Problems with lumber stenosis any ideas for me.

I've been complaining here about hip bursitis and SI pain. I had an MRI and it is lumbar spinal stenosis--L1 thru L5. I had PT, injections, and everything else I think. Anyone had this treated successfully?










I made you a heading to get more attention to your post.....Susie

Post Edited By Moderator (straydog) : 1/22/2014 11:17:59 AM (GMT-7)

Hi Scorpio I have spinal stenosis in my thoracic spine. I haven't had as much treatment as you have. I just wanted to let you know you're not alone.

love and hugs
Loretta

Well my dear, you've found another poster here with DDD, arthritis, stenosis, , a "slipped disk," bone spurs, and a whole host of goodies it would take forever to mention.

Did your neurosurgeon specifically state that you had 100% complete nerve damage? From what (the aspects of all those things you've got going on in your back, that is)....I'm trying to better understand your situation.

Can you move your legs at all? Can you wriggle your toes? Did they do an EMG on both sides.

I have mixed feelings about PT because,----and I'm going to be brutally honest here, so bear with me,------I've seen more harm (in my personal experience) than good. But that's just me. As a personal trainer, the clients often got handed down to me to unscramble what PT has done.

I, myself, have had more negative than positive results from PT across the past several years. Sure, it left me with a bitter taste. And when I had to do "group PT" after each of my surgeries, I was getting more and more outraged.

In all this time, I want to make clear I found two totally magnificent, wonderful, life-changing PTS that changed my mind and confirmed it's not the "game" it's the "player."

The first one was (get this) a PTA....didn't even have his full PT wings yet. But that man saved me so that I could walk again. Many PT's want to "ride it out" thinking PT is the "cure all." He knew I was in dangerous territory, he also knew my background, and above all he trusted what I was relaying to him. If he wasn't humble enough to state this is dangerous, out of his league, and get me an immediate appointment, I would not be walking today. Those were my neurosurgeon's sentiments as well.

So here we are, still recouping from back surgery (yes a year later) and my new THR on the right (which had complications).

He had the foresight to discuss with my surgeons, and did not have the go that PT cures everything.

These are two of the most remarkable PT's (and a PTA) that I've ever encountered.

Elsewhere I felt like a number being pushed through a mill being told what exercises to do. I had to correct her more than once that "that particular movement" was contraindicated with my surgery. By golly, I was right, and she moved on like nothing happened.

There are good and bad PT's out there, and I'm fortunate to have found two magnificent ones. In my experience, as a trainer and a patient, we spent more time cleaning up the messes created by sloppy PT, and that's an embarrassment to admit out loud.

I learned, don't be afraid to speak up because most of the time, they will NOT do so. This is your body, and you have to live with the outcome!



M.

Hi,

I have never gotten a whole lot from pt either. water therapy is the best and swimming, whatever you can do. land exercises are good, but you have to have them fine tuned for your condition.

Hope you will be better soon.

Lumiere

My therapist do therapy in the ! warm ! Therapy pool.. I do my stretches & walking in there too.

Had painful experiences from several therapists before finding current therapists who also have fibro & myofascial pain.

i was diagonsed with chronic pain damaged neves in my neck when i was 18.i also have arachnoid cyst on my brain stem. i have been with pt for years since switching from one to another my previous employer paid for me to see neurosurgeon Charlie Teo. but i am still battling pain daily fro headaches migraines and memory loss.

Trix, I disagree that you cannot be cured.....I'm not saying there is a perfect fix but if I were you, I would get a second opinion. Have you had MRI, scans? Do you see a neurosurgeon?

I believe the stenosis can certainly be helped in a number of ways, whatever is advised for you. Some of the comments above suggest water therapy which I've not tried, but it's a good idea...exercise for the glutes, core, etc can strengthen those muscles around your spine, injections, and surgery is sometimes an option for stenosis.

I see a neuro man in March and hope I can be helped in a way not involving surgery. I have the bulging disc, osteoarthritis and stenosis in the lower lumber - causing low back pain, pain in legs and hips, it is hard to stand or walk a long time...my MRI shows bilateral narrowing of L2-L-5, with 2 bulging disc. I've had surgery on L3, L4 and L5 2 years ago - wondering if that has to do with it.

I hope you will consider talking to a neuro man and let him start with the beginning and tell him what has been going on. Perhaps he can give you some scans or whatever that might shed light on your problem.

Thanks Merrida, I didn't know SS cannot be cured.....at least it can be helped. Hopefully mine can be controlled with continued exercise and injections in spine or whatever. The major inconvenience is standing and walking time is limited, and sleeping at night is extremely uncomfortable.

Thanks for your straightening me out on that one....

Diane,

You are not the only who is floored by this. My jaw hit the floor when I read that. "Odd" is a very nice and gentle word for what I felt about that comment.

SG: While SS can only be surgically decompressed, please know that, depending on the stage and locations, it can often be managed and the symptoms be kept at bay with strength training.

PS: I'm still trying to get over that whole "ignore" comment......




M.