NeuroTalk Support Groups - Can CT or MRI be wrong or miss something??

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- - Can CT or MRI be wrong or miss something?? (https://www.neurotalk.org/spinal-disorders-and-back-pain/186880-ct-mri-wrong-miss.html)

I have had L4 L5 S1 out since November. I AM TAKING NERVE BLOCK I JUCTION UNTIL I SEE what the surgeon is planning on doing. I JUST HAD AND EMG test done april 1 . I go back this Tuesday to see my nero surgeon. I have no I dea if he is going to operate . He has to go something I cant live this way.

I was told by my first surgeon I couldn't be hurting either. That this was all in my head. The truth is, I didn't know there was more wrong with my neck until I got my records 5 years later. I knew coming out of surgery, that my problem was not corrected. So he orded tests, I refused as I knew I had not gotten the truth out of him anyway. He was just trying to cover his butt.
Arrogant, and cold, I am glad I dumped him.
I feel for those that stumble on those surgeons like this. It takes some real effort to find those physicians willing to address all the problems carefully.

Glad you agreed with no chiro... that was the worst of my early mistakes. The GP didn't even take an xray when telling me to do that. In fact he was pulling up on my head in the office himself.... Good grief, it hurt. He also wanted me to pull up on my own head...knowing this now, makes me angry. He evidently didn't believe me when I told him how much I was hurting.

Thank God it is years later, and I have a good team now in my corner. I hope nobody else has to go through this kind of bad medicine.

Thanks for all your posts Leesa, you are awsome. xxxginnie:hug:

I would advise you to make sure you get a second opinion with another neuro. Also it is important to TRUST and LIKE the person doing the surgery. If you have any doubts, look up his records. I know you are in pain, but that second and even third opinion is so very important. Get your records and your own MRI, find out exactly what is going on before you agree to surgery. If this is recommended, ask what the surgeon is planning to do, look up the proceedure before hand.
I do wish you all the best. Hope a good resolution happens for you. Not to make you frightened, ....My second surgery was wonderful, and I have good resolution 3 years later. My pain is not that bad, and something I can live with. Keep in touch, and let us know how it goes. ginnie:hug:

Quote:

Originally Posted by cali4nia (Post 974802)

I have heard that you can help a bulging disc or herniated disc with pt or chiro. But at what point would you give up? I mean there must be a "give up" point...for lack of a better term. How long does a Dr let it go before they decide "OK, enough is enough, this is obviously not going to fix itself".

Anyone experience this or have or are currently going through this? I have been going to chiro 3-5 times a week for 8 1/2 months and not a bit better, some days worse actually! I did pt at the beginning but stopped because it made my pain worse too!

Any advice?:confused:

Hi Cali4nia,

If you dont mind what are your symptoms ?? I agree with Lee and Ginne everything said--- but im trying to see if there missing some kind of compression or stenosis --Im sorry I been busy latley if i missed something regarding MRI. I do think you know 100% when something not right-- after 8 plus months its apparent DOCS are missing something.

cali4nia,
I merged your most recent threads into this one, to simplify by having replies & info together in a single thread.

Here is an earlier post with symptoms.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cali4nia (Post 975016)

Hi all, wow this seems like the kinda' place that can really help me deal with how I am feeling. Seems like a lot of support around here! xo

I'm a 37 yr old mom and for the past 20 years I have suffered from periodic neck pain. Every now and then it would seize up and I couldn't move for about a week then I would slowly start to feel better and then I would carry on like normal till the next seize up. I would go to physio, chiro and massage and it would get me back on track till the next episode. On July 3rd my third son was born, 5 weeks later on a Friday night he had a life threatening episode where he stopped breathing and after a frantic 911 call and several tests by noon the next day the Dr came and sat down in our hospital room and told us that our baby was having seizures and that we would be medi-vac'd to Vancouver children's hospital the next morning (a whole other story, but he 's home and doing great now with a diagnosis of nothing other than epilepsy!) So that day the Dr. came into my room and had the "talk" with me, during that talk, my neck seized again and this time it was excruciating and landed me downstairs in the ER getting some pain control. This was on August 15th, 2012 and I'm still waiting for this seize up to go away! 5 days ago I had a CT and this was my result:

C4-C5:small posterior disc protrusion w/o central canal stenosis
C5-C6:mild right posterior lateral disc osteophyte complex formation and a small posterior disc herniation, resulting in minimal central canal stenosis and effacement of the right lateral recess.
C6-C7:tiny posterior central disc protrusion and minimal posterior disc osteophyte complex formation with minimal central canal stenosis.
C7-T1:minimal posterior disc osteophyte complex formation without significant central canal stenosis.

I'm still waiting to see a specialist to go over these results, I've seen my family Dr and he said I most likely need surgery. They seem fairly mild, minimal, tiny etc...why am I in soooo much pain? I can't turn my head to the left AT ALL, I have harsh burning sensation all down the left side of my back into my hip, all down my left arm, in my shoulder and up the side of my neck into my jaw. At times I'm unstable on my feet, almost clumsy feeling, and suffering from incontinence (apparently from child birth?) and always a sensation of feeling like I'm getting the flu (if that makes any sense). Anyways I guess I'm just wondering if anyone can give me some info on my results? Are they what's causing my pain if they are so minimal?

Thanks for reading...Happy Sunday to all!!:grouphug:

Quote:

Originally Posted by cali4nia (Post 974801)

So my MRI is tomorrow at 3:30 pm, hopefully I will have results within the week sometime. I will post the them when I get them. I have also looked into a private clinic to get a second opinion. It's just been so long, I mean if Chiro or PT was going to work I should have seen results by now don't ya' think? It's been 9 months...

Was it the same chiro and same PT the whole time?

If you weren't seeing any kind of improvement in a month or so, then they may not be skilled enough to be helpful at all.:(
If I'm not seeing any improvement or pain reduction w/PT or chiro, I search out a new and more advanced therapy person.

Did the PT or chiro do their own full evaluation or just go by the drs dx/rx?
(all chiros are not bad - there are some very good ones to be found IMO)
Just as bad drs of any kind can be found as has been mentioned also.

If your pain and sx are that bad, the dr should have Rx'd a full MRI since you have upper and lower sx...:confused:

Did you request a copy of the MRI report to be sent to you, that way you can get if before seeing the dr for follow up, and look it over?

was it c spine only or was spine & lumbar included?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jo*mar (Post 975017)

Here is an earlier post with symptoms.

Thanks Jomar--!!

I see your ct you have some stenosis and small heriations and bone spurs going on ---im still wanting to more details on your current symptoms any numbness or pain going down arm if so is it on right or left, pain in shoulder or traps?? You having any problems with legs etc..?

Hey good mornin'! So I am taking pain meds, Dilaudid 6mg as needed every 4 hours and that barley touches the pain, takes the edge off though and makes it so I can function as a mother! I did not get the ok from a neuro to do chiro. It just started as neck pain, visit to GP, he said try pt and chiro, it didn't work, so he ordered x-ray and ct, then when he seen those he sent me to a nero who then told me my ct results are normal (???) but ordered and MRI cause I started to cry...lol

MRI today...will post results asap! xo:)