Hi all. I'm going through some legal stuff and I think I'm going to make life goal to help either change some laws or help people who get caught in the "system".

I had a herniated disc at L5-S1 in 2002. The disc was extruded (all out through the annulus firbrosis) but wasn't totally sitting on nerves, so the neurosurgeon decided not to operate.

Question: What happens to a disc or the disc spacing that has no contained nucleus pulposis?


If you've answered the above question, then the next question is on "the results, effects, long-term sequelae" of the disc in 1-5 years and 5-10 years?


I've been looking the net over for "long-term sequelae of non-operative extruded herniated disc". Not in those exact words, but simular. I can't seem to find much info.

You see, in a worker's comp. claim in Oregon, if you have a "pre-existing condition", they say your pain is from DDD. But yet, I wouldn't have the "pre-existing condition" of DDD if I didn't have the "sudden physical trauma injury" that resulted in the herniation of the disc. Catch-22 .


My radiologist in 2002 (I spoke with him recently) said that I had some very mild degenerative changes. His words were, "Probably 4 months prior to the injury." I've been told that is not much. Tears and herniations usually take years to develope, so I've read and been told.

The IME (Independent Medical Examiner) said, "Injury was from a sudden physical activity. Result was sudden onset pain. That is, this is not of degenerative issues."

Has anyone had to deal with this? It's a nasty circle, like I said, a catch-22.

I don't know the answers to what you've asked. I do want to share this site with you - if you may not have seen it previously:

http://www.chirogeek.com/001_Tutorial_Birth_of_HNP.htm

I'm a bit tired, yet will re-read tomorrow; I also did a quick Google search on extruding h. d. and found this:

http://www.vax-d.com/Pages/StudiesPu...enceDecom.html

My PCP says that hypertrophic facet changes is arthritis.

If the Radiologist meant arthritis, why didn't he so.

I hate telling my doctor one thing and he's always saying something different. So I'm looking for an answer so I can be on the same page with him.

Maybe this will help:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...=Google+Search

It appears that it is arthritis.

Did that. I'm a research hound.

The nomenclature and classification of medical terminalogy is tricky.

If a doctor says "hypertrophic facet changes " does he mean arthritis or could it be something other than arthritis.

I'm sure that a PCP, Chiropractor, P.T., Radiologist , etc all have different meanings for that phrase.

Thanks though.

Sorry, I'm not saying that it's not "arthritis", but trying to get an exact "all-in-one" medical term.

Sometimes when a doctor says "degenerative", it's may not be that he/she means "degenerative disc disease". When looking at court hearings, there's no assumptions, so what is meant has to be exact.

I might need to ask on a Radiology website to see if what they define the word is the same as what a PCP would define it.