrecked I stretched the nerve root, or the fracture broke off and damaged the nerve, then went back into place.
We have a ranch and that is our livelyhood. It is a very physical job at times, and I spend a lot of hours driving or on machinery.
I need to know some details about the dorsal column stimulator. I have read that you have to turn it off when your driving or on machinery. Is this right? If so it wouldn't be very practical for me. I spend 14 hours a day on machinery during the summer.
Also if anyone would have some advice for me about what to do next. I have been considering a second opinion from a bigger hospital like John Hopkins or the Mayo Clinic. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mike